On Saturday, May 21st, more than 150 patients were transferred to the newly opened Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. According to a spokesperson for the new medical facility, the first patient arrived at the new building at approximately 7:28 a.m., while the last arrived at 4:42 p.m. The move took less than 12 hours and patients were moved from the intensive care unit, the birthing center and medical and surgical inpatient units.
The new facility is located at 1001 Potrero Avenue. Formerly known as San Francisco General Hospital, the medical center features 284 beds, compared to the 252 beds in the old building, hospital officials said. The emergency department has 58 beds, compared to the 27 beds in the previous department. Additionally, as needed, the number of emergency beds in the department can be expanded to 120 if a disaster occurs.
According to ABC news local affiliates, hospital spokesman Brent Andrew said, “It was critical to us to create a hospital that could meet the needs of San Francisco because we’re the only trauma center in the city.”
The facility is the Bay Area’s only level one trauma center that cares to 1.5 million adults and children of San Francisco and northern San Mateo County. More than 3,900 trauma patients are treated there annually.
Last year, Haute 100 lister and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, donated $75 million to San Francisco General Hospital to help fund critical equipment and technology for the hospital. As a result of the donation, the hospital renamed the facility to the Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. It was the single largest donation since the hospital’s inception in 1994.
Zuckerberg, his wife and Mayor Ed Lee all attended the ribbon cutting. At the dedication, Mayor Ed Lee remarked, “This hospital represents San Francisco’s values at their best, and demonstrates that our City is a leader in innovation and compassion. I thank San Francisco voters for overwhelmingly supporting the rebuild of this great hospital and I thank the many generous donors, City departments, and talented hospital staff for creating a world-class, seismically safe, technologically advanced, and sustainably built hospital for all San Franciscans, today and for future generations.”
