Health

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...

The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department recently released new data showing a 19% increase in new tuberculosis (TB) diagnoses in the county in 2023, compared to the previous year.  This follows a 6% increase in new TB diagnoses in the county for 2022,...

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...

As Santa Clara County grapples with growing numbers of deaths from overdoses of fentanyl and other opioids, the Behavioral Health Services Department is deploying a comprehensive set of initiatives to prevent overdose deaths in local communities, says a press release from the county. A key...

Bay Area and statewide Covid-19 infections rates are up over the past couple of months and health officials are advising people to get the updated vaccines when they become available.   In California, 13.7% of people who took Covid tests reported positive results for the seven-day...

El Camino Health has become the first organization in the world to adopt a new technology created by Canadian company Flosonics Medical to boost care for patients suffering from sepsis and similar conditions. The new addition to their tool kit is the FloPatch, a piece...

While Tuesday is frequently a day off for restaurant industry workers, April 5 was actually quite a hectic one for Tony Loeffler, general manager of the Palms restaurant. The day’s schedule included deep cleaning in the kitchen, and manifesting an Easter buffet brunch—among myriad other...

I had the good fortune of sitting next to Patrick Rohan, the CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital, at the Police Foundation fundraiser. As a former Good Samaritan League volunteer I was very interested in learning about what’s going on there these days. Rohan assured me there...

County Executive James Williams confirmed that the Valley Healthcare system is projecting a larger deficit for 2026-27 as cuts take hold.

Despite hospital-acquired infections shooting up as much as 60% nationally during the pandemic, local facilities have managed to maintain safety standards, according to a consumer watchdog organization. Good Samaritan Hospital of San Jose jumped from years of getting a “C” grade, to joining El Camino’s...