UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Helipad

Need for a Helipad

Helicopter transports to UCSF Mission Bay are limited to the most critical and life-threatening situations and require approval of a UCSF physician prior to transport. Examples of patients who would require helicopter transport include: a child with a serious heart defect who requires immediate surgery to survive; a child with septic shock and organ failure who could die within hours; a pregnant woman with severe preeclampsia threatening her life and the life of her baby.  Helicopters are not be used for trauma scene transport (e.g., victims of a car accident).   

This valuable resource, which is standard at many similar hospitals throughout the country, benefits all patients who come to the hospital by attracting and retaining top-notch medical students, residents, physicians and staff. For more information about the UCSF Medical Center, please go to UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay.

Key Helipad Facts

UCSF implemented a primary flight path designed for helicopters to approach and depart to and from the east over the water to minimize noise impacts on residences. There are also pre-designated second and third choice flight paths, as required, for rare situations in which the pilot determines that it is unsafe to follow the primary flight path. Hovering is not a part of a routine helipad landing—a marked difference from news and traffic helicopters.  

Helicopter transports will not be used for:

• Trauma scene transport (e.g., victims of a car accident)
• Routine transport of stable patients.
• Transport of patients from UCSF to other facilities.
• Transport of staff, administrators or other non-patient-related travel.

The helipad has met all requirements and obtained many approvals, including: Federal Aviation Administration (December 2008), UC Office of the President (April 2009), San Francisco Board of Supervisors (July 2009), California Department of Transportation (November 2009 & September 2013).

Meetings with the Community

July 30, 2015
Community Meeting No. 3

May 13, 2015
Community Meeting No. 2

November 18, 2014
Community Meeting No. 1

For specific questions about helipad operations, please contact us at [email protected] or (415) 476-4100.

Michele Davis, MPH, MCP
Associate Director, Community Relations
Community & Government Relations
University of California, San Francisco
3333 California Street, Suite 103 | San Francisco, CA 94118-0462
tel: 415/476-3024 | fax: 415/476-3541

Email: [email protected]