San Francisco Health Network/Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Earns Innovation Award for Emergency Department Triage Redesign

The California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (CAPH), in partnership with the California Health Care Safety Net Institute (SNI), presented the 2025 Innovation Award to the San Francisco Health Network and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG) for their project, Sustaining Change at the Front Door: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Emergency Department Triage Design.

As the city’s only Level 1 trauma center, ZSFG’s Emergency Department is a lifeline for thousands of San Franciscans. With such an essential role in the region’s health care landscape, staff continually seek ways to streamline operations, enhance the patient experience, and meet the rising demand. This year’s Innovation Award celebrates a multidisciplinary team led by Christopher Peabody, MD, MPH (pictured), for doing exactly that.

By blending patient and staff insights with real-time data and a deeply collaborative redesign process, the team reimagined triage—enabling more patients to be treated directly from the waiting room while improving overall flow and responsiveness. Their work reflects the spirit of the QLAs: creative, equity-focused solutions that deliver measurable impact.

“These initiatives show how public health care systems deliver results for their communities, even as needs grow and demands increase,” said Erica Murray, president and CEO of CAPH. “Their work reflects the steady innovation and commitment that keep California’s safety net strong.”

“These efforts show what is possible when systems listen closely to patients and design solutions that improve care in real and measurable ways,” said Giovanna Giuliani, executive director of SNI. “Our members continue to learn, adapt, and advance approaches that strengthen health and equity across their communities.”

Learn more about this triage redesign and watch the award-winning team in action below.