Health and Wellness
— The San Francisco Heart Institute
The San Francisco Heart Institute is located in Daly City at the Seton Medical Center, which is recognized as one of the Top 100 hospitals for cardiovascular services in the United States. Its highly experienced cardiologists and cardiac surgeons are known worldwide for their excellence and medical advances and are committed to providing a full range of services and state-of-the-art cardiovascular treatments for their patients.

EDUCATION

— University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center
University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center (UCSF Medical Center) is part of the University of California, San Francisco, one of the 10 campuses of the University of California. UCSF Medical Center is recognized throughout the world for innovative patient care, advanced technology and pioneering research for more than a century. A leading research institution, UCSF has fostered clinical innovations that have brought about dramatic advances in medicine. UCSF Medical Center is ranked one of the nation’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, and the hospital’s almost 8,000 employees carry expertise that covers virtually all specialties, from cancer to women’s health. Each year, UCSF Medical Center’s services generate about 770,000 patient visits to its clinics, 38,000 hospital admissions and 1,800 births. Annually, these services generate about $1.6 billion in revenue.

With dozens of locations throughout San Francisco as well as outreach clinics throughout Northern California and beyond, UCSF Medical Center’s two main facilities are the 15-story, 600-bed hospital and clinics at the Parnassus campus and the 90-bed hospital at the Mount Zion campus. At the Parnassus campus is the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, consistently ranked one of the top children’s hospitals in California with more than 150 pediatric physicians in more than 50 different specialties. The best-known service at Mount Zion is the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, which has won the National Cancer Institute’s “comprehensive” designation for innovative research and cutting-edge patient care. A third hospital complex at the Mission Bay campus is scheduled to open in 2015.

SELECTING A PHYSICIAN
Once you are settled into your new community, it is important that you select a doctor for you and your family. Following are a few ideas and suggestions to begin the process:
  • Consult your company’s health plan and its list of preferred providers that will accept the company’s insurance.
  • Ask family, friends, neighbors, coworkers or professionals with whom you are in contact to find out what they like best and least about their doctors.
  • Use hospital physician-referral services, but keep in mind that the services refer you to the doctors on staff but do not offer information on the quality of care these doctors provide.
  • The American Medical Association (AMA) has a DoctorFinder service at www.ama-assn.org/aps/amahg.htm that provides you with basic professional information on virtually every licensed physician in the United States and includes more than 814,000 doctors. You can search by doctor name, location or specialty.
  • Be sure to verify that the doctor is Board certified. All U.S. Board-certified specialists are listed with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). ABMS is a not-for-profit organization that assists 24 approved medical specialty boards in the development and use of standards in the ongoing evaluation and certification of physicians. ABMS, recognized as the “gold standard” in physician certification, believes higher standards for physicians means better care for patients. Call (866) 275-2267, or visit www.abms.org for more information.
  • Other online resources, including www.healthgrades.com or www.doctordirectory.com provide searches by name, specialty and location.

Also consider that your relationship with a physician and medical staff is often the most important factor in determining the best health-care provider. Your health and wellness is a personal matter, and finding the facility that best meets your expectations is crucial.

BEFORE YOU CALL THE DOCTOR
It is evident by the sheer abundance of health-care systems and medical facilities in the Bay Area that you will have no problem finding the best one to fit your family’s needs. However, it is important to remember that while the preceding pages of Relocating to San Francisco have presented a large selection of options, it is only a short survey of what the region has to offer in the field of health care.

Before you schedule an appointment or visit a health-care facility, make sure it accepts your family’s health insurance plan. Many providers accept different insurance plans, so knowing where you’re covered and where you’re not is key. Often you can find a list of insurance companies that are accepted on the health-care provider’s website. Alternately, contact your insurance company or health-care provider for more information.

   
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