The University of California, 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 is the only UC campus in the 10-campus system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences.
Shuvo Roy, PhD, an engineer and scientist, is leading a project to build the world's first bioartificial kidney to treat end-stage renal disease. Photo by Elena Zhukova.
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, is UCSF chancellor. She is the first woman and ninth chancellor to lead the campus, which was founded in 1864.
UCSF today boasts high-ranking schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy and a Graduate Division, plus one of the nation’s top programs in patient care. All four professional schools, virtually all UCSF graduate programs, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital rank among the best in the country in the latest surveys by US News & World Report and other agencies.
A hallmark of UCSF excellence is a spirit of collaboration among all disciplines that carries through its wide spectrum of patient care, research and education programs, fostering an environment of innovation and discovery. The result is groundbreaking life sciences research and world-class health care that support UCSF’s mission: advancing health worldwide™.
As one of the most prominent institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area, UCSF has a total paid workforce of 22,800 and is a major economic engine for the entire region. UCSF generates more that 39,000 jobs (including those at UCSF) and produces an estimated impact of $6.2 billion that includes operations, construction, salaries, and local purchases by employees, students and visitors, according to a 2010 economic impact report.
Patient Care
The clinical enterprise is recognized nationally for its leading patient care specialists, who work together as a team to develop new treatment approaches and to achieve the best outcomes. They are among the nation’s leading experts in virtually all specialties, including cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders, immunological disorders and organ transplantation, as well as specialty services for women and children. People from all parts of the United States – and from across the world – come to UCSF to receive health care services.
With two major sites at Parnassus and Mount Zion, UCSF Medical Center is a referral center for patients requiring highly specialized medical care that involves advanced and complex procedures. The medical center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital together have 722 licensed beds and generate about 763,000 outpatient visits per year.
UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital are ranked among the best hospitals in the US.
With a history of strong operating performance and clinical innovation, UCSF Medical Center has ranked as one of the top 10 hospitals in the country for 10 years in a row in the US News & World Report annual best hospitals survey. The 2010-2011 survey ranks UCSF Medical Center at No. 7, making it the highest-ranked center in Northern California, and ranks UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital among the nation’s best in eight specialties, making it one of the top four pediatric facilities in Northern California.
Mental health services at UCSF are provided by Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospitals and Clinics, the clinical arm of Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute (LPPI). LPPI is among the nation’s foremost resources for comprehensive and compassionate patient care, research and education in the mental health field.
The UCSF Dental Center provides comprehensive dental services, ranging from routine to sophisticated oral health procedures, at 14 clinics located at three sites in San Francisco.
UCSF also serves the city’s vulnerable populations at several health care facilities, including St. Anthony Free Clinic, Buchanan Dental Center and Glide Health Services.