[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6307397,"mediaKeyId","2433357-031c1028f5804e8fcc32e40f19ded284","parentId",2433357,"title","County readies Regional Medical Center for April 1 opening as Valley Medical Center reports sharp ED and trauma increases","audioSeconds",1117,"startMs",1521000,"endMs",2638000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2433357-031c1028f5804e8fcc32e40f19ded284&start=1521&end=2638","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2433357-031c1028f5804e8fcc32e40f19ded284/thumbnail_1521000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6307397/Santa-Clara-County/California/County-readies-Regional-Medical-Center-for-April-1-opening-as-Valley-Medical-Center-reports-sharp-ED-and-trauma-increases","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307397-2577ff90c4add7eaeab1acda3790f89f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178229&Signature=SWj-7cp54czVlSLuK9phm1Pr67fuo8U0CugT6MU~K2M5mCwIbdQiUXBwCx4uMdu43uwkRfq16zowp39B~ZUSAtLAQ9c0h7Bnbt7z2dhS0yMQef52MbVyU~Q-fX9cn-IU0p033ybnn0SfXZoR4BGRul7Sfoo0NmsOiLK6qEGQC9q8nJAcUwVX37bPZJyulOUC2NZU505r7i0h9AwBwSY63zAife0RS2RyaVCpw0XudQ~253KXBPO4hu0FqGqa3JY9kQOh9g31lc3KzG-j62G-0SOzMTy-DtZgaOvB1G-CChTbRnNIZkEfa3ozrJiAgvWayKLgCO7NRbKZxR9-oxXStg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Santa Clara County CA","date","2025-01-27T21:41:45Z","article","County officials told the Health and Hospital Committee that preparations are on track for the county to operate the Regional Medical Center (RMC) starting April 1, while Valley Medical Center and other county hospitals are experiencing unusually high emergency-department (ED) and trauma volumes.

The county reported that roughly 10,070 job offers were made to RMC employees and about 98% have accepted, “around 10,050 employees,” as the system prepares for Day 1 operations. Health system staff said electronic health record (EPIC) implementation has a 45-day go‑live readiness sign‑off from the county technology team, licensing steps are underway with state regulators and procurement and contracting to supply equipment are progressing.

The readiness work matters because hospital leaders said the county health system is already experiencing sustained high volume. Valley Medical Center’s ED volume was reported up about 12% November–January, with daily highs near 300 patients and an average of about 270 patients per day. O’Connor Hospital’s ED volume rose about 10% over the same period. Trauma volume for the county jumped sharply: staff reported an 87% increase in trauma cases in January compared with the prior year and said “major traumas are up 200 percent for the month.”

Those increases have strained throughput. County health leaders described operational steps taken to relieve ED bottlenecks, including adding eight medical‑surgical beds and four ICU beds at Valley, and adding 15 medical‑surgical beds at O’Connor to increase inpatient capacity and move patients out of the ED. The system also contracted with skilled‑nursing facilities to improve discharges and is exploring a conversion of 12 express‑care beds to ED beds; that change would require a waiver from the California Department of Public Health.

County staff said they are monitoring other readiness items for April 1: finalizing licenses with the California Department of Health Care Services (change‑of‑ownership and pharmacy licensing), completing dozens of operating contracts, and integrating 40–50 ancillary IT systems with EPIC. Officials said they have submitted initial documentation to the local emergency medical services agency and expect on‑site readiness reviews in early March.

Officials also noted some longer‑term capacity benefits: Regional Medical Center has already been expanding its ED waiting room and clinical capacity, and staff said the seller’s planned construction work will continue after the county’s acquisition, potentially bringing another roughly 25% of additional ED capacity to the system in coming months.

Committee members pressed staff about unexpected problems; county leaders said “every day there is an issue” but that teams have contingency plans. Officials emphasized that although wait times have lengthened, patients receive an initial medical evaluation on arrival and staff continuously monitor the most acute patients during extended waits.

The committee asked staff to report back after April 1 on changes in ED and trauma volumes to track whether the addition of RMC capacity eases pressure at Valley and other county hospitals.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","County of Santa Clara Health and Hospital Committee February 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County officials told the Health and Hospital Committee that preparations are on track for the county to operate the Regional Medical Center (RMC) starting April 1, while Valley Medical Center and other county hospitals are experiencing unusually high emergency-department and trauma volumes.","taxTitle","Santa Clara County, California","taxId",2855,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6307388,"County officials warn proposed federal budget changes could threaten Medi‑Cal funding and hospital supplemental payments",739,4278000,5017000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2433357-031c1028f5804e8fcc32e40f19ded284&start=4278&end=5017","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2433357-031c1028f5804e8fcc32e40f19ded284/thumbnail_4278000.jpg","/articles/6307388/Santa-Clara-County/California/County-officials-warn-proposed-federal-budget-changes-could-threaten-MediCal-funding-and-hospital-supplemental-payments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307388-83c8a7f3eec902a7b9d2533d5fdc26be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178229&Signature=T835-Fi-wDSKUk5rUX8gXThfYrQk1J4YTeY6BsPXc7GGOTC44pTthEiK7wqtChum2HojZzCx~1HKuaR83xKlATlpwpZoDT8je~iMqbkFyYaJe3K2zw3ZWWOCQuxsUZLxWacMqg9MVzxLiNAE~rZvknjp2PAfMK7ZgEwCVWuSiperhFMYw2KUSz919XTw2SXAKt9t8JeI8URGC2RmtVkBC7uyFzwdQ0ISM2vNDgSUCcbdMc17sMsS15SqU3t7kVmNiD0kDFyXDVAf4BUiEan-Gu7BWGsHbPlTaFlkgmmJfnxH4nHgYiDZYh1uuee~HQeBNCUKQGFBEQNAkiA73BYrkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County policy staff and health system leaders briefed the Health and Hospital Committee on federal budget activity and said proposed measures in Washington could put significant parts of the county’s Medi‑Cal funding at risk.

Bert, the county’s federal/state policy adviser, explained that House and Senate budget resolutions currently diverge: the House resolution would create a pathway for large savings that are likely to affect Medicaid, while the Senate resolution does not include Medicaid cuts. He warned that the reconciliation process could take months and that December 31 remains the hard deadline if Congress intends to extend tax provisions tied to the broader package.

Speakers said several policy levers are under discussion in Washington that would affect counties: lowering the federal matching rate (FMAP) for Medicaid, capping federal payments with per‑capita models, erecting eligibility barriers (for example, work requirements), and reducing or deferring supplemental hospital payments such as the Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program. Officials noted that local hospital revenue includes significant Medicaid payments and supplemental streams, and that even delayed or phased cuts could have major fiscal impacts. The county estimated Medicaid constitutes roughly $1.9 billion of patient revenue in the local system (combination of fee‑for‑service and supplemental payments); speakers emphasized the uncertainty over which parts of that revenue would be affected.

County leaders described two complicating layers: the federal proposal itself and how California’s state government would respond. Even if Washington made cuts, Sacramento’s choices on backstopping or reshaping assistance would determine local effects. Committee members were told the county is preparing advocacy and internal contingency planning but that detailed modeling will await clearer federal language.

Officials also reviewed the Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) history: DSH was created to help hospitals that serve large uninsured populations, was scheduled to be scaled back after the Affordable Care Act but repeatedly deferred, and now faces renewed pressure; staff said potential changes to DSH could mean tens of millions of dollars in lost county hospital revenue if policy shifts are enacted and sustained.

Committee members asked about timing on related payment deferrals and a possible government shutdown; staff said a continuing resolution (CR) expires March 14 and that other calendar items (debt‑limit measures) add further uncertainty. County staff and leadership stressed ongoing monitoring and that advocacy to members of Congress and state leaders is underway.

","County staff and policy advisers told the Health and Hospital Committee that several possible federal actions — changes to FMAP, eligibility barriers, and cuts to supplemental payments such as DSH — could significantly reduce funding for county health, and that timing and outcomes remain highly uncertain.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6307392,"Public health presents prioritized diabetes prevention strategies; collaborative secures short‑term funding",813,796000,1609000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2433357-031c1028f5804e8fcc32e40f19ded284&start=796&end=1609","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2433357-031c1028f5804e8fcc32e40f19ded284/thumbnail_796000.jpg","/articles/6307392/Santa-Clara-County/California/Public-health-presents-prioritized-diabetes-prevention-strategies-collaborative-secures-shortterm-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307392-99338568f9990f084e9fbc36604cdd81/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178229&Signature=R7a7kEKqnwDLXNOQWdW7dirvs0vNxD7f96ihO1W0xIv5QdGUXcLVwJb8DiIfIDdbR2~59iLRGB0DPwDZ7tlCBL00ACBnFHVgt4RqN6Gw3SVRgSzwIEsxhOWokvu7tV6gim3NzJygLpo2Iol~2SwfEh-ueg7HCwTX0wOih5cqJqtwKf9wpCuO67YgVXmjG6tMS2ujLVhy4SvbEJWo7gRJfRGeiH3SUxGa~Eq9lt2rQLX626P~wAbdibG7qqtWRCj-scz1nkvgt-RGC8LFjF7VU~oo6FULtnwmKWKsxjVBOpmtl~TqlA0lYKHFQdDTd6-GKxa-~wc1mGsxSOXFvLoYvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Public Health staff briefed the Health and Hospital Committee on four prioritized strategies from the county’s Diabetes Prevention Strategic Plan and said they are pursuing multiple funding sources to implement the work over the next two years.

Angelica Diaz, director of the Healthy Communities Branch in the Public Health Department, told the committee the diabetes prevention effort is led by a collaborative of about 30 organizations and that the full plan identifies 21 strategies across four focus areas. The committee heard details on four strategies recommended for implementation and cost estimates for near‑term work.

Committee members asked about funding. Diaz said the department recently secured $110,000 in one‑time funding over three years from the American Institutes for Research and that an additional $100,000 in one‑time funds will be awarded to collaborative partners — a combined $210,000 identified so far. Diaz also said the collaborative continues to “shake the money tree” for further private and public funding. Committee members asked staff to continue seeking payor and foundation support.

Supervisors and public health staff discussed “universal screening” for prediabetes and diabetes. Staff described universal screening as screening adults at risk in their medical home with coverage for tests provided by the patient’s health plan; Public Health said its role is to coordinate systems, identify service gaps, and work with clinical partners (including county hospitals and commercial health systems) rather than to become the primary provider of screening tests.

Committee members shared personal anecdotes to underscore the urgency of early detection. Public Health and Valley Medical Center staff said the county will focus on systems improvements that ensure primary care providers include A1C screening where appropriate and to target outreach to populations with limited access to primary care.

The committee voted to receive the report.","Public Health presented four prioritized strategies from its diabetes prevention plan and said the Diabetes Prevention Collaborative identified about $210,000 in one‑time funding for implementation; officials emphasized seeking additional grants and working with clinical partners on universal screening.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County readies Regional Medical Center for April 1 opening as Valley Medical Center reports sharp ED and trauma increases

County officials warn proposed federal budget changes could threaten Medi‑Cal funding and hospital supplemental payments

Public health presents prioritized diabetes prevention strategies; collaborative secures short‑term funding