Santa Clara County health advocates plan rally over public healthcare cuts

Patients, health workers and advocates will gather at Valley Medical Center in San Jose on June 5 to press California legislators to protect public healthcare access amid federal cuts and state budget pressure. Organizers say funding losses could hit Santa Clara County’s Medi-Cal patients, public hospitals and safety-net services.

Why it matters: - Santa Clara County’s public healthcare system serves more than 400,000 Medi-Cal beneficiaries. - Advocates say proposed funding reductions could mean fewer services, longer wait times and worse access for vulnerable patients. - The rally is aimed at preventing cuts that could ripple across public hospitals and safety-net care in California.

What happened: - Patients, healthcare workers, community organizations, labor partners and advocates will gather at Valley Medical Center in San Jose for a Die-In & Rally. - The event is scheduled for Friday, June 5, 2026, at 11:45 a.m. - The rally will take place at 751 S. Bascom Ave., at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center entrance on the corner of Bascom Avenue and Jeffery V Smith Wy. - Organizers want California legislators to act on federal cuts and state budget decisions affecting healthcare access. - The coalition is urging Speaker Robert Rivas and other legislative leaders to prioritize public hospital funding and prevent further cuts.

The details: - Santa Clara Valley Healthcare provides care through four hospitals and fifteen health centers. - The system offers trauma, emergency, burn, behavioral health, specialty and safety-net services across the region. - The coalition’s requests include $500 million to stabilize California’s public hospital systems. - The coalition is also seeking a $50 million emergency healthcare benefit for people who lose Medi-Cal because of H.R. 1. - Organizers want county enrollment and outreach systems funded so patients stay connected to care. - Speakers are scheduled to include Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, Assemblymember Kalra’s office representative Celeste Walker, Latinas Contra Cancer Executive Director Darcie Green, Valley Physicians Group pediatrician Catherine Nelson, a Working Partnerships USA representative, a patient and a caregiver. - Maria Noel Fernandez of Working Partnerships USA said families who lose healthcare coverage face missed work, financial hardship and difficult household decisions. - Darcie Green of Latinas Contra Cancer said there will be no future budget cycle that can bring back lives lost because care came too late. - Dr. Rachel Ruiz of Valley Physicians Group said delayed care can turn treatable conditions into emergencies and manageable diseases into life-threatening crises.

Between the lines: - The rally is part of a broader push from public hospital systems across California that say they carry a disproportionate share of care for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, uninsured patients and medically vulnerable communities. - The messaging frames healthcare funding as a public safety and workforce issue, not just a budget item. - The coalition is trying to shift the debate from short-term savings to the downstream costs of delayed treatment, emergency-room use and preventable illness.

What’s next: - Advocates will use the rally to press legislative leaders to protect public hospitals in upcoming budget decisions. - Organizers are warning that if cuts move forward, patients could face delayed diagnoses, interrupted treatment and reduced services. - California leaders still have a chance to redirect funding and avoid added strain on county healthcare systems.

The bottom line: - Santa Clara County health advocates are making a last-ditch case that protecting public healthcare funding now could prevent avoidable suffering later.