care the chinese community with the bilingual and by cultural staff in the neighborhood way. and although they continue to serve all of san francisco, this has remained part of the neighborhood. it is also important to recognize that this is a nonprofit organization, and i think that as a fellow nonprofit agency, we recognize the importance of this and of maintaining these neighborhood community services. people are more likely to use services in their backyard and that is what chinese hospital is like for many of the residence. not only provide a vital role in providing health care, they do this as a community partner. their work with the agencies and other groups on all sorts of things. health care and preserving the wellness, health care is the primary function. they do a lot for the community. we have worked with chinese

hospital in home at hat -- home health, and this is one of the biggest referrals with the servicing population. we do focus on the bilingual staff. we work to keep people out of the hospital, making certain that there transitioning home safely. we have parted with them on a number of projects, and this is very exciting that we are looking to put into 22 new skilled nursing beds and this is a major problem in this city. so many people are just sent out of the neighborhood. and it is more challenging for family members to see them. and this is part of the transition process. we're here to ask you for your support to keep them a vital part of the community. >> hello, commissioners.

i am the current chief of staff chinese hospital. i have been in practice for 13 years. i have had the privilege of growing up in chinatown and being allowed to practice at chinese hospital. i stand before you can ask for your support for the rebuilding of this hospital for many reasons. for example, i am proud to say that when the hospital collaborates with the physicians in many of these endeavors, such as community health care, we educate and unable and empower the patients to take charge of the health care. and also, the collaboration between the hospital and physician groups in chinatown to bring awareness and screening some for the hepatitis patients, along with collaboration between the hospital and the physicians and

their screenings, to bring awareness and provide for the physicians to perform screenings for colon cancer, it is with pride -- when i walk into the chinese hospital lobby, and i see many residents of the community gathered there to wait for the test, they gathered there for a sense of security and a cultural feeling of acceptance. it is with great pride that i say that -- this comes together, under the leadership, there

could have been strong advocacy of the community activists and leaders, and also under the able leadership of our cable ceo. i would like to end by using a well-known phrase by a chinese philosopher. the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. the journey of this began with the first step, and your support today is crucial in moving this project forward, so that we complete this journey. this is one of many steps that must be taken before this comes to fruition. we look forward to breaking ground in late 2011 or early 2012. thank you.

>> good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of the institutional master plan for chinese hospital. i am the director of program operations. we began nearly 40 years ago in the chinatown with beach community of san francisco, serving seniors to this health center and we went on to develop the program of care for the elderly, an integrated model of care. the prototype of this model is the long-term care services provider program designed to her -- help the frail seniors remain in their home for as long as possible rather than being institutionalized. this was nationally replicated and this is in 30 states across the country. in san francisco, what does this mean? we are serving 900 frail seniors

in san francisco and almost 500 of them are in the chinatown community. we have worked closely with chinese hospital since the program began with the commitment to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of these seniors receiving care through the program and these organizations. most of the seniors we serve in the chinatown community still live here because of the support of organizations like chinese hospital. the average age is 83 and all of them to qualify to move in a nursing home level of care. will continue to have an import relationship with chinese hospital, -- to have an important relationship with members of this community. this is a social place and this helps to build the independent -- the overall well-being, the overall health of the people we are serving. i want to thank you for the chance to share support and we

look forward to having your support for the institutional master plan for chinese hospital. >> good afternoon. i am the executive director of the chinese health coalition. i am here to talk in the half -- on behalf of the health coalition in support of the chinese hospital and i urge you to support this as well. for those of you are not familiar with us, we are a partnership of 30 health and human services organizations. since 1985, we have provided advocacy and training, research and community programs both for the benefit of the community in the innovations that are part of the coalition. chinese hospital is a fine -- founding member and we have a very active partner on the board as well as in the program.

chinese hospital is unique in that we are very important part of the community. they not just where this label, the actually live this. they have been collaborating with many members, and have supported the efforts by hosting our meetings and providing monetary support and other support as necessary. for more than a century -- they have provided care to the chinese immigrant population. my family has been part of this as well. my parents first use chinese hospital and many children of mine also born at chinese hospital. when i was 14 years old -- my grandmother had severe abdominal pain. the first place we thought the taker was chinese hospital. there will couple of teenagers

who were shot in chinatown. the first place went to was chinese hospital. this speaks volumes to what chinese hospital is like and how this represents the community. chinese hospital is an active member of the chinatown disaster preparedness committee and is expected to play a major role in the neighborhood disaster fund, so we are very much looking forward to meeting the seismic requirements without delay. both the prospective of providing services for the community as well as a consumer of health care services, i ask you to support chinese hospital. >> thank you. dustin ho, and lee man kitt and jim yue. i may mispronounce that. >> good afternoon. i am in intern cardiologist.

my office is in chinatown and has been for over 15 years. i am currently the president of the chinese committee health care organization, representing over 180 physicians in san francisco. most of us use chinese hospital as a place to care for our patients. most of them are seniors who are poorly educated. we have witnessed the care provided by the hospital. many years ago, i also benefited from the generosity of a hospital. i was a student at berkeley, and i was able to get immunization, and these other things that were needed for medical school registration. and after i graduated from georgetown, i immediately decided i want to come back to the city, to serve my community.

with the newly constructed hospital, will be able to continue these traditions, with new technology and also the care will be much more effective and efficient with very limited health care dollars. the physicians fully support this hospital rebuilding project and hopefully we will be able to win your support also. thank you. [spealinking foreign language]

>> i am trying to translate what she has said. she has the member of this hospital health plan for nine years. and she really likes the services there, and she hopes that you can all support chinese hospital. >> thank you very much. >> i think that this is the end of the list. we have a couple of speaker cards. gwan hu chin >> [speaking foreign language]

>> good afternoon. i am the present of the largest tenant organization in the city, with modeling will single tenants. i would like to express our support for the chinese hospital [speaking foreign language]

>> my family emigrated here in 1992 and i have been living in the north beach neighborhood. my wife and i would go to chinese hospital for the annual checkups. recently, my wife had eye surgery, both of them at chinese hospital. not only do we trust this facility but we were able to use our native language for these services. >> [speaking foreign language]

>> chinese hospital is a unit cost a with a long and rich history of culturally sensitive health care to the community. this is easily accessible, with the medical needs of the house -- of the chinese population in reducing the problems for the seniors. a better hospital that if the generations to come and ask you to support the chinese hospital project. thank you. [applause]

[speaking foreign language] >> that evening, commissioners. i am the president of the resident improvement organization. this is established by residents of the public housing in chinatown. we have 443rd households -- 443 households with immigrants and seniors.

[speaking foreign language] >> we're here to support the development of the new chinese hospital in chinatown.

this is one of the best neighborhoods in the city. the chinese hospital is the only hospital in chinatown with an emergency room -- with the capacity and the cultural capabilities. we to encourage the seniors to seek out medical care intensively, and the chinese hospitals serve this very well in our community. [speaking foreign language]

>> furthermore, chinese hospital provides other services besides medical care, helping the low income seniors apply for procedures with medicare. many of the tenants are living on fixed income. we ask you to support the -- this hospital in the city. >> we have no more speaker cards. are there any additional public comments? >> i have one more letter that i would like to read very quickly, and this is from the executive director of the chinese progressive association. i submit this, letter today to

express the chinese progressive association support of the institutional master plan because we believe that this is an important historical institution that has served the community for decades. last november, we led the effort to pass legislation with the supervisors that would direct the department of public health and the planning department to create a health care service master plan. we work with chinese hospital to make certain that the legislation to support community hospitals and hold the large institutions by the california specific -- pacific medical center accountable to the community to ensure greater access to health care services for all communities. this is a crucial health care provider for working families in chinatown, and with high unemployment rate and the low message -- low rates inchinese y

providing low-income patients health care through the health plan and by serving as a large portion of the community. >> thank you. is there any additional public comment? seing none, public comment is closed. commissioner fong. commissioner fong: of want to thank everybody for coming out. this is an informational item. there is no vote today. my family has been a longtime supporter and follower of the hospital on this project. one thing that was not mentioned, the hospital for the community represents security and safety. from an informational point of view, chinese hospital really is

that for chinatown. i want to emphasize the security of the hospital. god forbid something happened in chinatown. they are going to go towards the hospital. i had the ability to take a tour of the hospital not so long ago. it is amazing how much activity happens in such a confined area. one last thing a wanted to point out and i am sure it runs thick throughout many communities, but the longevity and commitment of doctors in the medical buildings is huge. people come back to work and serve and protect their

community in chinatown. it is not just patients, it is not just the staff, they are giving to the staff and the lyal oyal doctors. i am supportive of this. i hope that by other commissioners can go down there and give this their support. commissioner antonini: this is very encouraging, and not just the increase in square footage, but they are going to allow the concentration of care in an area and have more types of care that are available for the citizens. that is extremely important. i am encouraged by the number of hospitals we have completed. one rebuild is complete. another is under construction. this hospital along with another are completely rebuilt

hospitals. they are going to completely increase the quality of care we are able to render in san francisco. this is extremely important. we have already read the statistics that many of us are reaching in age. they are becoming a bigger and bigger portion of the population. they are going to require more care. all of the beds will be single beds. that is very important for patient care. i know it looks pretty good so far. staff will work with architects to make sure that designe interests are met. the immediate outpatient care comes from outside a san francisco. that is another feature that is often not noted.

i am very encouraged by moving towards updating are hospitals in san francisco. commissioner moore: -- vice- president miguel: i am in full support of this. it is important that it be rebuilt and rebuilt in the location that it is that it serves its community. there was a time in san francisco shortly after the gold rush, ethnic and national hospitals. the french hospital where my wife and i were members is now owned by kaiser. sherman hospital, which became davies, now part of the sbc.

it used to be a jewish hospital. chinese hospital is one of the last handful of ethnic hospitals that rose in san francisco. i was pleased to see the recommendations of the san francisco health commissioned an even more please to see the chief executive officer. my son was in town over the weekend. it is the second of the resolutions. the developed cultural competencies within this.

there is an expressed need for greater cultural competency in high-quality primary-care services for the lbgt community. it is unrealistic for a hospital to become the leading provider for lbgt chinese, it is not unrealistic that these members would rely on chinese hospitals, especially for services where chinese hospital has establish significant expertise. when i read this to my son, he said thank goodness. it is about time. commissioner moore: i echo everything my fellow commissioners have said. i am in full support of the office in the hospital. i have lived three blocks away

from the hospital for many years. i know the central role this hospital place. much in contrast to the discussions we had recently. this is the one place which has 150% support of the community because it is an expression of the community. it is also contrary to what we're hearing about some other impacts in other locations. they will come to the hospital walking, assisted by a family member or community assistance. it is remarkable to see the traffic impact is almost zero. that is the same thing with the hospital on k street. you see people aided by other people walking by moving to the

community. i am really happy to see that is always as far along. most significantly favor when they come in front of us. they are mostly hard to understand. you have a concrete plan. i am in full support of what you are trying to do. commissioner sugaya: i am also in favor of the imp. i would like to head something off, because it will be likely coming down the line. this is my personal opinion. my background and professional career -- career has been involved in this. i do not want this to turn into a preservation fight. i don't know the schedule for the rest of the plan