Annual Report 2003 - 2004
One Community
To Cultivate Growth
The physician-patient relationship is at the heart of quality health care. Yet the physical space in which that care is delivered is also a vital component of a positive patient experience. When two groups of six physicians each established the Palo Alto Medical Clinic in 1930 and the Sunnyvale Medical Clinic (now Camino Medical Group) in 1954, they could not have predicted their clinics would grow to become, collectively, one of the largest multispecialty medical practices in Northern California.
In 2004, Camino Medical Group (CMG) marks its 50th anniversary. The Palo Alto Medical Clinic will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2005, and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) its 25th in 2006. Blueprints for the future include a new state-of-the-art, outpatient medical center that will consolidate seven of CMG's 13 sites at one centralized location in Mountain View, and a proposed health care campus for PAMF in San Carlos that will house primary care and specialty physicians, a 110-bed general acute care hospital, an urgent care clinic, 24-hour emergency care and numerous other services.
"What could be more important than good health?" commented Nancy Tivol, long-time CMG patient and executive director of Sunnyvale Community Services. "The goal is to have outstanding doctors in your own neighborhood. I've had 30 years of excellent care from CMG."
CMG's proposed Mountain View campus will be designed from the ground up to accommodate "one-stop" outpatient care that enables physicians to consult with one another quickly, while giving patients access to multiple medical specialties at a single location. "Health care has become very complex," noted Dr. Elizabeth Vilardo of CMG. "This kind of complex care is often most effective when it's delivered by a multispecialty group working collaboratively in a technologically advanced setting." As medical technologies evolve, she noted, more people will have the option to receive care on an outpatient basis, avoiding the cost and inconvenience of a hospital stay.
CMG patient Bill Hutton understands the value of local access to expert medical care. "It is so important for our community to support Camino Medical Group," he said. "We live in a part of the world with the very best technology and universities. We should have the best medical care. And now that people are living longer, the demand for care is only going to increase."
The Palo Alto Division expects that its patient population will nearly double in the next decade as demand for its services grow. Its Redwood Shores Health Center and Palo Alto campus - both opened in 1999 - have nearly reached capacity. In May 2004, PAMF selected a site in San Carlos, where it will build a new, integrated medical campus to help meet the long-term health care needs of the residents of southern San Mateo County.
Robert Steinjann has been a PAMF patient since he moved to San Carlos more than 20 years ago. He and his wife, Kim, are glad to be raising their young daughter in such a vibrant community. "The city of San Carlos has worked hard to create an environment where you can grow up, raise a family and grow old, and have access to all the conveniences you need. PAMF's plan for a new campus in San Carlos fits right into that picture by providing the full spectrum of health care services under one roof, right here in our own community." 
Robert Steinjann
Robert is an enthusiastic user of PAMFOnline, a service introduced in 2002 that allows patients to renew prescriptions, request appointments and view portions of their medical records online. "I've used PAMFOnline since its inception," he said. "It's an innovative service that provides real benefits. I can e-mail my doctor with routine questions, and get an answer back within hours. I can go in for my annual physical in the morning, and view many of my test results online by noon. It's a faster, easier way to access the expertise of my doctor."
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