As the sweeping promises of a new behavioral health court take shape slower than expected across California, Santa Clara County is one of the last to roll it out. A new civil court process known as the CARE Program — or CARE Court — allows anyone from a family member to a first responder to...
Medi-Cal to cover Indigenous traditional care in Silicon Valley
Starting next year, Medi-Cal will cover traditional healing practices for Native Americans seeking treatment for substance use. Medi-Cal will expand its coverage to services provided by Native American traditional healers, including herbal medicine, music therapy and spiritual interventions like rituals. It will also cover services provided by natural helpers, including counseling and trauma support. A...
San Jose officials greenlight hospital expansion
No one at the packed San Jose City Council meeting wanted the West Valley hospital to close or miss its seismic retrofit deadline, but numerous residents wanted city officials to hear their concerns about the company that owns the hospital. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve the environmental impact report...
Santa Clara County launches TRUST direct crisis hotline
After some trial and error, Santa Clara County just made it easier to request a non-police response for someone in mental health crisis. Officials have rolled out a direct, 24/7 hotline to reach the Trusted Response Urgent Support Team (TRUST), a mental health crisis team that sends out vans across the county to de-escalate emergencies...
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UPDATE: San Jose hospital meeting ends without community benefits commitment
San Jose health advocates said Good Samaritan Hospital leadership has refused to commit to a community benefits proposal as part of its $1.2 billion bid to expand the hospital. Members of the Rescue Our Medical Care campaign rallied in front of City Hall on Wednesday to call on HCA Healthcare, the parent company of Good...
Silicon Valley city named one of best places to retire
A city in Santa Clara County has been named one of the best places to retire in the nation for its health amenities and quality of life. Santa Clara took the No. 3 spot as one of the best places to retire affordably, according to a 2024 Fortune report. The ranking took into account health...
San Jose Planning Commission says no to hospital expansion
The San Jose Planning Commission recommended denying plans to expand Good Samaritan Hospital based on its controversial owner — a stunning decision for a hospital that has been part of the community for decades. Commissioners voted 7-1 recommending against the hospital’s more than 1 million-square-foot expansion to the San Jose City Council. The final decision...
County leaders secure purchase of East San Jose hospital
Santa Clara County leaders have approved a $315 million effort to acquire and integrate Regional Medical Center into California’s second largest public hospital system — and restore the lifesaving care a for-profit corporation systematically cut from East San Jose. While the county is still finalizing the agreement with HCA Healthcare, the Board of Supervisors on...
Kaiser to replace old San Jose hospital
Kaiser Permanente plans to rebuild its 50-year old hospital in South San Jose and city officials call it a “win-win” for residents. The San Jose Planning Commission earlier this month unanimously approved Kaiser’s plans to more-than double the size of its Medical Center on 250 Hospital Parkway. The Kaiser-financed project would demolish the existing 250,000-square-foot...
Santa Clara County courts redirect mental health cases
Although Santa Clara County was one of the first in the nation to create a behavioral health court, criminal offenders with mental health and drug problems sit in jail for months before getting treatment. That could change this week. County officials on Monday launched a pilot program with a separate court calendar that could fast-track...