Alameda County Medical Center

Description

About Alameda County Medical Center
Welcome to the website of Alameda County Medical Center As Chief Executive Officer it is my privilege and duty to lead an organization that has served the healthcare needs of Alameda County since 1864 Im proud of the accomplishments of our physicians and excellent staff

From our roots as a 19th century tuberculosis sanitarium in San Leandro the present day Fairmont Hospital to the completion of spacious 21st century Trauma Emergency and Surgery facilities at the Highland campus in Oakland we have strived to meet the changing needs of all county residents regardless of race language or financial means

Our evolution continues We have implemented language interpretationin person by phone and via cuttingedge twoway video technologyin more than two dozen languages as part of our commitment to addressing the rainbow diversity of our Alameda County patient population We continue to be a leader in HIV services with a bold initiative to provide universal HIV screening to patients who use our Emergency Department And we are planning for the replacement of our acute inpatient building with new facilities that will be uptodate and seismically safe

This is a challenging and fascinating time for public hospitals and health systems and we are meeting the challenges head on by building a truly outstanding team of medical staff house staff and employees If you are a health care professional please visit the newlyenhanced Job Opportunities section and consider ACMC as the vehicle for your career growth If you are a medical student planning for postMD training look into our outstanding residency programs affiliated with University of CaliforniaSan Francisco and University of the Pacific

Our Mission
Alameda County Medical Center is committed to maintaining and improving the health of all County residents regardless of ability to pay

The Medical Center will provide comprehensive high quality medical treatment health promotion and health maintenance through an integrated system of hospitals clinics and health services staffed by individuals who are responsive to the diverse cultural needs of our community

The Medical Center as a training institution is committed to maintaining an environment that is supportive of a wide range of educational programs and activities Education of medical students interns residents continuing education for medical nursing and other staff along with medical research are all essential components of our environments

Strategic Vision
Alameda County Medical Center will be recognized as a leading integrated health care system available to all residents of Alameda County We will champion expansion of health care coverage and access to help reduce health disparities within the Countys diverse communities

To fulfill this vision ACMC will
Demonstrate excellence in clinical quality and service

Become the preferred health care employer in Alameda County

Develop clinical programs that advance the health of Alameda County residents

Foster a culture of innovative efficient and customeroriented care

Develop partnerships to provide a continuum of services responsive to the
community

Provide compassionate and culturally sensitive care

Support graduate medical education and other teaching programs appropriate to
our scope of services

Provide contemporary facilities and technology that support high quality
health care

History

The integrated health care system known today as Alameda County Medical Center started in 1864 when the first patient was admitted to the Alameda County Infirmary on the site of the presentday Fairmont Hospital in San Leandro For many years Fairmont provided both acute and long term care and housed many tuberculosis patients as well as providing residence to individuals with developmental disabilities In the 1920s Fairmont opened the first public rehabilitation facility in the US west of the Mississippi

Also in the 1920s Alameda County Supervisors recognized the need for an acute care hospital for indigent patients in the growing community of Oakland Highland Hospital opened its doors in 1927 offering comprehensive services in a teaching hospital environment For many years Highland also operated its own School of Nursing In the 1960s Alameda County responded to trends in health care by launching Ambulatory Health Care Services a chain of neighborhoodbased health clinics Today three of those sites are part of ACMC In the 1980s the AIDS epidemic took center stage Fairmont Hospital was the first hospital in the East Bay to offer AIDS services in 1984

Around that time Highlands Psychiatric program outgrew its space on that campus A new acute Psychiatric hospital opened in the quiet hills of San Leandro just above Fairmont Hospital in 1992 That campus is named John George Psychiatric Pavilion in honor of County Supervisor John George a steadfast and courageous champion for the mentally ill

In the 1990s Alameda County Medical Center was formed by the merger of Fairmont Hospital with HighlandJohn George later combining into a single organization with the ambulatory care clinics In 1998 governance of the Medical Center passed from Alameda County Supervisors to the Board of Trustees of the newlyformed Alameda County Hospital Authority The Hospital Authority holds the hospital license and engages with Alameda County other levels of government and numerous public and private entities to guarantee access to high quality health care for all Alameda County residents