HEALTH CARE SERVICES
Existing health care often fails to meet the needs of many of our queer, trans, unhoused, HIV+ neighbors, communities of color, and otherwise historically marginalized people. At SFCHC, we fight to close these gaps. Our health services are compassionate and humanizing. Regardless of their situation, all of our patients receive the highest quality of care.
MENTAL & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
HIV+ CARE
ORAL HEALTH
PRIMARY CARE
PRIMARY CARE
We are people first, quality health care you deserve
This is our key principal in guiding our care at our federally qualified health center in San Francisco. With a foundation in the Tenderloin and a growing clinic in the Castro district, we offer primary care that is centered around your needs. Our able medical providers work for the community, come from the community and can serve all who come in our doors.
- Evaluation and treatment of medical issues
- Integrated primary care and behavioral health services
- Transgender healthcare
- Follow-up of chronic and ongoing medical problems
- Routine vaccines & checkups
- Screening for many health disorders and chronic disease management, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anemia, hepatitis, and cancers
- Routine vaccines and check ups, including screening for Colon, Breast and Cervical Cancer
- Women’s health services, including family planning and reproductive health
- Behavioral health services
- Confidential HIV and Hepatitis C testing, counseling, and treatment
- Substance use and treatment services
- TB screenings
- In-house phlebotomy
- Referrals to specialist as needed
LOCATION
Primary care appointments are located at 730 Polk Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94109
ORAL HEALTH
We will work with you on your oral health goals because in our clinic we treat our patients like family
At San Francisco Community Health Center, we believe oral health is attainable by all, regardless of race, color, sexuality, gender, or economic status. We focus on whole patient wellness, education and quality affordable dental care. We understand many of our patients have a long history of substance abuse and dental neglect or trauma and feel a certain amount of shame about the state of their oral health. We will work with you on your oral health goals because in our clinic we treat our patients like family.
Oral health is extremely time sensitive. The longer you wait to get a filling placed or a biopsy analyzed, the more expensive the treatment will be to save that tooth (or your life). Recent studies have associated gum disease to heart disease, diabetes, and even macular degeneration. We encourage our patients to see the dentist on a regular basis, not just when you have a toothache.
- Cleaning and Prevention: Who doesn’t love that freshly polished feel after a cleaning? Our highly-trained, compassionate professional dental team do more than just polish your teeth. They remove plaque, tartar buildup, probe your gums for signs of periodontal disease, and much more!
- Extractions: Despite the best intentions, teeth sometimes need to be removed. Regardless of the situation, this minor surgical procedure can be brought together in a way that considers your short and long-term concerns. From pain management to planning for tooth replacement, we’ll factor in every aspect of your case.
- Fillings: Most people need at least one tooth filling in their lifetime. Dental filling procedures are most commonly used to treat cavities, but they’re also used to repair cracked or broken teeth, or teeth that have been worn down over time.
- Root Canals: Your teeth are meant to last a lifetime. If your tooth becomes diseased or injured, it can often be saved through root canal therapy. The root canals contain the dental pulp, which is made up of nerves and blood vessels and extends all the way to the tip of each root. When the pulp tissue becomes infected or inflamed, treatment is needed. Root canal therapy is a procedure that removes injured or infected dental pulp from the canal.
- Crown & Bridges: Their general purpose is to restore a tooth or teeth back to full chewing function. A crown, also referred to as a cap, is a dental restoration that covers the entire tooth, replacing its outer layer of enamel with a new material. A bridge is a fixed partial denture: it is fixed (glued) to the teeth, it replaces some (not all) of the teeth, and it uses a fake tooth or teeth (denture) in the place of missing teeth.
- Partial & Full Dentures: For people who have missing teeth – whether due to an injury or disease – those spaces in their mouth make biting, chewing, and speaking a chore. Missing teeth can even affect the structure and shape of a person’s face, because teeth help keep the facial muscles from sagging. For a person who is missing a lot of teeth, they may be considering whether to get full dentures or partial dentures.
- Fluoride and Sealant Treatment: Deep crevices run across the chewing surface of molars. Even though a toothbrush can skim these surfaces, bacteria still settle into the narrow grooves beyond the bristles’ reach. Cavities may form and end up affecting the tooth’s nerve without warning, destroying valuable tooth structure. Protecting the grooves with a resin sealant may help prevent decay in your back teeth.
We understand dental emergencies happen, and knowing who to turn to can mean the difference between saving and losing a tooth. Our treatments include:
- Digital Single & Panoramic X-rays
- Extreme Tooth Pain
- Broken, Chipped, or Missing Teeth
- Lost Filling or Crown
- Broken or Cracked Dentures
- Swollen or Bleeding Gums
LOCATION
All dental appointments are located at 1800 Market Street Suite 401, San Francisco, CA 94102
MENTAL & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
We care about your wellness as a whole and offer strong resources for mental health
At San Francisco Community Health Center we care about your wellness as a whole and offer strong resources for mental health. Our team is here for you to help support your needs. Telehealth options are available by phone or video conference.
- Individual Therapy: One-on-one sessions with a licensed mental health clinician
- Substance Use Counseling: Need non-judgmental support around your substance use? Come talk to us.
- Gender Affirming Surgery Assessment and Referrals: Whether you’re ready to that this step on your journey or just want to talk about it, we’re here to guide you through this process and help you make the best decision for you.
- Gender Affirming Couples Therapy: Are you trans or non-binary and looking for support in your partnership(s)? We’re pleased to offer gender-affirming couples and relational counseling over at Trans Thrive as part of our Behavioral Health Services! Our clinic takes Medi-Cal and many PPO insurances, as well as offers sliding scale care for folks without.
- Connection to Resources and Other Services: Getting Connected to community resources often helps in taking the first step toward recovery and feeling better. We’ll help you get started. We can also help you get connected to one of our amazing medical providers, if needed.
- HIV Treatment: Our team can help you take control of your health. Your medical care is integrated into your support services, like mental health and substance use counseling, case management, and social support. You are more than HIV and you are not alone.
- Case Management & Peer Navigation: Our case managers and peer navigators can help you access the benefits and services you need to stay safe and healthy. We can help you stay on top of your appointments, talk to your doctors, and access City services for food and housing.
- Substance Use Counseling: Substance use is a common issue that affects our overall health. Our counseling services are grounded in harm reduction practice
- Support Groups: You don’t have to be alone. Connect with your community through our safe, confidential support groups, workshops, outings, and special events.
- Drop-In Center: Our drop-in center is a safe space to be with other people living with HIV. Regular activities include a free breakfast program and art therapy.
- Treatment as Prevention: What does undetectable mean? “Undetectable” means that a test cannot detect the amount of virus in a blood sample from a person living with HIV. Someone who is “undetectable” for 6 or more continuous months while on treatment does not transmit the virus. In the U.S., this means about <40 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood. Studies show that HIV transmission does not occur if viral load is <200 copies/ml. This is also called being “virally suppressed.” Undetectable doesn’t mean that there’s no HIV present in blood. It just means the virus is being controlled. If a person with undetectable HIV stops their medications, the virus will return to being detectable which increases the risk of transmission.
HIV+ CARE
We are experts in HIV treatment and care, and we can help you take control of your health in a safe space
We are experts in HIV treatment and care. Our team of doctors, nurses, therapists, case managers, and peer navigators can help you take control of your health in a safe space. We are partners in your health and wellness. We specialize in people of color, transgender men and women, gay and bisexual men, and the chronically homeless.