Planning for the Future
Bringing Health Care Closer to Our Patients
Since its founding as the Palo Alto Medical Clinic in 1930, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) has been providing care to San Mateo County residents. With more than 6,000 San Carlos residents (and tens of thousands from surrounding communities) currently receiving their health care from PAMF, we chose San Carlos as the community in which to build a new medical center to provide health care services closer to where our patients live and work.
High-Quality Health Care
PAMF has consistently been ranked among the best medical groups in California for quality of care, patient satisfaction and the use of information technology. PAMF also recently received a perfect score and three-year re-accreditation from the Institute for Medical Quality, its highest award.
PAMF San Carlos Active Patients
We also continue to see more than 30 percent annual growth in patient visits to our Redwood City health centers and Redwood Shores Health Center, further evidence that our patients in southern San Mateo County want the high-quality care they've come to expect from PAMF in their own backyard.
Meeting the Future Health Care Needs of the Community
Health care needs in southern San Mateo County are changing. Residents say it has become increasingly difficult to find doctors with open practices, while the aging of the baby boomer generation is expected to put even greater pressure on the health care system.
At PAMF, we already serve more than 75,000 patients from San Mateo County, and that number is growing steadily as people seek out our services. San Mateo County is about to experience a change in its demographics as baby boomers reach retirement age. The number of residents over age 65 will double by 2030 and the county's total population will increase by more than 10 percent, creating greater demand for medical services in the future. On average, individuals over age 65 need four times more care than younger patients, using 80 percent of health care resources.
San Mateo County Senior Population Projection
Physician Recruiting
As a multi-specialty group practice, PAMF is able to attract and retain excellent physicians and provide high quality medical care to the community. PAMF is recruiting approximately 100 new physicians for our locations every year to help meet patient demand. These successful recruiting efforts come at a time when southern San Mateo County residents have experienced a decline in access to convenient health care services, the local population continues to age and many physicians near retirement.
Open to the Entire Community
The PAMF San Carlos Center will be open to the entire community. For the convenience of patients, PAMF participates in more than 30 major health insurance plans, including managed care plans (HMOs), and also cares for Medicare, Medi-Cal and self-pay patients. The San Carlos Center’s emergency room will also be open to anyone needing emergency care regardless of their ability to pay.
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