Santa Clara Co. to purchase Regional Medical Center after trauma services downgraded
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- New developments out of the South Bay, where late Wednesday afternoon, Santa Clara County announced its purchase of Regional Medical Center in East San Jose.
The move will restore the area's only trauma center and is considered a major victory for community members.
It comes after a coalition of patients and advocates rallied and fought for months to keep the community's only trauma center.
"Our community needs the trauma care center on the east side, there is not any other trauma care in the east side at this moment," said Maria Noelle Fernandez, executive director of Working Partnerships, who helped form the coalition to keep the trauma services.
HCA Healthcare, the company that owns Regional Medical Center, announced plans earlier this year to close the trauma center. Then the plans changed, from a full closure to a downgrade in resources.
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The hospital said that the closure and changes were due to a decline in utilization. That downgrade was effective Aug. 12.
But on Wednesday the county made its major announcement.
"The county and HCA Healthcare have reached a preliminary agreement for the county to acquire Regional Medical Center in East San Jose," said James R. Williams, Santa Clara County executive, at a press conference.
The county now plans to, not only restore trauma services, along with stroke and heart attack services, but also restore labor and delivery services that closed back in 2020.
Something the coalition that worked to save the services calls a win.
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"I think it was all those actions of the coalition coming together to use every tool in our toolbox to say, 'Not in our county,'" Fernandez said.
For now, the county and HCA Healthcare agreed on a $175 million price tag.
It comes months after the county shuffled the budget to make up a $250 million deficit.
"The good news is that we have recently received some significant reimbursements from FEMA associated with our COVID-19 activity," Williams said. "That's a one-time resource that's just come our way that will significantly help fund the acquisition of Regional."
The county said it still has formal steps to take to finalize the sale, including licensure, state approvals and more negotiations on the final sale price.
Steps advocates hope are taken with urgency.
"We can't have this take months," Fernandez said, "We need it to happen immediately because our lives are on the line. "
The county said it hopes to close in the first quarter of 2025.
