San Francisco VA Health Care System

Situation Update

As of Wednesday, March 18, 2020 5:30 PM PDT

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update - 3/18/2020

All patients and visitors to the San Francisco VA Medical Center must check in at Building 200 (click here for the campus map) for a health screening prior to entry. All those entering the medical center must complete a health questionnaire before entering. Click here for the questionnaire.

Caregiver Support Program home visits suspended

Effective immediately, and for a minimum of the next two weeks (until April 1, 2020), all Caregiver Support Program (CSP) home visits are suspended. For questions, please call CSP coordinator Mary Jane Fox at 415-221-4801, ext. 2-2801.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update - 3/17/2020

In an effort to limit the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and protect the health of our patients and staff, the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) is:

• (Starting March 17, 2020) Converting all routine appointments that don’t require face-to-face treatment to telephone and telehealth virtual visits. Clinic clerks are contacting patients with scheduled appointments to inform them about the change and provide instructions on virtual appointments. Urgent and critical appointments will not be impacted. If you have any questions or concerns, please send a secure message to your care team through My HealtheVet or call your clinic (numbers listed below.)
  
  
• Canceling all elective surgeries and procedures until further notice.
  
  
• Directing patients who are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, have recently returned from areas with widespread cases of COVID-19 or have been exposed to others diagnosed with the virus to call the Telephone Linked care line at 1-800-733-0502 before visiting the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) or one of our outpatient clinics.
  
  
• Restricting visitation at the SFVAMC to loved ones of Veterans in hospice care or Veterans critically ill in the Intensive Care Unit.

• Only one visitor at a time is allowed to visit.
• Visitors are being required to wear masks and other personal protective equipment while in patient rooms, and encouraged to perform hand hygiene before and after leaving patient rooms.
• Patients under 18 are not allowed.
• Visitors are only allowed to visit patient rooms and not the rest of the medical center.
• Enforcing screenings at points of entry and shuttles for all Veterans, employees, contractors, trainees and visitors at the SFVAMC and community based outpatient clinics.
  
  
• Clinic Phone Numbers
• San Francisco Medical Center
  • Primary Care: (415) 750-2110
  • Women’s clinic: (415) 750-2174
  • Module 1: (415) 379-5671
  • Module 2: (415) 379-5672
  • Module 3: (415) 379-5673
  • Eye and Ear Nose and Throat: (415) 750-2208
  • Infectious Disease: (415) 221-4810, ext. 2-3223
  • Hematology/Oncology: (415) 221-4810, ext. 2-3220
• Community Based Outpatient Clinics
  • Downtown San Francisco: (415) 281-5100
  • San Bruno: (650) 615-6000
  • Santa Rosa: (707) 569-2300
  • Clearlake: (707) 995-7200
  • Ukiah: (707) 468-7700
  • Eureka: (707) 269-7500

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update - 3/16/2020

In an effort to limit the risk of exposure to patients and staff to COVID-19, effective immediately, the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) is cancelling all elective surgeries and procedures until further notice. Physicians will weigh the risks and benefits of surgery and will contact patients if their surgeries need to be rescheduled. Patients should contact their physician if they have questions.

While the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) still considers COVID-19 to be a low threat to the general American public, some Veterans, staff and volunteers fall into the high-risk categories that are susceptible to this virus. These additional measures will help protect some of our most vulnerable patients and reduce the risk of exposure to our health care workers.

In addition to these new measures, all patients who enter any SFVAHCS facility will be pre-screened. Please allow extra time when arriving for your appointment.

We thank you for your patience as we work diligently to protect the health and well-being of our Veterans and staff.

Other Important Updates:

• Valet parking at the San Francisco VA Medical Center has been temporarily suspended until further notice. Self-parking is available for all patients.
• The VA Million Veteran Program at SFVAHCS has been temporarily suspended until further notice. Please check back in 30 days. Alternatively, please call the Information Center at 866-441-6075 for enrollment updates on this facility or visit MVP Online at mvp.va.gov.

COVID-19 Resources:

• Isolation Fact Sheet for Veterans/Household Members
• COVID-19 Fact Sheet

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update - 3/13/2020

We understand some of you may be concerned about the spread of COVID-19 in California and any impacts at the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS). Ensuring the safety and health of our Veterans, staff, trainees and volunteers is one of our top priorities. At this time, the SFVAHCS has no confirmed cases of COVID-19. 

Beginning Monday, March 16 at 7 a.m., the SFVAHCS will be implementing screening points for entry to the facility; enhanced screening protocols, and inpatient visitation restrictions at all of our locations to limit the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. This includes the San Francisco VA Medical Center, our Community Living Center and all Community Based Outpatient Clinics. We understand this may be an inconvenience to some, but it is important that we quickly identify individuals who have respiratory symptoms and direct them for further triage and treatment.

San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC)

• Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., screening points of entry and screening protocols will be enforced daily for all patients, employees, trainees, volunteers and visitors entering the medical center. Please allow extra time to make it through the screening points.
• All those entering the medical center must complete the health questionnaire before entering. Click here for the questionnaire.
• Veterans, caregivers, employees, trainees, volunteers will only be able to enter/exit the medical center through the entrances located at Buildings 200, 203, 7 and 8. Click here to see a campus map with the entry/exit points. However, please note that if you leave the medical center, even inadvertently, you may have to complete another health questionnaire and/or be re-screened upon reentry.
• The SFVAMC campus is large and complex, and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation with adjusting to the changes in the traffic patterns.
• The inpatient visiting policy has been updated as follows: only visitors with loved ones in hospice care will be allowed visitation at the SFVAMC and Community Living Center. Only one visitor at a time will be allowed. People under the age of 18 years will not be allowed entry. More information is available here.

Community Based Outpatient Clinics

• Screening protocols are being enforced daily during clinic hours. Please allow additional time before medical appointments.
• Veterans, employees, trainees, volunteers and visitors must complete the health questionnaire before entering the clinics. Click here for the questionnaire.

COVID-19 Information Update and Guidance

Sign-up for automatic email updates by filling in your email address in the “Emergency Email Updates” section, located at the top right corner of this page.

For up-to-date information about the San Francisco VA, please check this page, the San Francisco VA Facebook page or San Francisco VA Twitter page.

To learn about preparedness kits, family emergency plans and more, please visit www.ready.gov/.