San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed and City officials today celebrated the reopening of the newly renovated Maxine Hall Health Center, a primary care health clinic that has served the Western Addition for more than 50 years. Following construction, which began in 2019, the $15 million renovations have made the Center seismically safe, expanded exam rooms for families, added seven additional patient rooms and an accessible group meeting room. 

“I am so excited to celebrate the renovations at Maxine Hall Health Center, which will allow staff to continue serving people in the Western Addition for decades to come,” said Mayor Breed. “This pandemic has been extremely hard for all of us, and we learned just how important centers like Maxine Hall are for our communities. People rely on this health center, not just for COVID-related services but for other resources, like food, shelter, clothing, and transportation, and I want to thank everyone who worked to ensure that these renovations met the needs of this community.”

Now that the renovations are complete, patients will be able to receive primary care, such as regular check-ups, behavioral health care, short-term counseling, podiatrist and clinical pharmacist visits, lab testing, and other medical services in one location. Co-location of services will enable Maxine Hall health care providers and staff to serve the whole patient. The remodel will also improve accessibility for patients with disabilities by adding an elevator, curb ramps, and updating existing ramps. 

“All San Franciscans deserve quality, community-based health care, and Maxine Hall Health Center has long been important in meeting the primary health care needs of the Western Addition,” said Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax. “These renovations ensure that we can continue to provide a great level of service in a welcoming environment.”

Maxine Hall Health Center, located at 1301 Pierce Street, provides care to nearly 4,000 patients in the Western Addition and surrounding areas. The Center is part of the San Francisco Health Network, a San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) group of clinics, hospitals, and other programs that connect San Franciscans to health care regardless of immigration status or insurance. Many Maxine Hall Health Center patients reside nearby, 23% in the Western Addition and Japantown, followed by 11% in Hayes Valley, the Tenderloin, and North of Market neighborhoods.

In 1994, the clinic was named after Maxine Hall, a community activist in the Fillmore District who was killed by a stray bullet in 1993. Today, the Maxine Hall Health Center staff work in the spirit of the clinic’s namesake and have led efforts to achieve a 66% rate of controlled hypertension for Black/African American patients.

“Maxine Hall is a critical community institution in our district, serving the health needs of the Western Addition with tireless determination, skill, and compassion,” said District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston. “During the pandemic, Maxine Hall overcame so many challenges — including operating in a temporary location — to continue its legacy of deep service to our community, including expanding their services to make sure residents received COVID tests and vaccination, and will continue to serve the needs of our most vulnerable residents.”

“Accessible neighborhood clinics like the Maxine Hall Health Center are an integral part of how we help keep our communities healthy. Not only will it provide needed health care services to patients and vulnerable populations, but it also serves as a wellness hub for families and residents,” said City Administrator Carmen Chu. “I want to thank the people of San Francisco for making this project possible. Their support of the 2016 Public Health and Safety Bond provided the resources needed to renovate three neighborhood clinics, including Maxine Hall”

Construction for the remodel began in November of 2019, during which time Maxine Hall Health Center moved its services to 1181 Golden Gate Avenue, near the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center. Westside Community Services, which shares the Maxine Hall building, continued to serve its patients on Pierce Street in both a temporary clinic and in part of the existing building throughout the remodel. 

San Francisco Public Works provided project management, construction management, and design services for the Maxine Hall renovation, and The Build Group served as the general contractor.  

“The Maxine Hall Health Center and its staff have been serving residents for more than five decades and it brings Public Works tremendous joy to deliver a renovation and seismic retrofit that brings this facility into the 21^st century to meet the community’s changing demands,” said Carla Short, interim director of Public Works. “Public Works takes pride in partnering with other City agencies and skilled contractors to construct and renovate these vital facilities on behalf of the people of San Francisco”

The project was mainly funded by the 2016 Public Health and Safety Bond (Prop A). Maxine Hall Health Center is the first of three primary care clinics reopening this year after undergoing major building renovation and seismic upgrades. Three capital projects, including Maxine Hall Health Center, Castro Mission Health Center, and Southeast Health Center in the San Francisco Health Network total $65 million and have been under construction to improve health care services for more than 12,000 San Franciscans. 

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