New Generation Health Center Celebrates Opening at New Location
UCSF, DPH and HPP Ensure Future of SF Reproductive Health Clinic for Youth
New Generation Health Center celebrated its new location at the Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP), a year after UC San Francisco, the San Francisco Department of Public Health and HPP joined forces to ensure its survival as a stand-alone reproductive health clinic with services tailored to the needs of young people.
The new home, at 2500 18th St., is less than a minute’s walk from the old location. Under the partnership, UCSF provides the clinical care, the San Francisco Department of Health owns and operates the New Generation clinic, and HPP, provides the space.
“UCSF is proud to be part of a community effort, in collaboration with the Department of Public Health, to provide access to critically needed reproductive health services for the youth of San Francisco,” said UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS. “This collaboration, as well as the outpouring of philanthropic and community support for New Gen, is a testament to San Francisco’s dedication to promoting healthy communities and championing reproductive health.”
With the help of the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, New Generation has raised more than $1.4 million from foundations, individual community leaders, and UCSF employees and students. This includes a generous gift of $350,000 from the Hewlett Foundation. UCSF faculty, staff, alumni, and trainees contributed about $135,000, and an independent crowd-funding campaign raised more than $20,000. The donations are being used to cover the renovation costs, as well as for ongoing expenses.
The clinic has joined the San Francisco Health Network, the system of clinics and hospitals operated by San Francisco Department of Public Health. The clinic is being jointly supported by the Health Department and UCSF.
“We are so happy that San Francisco youth will continue to have access to confidential, high quality reproductive health services at New Generation Health Center,” said Roland Pickens, director of the San Francisco Health Network. “New Gen’s new location also expands access to clients of the Homeless Prenatal Program, which is a winning combination for all involved. Our partnership with UCSF, the Homeless Prenatal Program and strong community and donor support have accomplished an exciting future for New Gen and the patients it serves.”
The clinic, which has provided reproductive health guidance and services for underserved San Francisco teens and young adults for nearly 20 years, was losing money, in part because patients had new options under the Affordable Care Act. The clinic also had lost philanthropic and grant support and faced substantial capital expenses to renovate its facility to meet seismic and ADA codes. As a result, it faced potential closure, until the community rallied to save it.
Locating New Generation within HPP serves the missions of both organizations. It will allow New Generation patients to continue receiving health care and gain access to HPP’s services, while providing on site family planning services to HPP clients. HPP has served 85,000 families since opening in 1989 with services focused on housing, prenatal and parenting support, child development, family finances and stability, access to technology, domestic violence and substance abuse, family unification, and emergency support of basic needs.
“The co-location of New Gen within our facility will allow seamless access to family planning services for our clients,” said Martha Ryan, executive director of HPP. “Both New Gen and HPP are dedicated to serving the most vulnerable members of our community, so they can make informed decisions about their health.”
UC San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy; a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences; and a preeminent biomedical research enterprise. It also includes UCSF Health, which comprises three top-ranked hospitals – UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland – as well as Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital and Clinics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians and the UCSF Faculty Practice. UCSF Health has affiliations with hospitals and health organizations throughout the Bay Area. UCSF faculty also provide all physician care at the public Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, and the SF VA Medical Center. The UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program is a major branch of the University of California, San Francisco’s School of Medicine.