Sen. Cortese's Statement on the Acquisition of Regional Medical Center by County of Santa Clara

SAN JOSE, CA – Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) issued the following statement regarding the potential acquisition of HCA Healthcare’s Regional Medical Center in East San Jose by the County of Santa Clara and its Health and Hospital System. The potential acquisition comes at a time in which HCA Healthcare eliminated or downgraded its life-saving and critically needed medical care services to the community at its Regional Medical Center campus. This includes closure of its obstetrics department back in 2020, current downgrade of its Level II Trauma Center as well as its comprehensive stroke and heart attack services. All of which have occurred despite severe community backlash.

“I am grateful to HCA Healthcare for their willingness to allow the County of Santa Clara to acquire its Regional Medical Center hospital so that health care access can once again be expanded. This has been a long journey, coming nearly full circle, dating back to the loss of indigent care at the hospital decades ago when HCA Healthcare first acquired it from the non-profit, Alexian Brothers. I was the lead pro bono attorney in that fight on behalf of the community, and I am happy to see full community health care access finally return to the historically under-resourced and underserved communities of East San Jose,” said Senator Cortese.

“The community has been loud and clear: we need to protect patients’ access to life-saving and timely medical care services over private profits. And that is what the County of Santa Clara intends to do by acquiring HCA Healthcare’s Regional Medical Center hospital. I applaud the County of Santa Clara for stepping up and combating what I consider would have been an act of modern-day redlining.

“The County of Santa Clara continues to build upon its big and bold tradition of ensuring healthcare access for all residents having also previously acquired O’Conner Hospital in San Jose, Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, and the De Paul Health Center in Morgan Hill. I thank the County for its continued leadership in upholding healthcare as a basic human right.”

Regional Medical Center hospital is one of three trauma centers in Santa Clara County, and is the main emergency healthcare provider for East San Jose.

Senator Dave Cortese represents Senate District 15, which encompasses San Jose and much of Santa Clara County in the heart of Silicon Valley. Visit Senator Cortese’s website: https://sd15.senate.ca.gov

###