Zuckerberg San Francisco General: Contact & Patient Info

ZSFG reports treating more than 2,100 trauma patients per year. Trauma surgeons and specialists are available around the clock.

Use the Emergency Department for problems such as

• Severe injury or uncontrolled bleeding.
• Chest pain or another possible heart emergency.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Possible stroke.
• Loss of consciousness or sudden fainting.
• Serious burns.
• Major vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian trauma.
• Severe abdominal pain.
• Another life-threatening or rapidly worsening condition.

Why patients can wait even in a trauma hospital

The Emergency Department uses triage. Patients with the most medically dangerous conditions are treated first, even when they arrived later.

A visit also may take longer while staff wait for laboratory results, imaging, medications or specialist consultation.

Age-Friendly Emergency Department

ZSFG also provides dedicated navigation and social-work support for older emergency patients.

• Patient Navigation: 628-206-1125
• Age-Friendly ED Social Worker: 415-519-3277

Urgent Care is intended for serious but non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.

Urgent Care can be appropriate for

• Cough or sore throat.
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
• Minor infection.
• Joint or muscle pain.
• Mild asthma symptoms.
• Other urgent problems that are not life-threatening.

Psychiatric Emergency Services is located on the 1st floor of Building 25 and provides urgent evaluation for serious behavioral and mental-health crises.

ZSFG is also described as the largest acute psychiatric and rehabilitation hospital in San Francisco.

Heart conditions treated include

• Coronary artery disease.
• Heart failure.
• Atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias.
• Hypertension.
• Structural heart disease.
• Pulmonary hypertension.
• Complex coronary disease.
• Cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV.

Cardiac services include

• Cardiology clinic.
• EKG/ECG.
• Echocardiography.
• Stress testing.
• Cardiac catheterization.
• Inpatient cardiology.
• Cardiology consultation.

ZSFG is nationally recognized for neurotrauma and stroke care and was the first acute hospital in the country certified for a Traumatic Brain Injury program.

Neurological care can include

• Stroke.
• Seizures and epilepsy.
• Neuromuscular disorders.
• Traumatic brain injury.
• Peripheral nerve disorders.
• Complex inpatient neurological disease.

Neurosurgery

UCSF neurosurgeons at ZSFG provide emergency and inpatient care for traumatic brain and spine injuries and other conditions requiring neurosurgical intervention.

Orthopaedic specialties include

• Orthopaedic trauma and difficult fractures.
• Spine care.
• Foot and ankle.
• Hand, elbow and upper extremity.
• Sports medicine.
• Arthritis and joint replacement.
• Pediatric orthopaedics.
• Podiatry.
• Orthotics and prosthetics.
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation.

The clinic’s current public listings show weekday services beginning at 8 a.m.. Confirm the exact clinic session and closing time before arrival.

Before an orthopaedic visit

• Ask whether prior X-rays, CT or MRI should be transferred.
• Bring a medication list.
• Confirm the referral.
• Ask whether new imaging is planned.
• Confirm Building 5, Suite 3M.

ZSFG provides consultative and ongoing oncology care for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors through a multidisciplinary UCSF-led team.

Current oncology provider examples

• Niharika Dixit, MD.
• Jackie Wang, MD.
• Ana Velazquez Mañana, MD.
• Rebecca DeBoer, MD.
• Vincent Lin, MD.
• Terence Friedlander, MD.

Cancer Navigation Program

Navigators help patients with:

• Appointment coordination.
• Understanding treatment.
• Emotional support.
• Food resources.
• Transportation resources.
• Culturally appropriate referrals.
• Support groups.
• Selected emergency financial resources.

UCSF surgeons at ZSFG provide:

• Trauma surgery.
• Acute-care surgery.
• Surgical critical care.
• General surgery.
• Vascular surgery.
• Cardiothoracic surgery.
• Hand surgery.
• Plastic and reconstructive surgery.

ZSFG reports more than 1,200 births per year. Family Birth Center care is available in more than 20 languages.

Pregnancy and reproductive-health services include

• Prenatal care.
• High-risk obstetrics.
• Midwifery.
• Labor and delivery.
• Postpartum care.
• Breast/chestfeeding support.
• Centering Pregnancy group care.
• Family planning.
• Gynecologic care.
• STI testing and treatment.
• Fibroid and endometriosis care.
• Gynecologic surgery.

Midwifery

ZSFG provides hospital-based nurse-midwifery services. Patients with medically uncomplicated pregnancies may receive prenatal and birth care through the midwifery service.

High-risk pregnancy

Patients with significant medical or pregnancy complications can be referred to obstetricians with specialized high-risk training.

ZSFG provides primary and specialty care for children from birth through young adulthood.

On-site pediatric specialties include

• Asthma care.
• Pediatric cardiology.
• Dermatology.
• Developmental pediatrics.
• Neurology.
• Urology.
• Healthy-lifestyle and obesity services.
• Newborn clinic.
• Vaccination clinic.
• Blood-draw services.
• Social work and counseling.
• Nutrition/WIC counseling.
• Mental-health support.

Pediatric urgent care

Children’s medical advice

SF Health Network Children’s Health Center: 415-206-8383.

ZSFG offers:

• Physical therapy.
• Occupational therapy.
• Speech-language therapy.
• Hand therapy.
• Mobility rehabilitation.
• Neurological rehabilitation.
• Post-injury rehabilitation.
• Swallowing therapy.
• Communication and cognitive rehabilitation.
• Caregiver education.

Before rehabilitation appointments

Patients who do not yet have a ZSFG hospital card are instructed to visit the Building 5 Outpatient Registration desk about 30 minutes before the appointment.

Emergency imaging remains available for hospital and trauma patients around the clock.

Interventional radiology procedures include

• Image-guided biopsies.
• Abscess drainage.
• Vascular angiography.
• Peripheral arterial intervention.
• Nephrostomy.
• IVC filter procedures.
• Embolization.
• Selected neuro-interventional procedures.

Services include

• Routine blood draws.
• STAT blood draws.
• Glucose-tolerance testing.
• Urine specimen collection supplies.
• Stool specimen containers.
• Semen-analysis collection supplies.

Outpatient pharmacy services include

• Prescription dispensing.
• Discharge prescriptions.
• Specialty medications.
• Medication delivery at no charge.
• Interpreter and translation support.
• Specialized medication packaging.
• Medication take-back.
• Sharps-container take-back.

Specialty Pharmacy pickup hours

• Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
• Sunday: Closed

Specialty Pharmacy staff are available for refill support Monday–Friday during business hours, and free delivery is available within San Francisco for eligible medications.

An Emergency Department bill can include

• Emergency evaluation.
• Laboratory testing.
• X-ray, CT, ultrasound or MRI.
• Medication.
• Procedures.
• Trauma services.
• Specialist consultations.
• Surgery.
• Hospital admission.
• Intensive-care services.

ZSFG publishes its Charge Description Master and federally required shoppable-service information for patients who want to research scheduled-care prices.

Eligibility staff can help determine whether you have or may qualify for:

• Medi-Cal.
• Medicare.
• Healthy San Francisco.
• Other insurance or public coverage.
• Charity Care.
• Discount Payment financial assistance.

Before scheduled specialty care

• Confirm your exact coverage.
• Ask whether the specialty visit requires a referral.
• Ask whether authorization is needed for imaging or procedures.
• Ask about expected copays or patient responsibility.

Charity Care

Under ZSFG’s current published criteria, household income may not exceed 138% of the Federal Poverty Level for Charity Care eligibility.

Discount Payment Program

Patients who do not qualify for Charity Care may be evaluated for the hospital’s Discount Payment Program. The discount depends on household Federal Poverty Level and other program rules.

How to apply

Muni routes serving the main campus

• 9 – San Bruno.
• 10 – Townsend.
• 33 – Ashbury/18th.
• 48 – Quintara/24th Street.
• 90 – San Bruno Owl.

Closest BART station

The closest BART station is 24th Street Mission.

Free ZSFG shuttle

ZSFG provides a free shuttle between the hospital and 24th Street Mission BART during peak commute periods. It is free for patients, visitors and staff.

UCSF shuttle

UCSF also provides free shuttle service between its campuses, including ZSFG.

Paratransit

SF Paratransit provides van and taxi service for eligible people with disabilities who cannot independently use conventional public transportation.

Check-in requirements

• Visitors check in at the lobby.
• Bring photo identification.
• Wear the issued visitor badge visibly.
• Self-screen for illness before arriving.
• Visitors younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Do not visit with fever, cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea or other illness.

Security screening

ZSFG is a weapon-free campus. Visitors may pass through weapons screening and bags may be checked.

Masking

The current visitor policy strongly encourages masking in clinical areas. Requirements can change based on community health conditions.

SF Health Network patients can request records:

• Online.
• By mail.
• Through an arranged in-person process.
• By sharing available records through MyChart.

Check MyChart first

If you only need recent results, medications, appointments or information already visible in the portal, MyChart may be faster than requesting the entire chart.

MyChart is ZSFG’s secure online patient portal.

MyChart also lets patients securely share records with healthcare professionals who do not already have access.

Interpreter services can support patients who:

• Do not speak English.
• Prefer another language.
• Have hearing loss.
• Have vision impairment.

Patient Experience can help families navigate departments, communicate a concern and understand patient rights and responsibilities.

The cafeteria is in Building 5, 2nd Floor. Visitors may obtain meals, although current guidance says community seating is not available in the cafeteria.