Health

Heated pilates studios have taken off across the Bay Area, yet Astral Studio—which opened in Los Gatos in November—has taken a slightly different approach. Owner Stephanie Bean, whose business is located on North Santa Cruz Avenue right next to Manresa Bread, is offering an unheated...

The latest Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades show a mixed picture for South Bay hospitals, with several facilities earning B or C grades as the rating system itself faces scrutiny over its methodology. After a federal judge in South Florida ruled in March 2026 that Leapfrog’s...

On Sept. 8, Good Samaritan Hospital “Good Sam” emailed this reporter a press release that proclaimed, “Good Samaritan Hospital (Good Sam) becomes the first hospital in the South Bay to perform a histotripsy procedure—a groundbreaking, non-invasive treatment that destroys liver tumors using sound waves...

At Good Samaritan Hospital, a range of advanced, non-traditional surgical procedures are now being offered. On a recent tour I met with two surgeons, Dr. Mohammed Al-Temimi and Dr. Kristine Borrison. Both are now using Intuitive Surgical’s “da Vinci Single Port” robotic platform. These doctors, out...

LOCAL SCENE for the week of Dec. 14-20, 2022. Town offices closing for holidays Town of Los Gatos administrative offices will be closed Dec. 23-Jan. 2.  The library will also be closed Dec. 23-26 and Dec. 30-Jan. 2. Renter input sought for Housing Element update The Town of Los...

As radio commentators on Silicon Valley airwaves analyzed the latest mass shooting in Texas, local officials gathered outside a mental health facility in San Jose to mark the year that’s passed since the one that happened on Valley Transportation Authority property. On May 26, 2021,...

When Julia Ernsting, now 16, was in fifth grade, she was stressed out with more than just the daily grind of homework and tests. That's because she was frequently traveling up the peninsula to San Francisco to check on an immediate family member who had...

I walked out of a chemistry lab my freshman year of college, excited to call my family and update them on my newfound independence. What greeted me on the other line was not exciting news, however, it was news that crushed my soul.  “Kaitlyn,” my grandmother...

The large medical center at the northern gateway to Los Gatos recently did better than just getting a clean bill of health, in an industry survey. It was rated a top medical performer. According to U.S. health-specialist tracker Healthgrades, Good Samaritan Hospital, the acute-care facility...

Santa Clara County health officials today reported the first death attributed to West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness. The death this month of an immunocompromised adult at a local hospital “after experiencing West Nile virus symptoms” is the second reported human case of the potentially...