Dear UCSF Community,

I am pleased to announce that today we welcome 1,800 new teammates and the community physicians from Saint Francis and St. Mary’s hospitals to UCSF Health. Bringing Saint Francis and St. Mary’s in the UCSF Health system allows us to deliver more equitable and accessible care for all patients in our community.

We have officially taken over management of the two hospitals under the leadership of interim UCSF Health network president Shay Strachan and the employees of both hospitals are now UCSF Health employees. We are just beginning the process of integration. For the time being, both hospitals will have significant differences in systems and processes from what we have today:

• The two community hospitals have a separate EMR (Cerner) with only limited integration with our Apex EMR (Epic). Their lab, radiology systems are also separate.
• Patients will still call separate phone numbers for services and web sites will not be integrated initially. MyChart will not show care at community hospitals.
• The community hospitals have separate managed care contracts than other hospitals at UCSF Health.
• The community hospitals will continue to order their supplies and equipment through separate vendors and processes, and their building systems (badging, parking, etc.) will remain separate. Signage will be different, and the uniforms/scrubs will be different.
• Faculty services in many specialties will not be available at these hospitals.

‌Over the next two years, we will undertake the complex work of integration through a thoughtful, people-centered approach. In the meantime, we will be focused on maintaining stability and minimizing disruption. We’ll also make near- and long-term investments to increase patient capacity, upgrade technology, and improve facilities. This will help address space challenges and bring additional emergency departments, hospital beds, operating rooms, and clinical services to our health system.

‌This is an incredibly meaningful time for UCSF Health and the UCSF community, with the groundbreaking of UCSF Helen Diller Hospital at Parnassus Heights, approval of the new hospital building at Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, the addition of Saint Francis and Saint Mary’s and the upcoming opening of the Bayfront Medical Building. We are investing in our collective ability to deliver on our commitment to the health of the communities we serve, and furthering our mission as an institution of healing, teaching, learning and discovery.

‌I am grateful for the tireless efforts of our integration teams as they work together to bring Saint Francis and St. Mary’s into our system. Please join me in warmly welcoming all our new colleagues at UCSF Health Saint Francis and UCSF Health St. Mary’s. For more details on the integration, read our web story.

Thank you for your dedication and support during this exciting time.

‌Sincerely,

Suresh Gunasekaran
President and Chief Executive Officer
‌UCSF Health