Santa Clara County leaders are moving forward with the idea of building a Latino health and wellness center.
After an emotional budget discussion Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved county officials returning in June with options on how to proceed with the facility and whether multiple locations are needed. Supervisors are seeking community input and won't make a final decision until the Latino Health Needs Assessment collects data from residents on health access disparities countywide.
“We don't want to predetermine the product or the outcome,” Supervisor Silvia Arenas said at the meeting. “When you go through the process with a community, you learn a lot more about that community than you think you know.”
While the idea focuses on Latino health, it has a wide range of implications with nearly 100 public comments from patient health advocates, including Black, Asian, Latino, and Latina Contra Cancerians. We gained support.
Darcy Green, executive director of Latinas Contra Cancer, said she was surprised by the turnout.
“Hospitals and clinics belong to communities, so it's powerful to see this incredible sense of solidarity drive the county's delivery system to better serve Spanish speakers.” That's it,” Green told San Jose Spotlight.
Arenas is spearheading an ongoing needs assessment, a countywide effort to get feedback from Latino residents about health services lacking in the area.
Arenas' stance sometimes clashed with Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who introduced the health center proposal to redevelop and expand services at the busy Valley Health Center East Valley. Chavez recalled that his father was misdiagnosed at his clinic and died shortly afterward, and said the clinic was not meeting the needs of patients. He argued that this type of investment would protect East San Jose's medical services in light of the upcoming closure of the regional medical center's heart attack, stroke and trauma services.
“Regardless of the results of the medical examination, we cannot leave East Valley Clinic's services in their current state,” Chavez said. “It’s our second busiest clinic.”
Mr. Chavez and Mr. Arenas agreed that the need for clinic redevelopment and the vision of a community-based health center should not be at odds. The idea of studying both concepts was incorporated into the board's approval.
Officials may take inspiration from facilities like the Vietnamese American Service Center, which opened in fall 2021 as the county's first fully integrated service model. The county conducted a similar needs assessment for its community to close health disparities. His three-story, 37,000-square-foot building at 2410 Senter Rd. in San Jose was built after eight years of community work. Serving as a one-stop hub for culturally-based, integrated social and health services.
Options for the Latino Health Center may include renovating, leasing, or redeveloping county property and facilities.
Board President Susan Ellenberg said this is a victory for Latinos.
“It was a long and thoughtful discussion, but it ended on the community's side. They deserve what they need, not what we think they need,” Ellenberg told San Jose Spotlight. Ta.
According to the Silicon Valley Hispanic Foundation's 2023 Latino Report Card, Latinos in Silicon Valley are facing serious challenges due to the pandemic, including a worsening quality of life, including educational disparities, worsening housing conditions, and health disparities. facing.
Gabriela Chavez López, executive director of the Silicon Valley Latino Coalition, welcomed the Latino Health Center's decision and its efforts to listen to residents first.
“I think this is where the county needs to focus. This is a cultural approach to a system that often feels like a one-size-fits-all model,” she told San Jose Spotlight. “We know that culture really plays a role.”
This article originally appeared in San Jose Spotlight. https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-recognizes-need-for-latino-health-center/
Contact Brandon Pho at brandon@sanjosespotlight.com or @brandonphooo on X (formerly Twitter).
