South Bay healthcare officials are responding to reports of potentially dangerously long wait times for some Santa Clara Valley Medical Center patients.
For months, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit has been talking to county doctors reporting burnout and some of their patients waiting up to six to seven months to see a specialist doctor after getting a referral. On Thursday, the team reported on a patient, William Spradlin, who said the delays he experienced with a surgery he needs to return to work caused him to lose his job, his savings and his home.
Santa Clara Valley Healthcare, the entity operating Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, declined an interview but sent an email when our Investigative Unit asked officials to elaborate on why they say “imbalances in supply and demand” are contributing to appointment delays.
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In the email, a spokesperson said one big factor is the healthcare system seeing a lot more patients because people have been deferring care during the pandemic. For instance:
- The number of Medi-Cal managed care members assigned to SCVH has grown from approximately 158,000 to 179,000, a 13.3% increase from November 2021 to November 2022
- Over a two-year period, enrollment increased by about 21.6% or 32,000 members from November 2020 to November 2022
- SCVH Emergency Department volumes have increased by 24.9% or 33,327 visits during the same period
Dr. Eon Rios is a Santa Clara Valley Medical Center doctor in the hospital’s dermatology department. He said one reason for the volume increase in the hospital’s emergency department is that some patients are having to resort to going to the E.R. after waiting so long for an appointment.
“No clinic spot is available for them. If they’re severe enough, they can go to the Emergency Department and get admitted and get those treated,” Dr. Rios said. “But there’s just no space. It is so difficult to get specialty care in a timely fashion that it behooves good patient care.”
Santa Clara Valley Healthcare’s statement to us further explains what else its doing to try and reduce wait times. They said they’ve acquired two more hospitals in San Jose and in Gilroy. And they’ve expanded construction for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s E.R. Department.
Some county doctors say the solution should be more focused on hiring additional physicians. The healthcare system said they’re working on recruitment and added 600 new positions last year.
