Last week a friend forwarded an email to me about Stanford Medical School and how they might be looking to relocate their school in order to best serve their students’ needs. Now I know that they have filed for relocation, but I cannot find much to substantiate that they may be looking outside of Palo Alto for a home. This brings up a few interesting topics. Why couldn’t San Jose be the home for Stanford Medical School? And in that vein, why couldn’t Santa Clara University or San Jose State open a medical school in our town? Finally, and perhaps most importantly, what major city in the U.S. finds themselves in the same boat as San Jose in that we don’t have a hospital in our city core? I can’t imagine that you won’t find a major hospital in Detroit or Chicago.
The Mercury News touched upon the subject of what would happen if there were some sort of major disaster downtown. Where would people go? You can only imagine the nightmare that would ensue if this ever became a reality. Has there ever been a plan to open a new hospital after the closing of San Jose Medical Center? I know it all leads back to having the money behind it to operate it, but if we can spend $500 million to build City Hall, we can surely fund a hospital downtown.
Back to Stanford Medical School: Can you imagine if it were true? If their teaching hospital were to relocate, that’s more people, more jobs and more prestige to the area. I am sure the students would find that being in a major city they would be exposed to more than they would be in Palo Alto.
I really don’t pretend to know what it takes to open a medical school, but if Santa Clara or San Jose State both want to be viewed as major U.S. universities, shouldn’t they have medical schools? I know they are smaller colleges that don’t have the funding or resources, but doesn’t it puzzle anyone else that we don’t have a major campus here that can service this need? The possibilities loom large if this were made reality. It would be interesting to know if discussions on this matter were held in any shape or form.
It seems the more we become a large city, the more we need to start acting like one, and there are a lot of to-do’s on that list. Wouldn’t it be interesting to start the discussion on a major downtown hospital or medical school of our own?
FYI – Stanford Medical School is in Santa Clara County – an easy commute for people living in San Jose. Also, I don’t understand your term “teaching hospital”. Do you mean residency programs? If so, in addition to Stanford Hospital there are residency programs at Valley Medical Center, Kaiser and O’Connor. Unlike other major cities San Jose’s downtown is very small – certainly too small to support another major hospital in addition to the San Jose Regional Center and Valley Medical Center only a few miles from downtown. The San Jose Children’s Hospital Foundation has been trying to establish a separate children’s hospital for many years. I suggest we support their efforts before even considering adding a major hospital downtown.
Sounds like SG is getting into politics. But the old san jose hospital would make a great spot for the school.
SJSU doesn’t offer that kind of education, being just a CSU. Santa Clara is probably too small to fund a department like that (see also: football). Stanford, though, should definitely be working in the nearest big city. The UCDavis med center is in Sacramento (also a small downtown), and they don’t even touch Stanford’s prestige. I’m not so sure the area is in dire need as I’m unaware of the vacancy or overload in current facilities across the valley, but it would be nice to have education being furthered right here in San Jose.
Since CSU is not authorized to offer any doctoral degrees except the Doctor of Education, it seems unlikely that SJSU would open a medical school any time soon.
SG,
Medical student training is best where interns, residents, nurses and technicians diagnose and treat a wide segment of population, cultures, economic levels and languages which in Santa Clara County can only occurs in a large diverse city like San Jose
San Jose and Santa Clara county face years of budget shortfalls so it is unlikely that local government can build a downtown hospital unless large amounts of federal, state or private money are available
A large downtown medical clinic with trama care staffed by Stanford Medical School staff and students and San Jose State School of Nursing ( http://www.sjsu.edu/nursing ) students and staff is workable if a combination of government, school and private funds were used
The key to achieving it would be strong political leadership from city, county and state governments along with strong financial and other support from local and Silicon Valley business, medical device and biotech companies, medical community and hospitals – Kaiser, Valley Medical, Children’s, OConnor and others
Why not a public private and city partnership with San Jose State, the city of san jose and a major healthcare network. It could serve downtown, SJSU and provide more scalability for pre med and nursing instruction at SJSU.
Dear Single Gal:
I’m afraid that the local governments are too busy working on building sports stadiums just now…they can’t be fussing with things like hospitals and medical schools.
It’s funny, I read yesterday that taxes might have to be raised to help offset the $900 million backlog in every city service area…and then that night I saw a brief clip of the city’s economic development people talking about the soccer stadium. It’s Alice in Wonderland type logic to pretend that $80-90 million in city entitlements is not “money!” How is it that if you want to sell pencils to the city government, you have to go through a complicated bid process, but if you want a deal for city entitlements that will translate into nearly a $100 million, you just have to know somebody?
Pete Campbell
First things first. Regional Medical Center needs to start taking MediCal patients. By refusing to do so, they are effectively shutting the door to the poor of our community and sticking the rest of us with the bill. It would be good if county supervisors figured this out.
Until they do, let’s hold up their downtown development. It would be good if city councl members figured this out
I’m not a fan of eminent domain, but how do the rest of you feel about this in regard to the former San Jose Hospital property? It certainly seems justified. I suspect we all would prefer a downtown hospital over more residential. Cruching the numbers the owners of the said property have most likely figured more housing development is to their financial benefit.
Very doubtful that SCU or SJSU could take on the huge project of developing a medical teaching school.
Pete –
I don’t think money spent should be an either/or thing – meaning either a stadium or a hospital. The stadium would always win out anyway for PR reasons. I know money doesn’t grow on trees, but you would think smart leaders could get all these things done.
You techno geeks blew it! No downtown hospital, garbage and sewage increases, under-funded parks & libraries, sky-high crime rate and crooked political leaders.
Meanwhile, I’m living the good life in Oakland. We have a downtown hospital, major league baseball, clean streets, low crime rate, beautiful parks & waterfront and a city government that WORKS for the citizens.
SJ Hospital isn’t seismically sound. The building (s) would have to be scraped, and a new one built. It isn’t worth the cost.
Pete Campbell (#8): As someone relatively in the know about both the effort to build a soccer stadium and to bring back a hospital to downtown San Jose (I have long supported both efforts), I can assure you the issues are NOT intertwined—nor are they mutually exclusive.
The city has a “private partner” for building the soccer stadium on city land at the former FMC site near the airport. It will generate tremendous economic value to the city and will not cost taxpayers a dime.
The city has no partner, private or otherwise, in the hospital business, making the effort to get a hospital—or at least enhanced medical services—much more difficult. Perhaps Stanford University Medical Center could be that partner (I applaud Single Gal for raising the issue). Regardless, I know that considerable mind-share is being devoted by our downtown councilperson Sam Liccardo to the issue, at the behest of downtown residents.
So, please don’t smear the proposed soccer stadium with the blame for ills that beset our city.
John Michael –
Does your post mean this column has substance this week?
After listening to Chief Davis yesterday about how great downtown is and nothing bad happens until after 2 am, it did occur to me that being the almost safest city in America, would best be served by erecting 1 million $ cute funny phalic symbols around our beloved 1/2 billion$ City Hall.
If you think disaster will not strike, just take a look at our last Mayor. Hospitals? Naw, we need more night clubs downtown!
Perhaps every builder in the downtown core should be made to install a small clinic in every one of their condo complexes. Just in case, end of problem SG. I hope this gets the discussion started. Hey not a bad idea, The Swensen Clinic at Fallon Green, easy access to freeways etc. Immediately after getting shot across the street at the clubs one could drag one’s self there with no problem.
D.O.A.
Single Gal,
Your post once again proves that people would rather talk about your personal life than city issues…another low posting turnout for a topic of relevance!
I actually tried to look up the emergency plan for downtown San Jose on the City website. It is really not helpful for an average citizen. Although I can “rent” a video to educate myself. I guess we haven’t saved enough city money to produce online educational videos (when I could read the 60 page basic plan). To their credit they are having a “first annual” meeting for the public in Sept.
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/emergencyServices/SanJosePrepared/
A downtown city clinic at a minimum – partnership with SJSU Nursing or Stanford. If Stanford is really looking it should be taken seriously. How could that NOT make a politician look good… Look what a library did for both the ego of the city leaders and the people!
SG #15: Yes, it does for me.
The last thing I would want is Mayor reed to be another Rudy Giuliani, God help us.
Giuliani: “Thank God that George Bush is our President”
Giulani appoints Bernie Kerik police commissioner New York City. Giuliani is warned about Kerik`s ties to organized crime before the appointment. kerik resigns.
Next Giuliani recomends Bush appoint Kerik as Homeland Security Director. Kerik resigns.
Next bush appoints Kerik as first lead advisor in Iraq. Kerik resigns.
Next Bernie Kerik becomes Giuliani`s Partner in business knowing Bernie`s connection to the Gambino family.
Next Grand Jury investigates Kerik`s past and before trail begins Kerik pleeds guilty.
Next Giuliani says Bye, Bye Bernie. Kerik resins from Giuliani partnership on June 2006 after Bernie pleads guilty.
Next Mayor Bloomberg strips Kirik`s name from N.Y. Buildings
Book is released by Standford University Scollar, “Assins Gate” linking Bernie…
We don`t need another Giuliani type in San Jose. Never…
Reed is doing a good job in view of the plate he was handed. San Jose and San Diego are boyh in a financial mess, Reed has a tough job on his hands, he needs our support.
Single Gal, please re-think your comments. Put your thoughts in a better perspective, Reed is the right man at the right time. San Jose needs a wake up call. It`s time to do the right thing.