Health

Gerald Foisy—largely known to Gilroy community members and garlic aficionados as Mr. Garlic—died on Jan. 7 after a battle with Alzheimer's. He was 83 years old.  For 29 years, Foisy volunteered as Mr. Garlic, the happy, healthy ambassador of the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival who...

Santa Cruz and Monterey counties were included in a list of areas statewide where people have been severely sickened by Amanita phalloides—commonly known as the death cap mushroom. A group of doctors from across California warned Jan. 14 that foraging for wild mushrooms can be...

More than two years after the Covid-19 pandemic started, hospitals and medical facilities throughout the region are still “desperate” for blood supplies for their patients, according to an American Red Cross representative. One way that many people, organizations and venues are committed to helping...

Veterans Resource Fair is June 1 The South Santa Clara Valley Memorial District is hosting a Veterans Resource Fair from 9am-1pm June 1 at the Gilroy Veterans Memorial Hall, 74 West Sixth Street, in coordination with American Legion Post 217 and Veterans of Foreign Wars...

The County of Santa Clara announced last week that it will be augmenting its substance use treatment services with additional inpatient, residential and outpatient offerings through the Behavioral Health Services Department and Santa Clara Valley Healthcare to serve thousands of the county’s most vulnerable...

Santa Clara County has earmarked more than $8 million in local funds for immigration related services in the recently adopted 2025-26 budget.  The funding builds on the county’s previous investments in services for the immigrant community that include an emergency $5 million allocation in 2024...

This past year has been a flurry of events, milestones, changes, victories and losses that shaped Gilroy and South Santa Clara County. And as the region continues to face the challenges and embrace the hopes related to ongoing growth, 2026 promises to keep local...

Tuesday is day two of a strike by more than 500 dialysis caregivers over what they say are unfair labor practices at their clinics. Workers rallied at Fresenius Kidney Care Brentwood Park in Brentwood and at Satellite Healthcare Blossom Valley in San Jose between 11am...

Events at 52 local sites on Coastal Cleanup Day, Sept. 23, resulted in the removal of a number of unusual discarded items, including an ATM machine, iMac computer, a counterfeit $100 bill, a sign declaring “Not a Through Street,” a Statue of Liberty figurine,...

Three hospitals in the Santa Clara County healthcare system have been repeatedly illegally dumping medical and hazardous waste—as well as confidential patient records—over the past year or more, according to authorities.  Violations observed at the county-owned hospitals—including Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy—include the improper...