San Francisco, CA– St. James Infirmary will re-locate its offices to San Francisco Community Health Center (SFCHC) by the beginning of November 2018. This move for St. James Infirmary into the historic 726/730 Polk Street building marks a new era in providing health care services for sex workers and their families in San Francisco. Upon relocation, St. James Infirmary (SJI), a peer-based occupational health and safety clinic for sex workers and their families, will operate all programs and services from its new location at 726/730 Polk Street.
“We are excited to be able to offer space to St. James Infirmary. Our missions are closely aligned and we share a deep commitment to some of the most marginalized and vulnerable in our community and to provide primary medical and behavioral health care that is grounded in social justice,” saidLance Toma, SFCHC’s Chief Executive Officer.
“Having more services under one roof alongside Project Open Hand and Shanti Project will be vital to the health and well-being of everyone we collectively serve.”
Both SFCHC and Shanti Project have been long-term tenants in the building owned by Project Open Hand. “Project Open Hand is so grateful to St James Infirmary for bringing such important services and a fierce commitment to our community at 726/730 Polk Street. Since we purchased this building 22 years ago, Project Open Hand has worked to bring vital, coordinated programming so that everyone who walks through our doors will have access to critical health care services and meals with love,”said Mark A. Ryle, Project Open Hand’s Chief Executive Officer.
With this relocation of St. James Infirmary, the 726/730 Polk Street building is an even more comprehensive home that will expand services for the community. “St. James Infirmary is so thrilled and excited to be moving into a Federally Qualified Health Center operated by San Francisco Community Health Center. We are looking forward to collaborating with SFCHC, Project Open Hand and Shanti,” said Toni Newman, St. James Infirmary’s Executive Director. “Throughout this move, St. James Infirmary will ensure that our programs continue seamlessly so that our clients do not experience any disruption in services. Our goal is to have a more client-centered space where our clients feel comfortable and get the best possible care from our staff,”
About St. James Infirmary
St. James Infirmary is a peer-based occupational health and safety clinic for sex workers and their families. We exist to provide free, compassionate, and non-judgmental healthcare and social services for Sex Workers (current or former) of all genders and sexual orientations while preventing occupational illnesses and injuries through a comprehensive continuum of services. For more information please visit https://stjamesinfirmary.org/
About San Francisco Community Health Center
San Francisco Community Health is an LGBTQ and people of color community health center thattransforms lives by advancing health, wellness, and equality. It believes everyone deserves to be healthy and needs access to the highest quality health care. At SFCHC health care is grounded in social justice. With two locations, SFCHC is an anchor institution in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood and a comprehensive health home for the LGBTQ community in the Castro. SFCHC operates a fully licensed, federally qualified health center; runs one of the largest transgender community drop-in centers in the country; and is the premier HIV treatment and care provider for people living with HIV in the Tenderloin. For more information please visit www.SFCommunityHealth.org