Santa Clara County officials have reached a deal with the nation’s largest private hospital operator to purchase Regional Medical Center in East San José and fold it into the public health care system.
The county announced the “definitive agreement” on Monday afternoon, saying it would pay Nashville-based HCA Healthcare $150 million for the 258-bed hospital, with the deal set to close on April 1, pending regulatory approval.
The price and timeline details add clarity to the county’s rough plan to buy the facility, which it initially announced in August, following months of community outcry about major service cutbacks under HCA’s watch. The county has pledged to reverse those cuts.
“The scaling back of health services at RMC has hit East San José hard. The County’s purchase and saving of Regional Medical Center, located in the heart of one of the most marginalized and historically disadvantaged areas of our county, is essential to restore critical healthcare access,” county Supervisor Betty Duong, who represents the area, said in a statement. “I am so proud of our county staff and Board of Supervisors for making this happen, and I look forward to seeing full services return to Regional Medical Center as soon as possible.”
The deal comes a little less than a year after HCA announced its intention to make major service reductions at the hospital, which also houses the only trauma center on the east side of the county — setting off months of protests and demonstrations opposing the cuts.