Santa Clara County is expanding clinic space for youth with developmental disabilities at county-owned O’Connor Hospital to accommodate more patients.
The Pediatric Development Specialty Center will grow into an additional suite on the third floor of the hospital to give more space for clinical social workers, speech therapists and psychologists to work with youth with learning disabilities. From fiscal year 2021 to 2024, the number of patient visits has more than quadrupled from 572 visits to 2,712, according to county data. The number of patients has also increased from 291 to 1,560.
County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said the center needs to expand due in part to the growing waitlist to see a doctor. In some cases, families have had to wait as long as a month, she said.
“That’s not fair to the families,” she told San José Spotlight.
The center shares a registration and waiting area with the SPARK clinic, which offers pediatric, dental and behavioral health services to foster and at-risk youth. In total, there will be 15 exam rooms. The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The clinics serve vulnerable youth, some who are homeless, and is under the umbrella of the Youth Center for Evaluation and Advocacy. The group formed in 2022 under former County Executive Jeff Smith, who wanted one place where homeless youth, low-income families and children facing vulnerable situations could have easy access to services, Ellenberg said.
“When we purchased O’Connor Hospital, this was the opportunity to bring those services together in one location, which of course, makes it immensely more convenient for parents,” She added.
About 116 children served at the clinics last year were at or below the federal poverty level. The county projects there will be an additional 28 homeless youths served at the clinics this year.
With a growing number of homeless youth in the county, the need for more supportive services could also rise. From 2022 to 2023, the county saw a 37% increase in homeless families — from 898 to 1,226, according to county data. In addition, there were more than 6,000 preschool to high school students who reported being homeless during the 2023-24 school year, according to the California Department of Education.
Serena Sy, director of primary care operations for Santa Clara Valley Healthcare, said since the inception of the Pediatric Development Specialty Center, the program has continued to grow and is in need of more space.
“(It) was really tight, so we opted to expand a little to give them a little bit more space to fit the service line more comfortably, as well as space for all the partners and the families to come in,” Sy told San José Spotlight.
The programs offered at the Youth Center for Evaluation and Advocacy are another example of the county’s investment in prevention, Ellenberg said. The Children’s Advocacy Center, which serves children who have experienced assault or neglect, is also located in the building.
“We know that when there are early, early interventions for children who are showing signs of any sort of atypical need, when we’re able to help them, the outcomes are much, much better than if those challenges are not recognized until years later,” Ellenberg said.
Contact Joyce Chu at [email protected] or @joyce_speaks on X.
