DIE-IN RALLY TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTHCARE ACCESS FOR SANTA CLARA COUNTY

SAN JOSE, CA, UNITED STATES, June 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SAN JOSE, Calif., June 5, 2026 — Patients, healthcare workers, community organizations, labor partners, and advocates will gather at Valley Medical Center on for a Die-In & Rally calling attention to the healthcare consequences of federal cuts and ongoing state budget decisions, and to urge California legislators to take action to protect healthcare access and prevent unnecessary suffering.

California's public healthcare systems face significant financial challenges resulting from federal healthcare cuts and state budget proposals that could reduce access to care for vulnerable communities.

Santa Clara Valley Healthcare serves more than 400,000 Medi-Cal beneficiaries and provides critical care through four hospitals and fifteen health centers. Advocates warn that continued funding reductions could lead to service cuts, longer wait times, and reduced access to care. The impacts will be felt across Santa Clara County and throughout California by patients who rely on Medi-Cal, public hospitals, and safety-net healthcare services.

Maria Noel Fernandez, Executive Director of Working Partnerships USA, emphasized the broader impacts on working families:
"When families lose access to healthcare, the impacts don't stop at the doctor's office. They show up in missed work, financial hardship, and impossible choices around the kitchen table. Protecting healthcare access means protecting the stability and dignity of working people."

The coalition is urging Speaker Robert Rivas and legislative leaders to prioritize investments that protect public hospitals, preserve healthcare access and prevent cuts in the County’s already-stressed healthcare system.

“There will be no future budget cycle that can bring back lives lost because care came too late,” said Darcie Green, Executive Director of Latinas Contra Cancer.

Participants will urge Speaker Robert Rivas and legislative leaders to:
- Invest $500 million to stabilize California’s public hospital systems
- Create a $50 million emergency healthcare benefit for people who lose Medi-Cal due to H.R. 1
- Fund county enrollment and outreach systems that keep people connected to care

Dr. Rachel Ruiz, Chair of Valley Physicians Group noted: “As physicians we witness firsthand how delayed healthcare turns treatable conditions into emergencies and manageable diseases into life-threatening crises. Underinvesting in public hospitals doesn't save money—it creates suffering, it forces families into emergency rooms only when it's almost too late, and it turns preventable illnesses into tragedies. Public hospitals are the backbone of our communities. Investing in them isn't a line item—it's a moral choice: prevent the suffering now, or manage the catastrophe later.”

Santa Clara County’s public healthcare system serves more than 400,000 Medi-Cal beneficiaries and provides critical trauma, emergency, burn, behavioral health, specialty, and safety-net services for residents throughout the region.

“There is still a window to prevent immense human suffering,” said Green. “If these cuts move forward, patients will face delayed diagnoses, interrupted treatment, reduced services, and unnecessary suffering. Right now, California’s leaders have an opportunity to change the story, protect access to care, and save lives before they are put at risk. This is one of those moments when leadership will be measured not only in dollars allocated, but in suffering prevented and lives saved.”

The event follows growing concern from public hospital systems across California, which provide a disproportionate share of care to Medi-Cal beneficiaries, uninsured patients, and medically vulnerable communities.

RALLY DETAILS:

WHEN: Friday, June 5, 2026 11:45 a.m.

WHERE: 751 S. Bascom Ave, San Jose, Calif.
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Entrance
Corner of Bascom Avenue and Jeffery V Smith Wy.

SPEAKERS:
- Susan Ellenberg, Santa Clara County Supervisor, District 4
- Celeste Walker, Representative from the Office of Assemblymember Kalra
- Darcie Green, Executive Director, Latinas Contra Cancer
- Catherine Nelson, MD, Pediatrician, Valley Physicians Group
- Representative, Working Partnerships USA
- Patient
- Caregiver

About Latinas Contra Cancer:
Established in 2003, San Jose-based Latinas Contra Cancer works to reduce cancer disparities and improve outcomes for Latino and underserved communities. Through patient navigation, survivorship support, community health education, advocacy, and patient organizing, the organization serves individuals and families across the cancer continuum from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Every day, Latinas Contra Cancer works alongside patients navigating insurance barriers, delayed care, and complex healthcare systems, giving the organization a firsthand understanding of how access to care impacts health outcomes and lives.

Elisabeth Handler
PRxDigital
+1 4085999567
Elisabeth@prxdigital.com
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