After Five-Year Absence, Labor and Delivery Services Return to Regional Medical Center
October 20, 2025 -- County News Center | Office of Communications and Public Affairs
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – Five years after the labor and delivery departments were eliminated at Regional Medical Center (RMC) by the hospital’s former owner – and just six months after the County of Santa Clara assumed operations of the facility – those critical health care services are being restored, along with the life-saving Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
It’s the latest move as part of the County’s commitment to support the health of the community surrounding the East San José hospital. Upon assuming ownership and operations at RMC on April 1, 2025, the County’s health and hospital system, Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH), immediately restored trauma, stroke and specialized heart attack programs and has now followed through on the County’s promise to bring back labor and delivery services, which resumed at 7 a.m. on October 20.
“Five years ago, I stood with nurses to protect against the closure of labor and delivery at RMC. Today, I am ecstatic that this important service is restored under our County’s leadership,” said Supervisor Otto Lee, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. “Every mom in delivery deserves safe, equitable, and compassionate care without delay.”
When the previous owner of the hospital had reduced or eliminated critical service lines, the community found themselves having to travel across the county for care. In response, the County moved promptly to purchase RMC and restore the crucial health care services that the East San José, Milpitas and surrounding neighborhoods had been without for years.
“This is an exciting time for the communities that rely on us to care for them,” said County Supervisor Betty Duong, who represents District 2. “This part of our county has been without labor and delivery services for the past five years. When a mother is in labor, there is enough for the family to be worried about, and they should not be concerned if they will make it to the hospital on time. They have the right to deliver in their own community where their families and neighbors can celebrate with them. It is now time for babies from the East Side to be born in the East Side again.”
RMC’s Birth Center will offer Labor and Delivery, Family Baby Unit and NICU, covering the full spectrum of needs for new families. Labor and Delivery will include four triage rooms to assess a family’s need upon arrival and six delivery rooms for the moment the newest family member enters the world. The Family Baby Unit will have 13 post-delivery rooms for parents, babies and their support teams to rest, recover and learn about the needs of their new family. Nursing staff will provide education on breastfeeding, baby bonding, baby needs upon leaving the hospital, and social programs for those who may need extra assistance.
Returning critical family care services to areas that already face difficult socioeconomic challenges has been a priority for the County of Santa Clara.
“Reopening RMC’s labor and delivery unit means we have kept our promise to increase quality health access to our community where they reside,” said Board of Supervisors Vice President Sylvia Arenas, who represents District 1. “This is particularly important for the Latino community, who is facing a Public Health Crisis, based on the staggering disparities documented in the Latino Health Assessment. Providing labor and delivery in our local hospital is vital to Latinos, who are a young and growing population that make up over half of our patients.”
The NICU will feature six beds, one of which will be in an isolation room for the most critical situations to allow parents whose children face the most dangerous postdelivery situations to support them within their own community.
“The children in our NICU are the ones who need our help the most and the County of Santa Clara is committed to providing the best healthcare to everyone in our community,” said Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, who represents District 4. “NICU stays can range from a few weeks to three months and being nearby is important for the family unit. I am so pleased to see RMC returning to its full range of services. Even with the County’s dedication to providing care for everyone in Santa Clara County, the financial realities resulting from H.R. 1 Medicaid cuts threaten health care for many in our community who are most in need of assistance.
Ensuring the iconic hospital will remain a valued community asset has required extensive efforts from the Board of Supervisors, County administration, and the staff and leadership of Santa Clara Valley Healthcare.
“Thanks to the leadership of the Board of Supervisors, the County quickly moved to restore critical services at Regional Medical Center, including trauma, stroke, STEMI, and now labor and delivery care,” said County Executive James R. Williams. “Families across our county rely on critical services provided at Santa Clara Valley Healthcare’s four hospitals and fifteen health clinics. Even as we grapple with unprecedented federal funding cuts to our health care system, we remain committed to delivering high-quality patient care that is accessible, reliable, and reflects the needs of our community.”
“Everyone in our community needs access to quality healthcare, which is why we must continue to make smart, cost-effective investments in services where and when they are so critically needed,” said Greta Hansen, the County's chief operating officer. “In the coming year, more than a thousand babies are expected to be delivered at Regional Medical Center. It is vital that we do everything we can to keep these and other critical services that our community relies on available now and for generations to come.”
Nearly one-third of Santa Clara Valley Healthcare births come from ZIP codes within three miles of RMC, and more than half of O’Connor Hospital births are tied to community physicians who practice near RMC. To facilitate the return of labor and delivery to Regional Medical Center, SCVH has transitioned the Birth Center from O’Connor Hospital, allowing for more convenient community care. Families living near O'Connor Hospital will benefit from the award-winning Family Baby Unit and NICU at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center that sits just over a mile away.
“Transitioning Labor and Delivery, along with NICU services, to Regional Medical Center from O’Connor Hospital allows Santa Clara Valley Healthcare to better align services with the needs of our patients and the communities we serve,” said Paul E. Lorenz, chief executive officer for Santa Clara Valley Healthcare. “I want to extend my appreciation to every staff member at O’Connor Hospital who embraced this transition and will continue their legacy of caring for our patients at Regional Medical Center.”
ABOUT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA
The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multicultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, Calif., making it more populous than 14 states in the United States. The County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and solutions, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many other public benefits.
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