San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed, Supervisor Shamann Walton, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), and San Francisco Public Works today announced the opening of the new Southeast Family Health Center (SEFHC), which will serve residents of the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood and San Francisco Health Network patients.

SEFHC is part of an important legacy of community-driven health advocacy in the neighborhood, and expands the original Southeast Health Center, which first opened its doors as a stand-alone, community-based clinic in 1979. The existing health center has been among the busiest clinics in the San Francisco Health Network, serving more than 4,000 patients annually who are predominantly low income and rely on the health center for their healthcare. The existing primary care clinic will remain next door and will continue to support the healthcare needs of the community, including office space for clinic staff and dental services for patients.

“The last two and a half years of the pandemic have demonstrated the importance of community-focused, accessible, and affordable healthcare,” said Mayor London Breed. “The new Southeast Family Health Center is about bringing together everything we have to take care of each and every person in the Bayview-Hunters Point community. I want to thank all of our city departments for their work on this project, the residents for their support, and the voters of San Francisco for approving the funding for this critical public health facility.”

The new SEFHC expands a community vision to support the health of Bayview-Hunters Point residents by providing affordable and quality healthcare and meet the increasing need for health services that approach health care from a 'whole person' approach, integrating physical health, mental health, and other supports aimed at improving overall wellbeing.

“We are excited to celebrate the newly renovated Southeast Family Heath Center, which was made possible by the Public Health and Safety Bond. This center provides critical access to integrated and holistic models of family-focused health services in the Bayview Hunters Point community especially since our southeastern neighborhoods have the highest health disparities in the city,” said Board President, District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton. “So many people from community have relied on the healthcare provided here and I want to acknowledge Mrs. Oscaryne Williams for all of her initial work serving on the advisory committee to make this happen.”

The state-of-the-art facility expands health access for residents and includes 21 patient care rooms for medical and behavioral health needs, as well as additional services including podiatry, optometry, clinical pharmacist consultation, and laboratory with plans to add X-ray services in the near future. Additionally, SEFHC has spaces dedicated for community groups to provide education and community services as well as two large rooms for community events.

“The neighborhood clinic model brings healthcare services where they are needed most and strengthens our system of care by ensuring residents are connected to a clinic and have strong relationships with their providers,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health. “The Southeast Health Clinic was a pillar of San Francisco’s COVID-19 response, serving as a testing and vaccine site, and the new building, with its expanded services and offerings and family-centered approach, further strengthens our delivery of care to Bayview residents.”

"This has been truly a collaborative effort—between Public Works, the Department of Health and the rest of our community partners—and I'm proud that our Public Works teams participated in a project that will benefit the community for decades to come," said Interim Public Works Director Carla Short. "From the drawing board to the work on site, our design, project management and construction management teams helped make this important project come to life, creating spaces that bring people together and express a community's vision for itself."

SEFHC features artwork of San Francisco-based artists with deep ties to the Bayview community. Funded through the Art Enrichment Ordinance, which allocates 2% of the total construction costs of public projects for public art, the San Francisco Arts Commission reviewed over 200 Bayview Artist Registry applications before selecting and commissioning three finalists to create installations celebrating African American culture and the community’s historic role in establishing the original Southeast Health Center.

“Art is essential and can help us heal in many ways,” said Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs. "It is through art that we not only nurture our bodies and minds, but we help tell our community’s stories, and keep our cultural traditions alive. The artists and artwork featured in the Southeast Family Health Center help create a space where the Bayview community is welcome, represented and surrounded by art that creates a sense of calm and belonging and reflects the community that established the original health center.”

The $39.5 million Southeast Family Health Center project is primarily funded by the Public Health and Safety Bond, overwhelmingly passed by San Francisco voters in 2016. The $350 million bond supports essential seismic and service delivery improvements to aging facilities that San Francisco relies on to protect the health and safety of residents, neighborhoods and businesses. The bond also funds capital improvements to the Maxine Hall and Castro Mission health centers as well as clinic facilities at Zuckerberg San Francisco General.

The Southeast Family Health Center was also funded by the San Francisco Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which funded environmental sustainability features such as photovoltaics panels on the roof and electric vehicle charging stations in the staff parking areas. These environmental sustainability features will help the facility achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership.

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