Nurses warn patients will suffer from closure of San Jose trauma center
SAN JOSE, Calif. - There are concerns that accessing trauma care and other healthcare services could become more challenging for residents of East San Jose.
This follows an announcement on Thursday by executives that the trauma center at Regional Medical Center will cease operations in August.
"We are very disappointed to let you know that we are no longer able to provide trauma, STEMI, or comprehensive stroke services in our community," said Nanette Logan, DPN, RN, the hospital’s chief operating officer.
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Logan cited the shifting demand for services as the reason for the closure of the level-2 trauma center. Currently, the hospital's emergency room is facing capacity constraints. To address this, executives have invested $10 million to expand the number of ER beds from 43 to 63.
"I’m glad they’re committing $10 million to expand the number of beds and services in the emergency room. But we don’t ever want to see life-saving medical services cut, particularly in our lower-income neighborhoods," said Mayor Matt Mahan.
Mahan said he was caught off guard by the announcement, as were some nurses.
"No one ever gets into the profession of taking care of people and thinking they’re not going to be able to do your job," said registered nurse Melissa Gong, who switched to nursing four years ago after 20 years in the dental profession.
Gong said there were rumors last year about the possible closure of the trauma center. Now, she worries about East San Jose residents who will have to travel across town to Valley Medical Center in West San Jose or Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto.
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"Depending on what time of day you’re having your medical emergency, you could be stuck in 15 to 45 minutes of traffic to get to the nearest hospital," said Gong.
Some experts said hospitals, like any other business, face economic pressures that force executives to make pragmatic decisions.
"Of course, healthcare is a business, and they need to keep their lights on," said Dr. Karl Minges, a professor at the University of New Haven School of Health Sciences. "If services can be better provided for emergency basis as opposed to a STEMI or a trauma center and reallocation of resources is necessary, that’s probably a financial decision backed by the numbers."
With six months until the closure, residents of East San Jose are anxious about how these changes will affect their access to healthcare services.
"We are providing the appropriate services that our community needs," said Logan.
Members of the California Nurses Association said they will fight the closure of the trauma center, with actions such as pickets, to persuade hospital management to reconsider.
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter), @JesseKTVU and on Instagram, @jessegontv.