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Chair of Orthopedics' View
The orthopedic department at
St. Luke's embraces the founding philosophy to serve those most in need. We
provide orthopedic, rehabilitation and pain management to all patients equally.
We see more than 10,000 patients annually and we estimate that more than 30% of
our patients have Medi-cal, which is accepted less and less in our city.
Orthopedic patients, due to the nature of their injuries almost always have
impaired mobility which makes it very difficult for them to access hospital
services. Imagine being 60 years old, having a broken ankle and riding, not one,
but two buses to arrive at your hospital. Our patients are vulnerable, and these
scenarios are common.
Over the past 13 years, we
have provided continuous emergency room coverage, for the city's busiest private
ER, providing a safety net for the overburdened San Francisco General Hospital
which is frequently on diversion. The St. Luke's ER sees more than 28,000 visits
annually and is vital to our community. Furthermore, we live an earthquake city
and in the event of a disaster, the St. Luke's emergency room and linked
operating rooms would be vital to the safety of the 300,000 people living South
of Market.
We are proud to live in a
progressive city, yet we are faced with a challenge; which is to be TRULY
progressive and to advocate for our vulnerable citizens; the children, the
elderly and the poor of our city. I believe we will do the right thing arid
preserve care at St. Luke's hospital.
Dr. David Atkin, Chair,
Orthopedics Department
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