on may 12, sf posted a benefit for project insight. canadians supported the recreation programs are too sick children. >> learn more >> good morning. welcome to of the opening ceremony of san francisco general hospital! [applause] i am barbara garcia, director of health for the city of san francisco. we know the mayor is on his way. we are going to go ahead and

start. this is a proud day for all bus. first of all, i want to thank all of you san franciscans for your support of the san francisco general trauma center. thank you. today, we dedicate your commitment to your own health, your family's help, and the help of all these city. -- your family's health, and the health of all of the city. you can see the new hospital is going up and is already beautiful. [applause] that is more than a building. it is the future of our hospital. and the general has always been a big part of our city, our past, present, and future. the story of san francisco general started in 1851 san

francisco started the board of health. the hospital moved here to potrero avenue. the hospital was rebuilt over the years, offering children's and psychiatric services to respond to the needs of children. in the 1998's, the current hospital was -- the 1990's, the current hospital was built and was one of the first hospitals to open there doors to aids patients. we became famous around the world for that, helping to break the stigma of hiv/aids. the mayor has just arrived. welcome, mayor lee. [applause] we continue to lead and care for the most vulnerable.

just last year, the general became the first hospital in the nation to -- program. the hospital will be crucial in improving the health of our city. we look forward to coordinating all of our services, from primary-care clinics to hospitals, according mental and physical health care. this is what our patients need and deserve. this will bring opportunities to bring services together and improve our research education and administration as well. over the next few years, while the hospital is constructed, the entire health department will be building a seamless health care system to deliver effortless, patient-centered care for the future. thank you for helping us celebrate this important

milestone. i would like to recognize the children in the area. [applause] i would like to recognize the commissioners and elected officials. david sanchez. also from the board of supervisors -- david chiu, eric maurer -- eric mar. next, i would like to introduce the executive of our hospital. she has been with us for many years. she is now the ceo of the hospital. she will be leading us into the future of this hospital, and it is an honor to work with her. i am sure you will enjoy her words today. thank you. [applause]

>> good morning. i want to thank you all for coming and welcome you to san francisco general hospital for this great occasion. yesterday, we had a lot of children, people from the community, but staff come by. it was exciting to have everyone here during that signing period. it has been challenging building this big structure here in the midst of campus, where we're trying to run a full-service hospital. i really want to think the patients, the neighbors, and the staff for all there patient ande and support -- patience and support. i also want to thank our

rebuilding team designed this beautiful building, to webcorps per the construction part, and two trips for the management part. this really takes a true partnership to plot a project like this. as far as the scale of the building, what is going to look like, it is really exciting. is going to be exciting when we open up our doors in 2015 and moved in. [applause] the hospital is really important to me as a nurse, because it will really, truly be a healing and burn it for the patients and the visitors to, -- environment for the patients and visitors who come. we will have good lighting for the patiencts and good space for

families to visit them, which we do not have to the. we will of pediatric rooms to make those days more pleasant. and i am really excited about our emergency room which will go from a size of 27 beds, in our current emergency department, to 60 beds in our new hospital. and we will be able to go up to 120 in a disaster. i know that is important to a lot of people, including our fire chief, in this capacity. thank you for coming today. >> i wanted to recognize our deputy director of health for being here today. are representative from the san francisco held bank, cut the ceo from the san francisco health

plan. the health plan will place significant role in the future of health care reform. in particular, i would like to recognize the executive from san francisco general, retired. we want to make sure she is happy today. from the mayor's office, eric. he was a huge part of this. elizabeth herbert, representing the ceo of pfizer. the only time you will be able to write on a city building, without him coming after you. i want to introduce the director of public works. >> good morning. how about a big hand for giving the hospital this far?

[applause] we appreciate the partnership that we have with the department of public health. in addition to rebuilding come up we are renovating clinics all over the city. -- rebuilding, we are renovating clinics all over the city. this involves a lot of collaboration and innovative projects. under the management of his team -- joe chin and edgar lopez -- we are building a world-class a hospital for the citizens of san francisco. the hospital will use an estimated 20% less energy, 40%

less water than regular buildings around san francisco. it will be a rooftop garden. we have light-reflecting roofing material. this is not only for the patients and there families, but to reduce the like which keeps our city cooler. we will use 30% less water to keep the hospital looking green. with today's economy, the part of the project we are most proud of is mayor lee has made it his main goal, but is creating jobs. we have over 140 local enterprise contractors involved with the project. it will be awarded at over $59 million. the project overall is tracking

30%, and with our contracts, that is at 41%. [applause] this partnership has also successfully placed graduates into the various jobs including bricklayers and ironworkers. a lot of jobs happy to be here. and finally, our collaboration exemplifies the vision. is started with mayor lee. a big hand for our former director. we partner with the community and the city family. and here today, we do the best

job we can. i want to thank you all for having us here. we will be on time and on budget and the hospital will be ready. thank you very much. [applause] >> i want to recognize the chief of our fire department. the director of the mayor's budget and policy office. we have the director of the mayor's office of disabilities, carla johnson. the director of public finances. i would like to give her an extra thank you for all her work. the acting sheriff. the deputy chief -- thank you for being here today. thank you so much. we could not build the hospital without the builders. i would like to introduce the senior vice president of our

builders. >> you know, it is quite something to stand here and get a chance to reflect and look up at what this is really going to be. i would say three or four years ago when we were thinking about that, we did not have any specific ideas except we knew what we really wanted to accomplish. we knew we had to accomplish something great. if you think about those existing buildings that are here, they were built over 100 years ago. what really cured people back then was some light and fresh air. we had very few things to worry about on the design side. 100 years later, we have so many more things that can cure and help and benefit the community, and our hats go off to all those who have been a part of that. truly, from the architect and the engineering side and the

entire engineering staff -- all the conditions, all the issues that come together to provide the world class opportunities and facilities that are here. coupled with that our partners, dpw, the department of public health. it is really a collaboration above and beyond any single project. that is what makes the difference in some of these ceremonies. i have been to a few of them. this one will have a special place the cause of, it will be there, not only when it is needed with regular emergencies, but true emergencies. and the city has gone through those in the past. when you think about it -- the next earthquake, the ball bearings this is sitting on keeping the building will move as much as two and a half feet either way. when that all settles out and there are the needs and the demands pressed on the hospital, this hospital will be here to serve. to serve the community, the

people who need it. that is why we are here today. something much larger than all of us. thank you to the engineers, the designers, are partners at dpw. this was really a team effort. if a guy is standing up here in a suit, the guy's not in the suits in the background are the ones really doing the work. we look for the next couple of years to finishing at. thank you. [applause] >> to complete the building, we are taking the nation's. we have the san francisco general hospital foundation. they have been working very hard looking for donors. we want to acknowledge the board president, some of the board members. connie shannon, jennifer bilko,

and all of there supporters. we want to recognize them. they are going to help us finish. i would like to introduce the chairman of the board of directors for the san francisco general hospital foundation. she has just been working really hard seeking those donors to complete this project. >> [laughter] the concept of a moving building is a little -- terrifying. and wonderful. always when i'm out in the community, i feel so proud. and i really hope all of you do. the guys from the city and the

fire department -- because this hospital is preeminent in every field in every way. we care for patients in a compassionate and cutting edge way that is just phenomenal. 84% of the people in the city voted for a bond measure, and whoever heard of a bond measure passing the first time, let alone with 84%? it was a resounding "yes" vote for all of the people who do smart, capable, and compassionate work. i am so proud of the hospital. i am so proud. i am glad we're not stopping work for 1 minute. i am so proud and we're building this building on time and ahead of schedule and i want to thank everybody.

thank you. our we doing, everyone? -- how are we doing, everyone? >> we have an incredible relationship with cfs. we have leaders from the hiv/aids fight. many of them have become administrators and the health department. and soap ,ucfs -- and so ucfs has been an incredible partnership for department. [applause] >> thank you. it is such an honor to be here today, to represent the over

2000 employees who work here on this campus and come here every day to provide the best service people can in partnership with the city. it is one of our major sites, not only for delivering health care, but also for teaching the bank in all of these schools -- the school of medicine, the school of nursing, the school of pharmacy, and the graduate school. this is a site that is important to all of us in terms of having cutting edge research. we have over $250 million on this campus as well as 800 people who work here doing research that will lead to the improvement of our health and the future. so, with this partnership, i am just so pleased looking out on

this wonderful crowd to be here and to also say thank you for all the work that you dare. thank you. >> i would like to recognize the vice counsel of planning and who is working with us throughout this process. it is such an honor to work with the honorable mayor ed lee. we have been given the initiative not only to get jobs, but also to work hard for the service. mayor lee has been nothing but a tremendous supporter of the department of public health. with the last budget, the department came out with no cuts in the budget. [applause] we are extremely grateful to him and his commitment to health. honorable mayor ed lee.

>mayor lee: thank you, barbara. good afternoon, everyone. this says "sweet." scott has his on. dennis is looking for an orange 1. i want to reiterate my thanks to everyone on the stage and in the audience. the team effort is really going on your. that is also effective in our economy does -- that is picking up. it is akin to attitude of the p.w. -- the can-do attitude of dpw. in everything that we're doing,

there's a positive result if we all work together. that is the message here. if i can add to this, two things. i want to continue thinking our san francisco general hospital foundation. as this building goes up, there'll have to be a lot of expensive equipment that goes in there. judy has a wonderful team and all the board members are here, to fill it with the most modern, lifesaving equipment, the greenest technology there is to make the best hospital so we take pride in that. why? because it is for these kids. they are going to be the future doctors, the future nurses, the future hospitals administrators. is all for you that we are doing this. because it with this team effort the promise was made, the promise with our board of supervisors was made a couple years back. we promised to create the best

hospital. hopefully, for all of our future kids so they can work get it, they can be there to be part of a wonderful community that is san francisco. that is why this is a wonderful opportunity to top off with the most fantastic -- it is the largest, as barbara said. but it is worth it, to have a world-class hospital for world- class city. everyone sharing in, this moment, this milestone to top off. the graffiti that we have here today is, for all of us to share in this very moment, is a great, great test to thank everybody for getting here, and we look forward to being here in 2015. so, we will do little sign i andage and have the last --