December 2012

Opinion: Kaiser Permanente’s Potrero Hill Project Will Increase Health Care Access

Randy Wittorp

As part of its commitment to San Francisco, Kaiser Permanente is planning to build a state-of-the-art medical office building in Potrero Hill that will increase access to health care services and make them more convenient for people in the southern and eastern sections of the City.

Kaiser Permanente members and their families in the area will have convenient access to their medical care, including internal medicine, pediatrics, and women’s health physicians, as well as laboratory, radiology, optical, and pharmacy services. We have a long history of supporting community-benefit work in the area, and will be able to enhance that with a stronger presence in the community.

This project supports San Francisco’s goal of decentralizing heath care. The plans are consistent with development allowed under the Eastern Neighborhood Community Plan, and we have been working closely with the City’s planning department to follow all required steps. The project would add open space to the community and open up two pedestrian walkways on the block. It would be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold-certified project.

We will continue to meet with Potrero Hill residents, homeowners and business organizations to get feedback on the project. We are gratified by the support we have received from many members of the community, and are listening to local residents and businesses who have shared their comments. 

The design circulating in the community was always considered preliminary, and was shared to get community input. In fact, we already are exploring ways to rework elements of the project and incorporate some of the feedback we’ve received.

It is our goal to develop a revised project plan that meets the needs of our patients and the Potrero Hill community, and as part of this commitment we will continue to provide regular updates regarding this project both in person and on www.kaiserpermanentepotrero.com. 

Randy Wittorp is Kaiser Permanente-San Francisco’s public affairs director.

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