Women’s health is more than a women’s issue; they are complex issues that have a wide-ranging impact on families and communities. However, despite significant advances in health care, women continue to face unique challenges and barriers that require attention and action.
Reproductive health and rights
The core of women’s health is reproductive health care. Access to reproductive health care, including family planning services, is critical to women’s health. However, these services are often risky and not very profitable.
Whether it’s choosing a provider, ensuring access to contraception and preventive care, or ensuring services are available, Santa Clara County recognizes that the ability to access and provide family planning and health care The beauty of having children is important for the health and well-being of our citizens. .
After the Supreme Court reversed the Roe v. Wade, I took action to protect access to reproductive health care by issuing a resolution that reaffirmed our state’s continued support for reproductive rights and I asked Congress to enact national legislation protecting those rights.
Ensuring that women in our state have access to comprehensive health care has always been a priority for me. Recently, I worked with my colleague, Supervisor Cindy Chavez, to develop our county’s OB/GYN Urgent Care program, a new pilot program we launched for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. 19, a permanent offering of the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare system.
Back in 2017, when I heard that the lease for Planned Parenthood’s San Antonio Road location was coming to an end, I encouraged our board to partner with Planned Parenthood to find a way to improve health care services for patients. ours in North County.
As a result, in 2022, we opened the first specialty care clinic and pharmacy in North County. Located at the Planned Parenthood center on California Street in Mountain View, the clinic and pharmacy complement the primary care services provided in the area by Planned Parenthood and other local nonprofit partners.
In 2018, when we learned that MayView Community Health Center, which provides health care to low-income families and individuals throughout northern Santa Clara County, was operating reduced hours, I I persuaded the Board of Directors to take action to grant MayView. emergency stabilization funds. The county’s support helped MayView hire a full-time OB/GYN and a part-time nurse practitioner, which allowed the health center to keep all of its clinics open and maintain accessible and affordable health care for of women in the Northern Region.
The following year, our board allocated nearly $500,000 to replace Title X funding lost due to new laws that penalized referral agencies for abortion services.
Removing barriers
As policymakers, it is our job to break down barriers to health care, especially those that affect disadvantaged communities. I am blessed to have had many opportunities over the years to advocate for women’s health.
To address the critical service gap for survivors of violence, in 2019, I successfully lobbied for the expansion of sexual assault screenings at North County (Stanford Hospital), enabling survivors to make referrals. activities close to home in their community.
In 2020, I lobbied for money to support Pink Ribbon Good (PRG) and Cancer CAREPoint in their work with patients receiving cancer treatment at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Our county’s support has enabled these two organizations to provide many critical services to patients during the height of the COVID pandemic, and in the case of PRG, to extend services to patients at other hospitals throughout the district.
Breast health services
Considering the serious importance of preventive care, especially breast cancer screening, I recently proposed that district officials expand breast cancer screening opportunities for residents to ensure early detection of breast cancer, especially those with dense breast tissue.
A new law went into effect this month that requires mammography services nationwide to inform patients of their breast density in their mammogram reports. This is important because the vast majority of women do not realize that their breasts are dense, but almost half of women have dense breast tissue, and the risk of breast cancer in women of with the densest tissues is five times higher than those with low density.
The FDA’s new guidance will help women make better decisions about what additional medical testing or care they may need. That’s exactly what we did here in California more than a decade ago with Senate Bill 1538, legislation that I wrote (as a member of the California State Senate) to improve breast cancer detection in women with dense breast tissue.
In 2023, at my direction, our board announced that our district supports the Find It Early Act, a federal law pending in Congress that would require insurance plans to pay for screening tests at no cost. additional to the patient due to a co-insurance payment or deductible.
Let’s continue to advocate for policies that support women’s health, educate our community and ensure that all women receive the care they need at all stages of life. Let’s work together to end health disparities and protect reproductive rights.
To all women reading this: I encourage you to take control of your life today. We often hear about women taking care of themselves at the end, missing a sign or signs because they were busy taking care of others. Schedule your mammogram, and encourage others in your life to do the same. Listen to your heart and call 911 if you are having a stroke or heart attack. It could be the act that saves your life—or that of a loved one.
Santa Clara County Executive Joe Simitian represents the Fifth District which includes Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Stanford, parts of San Jose and unincorporated communities in the Hills of Santa Cruz. Stay up to date with news and events happening in District 5 at district5.sccgov.org/newsletter.
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