Hospital Programs

The Children's Fund

153 patients under the age of eighteen visit SFGH every day. Children and teens cared for at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center have many special needs. Services range from the simple such as offering a book to a child, to the most complicated and complex like providing a nurturing environment in which to receive psychiatric treatment while recovering from abuse. In either case, the Hospital staff endeavors to meet every need, and for this reason, the Hospital is renowned for its care.

The Children's Fund supports a variety of programs that enhance the experience of children and teens treated at the Hospital, including:

• Bay Area Perinatal AIDS Center (BAPAC): Thanks to work done by BAPAC, the last transfer of HIV from an infected mother engaged in care at BAPAC to her newborn child was almost a decade ago. In addition to inpatient and outpatient care, SFGH participates in drug studies, clinical, laboratory, and desktop research.

• The Child and Adolescent Support Advocacy and Resource Center (CASARC): Founded in 1977 and administered by the San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center, CASARC is the only San Francisco agency that is responsible for medical evaluation (collection of forensic medical evidence), forensic clinical interviews of minors and delivery of specialty mental health services for victims of child sexual abuse. CASARC is also a resource center for teachers, pediatricians, child care providers, and parents seeking information about the sexual exploitation of minors. CASARC offers a 24-hr, 7-day-per-week hotline where anyone - a parent, community member or police officer - can call for support from a specially trained on-call CASARC nurse.

  Visit the CASARC website



• Asthma Clinic: The Pediatric Asthma Clinic serves some of San Francisco's most vulnerable residents. Asthma disproportionately affects low-income children, whose neighborhoods are plagued by poor environmental and health conditions. At SFGH these children's asthma is actively monitored and treated so they can lead normal lives despite their disease.

• Reach Out And Read (ROAR): 12,000 books are distributed during regular check-ups annually, to educate parents about the importance of reading aloud to their children.