June 3, 2005

Board of Supervisors approves contract for first trauma center in East San Jose

The County Board of Supervisors on May 24 unanimously approved a contract with Regional Medical Center to open a third trauma center in Santa Clara County.

The contract will bring a trauma center to the East Side of San Jose for the first time in the city’s history. Regional Medical Center’s trauma center will restore the level of trauma centers to three, a level that was reduced when San Jose Medical Center closed in December 2004.

The contract culminates a trauma center designation process that began in December 2004. County Supervisor Pete McHugh, who made the motion for approval, said, “I have believed since we began the trauma center designation process that Santa Clara County residents are better served by three trauma centers versus two.”

The new contract calls for Regional Medical Center to provide six months notice prior to a closure of the trauma center, which is three more months than the state requires. It also will post a $10 million dollar security bond that will be in place not less than five years, but no more than 10.

Regional Medical Center may immediately begin caring for patients who admit themselves to the Emergency Room and require trauma services. According to the local Emergency Medical Authority, it may take up to one month to integrate Regional Medical Center into the emergency dispatch system and to begin routing ambulances and helicopters to its trauma center.

“Healthcare access is one of the most important issues facing our state today,” said McHugh. “To solve the problem, we must demonstrate bold leadership. I am pleased the board of supervisors has put aside the past in order to provide the best level of trauma services for all of our residents, particularly those on the east side of San Jose.”