Health

“Due to the federal Medi-Cal cuts, our County-run hospitals and clinics are at risk of closure.” “Under the leadership of the Board of Supervisors, we are fighting to preserve and protect our critical services.” These boldface words from Santa Clara County executive James R. Williams greeted...

Dr. Sara Cody—a nationally recognized public health official who was a leader and a pioneer in the Bay Area’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic—has announced her retirement from her position as Santa Clara County Health Officer.  Cody has served the county for more than 25...

While transmission of respiratory syncytial virus has begun to plateau in Santa Clara County, the county's top health official said Tuesday that Covid-19 and flu transmission continue to rise. Covid virus concentration in each of the county's sewersheds in San Jose, Palo Alto, Gilroy and...

Three mothers from California's South Valley have turned their grief into advocacy after losing their teenage sons to fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills. Gilroy residents Geralyn Vasquez, Lisa Marquez and Stephanie Carrasco each lost sons between ages 17 and 21 to what the young men believed were...

The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors on July 9 held off on a decision regarding an ordinance that would prohibit homeless encampments along waterways in the water district’s jurisdiction. After hours’ worth of public testimony from speakers on both sides of the...

A fleet of 12 new ambulances dedicated to transporting patients among the county’s hospitals and medical offices was unveiled at Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy on May 9.  The new emergency medical vehicles will improve transport times among Santa Clara Valley Healthcare’s three hospitals—SLRH,...

Every year,  lawmakers in Sacramento introduce a flurry of bills, most of which are eviscerated during the legislative process and end up on the Assembly or Senate trash heap. A select few make it to the governor’s desk, and assuming they dodge the veto...

First, an inspirational quote: “SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER!” - A. Cooper Kids, enjoy your well-earned freedom. Celebrate with some sweet summer cycling, and don’t forget your helmets and sunscreen! Drivers, be extra alert! Second, a quick thank you to all the riders who participated in last...

Bernice “B” Bode and her great-granddaughter, Jasmin Sauer, have similar personalities and they enjoy spending time together—in much the same way that intergenerational members of many families do.  But Bernice and Jasmin’s relationship is unique because they are 100 years apart in age. Bode, who...

On Aug. 12, 2022, a man arrived at the trauma unit of the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose bleeding from multiple stab wounds to his wrist and abdomen. Doctors determined that he had stabbed himself with a four-inch knife. After emergency surgery...