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May 13, 2024
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County celebrates opening of expanded Valley Health Center Morgan Hill

More services available at former De Paul site

The new Valley Health Center clinic in Morgan Hill—formerly known as the De Paul Health Center—is now open, offering expanded healthcare coverage for residents of South County and surrounding areas.

The new health clinic now known as VHC Morgan Hill—which includes a fully remodeled urgent care facility, pharmacy, labs and other medical services—was the site of a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony March 15. Officials from Santa Clara County, which purchased the site five years ago, joined representatives of the cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy, as well as members of the public to celebrate the opening of the new facilities.

“The opening of VHC Morgan Hill is a remarkable milestone in the work Santa Clara County is doing to ensure quality health care for everyone—including those in South County and the 120,000 county residents who will most directly benefit,” said Sylvia Arenas, County of Santa Clara Supervisor. “VHC Morgan Hill will provide services for all, but it will most notably make an immediate impact for our most vulnerable residents.”

VHC Morgan Hill began full-time operations on March 18. The clinic is open 8am-5pm Monday-Friday; with urgent care, laboratory, radiology and the pharmacy open from 8am-10pm Monday-Friday, and 8am-5pm Saturday, Sunday and holidays. The clinic is located at 18550 De Paul Drive. 

The Morgan Hill clinic offers services for primary care, gastrointestinal specialty, general surgery, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy and the walk-in urgent care center, says a press release from the county. Beginning in April, a newly hired cardiologist will begin seeing patients at VHC Morgan Hill and St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy. 

Future services at VHC Morgan Hill will include pediatrics, OBGYN, orthopedics, skilled nursing and other specialties. 

The center expects to serve up to 15,000 individuals annually with up to 50,000 patient encounters across its range of specialties, according to the county.

“A healthcare facility like this is an important part of the fabric of the community,” Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner said at the March 15 ribbon cutting. “And while it’s sad to think we could have lost it, we’re grateful to know it has been saved and will continue growing.” 

The county purchased the De Paul site—once a busy hospital—in 2018, along with SLRH and O’Connor Hospital in San Jose. At that time, all three facilities were indanger of closing. VHC Morgan Hill is “the latest example of the county’s commitment to investing and caring for everyone in Santa Clara County,” staff said in a press release. 

In 2020, the county completed some improvements to the former hospital site to accommodate patients at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when hospitals everywhere were flooded with ailing customers. 

The grand opening of the new services, lobby, pharmacy and other facilities last week signals a permanent return of full-service healthcare services to South County, officials said at the celebration. 

“Residents in Morgan Hill and South County deserve quality healthcare where they live and work and the County of Santa Clara is proud to open VCH Morgan Hill to fulfill this important community need,” Santa Clara County Executive James R. Williams said. 

The De Paul facility has offered varying degrees of urgent care since 2010, when the former owner reopened a portion of the building for that purpose. The building was also the former site of SLRH, which moved out of the site in 1999, leaving it entirely vacant for about 11 years. 

The county held a ribbon cutting ceremony at Valley Health Center Morgan Hill on March 15. Photo: Michael Moore

Valley Health Center of Morgan Hill

What: VHC of Morgan Hill offers urgent care, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, primary care, gastrointestinal and general surgery services, with more on the horizon as the facility expands. 

Where: 18550 De Paul Drive, Morgan Hill.

Hours: 8am-10pm Monday-Friday; 8am-5pm Saturday, Sunday and holidays. 

Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Moore is an award-winning journalist who has worked as a reporter and editor for the Morgan Hill Times, Hollister Free Lance and Gilroy Dispatch since 2008. During that time, he has covered crime, breaking news, local government, education, entertainment and more.

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