Planned Parenthood opens new clinic, partners with County

SAN JOSE – Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian announced today the reopening of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte at its new location in Mountain View. The Mountain View clinic previously located on San Antonio Road closed in October 2019 in the face of redevelopment. The new Mountain View clinic is at 2500 California St. and will serve residents and workers in the North County and West Valley.  The new location will also include health care services provided by Santa Clara County.

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte purchased the new building two years ago, after the announcement that its lease on the San Antonio Road site would not be renewed. The Mountain View clinic is the only Planned Parenthood clinic between Redwood City and San Jose, and has provided health care services for the past 20 years.

In February of 2017, Simitian asked the Board of Supervisors and County staff to “act with urgency” in finding a solution to the impending closure, which he originally imagined would involve Planned Parenthood leasing a portion of a County-owned property.

“If Planned Parenthood has a problem, we have a problem,” said Simitian at the time. “The Fifth Supervisorial District (which includes cities in the North County and West Valley) is the only Supervisorial district without a County health clinic. That means we rely on a network of community health clinics and non-profits like Planned Parenthood to provide these essential services.”

Planned Parenthood’s purchase of its own property, however, negated the need for the County to secure a site, and still offered the opportunity to expand County services.

“Initially we thought the County would have a building with space for Planned Parenthood; as it turns out, Planned Parenthood has a building with space for County health care. Either way, it’s a great partnership, allowing us to do even more for the folks we both serve. I think a long-term partnership with Planned Parenthood and the County providing complementary services in the same place has tremendous potential.”

The County’s lease with Planned Parenthood will run for 7 years, with a 5-year option to renew.

In June of 2019, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved a partnership proposed by Simitian with Planned Parenthood Mar Monte designed to augment health care services in the North County, and improve care coordination for shared patients of Planned Parenthood and the County’s health care system.

Under the new partnership, the County will lease a section of Planned Parenthood’s new facility in Mountain View to provide specialty services, including pediatric dental services.

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center will host services complementary to those offered by Planned Parenthood, including flex space to house specialty services, which could include cardiology, orthopedics, and urology, or others. 

“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,” said Simitian. “A long-term partnership is a win for the County, Planned Parenthood, and the patients we serve.”

“Planned Parenthood Mar Monte began providing services in Mountain View in 1973 and remains staunchly committed to continuing to provide health care to the individuals and families who have relied on our services for more than four decades,” said Stacy Cross, CEO of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. “We are so pleased that the County recognizes the critical importance of keeping the care available to people who live and work in Mountain View and surrounding communities.”

Planned Parenthood cares for an estimated 8,095 patients a year at their Mountain View clinic, 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 Planned Parenthood clinic.

The move to work collaboratively with Planned Parenthood builds upon earlier efforts by Simitian and the County to expand health services in the North County, including a partnership with the Ravenswood Clinic in East Palo Alto, urgent care access at the Sunnyvale Valley Health Clinic, and access to behavioral care and mental health services at MayView Community Health Center. The County will also be opening a stand-alone, nine chair dental clinic at 2486 El Camino in Mountain View that will open later this year.