San Francisco Department of Public Health

What San Francisco Department of Public Health does

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is a municipal government department of the City and County of San Francisco, governed by the San Francisco Health Commission. It is the public health authority responsible for protecting and promoting the health of San Francisco residents, operating a comprehensive portfolio of healthcare delivery and population health services. SFDPH runs the SF Health Network, which includes 14 medical clinics, 55 community partners, and two major hospitals: Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (a Level 1 trauma center providing inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic, and psychiatric services) and Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center (acute medical, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing services).

The department's core technology infrastructure centers on the San Francisco Public Health Laboratory, a CLIA-certified diagnostic testing facility that provides infectious disease laboratory testing for clinics and laboratories across California, and the ARCHES (Applied Research, Community Health Epidemiology and Surveillance) program, which conducts citywide disease surveillance. Telehealth video visits extend the SF Health Network's care delivery to remote consultations. Supporting services include Behavioral Health (mental health and substance use treatment), Street Health Services for people experiencing homelessness, HIV Health Services, Gender Health SF (gender-affirming care), Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (including WIC), the Adult Immunization and Travel Clinic (a fee-for-service public offering), and the Healthy San Francisco and City Option access programs for uninsured and Medi-Cal-ineligible residents.

SFDPH is funded through City and County of San Francisco municipal budget appropriations, state allocations, federal public health funding (including CDC coordination), and Medi-Cal reimbursements. Services are provided at low or no cost to Medi-Cal-eligible residents, undocumented immigrants, and uninsured individuals, regardless of immigration status, insurance status, or background. The department markets through official SF.gov channels, social media (Facebook, X, Instagram), press releases, and public meetings such as the Health Commission and SF Immigrant Forum. SFDPH maintains a coordination partnership with the California Department of Public Health and the CDC, and is subject to regulatory oversight including CLIA certification and WCAG 2.1 AA digital accessibility standards. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

San Francisco Department of Public Health

Legal name

San Francisco Department of Public Health

Website

https://sfdph.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The San Francisco Department of Public Health is the municipal health authority of the City and County of San Francisco, operating 14 clinics, 2 hospitals, and 55 community partners to deliver healthcare, behavioral health, and population health services to Medi-Cal, uninsured, undocumented, and unhoused residents regardless of immigration or insurance status.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Healthcare Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (621111), Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (62311), Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (6231), Nursing and Residential Care Facilities (623), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

City/Municipal Public Health Departments (HLAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Community healthcare
• Behavioral health treatment
• Maternal child health
• Infectious disease testing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: SFDPH is a government agency funded through city budgets, state allocations, and federal public health funding
2. Healthcare Services Reimbursement: Revenue from Medi-Cal reimbursements for healthcare services provided to eligible San Francisco residents

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The San Francisco Department of Public Health provides publicly funded healthcare and public health services to San Francisco residents. Core offerings include primary care, dental, urgent care, specialty care, and youth care through 14 medical clinics and 55 community partners; inpatient and emergency services through Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital; acute and skilled nursing care through Laguna Honda Hospital; behavioral health and substance use treatment; and CLIA-certified diagnostic testing through the San Francisco Public Health Laboratory. Services are delivered regardless of immigration or insurance status, with low-cost or no-cost options for Medi-Cal eligible residents and uninsured residents through the Healthy San Francisco program.

Product overview

The San Francisco Department of Public Health operates as a public health agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of healthcare services and public health programs. The core healthcare delivery system includes the SF Health Network (serving Medi-Cal patients through 14 clinics and 55 community partners), two hospitals (Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Laguna Honda Hospital), and specialized services such as Behavioral Health, Street Health, HIV Health Services, and Gender-Affirming Care. Supporting public health infrastructure includes the CLIA-certified Public Health Laboratory, the ARCHES epidemiology surveillance program, and COVID-19 data reporting. The department also administers access programs including Healthy San Francisco for uninsured residents and City Option for health expenses. The Adult Immunization and Travel Clinic provides fee-for-service vaccinations and travel health services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SF Health Network
• Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic, and psychiatric services for adults and children.
• Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center Acute medical, rehabilitation and skilled nursing services.
• Adult Immunization and Travel Clinic (AITC) Fee-for-service travel health visits, vaccinations, screenings and tests for communicable diseases, open to the public.
• Behavioral Health Services Mental health and substance use treatment services including crisis hotlines, emergency assistance, urgent care, and drop-in services.
• Street Health Services Mental health, substance treatment and medical services for people experiencing homelessness, part of the City's Coordinated Street Response.
• Population Health Evidence-based policies, practices, and partnerships that protect and promote health, prevent disease and injury, and create sustainable environments and resilient communities.
• HIV Health Services Medical care, support and resources for people living with HIV or AIDS.
• Gender Health SF Helping transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive adults access gender-affirming surgeries, education, and preparation services.
• Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Connecting adults to supplemental nutrition programs for women and children (WIC), new baby visits, home health care, and dental screenings.
• San Francisco Public Health Laboratory A CLIA-certified diagnostic testing laboratory providing infectious disease laboratory testing for clinics and laboratories across the State of California.
• ARCHES (Applied Research, Community Health Epidemiology and Surveillance) Epidemiology and surveillance of diseases and lab tests among San Francisco residents to help identify citywide and population-level changes in health and illness.
• Healthy San Francisco Affordable health care services for those who don't qualify for Medi-Cal including undocumented immigrants.
• City Option San Francisco City Option provides San Francisco-based workers access to money for health insurance and health-related expenses.
• Video Visits Telehealth service enabling SF Health Network patients to have video visits with their doctor or provider.
• COVID-19 Data and Reports Dashboards and data about the COVID-19 virus in San Francisco, including deaths, vaccines and tests.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lowest level of unsheltered homelessness in 15 years as of May 2026

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• California Department of Public Health (CDPH)coreOthersState-level public health partnership for protecting public health and shaping positive health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. CDPH works to protect the public's health and provides guidance and coordination with local health departments.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreOthersFederal public health partnership. CDC is the nation's leading science-based, data-driven service organization that protects the public's health. SFDPH coordinates with CDC on disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• UCSF Health: UCSF Health is the major academic health system operating in San Francisco with overlapping hospital, specialty, and primary care services. It competes for insured specialty volume and serves as a clinical training partner for SFDPH.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The CDC is the federal public health agency that partners with SFDPH on outbreak response and disease surveillance. Comparable in scientific and laboratory capacity but operates nationally with broader scope.
• California Department of Public Health: CDPH is the state-level public health authority that coordinates with and funds local health departments including SFDPH. It is comparable in function (regulatory authority, lab services, surveillance) but operates statewide rather than at a single city/county.
• Kaiser Permanente Northern California: Kaiser Permanente operates an integrated hospital and physician network across the San Francisco Bay Area, including major hospitals in the city. It competes with SFDPH for insured patients and represents the dominant integrated private delivery model in the region.

Direct peers

• Public Health - Seattle & King County: Public Health - Seattle & King County operates clinical, behavioral health, and environmental health services across King County, Washington. It is closely analogous to SFDPH in scope, government structure, and population served.
• Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: LA County DPH is a large county-level public health department providing population health, communicable disease control, and clinical services across Los Angeles County. It mirrors SFDPH's combination of hospital/clinic operations with population health authority at the local-government level.
• Boston Public Health Commission: Boston Public Health Commission is the local public health authority for the City of Boston, operating ambulatory services, substance use programs, and population health initiatives. Comparable to SFDPH in serving an urban population with both direct clinical services and public health authority.
• Chicago Department of Public Health: Chicago DPH is the municipal public health agency responsible for clinical services, epidemiology, environmental health, and emergency preparedness in Chicago. It is directly comparable to SFDPH as a city-level public health authority delivering healthcare and population health programs.
• NYC Health + Hospitals: NYC Health + Hospitals is the municipal public hospital system for New York City, operating hospitals, clinics, and community-based care across all boroughs. It is the most direct peer to SFDPH in terms of scope (hospital + clinic + public health), safety-net mandate, and government ownership structure.

Regional players

• Alameda County Public Health Department: Alameda County Public Health Department serves the adjacent San Francisco Bay Area county with similar public health and clinical programs. It is a regional peer operating in the same metro market with overlapping service lines for underserved populations.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sf_dph
• Facebookfacebook.com/sfpublichealth
• Instagraminstagram.com/sfpublichealth

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Department of Public Health