Tony Nuñez, a longtime community leader and former journalist, is running for the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors 4th District seat. Nuñez is the current board chair of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, which operates Watsonville Community Hospital, and works for nonprofit Community Bridges.
Watsonville Community Hospital
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville Community Hospital reports nearly $23 million loss in 2025
Watsonville Community Hospital reported losses of nearly $23 million in 2025 following a challenging year of fewer patient visits and changes to federal and state funding. Hospital leadership expects to have an update by March on its search for a private partner to help shore up its finances.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Federal cuts put Watsonville Community Hospital at risk. Partnership is the way forward.
Watsonville Community Hospital reflects the growing fragility of Santa Cruz County’s health care system, strained by rising costs, workforce shortages and declining reimbursements. Despite real progress since becoming community-owned in 2022, Stephen Gray, the hospital’s CEO, writes that new federal Medicaid cuts are projected to cost the hospital up to $10 million annually, threatening local access to care. Measure N has funded critical facility upgrades, he writes, but state law prevents those dollars from covering staffing or service losses caused by federal cuts. To protect and expand health care services, the Pajaro Valley Health Care District is now actively seeking a strategic operating partner to ensure long-term stability. He insists the hospital will work to preserve local oversight.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville Community Hospital nurses hold vigil to honor life of nurse killed by federal agents in Minneapolis
Nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital gathered Wednesday evening to remember the life of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who was killed by federal immigration agents Saturday in Minneapolis.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville Community Hospital faces shortage of ICU nurses as it continues to struggle financially
Administrators at Watsonville Community Hospital say they’ll need to make difficult decisions to keep it operating, which doesn’t sit well with nurses. Meanwhile, there’s a staffing shortage in the intensive care unit, and nurses are rallying to keep it and other essential departments open.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville Community Hospital continues search for financial partners; CEO says decision is still months away
Watsonville Community Hospital CEO Stephen Gray says the search for a financial partner is ongoing, with the hospital still months away from a decision. He also told Lookout that the hospital is still recovering from the costs of a cyberattack last year.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Local doctor cuts his retirement short to help address ongoing primary care shortage in Santa Cruz County
Three weeks into retirement, Dr. Frank Ravago decided to return to medicine to help address an ongoing shortage of primary care physicians in Santa Cruz County.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville hospital courts health care partners as federal cuts threaten multimillion-dollar loss
After purchasing its land and facilities last year through a $116 million voter-approved bond, Watsonville Community Hospital now faces up to $8.4 million in annual losses from federal Medicaid cuts. The public hospital is speeding up a search for a health care partner to manage operations and avoid a financial crisis.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Don’t have Medi-Cal? Cutting it will still hurt you – here’s how.
Proposed $700-$900 billion cuts to Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) will strain our local health care system and affect us all – even those of us with private insurance, writes Watsonville Hospital CEO Stephen Gray. Fewer doctors and services may lead to longer emergency room wait times and private insurance costs could rise as providers shift costs to cover lost Medi-Cal funding. He urges community members to contact their congressional representatives.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
At Watsonville Community Hospital, federal Medicaid cuts cast shadow over progress
Watsonville Community Hospital leaders reported improved finances and plans for upgrades and an expansion of the ER paid for by $116 million Measure N funds, while warning of threats from proposed federal Medicaid cuts during their first State of Hospital address.