Staff Reporter
In a powerful twist to the usual tale of public hospitals, Santa Clara County’s health system is now drawing national praise. The Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Center has been ranked among America’s top ten, shining a rare light on care for the uninsured. While many still link public care with compromise, this county-run facility offers excellence in stroke, heart, and maternity services. With quiet strength and sharp focus, the system now stands as proof—world-class healthcare doesn’t always come with a high price tag.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
• Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Center ranked 7th in the U.S.
• Recognized for excellence in maternity, stroke, heart failure, pneumonia, and diabetes care
• Operates 4 hospitals and 15 clinics — 2nd largest county-run system in California
• Serves entire community, including uninsured and underinsured
• Wraparound services include behavioral health and housing referrals
• County recently restored trauma, heart attack, and stroke care at Regional Medical Center
• Half of all patients are Medi-Cal recipients; 1 in 4 residents enrolled in Medi-Cal
In an era where healthcare access remains a central concern for millions of uninsured Americans, Santa Clara County in Northern California is quietly rewriting the narrative — proving that quality medical care need not be limited to the wealthy or well-insured.
The Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Center, a key part of the county’s public health system, has earned national recognition, ranked as the seventh-best rehab facility in the country in the 2025–26 U.S. News & World Report’s annual hospital evaluation. The report analyzed over 4,400 hospitals nationwide using data-driven metrics such as mortality rates, preventable complications, and nursing quality.
This accolade not only shines a spotlight on the county’s dedication to healthcare but also challenges longstanding assumptions about public hospitals — institutions often perceived as underfunded and overburdened.
District 2 Supervisor Betty Duong acknowledged the extraordinary efforts behind the hospital’s success.
“This is the incredible work of our staff,” Duong said.
“People who put their heart and soul into everything.”
She emphasized that the patients may be among the region’s most economically vulnerable, but that should not imply inferior treatment.
“Just because we serve the most vulnerable, it doesn’t mean that service has to be subpar,” she added.
The Rehabilitation Center, housed within the Valley Medical Center, has been treating patients with neurological injuries — including strokes, spinal cord trauma, and brain damage — since 1970. The 64-bed facility offers a comprehensive array of recovery and therapy services, enabling it to stand out in a competitive national landscape.
But the rehab unit is only one part of a larger public health ecosystem that Santa Clara County operates. The county’s health system also includes Regional Medical Center, O’Connor Hospital, and St. Louise Regional Hospital, along with a network of 15 outpatient clinics. Together, they comprise the second-largest county-owned hospital system in California — a significant infrastructure serving Silicon Valley’s nearly 2 million residents.
District 4 Supervisor Susan Ellenberg addressed the deeper significance of the rankings. She believes public perception often underestimates the caliber of care delivered by government-run hospitals.
“There are often, I think, presumptions made about county hospitals, the level of care, the populations they serve,” Ellenberg said.
But the rankings, she noted, paint a very different picture — one rooted in performance, not assumptions.
“Our system is recognized in multiple departments as top five, top 10 in the country,” she continued.
“And I think that is something for our entire community to be proud of. We serve the entire community. We don’t only serve the Medi-Cal, Medicare population. We serve everyone, and our efforts are recognized.”
The data backs that up. Roughly 50% of the system’s patients are covered by Medi-Cal, California’s low-income health insurance program. One in four residents of the county is a Medi-Cal enrollee. Others pay through a mix of Medicare or private sources. For many uninsured residents, this county system remains the only path to consistent care.
County Executive James Williams said the recognition underscores the importance of public investment in healthcare.
“As the operator of the largest public hospital system in Northern California, our entire region benefits from the critical, life-saving care that we provide in our emergency rooms, our trauma centers and our nationally recognized rehabilitation center,” he stated during a press briefing.
The county has also taken bold steps to expand its services. Last year, Santa Clara County acquired the Regional Medical Center from for-profit giant HCA Healthcare after widespread public backlash over the closure of its trauma center and reductions in emergency services. By April, the county had successfully restored critical trauma, stroke, and heart attack care at the facility — a move that further strengthens its regional healthcare reach.
But perhaps one of the most innovative aspects of Santa Clara County’s approach lies in what happens after a patient leaves the emergency room. Supervisor Duong explained that the county integrates essential social support into the medical experience.
“You may come in for emergency services, but then you may leave with a referral for behavioral health services,” Duong explained.
“You may leave with housing services.”
This wraparound model reflects an understanding that health outcomes are shaped not just by medicine, but by mental health, housing, and stability.
“When you are able to provide quality care for our most vulnerable,” she concluded,
“We elevate, uplift everybody in our community.”
In the heart of Silicon Valley, often known more for tech wealth than social infrastructure, Santa Clara County’s public health system stands as a reminder — access to exceptional healthcare doesn’t have to be a privilege.
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