The Department of Emergency Medicine provides clinical care across the following sites:
We see people of all ages with a wide variety of medical conditions. These range from complex events, such as heart attacks and strokes, to simple but urgent injuries, like deep cuts and broken bones. Our sites are open every day, 24 hours a day. We serve approximately 300,000 patients a year across these five locations.
Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Care
ZSFG and UCSF Fresno’s CRMC are Level I Trauma Centers. Level I is the highest designation awarded by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). It means the medical center is prepared to manage any type of trauma 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Level I Trauma Centers provide the most comprehensive trauma care for critically ill or injured patients, including prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Pediatric Trauma Care
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland is home to the Pediatric Trauma Care Center, an ACS-verified Level I Pediatric Trauma Center dedicated exclusively to the care of children. The site is one of six ACS Level I pediatric trauma centers in California. Our specialists are board-certified in pediatric emergency medicine and see an average of 8,000 patients with trauma-related injuries annually, making the team at the Trauma Care Center one of the most experienced in the Bay Area.
Joint Commission-Certified Stroke Care
Three of our sites — UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center, ZSFG, and UCSF Fresno’s CRMC — are Joint Commission-certified stroke centers. Stroke center certification is awarded by the American Heart Association in collaboration with the American Stroke Association and The Joint Commission. Certification recognizes hospitals that meet strict standards for stroke care.
Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification
Both UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center and CRMC are Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSCs) — the highest level of stroke care certification. This designation is awarded to hospitals that meet a strict set of standards verifying their ability to receive and treat all types of strokes, including the most complex cases (i.e., bleeding or hemorrhagic strokes, as well as ischemic strokes).
CSCs offer 24/7 access to a team of on-site neurosurgical experts, minimally invasive catheter procedures to treat stroke, and other specialized services. UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center was the first hospital in San Francisco to receive this designation.
Primary Stroke Center Certification
ZSFG is certified as a Primary Stroke Center (PSC). PSC certification is awarded to health care facilities offering care that meets the unique and specialized needs of people who experience a stroke. To qualify for PSC certification, the health care organization must meet standards supporting better patient outcomes for stroke. In instances when more advanced interventional care is required, PSCs refer these patients to CSCs.
Designated Heart Attack Care
UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center, ZSFG, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, and UCSF Fresno’s CRMC are designated receiving hospitals for acute myocardial infarction. These locations offer 24/7 availability of primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).
The Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services also recognizes UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center, ZSFG, and CRMC as STEMI Receiving Centers. Each site is a primary receiving center for patients experiencing STEMI, which stands for “ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.” It is a serious heart attack caused by a lack of blood flow to large areas of the heart. Reopening the blocked arteries in less than 90 minutes (the national standard) may save the life of a person experiencing STEMI. STEMI Receiving Centers can provide this emergency care around the clock.
ACEP-Accredited Age-Friendly Emergency Care
UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center and ZSFG are American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)-accredited Geriatric Emergency Departments (GEDs). GEDs have specific protocols, resources, and specialized care areas to optimize the acute care of older adults.
UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center holds a Level 1 (Gold) GED accreditation; it was the first hospital in the Bay Area to receive this accreditation. ZSFG holds a Level 3 (Bronze) accreditation and will be applying for Level 2 (Silver) accreditation this year.
Specialized Pediatric Emergency Medical Care
The UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are committed to providing the safest and highest quality pediatric emergency medical care. Our campuses in San Francisco and Oakland are staffed by a robust team of physicians board-certified in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. They work closely with other pediatric health care professionals at UCSF, like our child life specialists, to minimize the stress of treatment on both children and their families. Together, we practice compassionate, evidence-based care that leverages the latest techniques and best practices in the field.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are a part of UCSF Health and have been recognized among the nation’s best pediatric medical centers in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco
Our Mission Bay campus is the recipient of The Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission — a nationally recognized distinction voluntarily earned by a health care organization. The Gold Seal of Approval reflects the provider’s adherence to a rigorous set of safety- and quality-related performance standards.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco (and its clinics) have also earned Magnet designation. The Magnet Recognition Program, developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and based on research conducted by the American Academy of Nursing, distinguishes health care organizations for the caliber of their nursing care. Magnet status is the highest level of honor awarded by the ANCC and is nationally considered the “gold standard” for nursing excellence.
Our commitment to patient safety is reflected in our “A” rating from The Leapfrog Group. This rating — the highest grade awarded by the safety group — is a national recognition of excellence for patient safety. Notably, it is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on a hospital’s prevention of medical error and harm to patients.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
The Leapfrog Group has also recognized our Oakland campus as a Top Children’s Hospital. Hospitals that receive the “Top Hospital” designation meet rigorous standards for safety and quality. The competitive award is based on the results of the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey, a voluntary survey of nearly 2,000 hospitals nationwide that assesses hospitals’ performance on national standards of patient safety, quality, efficiency, and management structures that prevent errors.
