The San Francisco General Hospital Foundation is pleased to announce that Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi will be awarded the SFGHF Lifetime Achievement Award for her unparalleled leadership in advancing equity and access in public health both here in San Francisco and nationwide.

Speaker Emerita Pelosi will accept the award on Thursday, February 9 at the 2023 Hearts in SF gala at San Francisco City Hall, where SFGHF will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG) and raise funds to support patient care and innovation at the hospital.

“Since her first days as a U.S. representative, Congresswoman Pelosi has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to supporting health equity for those who need it most,” Kim Meredith, CEO of SFGHF, said.

“The thriving, thirty-year partnership between the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center has ensured that patient care in San Francisco is a model for the nation—built on our values of equity and respect,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said. “Even through the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic, the General has served as a brilliant beacon for innovative, compassionate and courageous care. As we celebrate 150 years of healing and hope, it is with great pride that I humbly receive this award from the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation: a vital partner in the fight to improve the health of San Franciscans.”

“It’s a wonderful honor to be able to recognize all that Congresswoman Pelosi has achieved for public health as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of our landmark public hospital, Zuckerberg San Francisco General,” Janis MacKenzie, Board Chair of SFGHF, said. “In addition to her accomplishments at the national level, Congresswoman Pelosi’s stalwart advocacy for health equity here in San Francisco continues to touch the lives of our community members most in need. Her leadership in recently securing $1 million in federal funding for SFGHF’s Transform Mental and Behavioral Health Fund, an initiative to advance patient care at the intersection of addiction, psychiatric, and emergency services at ZSFG, is yet another example of her invaluable support for public health and wellbeing in the Bay Area.”

Since joining the U.S. Congress in 1987, Congresswoman Pelosi has been a steadfast champion for expanding equitable access to health care.

Following the San Francisco model of compassionate, community-based care (pioneered at ZSFG), Speaker Emerita Pelosi was an ardent early advocate for addressing the HIV/AIDS crisis. Through countless initiatives, she has helped raise awareness and secure increased funding to support health care access, treatment, research, prevention, and a search for a cure for all those affected by or at risk of HIV/AIDS.

As the chief architect of the Affordable Care Act, Speaker Emerita Pelosi helped expand vital health care coverage for tens of millions of Americans, and has since led efforts to protect and strengthen this landmark legislation for advancing health equity in the U.S. Her accomplishments also include protecting and improving Medicare and Medicaid, expanding the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and expanding health care access for U.S. veterans.

The recently allocated $1 million in funding for the Transform Mental and Behavioral Health Fund comes as part of a combined $30 million FY2023 federal funding package secured by Congresswoman Pelosi for community projects in San Francisco, providing support for not only ZSFG but additional community-based organizations advancing health and wellbeing.

SFGHF’s Hearts in SF 2023 gala will take place on Thursday, February 9 from 5:00-8:00 pm at San Francisco City Hall, honoring Congresswoman Pelosi and celebrating the past, present, and future of ZSFG. The gala will be followed by the return of SFGHF’s Hearts After Dark celebration, including a special performance by Mix Master Mike, the world-renowned DJ who has worked with the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill, along with immersive art, dancing, specialty cocktails, and late-night treats.

As part of SFGHF’s annual Hearts in San Francisco public art project, 10 heart sculptures commemorating ZSFG’s 150th anniversary, plus an additional large heart sculpture by 2023 featured artist Sirron Norris, will be on display for both events at San Francisco City Hall, each raising vital funds to support Zuckerberg San Francisco General.

Sponsors of Hearts in SF 2023 include: Bank of America, 150th Anniversary Presenting Sponsor; BMO, 150th Anniversary Year Premier Sponsor; the Fisher Family; University of California, San Francisco; Genentech; California Health Care Foundation; Kaiser Permanente; Diana Kapp and David Singer; and Jeff and Erica Lawson.