San Francisco General Hospital Receives Historic Donation

As the new San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH; CA, USA) nears completion, it receives a USD 75 million grant from Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan.

The new SFGH hospital will provide the only Level one Trauma Center for residents of San Francisco and northern San Mateo County. Located west of the existing hospital, the new SFGH will be nine stories tall, including two basement levels. It will provide 284 general acute care beds—32 more than the current hospital—and the emergency department (ED) will increase from 27 to 60 beds, while the number of operating rooms will be increased from 10 to 14. In times of extremely high volume, surge capacity of the ED can grow from 58 to 116 beds.


All ED trauma rooms will be equipped with imaging equipment, and the intensive care unit (ICU) features a unique 360-degree layout and centralized nursing stations, helping promote more responsive care and full access to patients. The wide, rounded hallways are designed to make it easier to navigate large equipment, while abundant natural light and a sunny roof-top garden promote a healing environment. The private patient rooms are all identical in design to reduce errors, and are provided with safety features, such as unobstructed handrails from the bed to the bathroom, non-glare floors, and special lighting.

The new SFGH was designed to meet California seismic safety requirements for acute care facilities, which require that all general acute care patients be relocated from the existing, non-compliant hospitals by 2020. The new facility is therefore constructed using a base-isolated foundation; during an earthquake, the base isolators can slide 77 cm in any direction, greatly reducing any movement of the building. This technology provides the best seismic resistance to allow the hospital to remain operational even after a significant seismic event.

All buildings on the existing hospital campus will continue to be used for non-acute hospital services, including outpatient care, administrative offices, and research facilities. A pedestrian bridge will connect the new SFGH facility with the existing hospital at the second floor level, and a tunnel will connect them at the basement level. The new SFGH will also incorporate green design elements, including reduced water and energy usage, an expanded bicycle parking space, and a rooftop garden.

“As the only trauma center in the City, The General saves lives every day, no matter who you are. The generous grant from Mark and Priscilla will help transform The General into a state-of-the-art hospital and trauma center and enable us to better serve our patients,” said Sue Currin, RN, MSN, CEO of SFGH. “Located in the Mission, The General also serves as a community hospital and a safety net to more than 100,000 patients annually. We provide high quality care with compassion and respect to all, regardless of their ability to pay.”

Related Links:
San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center