Supervisors Step up for Planned Parenthood

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN JOSE – The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors today voted unanimously to support the Planned Parenthood clinic in Mountain View, which is facing eviction in the coming months due to redevelopment. At the urging of County Supervisor Joe Simitian, the Board directed County staff to explore possible options to keep the clinic open in Mountain View.

More than a score of County residents spoke passionately in support of the effort, many sharing personal stories of the impact Planned Parenthood has had in their lives and their communities.

“If Planned Parenthood has a problem, we have a problem,” said Simitian. “Because there’s no County health clinic in the area, we rely on folks like Planned Parenthood to provide essential healthcare services. Losing this clinic would be a serious blow to the community.”

Simitian urged County administration to “act with urgency,” and expressed appreciation for the County Executive’s commitment to do so.

The Planned Parenthood clinic, located at the intersection of San Antonio Road and California Street in Mountain View, cares for an estimated 8,095 patients a year, more than 80% of whom are Santa Clara County residents. There are 2,131 members of the County-owned and operated Valley Health Plan assigned to primary care providers at the clinic.

At the Board’s direction, County Staff will begin studying ways to support and protect the clinic, including the possibility of a partnership between the County and Planned Parenthood.

“This may be an opportunity, as well as a challenge,” said Simitian. “I’d like to consider the potential for a County health clinic to operate in Mountain View in tandem with Planned Parenthood. Side by side, each focusing on the areas of their greatest strengths, I think the potential is there for Planned Parenthood and the County to team up in a very powerful way. A long-term partnership could be a win for the County, Planned Parenthood, and the patients we serve.”

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