San Francisco, San Rafael, Santa Rosa

We’re making changes to better serve you

The next time you visit our San Rafael Medical Center, you might notice something different. We recently broke ground on a two-part improvement project.

The project involves seismically retrofitting the parking structure and expanding it to include 309 additional spaces. We’re also building a new Emergency Department. And landscaping will beautify the entire campus.

“The project has been carefully planned to help ensure our members’ safety and convenience,” says Medical Group Administrator Patricia Kendall. “It will make our campus more welcoming and accessible, while allowing our great staff to continue providing excellent care.”

Renovation of the parking structure began this summer and is scheduled to finish in the summer of 2012. To improve parking during construction, we are offering free valet parking at two locations. Self-parking will be available at Parking Lot B (for emergencies only) and Parking Lot C, both located off Montecillo Road.

Once the parking structure is completed, construction of the new Emergency Department will begin. It’s scheduled to be finished in late 2013. At 17,000 square feet, the new facility will triple the size of our current Emergency Department. Its design features spacious rooms, advanced technology, and enhanced circulation and visibility.

“Our current Emergency Department was designed in the early 1970s, long before computers and the latest technology,” says Kendall. “The new Emergency Department will incorporate what we’ve learned since it opened, plus some of the best features from medical centers throughout Kaiser Permanente and across the nation.”

The existing Emergency Department will remain open until the new Emergency Department is complete.

You can look online for construction updates and parking information. Or call 415-444-4246 to hear an update or leave a recorded message.

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Support after losing a loved one

After their son died of skin cancer at 32, John and Barbara Malone found comfort with the Bereavement Support Group at our San Francisco Medical Center. “It was a very welcoming place to help us work through our grief,” says Barbara.

The Bereavement Support Group meets on an ongoing basis and is open to people who’ve lost loved ones who were on hospice care. The Malones attended the group every week for about a year and a half.

“When Tim was sick, everything revolved around him,” explains John. “After he died, our lives seemed empty. I went into the group looking for a way to get over the tremendous emptiness I felt, but what I learned was how to live with it. Tim will always be part of our lives.”

Our Bereavement Support Groups are led by social workers who provide support to group members as they help one another cope with grief and face the challenges of their daily lives.

“When people share their experience with others, they don’t feel so alone in their pain,” says Patti Zabell, RN, director of Home Health and Hospice for our San Francisco and South San Francisco Medical Centers. “It’s a safe place for people to practice living in the presence of their loved one’s absence.”

To register for a Bereavement Support Group, please call 415-833-3655 or drop in at one of the locations listed below. There’s no fee required.

San Francisco Medical Center

• French Campus, 4141 Geary Blvd., 1st Floor, Room F3, Tuesday, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
• Geary Campus, 2425 Geary Blvd., Mezzanine, Conference Room 3, Monday, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Daly City Medical Offices   

• 395 Hickey Blvd., 6th Floor, Orchid Classroom, Monday, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

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