The creation of a Community Advocacy Committee and a payment of $3 million to City of San Jose is a first step towards community accountability
The Rescue Our Medical Care Coalition achieved a pivotal first step in holding HCA Healthcare accountable after the San Jose City Council approved the hospital’s rezoning request, contingent on a $3 million voluntary donation and the establishment of a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) – the first such committee for an HCA Healthcare facility in the region, signaling the beginning of a broader community engagement process.
While HCA was allowed to proceed with their rezoning, they were grilled on their decision to close mental health beds and shutter services across the county. The donation and Community Advisory Committee (CAC) are the direct result of months of persistent community organizing that began when HCA initially closed psychiatric beds at Good Samaritan Hospital in June 2023, and ramped up when HCA Healthcare downgraded trauma, stroke, and heart attack services at Regional Medical Center in August of 2024.
The Community Advisory Committee (CAC), in particular, is a groundbreaking achievement for local healthcare accountability. HCA Healthcare is a multi-billion dollar corporation that has repeatedly demonstrated it’s more accountable to shareholders than to patients. This Community Advisory Council, the first such committee for an HCA Healthcare facility in the region, creates a mechanism for meaningful community engagement and ensures local voices will have a direct opportunity to influence decision-making.
The $3 million contribution, split between interim and permanent housing, represents a modest acknowledgment of the systemic harm HCA Healthcare has inflicted on the regional healthcare infrastructure through its pattern of service reduction. As Council Member Peter Ortiz explained ahead of the vote, HCA has created a two-tiered healthcare system in San Jose. The very services now being praised as life-saving were systematically eliminated from the East Side’s Regional Medical Center. The maternity ward, STEMI center, and other critical services have been stripped away over the past four years.
HCA also continues to challenge the county, currently suing Santa Clara County for $130 million in public subsidy reimbursements. As coalition member Darcie Green, these $130 million could have funded mental health services at Good Samaritan Hospital for the next decade – services HCA unilaterally cut.
While this represents a step forward, the Rescue Our Medical Care Coalition is more resolute than ever. This is not the end of our fight — we will continue to shine a light on HCA’s practices, demand accountability, and work tirelessly to ensure that healthcare in Santa Clara County serves the community first, not corporate bottom lines.
