After months of public discussion, the Blue Ribbon Panel has submitted its recommendations to the California Pacific Board of Directors on how the medical center can best share responsibility for the health care needs of the San Francisco South of Market neighborhoods.

The Panel's report comes after five months of information gathering and testimony from a number of sources including community members, California Pacific staff and experts in a number of health care related fields.

"Our primary focus was making a recommendation that considers first the well-being of our population both for today and tomorrow," says the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California and vice chair of the Panel. "When we looked at the diversity and needs of this community, it was imperative that we looked beyond the traditional models of health care services and facilities."

The 31-member panel, chaired by Stephen Shortell, Ph.D., MPH and dean of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, included members from the San Francisco community, as well as representatives from labor, local government, health care and business.

Moving Forward

While the panel made several specific recommendations for moving forward, the overall consensus was to rebuild the acute care hospital on the St. Luke's Campus. Further recommendations include:

• Full integration of the St. Luke's Campus into the broad mission, strategies and operations of the California Pacific Medical Center system



• Sizing of the new hospital in proportion to the planned service mix



• Commitment to providing services that meet the greatest needs of the surrounding community



• Development of primary care, disease prevention and health promotion programs that reduce the need for hospitalization



• Establishment of Centers for Excellence in Community Health and Senior Health on the St. Luke's Campus



• Excellence in recruitment and workforce retention

The Panel also acknowledged the financial and clinical link between the future of St. Luke's and the medical center's city-wide master plan which includes the Cathedral Hill Campus as well as the Pacific, California and Davies Campuses.

The California Pacific Medical Center Board is expected to consider the recommendations at its August board meeting.

For more information about the Blue Ribbon Panel and to read the final report, go to www.blueribbonsf.com.