Health Systems

UCSF Health is an academic clinical delivery system with a comprehensive network of hospitals and ambulatory facilities recognized among the nation’s elite hospitals in the USA by U.S. News & World Report and best in Northern California. It provides patients and the community with health care for everyday needs, as well as, the most specialized services for complex diseases, illnesses and injuries. UCSF Health offers unique care not available anywhere else and is the major referral center for Northern California quaternary services. It provides a direct investment to support other parts of our mission areas (teaching, research and service).

Our providers are among the nation’s leading experts in virtually all specialties, including cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders, immunological disorders, HIV/AIDS and organ transplantation, as well as specialty services for women and children. People from all parts of the US and around the world come to UCSF to receive life-saving health care services.

ZSFG, the safety net hospital for the residents of City and County of San Francisco, is also the only Level 1 trauma center serving more than 1.5 million people living and working in SF and Northern San Mateo County. ZSFG provides comprehensive care for San Francisco residents without commercial insurance. Considered one of the finest US public hospitals, ZSFG offers humanistic, cost-effective and culturally competent care to an international community of patients, regardless of their ability to pay. ZSFG has partnered in public health with UCSF since 1873. All physicians at the hospital hold UCSF faculty appointments and provide patient-care treatment and services, conduct research, and teach.

The ZSFG workforce includes almost 2,000 UCSF employees who work side by side with 3,500 city employees. In addition, about 300 residents, 75 students and 42 clinical fellows train at the hospital daily. Unique programs for training at ZSFG include trauma care, family and community medicine, pediatric and adult care for the underserved, and care for immigrant populations.

SFVAHCS is owned by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VISN 8) and provides primary through tertiary care to veterans in Northern California. SFVAHCS is a major regional and national referral center for specialized care. The two institutions began their affiliation in 1968. More than 240 full- and part-time UCSF physicians are on staff at SFVAHCS and provide patient care. SFVAHCS serves as a major teaching hospital for UCSF residents and fellows. SFVAHCS funds 171 positions for UCSF residents who train there and provides clinical training for one- third of UCSF medical students. SFVAHCS has the largest research program in the VA system.

The Fresno hospitals serve the residents of the Central Valley of California, yet another culturally diverse patient population with some unique conditions that complement the diverse case mix of the San Francisco institutions.

UCSF Fresno was created as a regional campus of UCSF in 1975 to address the severe shortage of physicians in California’s San Joaquin Valley. UCSF Fresno is the San Joaquin Valley’s largest physician training program, providing high quality education for medical students – training more than 300 medical residents and fellows and more than 300 visiting medical students from around the United States on a rotating basis each year in eight medical specialties and 17 sub- specialties. Nearly 700 UCSF core and volunteer faculty at UCSF Fresno care for thousands of patients annually and train the next generation of outstanding clinicians and patient advocates. 

About 50 percent of the physicians trained at UCSF Fresno stay in the Valley to provide UCSF care. In addition, UCSF Fresno helps prepare middle, high school, and college students for careers in health and medicine through a variety of pipeline programs.