San Francisco Department of Public Health
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), previously called the San Francisco Health Department, is composed of various subdivisions that work together to serve the city of San Francisco. Mission. San Francisco Department of Public Health's mission is to protect and promote the health of all San Francisco citizens. It achieves this via its two main divisions: the San Francisco Health Network and Population Health. History. In 1899, there was an outbreak of bubonic plague in San Francisco's Chinatown, . During this time, it was discovered that there had been cases of  the plague in Hong Kong, China. Chinese people were forbidden from entering the U.S. and fear affected citizens of San Francisco. The San Francisco Health Department closed Chinese businesses and subsequently burned parts of Chinatown. The inhabitants of Chinatown were required to receive vaccinations if they planned on emigrating from the city. A citizen, Wong Wai, sued the department; the ruling was in favor of Wai and requested that the department terminate their behavior. Health officials dissatisfied with the ruling ostracized and isolated Chinatown and all its inhabitants, because of their suspicions of the plague spreading. The plague scare raised  awareness for public health intervention. San Francisco's health officials, who consisted of San Francisco Mayor Eugene Schmitz, California Governor George Pardee, and his personal health officials, created a partnership between themselves and the sanitary campaign in Chinatown. Through this partnership, health boards all around the state would be notified if the causes of death were suspicious or had suspicion of the plague. This was in efforts to address and better serve the public's interests in health and sanitation during the time of the plague. In addition, any obtained tissues from suspicious causes of death would directly be sent  to the Public Health Service Laboratory in San Francisco to help identify and eradicate the infection. Subdivisions. Population Health Division. With a broad community focus, the ultimate goal of the Population Health Division is to ensure that San Franciscans have optimal health and wellness at every stage of life, and, to achieve this, the Division is composed of various branches dedicated to core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco, such as health protection and promotion, disease and injury prevention, disaster preparedness and response, and environmental health services. San Francisco Health Network. The San Francisco Health  Network consists of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Laguna Honda Hospital and many other clinics throughout San Francisco. The network has vocalized their non-discriminatory approach and mission to serve all who are in need of health services. The San Francisco Health Network has stated they will serve irrespective of immigration status or the lack of health insurance. The network aims to implement and increase innovative strategies. Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) and Trauma Center (also called "The General") is the sole provider of trauma and psychiatric emergency services for the City and County  of San Francisco. A comprehensive medical center, ZSFG serves some 100,000 patients per year and provides 20 percent of the city’s inpatient care. In 2011, ZSFG became the first hospital in the country to be certified for a Traumatic Brain Injury program. As San Francisco’s public hospital, ZSFG is a member of the San Francisco Health Network, an integrated delivery system operated by the Department of Public Health that provides all levels of care to San Franciscans. ZSFG’s mission is to provide quality health care and trauma services with compassion and respect to patients that include the  City’s most vulnerable. ZSFG is also one of the nation’s top academic medical centers, partnering with the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine for clinical training and research. Syringe exchange. In fulfilling the San Francisco Department of Public Health's mission to promote the health of its citizens, it practices a harm reduction model, including needle exchange, which is proven to reduce the spread of viral infections like HIV, hep B and hep C. Since 2013, SFPDH's has made additional efforts to improve needle disposal through its coordination and funding of several collaborative and community -based programs: San Francisco Public Works provides maintenance for the streets and groundwork of San Francisco. Through a number of programs, the organization works to fulfill their mission statement of serving those that reside, work, and visit San Francisco: Community Health Equity & Promotion (CHEP). This branch of SFDPH is part of the Quality Improvement branch that hosts multiple programs and initiatives to promote active-living, healthy eating, and decreasing the spread of STIs, such as HIV. Many of these quality improvement projects are on-going and long-term studies that achieve success through results-based accountability. San Francisco Department of