SF General upgrades cancer screening program

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital is poised to buy a new “Mammovan,” its mobile clinic that brings breast-cancer services into city neighborhoods. The Board of Supervisors this week unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the Department of Public Health to accept a $1.66 million donation from Salesforce. The gift will allow the hospital to construct a specialized vehicle that will replace an aging unit that no longer meets emission standards, while also swapping older technology with brand-new equipment. Mobile-clinic supporters said the van will bridge a critical need for patients who have to travel long distances and rearrange their schedules to attend scheduled appointments and follow-up visits. By modernizing its medical technology and equipment, the hospital says it will also be enhancing the proactive and preventative care provided to patients. “We need to meet people where they are,” said San Francisco General Hospital Foundation CEO Kim Meredith. The foundation’s efforts to procure a new van took shape in fall 2024. Meredith said that’s when she met Hydra Mendoza, a vice president and chief of strategic relations at Salesforce, at a community outreach event in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood. Meredith said they chatted about how SFGH’s aging van would eventually need to be replaced as it reached nearly 20 years of service, according to Meredith. In addition to its age, Mendoza said the vehicle needed to be upgraded in order to meet the California Air Resources Board’s updated emissions standards for motor vehicles. “People have to take public transportation — sometimes take an hour or two — to get over to the [hospital] for breast-cancer screening,” Meredith said. “They have to take time out of work. We can meet these women where they are in their neighborhoods and bring the services to them.” The hospital recommends women begin annual screenings at age 40, though patients whose families have histories of cancer can start earlier and on a more frequent basis. San Francisco General’s program will provide residents with technologists and radiologists who can administer the exams in an environment similar to that of a physical office. Mendoza said the van will bring “critical breast-cancer screenings to the communities that need them most,” while also avoiding a lapse in care for hospital patients. Ex // Top Stories The successful Wall Street debut of Elon Musk’s space company could offer a path for the San Francisco-based AI giants to follow. Mayor, supervisor paused a plan to cut transfer taxes on big properties, but activists have kept pushing their own rival initiative Once a month, a portion of the art museum’s fifth floor will become a showcase for Bay Area music and culture “Early detection saves lives,” she said. Salesforce’s investment will help keep a “vital program running and reflects our deep commitment to health equity and the wellbeing of San Francisco residents,” Mendoza said. The new van will serve women in neighborhoods such as Bayview-Hunters Point, Chinatown, the Mission District and Excelsior. Meredith said people within those communities are more likely to delay screenings — meaning that when cancer is finally detected, it is usually at an advanced stage. “This is really important to bring this life-saving breast-cancer screening to the neighborhoods where the women live, work and care for their families,” Meredith said. The Mammovan will include an adjustable-height workstation, an X-ray gantry, special software and accessories, testing equipment, storage systems and an image receptor. Once the vehicle has been constructed, Meredith said, it will be put to good use. The hospital has said it serves more than 100,000 patients every year. In a statement, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said the mobile clinic will continue bringing “vital breast cancer screening services to San Francisco communities that face barriers to accessing care.” According to Meredith, one in eight patients served by San Francisco General relies on some form of public assistance such as Medicare or Medicaid. “We have an obligation and a responsibility as a city and certainly as a foundation to support this work and connect private resources to public needs,” she said. Meredith said she considers the van to be “a smart equity-driven investment.” “It strengthens our safety net,” she said. “It keeps San Franciscans healthier and our community stronger.” In providing care to women of all ages, Meredith said the van and its associated program will serve as reminders that The City is “only as well-off as our worst-off neighbor.” “We want San Francisco to be the healthiest city in the world,” she said.