The heart of San Francisco beats to its own rhythm, and it always has. Through baby booms, housing booms, and even tech booms, we’ve seen it all. And yet, this city can still surprise us. Its resilience. Its love. Its pride.
We were here, through natural disasters, pandemics, and plagues. For the birth of new ideas, new communities, and of course, newborns. Today, we are still here, providing compassionate care for the whole person, and the whole city.
You are part of our history.
August 28, 1872
City and County Hospital Opens
A wooden structure opens on Potrero Avenue to treat the City’s public health needs.
1873
Partnership with UCSF Begins
The University of California forges a partnership with the City and County of San Francisco to provide health care services and train doctors. Still true today, all ZSFG doctors are on faculty at UCSF and 20 UCSF research centers are located at ZSFG.
1891
Training School for Nurses was Established
Nurses shadowed medical faculty and raised awareness on the standards of patient care.
1895
Arrival of Horse Drawn Ambulances
San Francisco was the first city to provide government run ambulances.
1906
The Great Earthquake Hits
After surviving a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake, the General becomes a mecca where the sick and injured seek treatment and comfort.
1907
Children’s Ward Opens
1915
New Buildings Open
New buildings replace the condemned wooden structure.
1918
Spanish Influenza Reaches SF
1919
New TB Buildings Open
The newly designed Isolation Hospital and Tuberculosis Hospital allows infectious patients to be treated separately in an open-air ward with plenty of fresh air and sunshine.
1924
Psychiatric Ward Opens
1930s
Polio Epidemic
Polio clinics open at ZSFG to treat low-income children. More affluent children are treated at Children’s Hospital.
1938
Maternity Hospital Opens
The growth at San Francisco General continued with the opening of the maternity ward.
1950
San Francisco Hospital Gets a New Name
San Francisco Hospital changed their name to San Francisco General Hospital.
1960
Premature Birth Clinic Opens
The hospital establishes a premature birth clinic for high-risk mothers to address the challenges facing mothers with no prenatal care.
1969
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
To better serve the city’s diverse population during the Civil Rights movement, the Hospital works with African-American, Hispanic, and Asian-American organizations to improve the delivery of services, establish interpreter services, and start bilingual health education programs.
1972
Trauma Center Recognized
The Hospital receives Federal Trauma Center designation, recognizing it as the first complete City/County-wide system in the United States.
1976
Building 5 Opens
The new 653-bed hospital is complete, containing a new emergency department, clinics, and wards.
1983
Ward 86 Opens
Ward 86 at San Francisco General Hospital becomes the center of care and treatment during the San Francisco HIV/AIDS epidemic. This model of care eventually becomes the worldwide standard.
1991
Designated Only Level 1 Trauma Center
San Francisco General Hospital becomes the only Level 1 Trauma Center in San Francisco and northern San Mateo County.
1993
SFGH Foundation Founded
San Francisco General Hospital Foundation is established by a small group of local community leaders and health care providers as an independent, nonprofit organization to raise philanthropic funds through individual, foundation, and corporate donations to support what is now Zuckerberg San Francisco General.
2001
Traumatic Brain Injury Program Launches
The traumatic brain injury program is created to optimize care for patients with serious brain injuries, providing specialized and cohesive care in the operating rooms, intensive care units, and rehabilitative care programs.
2004
Avon Breast Center Opens
Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Center opens to provide state-of-the-art imaging for breast cancer detection, more than doubling screening capacity and expanding outreach at ZSFG.
2007
Birth Center designated as “Baby-Friendly”
The World Health Organization certifies the Family Birth Center at ZSFG as the only Baby-Friendly birth center in San Francisco.
2016
New Hospital Opens
The new acute care and trauma center opens to patients. It is a nine-story, world-class, seismically-safe, technologically-advanced, environmentally-sound hospital designed to provide the best possible patient care in a warm and healing environment.
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic, ZSFG cares for one-third of San Francisco residents and is a critical public health resource for information, support, and vaccinations.
