Funding cuts threaten safety-net care at Santa Clara County’s Sobrato Cancer Center

THE RECENT PASSAGE of a countywide sales tax measure is expected to soften federal funding cuts to Silicon Valley’s largest public hospital system. But it won’t avoid cuts entirely — and places like Santa Clara County’s premier cancer treatment center could still be affected.

It’s estimated that roughly 18% of all Santa Clara County cancer patients will be admitted to the Sobrato Cancer Center, located at Valley Medical Center in San Jose. The state-of-the-art facility doesn’t turn anyone away, be it low-income people on public health plans or those who lost their insurance after starting treatment at a private hospital. Early diagnoses, infusion services, chemotherapy and multi-disciplinary care help keep these patients out of already-full emergency rooms.