In San Francisco, there is a public hospital where all citizens can receive medical services, regardless of their insurance status.

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, commonly referred to as Zuckerberg SF General or SF General, is that hospital. It was renamed in honor of a $75 million donation made in 2015 by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan.

SF General is the only public hospital operated by San Francisco County, located near Potrero Hill, south of the Mission District. Its core role as a public hospital is to provide medical services to all SF residents, including low-income patients who lack or have insufficient health insurance. It serves as a 'Medical Safety Net' to ensure that immigrant communities, the homeless, and economically vulnerable populations are not excluded from healthcare services.

One of the most important functions of SF General is operating a Level I Trauma Center. Level I is the highest level of trauma center certification in the U.S., meaning it has the facilities and personnel to treat life-threatening severe trauma patients 24/7, including gunshot wounds, traffic accidents, and serious falls. When serious injuries occur in SF, patients are often transported to the SF General Trauma Center.

The Emergency Room is also open 24 hours. The SF General Emergency Room is one of the busiest ERs in SF, seeing many patients daily. Even without insurance, treatment is guaranteed in emergencies, and any cost issues can be discussed later with the hospital's Patient Financial Services department. SF residents are encouraged to check if they qualify for financial assistance through SF's healthcare support programs (Healthy SF, Medi-Cal, etc.).

SF General has also played a significant role in HIV/AIDS research and treatment. When AIDS first spread in the U.S. in the 1980s, SF was at the center of the crisis, and SF General has been at the forefront of treating and researching AIDS patients since the early days. This historical experience is still reflected in the hospital's HIV/AIDS care programs.

Members of the Korean community also utilize SF General. It is a place where uninsured or low-income Korean immigrants can receive care without the burden of medical costs. Multilingual interpretation services are available at the hospital, including support in Korean.

If you are a Korean resident in SF, knowing about the existence and location of SF General can be helpful in case of emergencies.