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Case
Statement
Over the last 15 years, the South
of Market neighborhood has witnessed the construction
of 21 affordable housing projects providing some 2,210
units of new housing. As a result, SMHC has felt the
intense pressure to respond to the increasing health
care and medical needs of adults and children living
in this region. Additional concerns include:
- The current medical clinic which is
located on Minna Street has been declared "earthquake
unsafe" by the City of San Francisco.
- Changes in the demographics of the
SOMA, in conjunction with health related data, show
a growing need among low-income families, immigrants
and seniors for the services currently being provided
by SMHC.
- The current state of the economy and
its impact on the increasing rate of unemployment
and the reduction of health services have had a devastating
impact on the numbers and circumstances of the very,
very poor of our community who come to SMHC.
- All administrative personnel must
be housed in a location at 1091 Mission Street. Maintaining
this separate administrative center is costly and
cumbersome for overseeing program operations.
Additionally, the current location
on Minna Street is situated in an environment that significantly
compromises the health center’s desire to meet
the needs of its clients in that it is:
- Located in an alley off the infamous
“Sixth Street Corridor”
- Has poor visibility and is not recognizable
from any distance as a health center
- Unsafe and has security concerns
due to its proximity to the Sixth Street Corridor
- Not appealing to vulnerable patients
(e.g. families with children and seniors)
- Not easily accessible by public transportation
- Difficult to access due to the fact
there is no parking lot and street parking is extremely
limited
These circumstances challenge the
day-to-day service delivery efforts of SMHC, as the
only service provider of primary and acute medical services
to the underserved and marginalized residents of the
South of Market area; restrict SMHC’s ability
to respond to the growing needs of its service area;
and, prohibit SMHC to provide comprehensive health care
services in a cost-effective manner.
To respond to the lack of an adequate health care infrastructure
in this region, SMHC is embarking on a bold venture
to provide more services to more men, women and children
who desperately need health care services.
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To
find out more about ways to support the Westbrook
Plaza project, call Marilyn Griffin, Director of
Planning and Development, at (415) 436-0111 ext.
1006. |
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