With a seed gift from the Ruth E. Raskin Fund and leadership from long-time patient safety advocates Susan and Bill Bridges, the precedent-setting Neurohospitalist Program at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) officially launched its "Friends of UCSF Neurohospitalist Program" over a decade ago.
"Those of us who understand the vulnerability of a family member or friend with a known neurological disease or simply with complex medical problems understand the urgent and priority need for consideration of neurological implications during ER admissions – the Neurohospitalist Program as envisioned by Dr. S. Andrew Josephson," says Friends founding co-chair and donor Susan Bridges. "We are so lucky here in the Bay Area to have this program at UCSF – one of the first of its kind nationally. And we understand the need for this model to be duplicated across the country. It deserves our full support."
S. Andrew Josephson, MD established the UCSF Neurohospitalist Program, which is now directed by Dr. Vanja Douglas, MD. Through Dr. Josephson’s tireless efforts, many hospitals throughout the United States have adopted the Neurohospitalist model of care, thereby improving access to neurologists for hospitalized patients. Dr. Josephson has gained wide recognition for his vision and now chairs the Department of Neurology at UCSF.
Since the inception of the Neurohospitalist program, we have been dependent on funding developed through our “Friends” group of champions. We are very grateful for their support and leadership and especially their commitment to this model of care, validating the pressing need for neurohospitalists. Through the generosity of visionary donors, we have had the ability to impact positively the lives of neurologic inpatients not just here at UCSF, but throughout the country.
Philanthropic funding has helped transform UCSF into the premier inpatient facility for those suffering from neurologic disorders. Patients who have difficult-to-diagnose neurological problems currently are transferred to UCSF from throughout the state and across the nation. In addition, patients with increasingly common but still under-treated neurologic disorders such as dementia stroke are transferred to UCSF for the unique, high-quality care that our inpatient team offers. In addition to maintaining UCSF as the premiere destination for inpatients with neurological disease, philanthropy helps our faculty build on their research studying the best methods to care for these patients and disseminate their model of care nationally, with the potential to revolutionize the quality and safety of inpatient neurologic care throughout the United States, helping millions of patients each year.
If you are interested in joining our Friends of the Neurohospitalist Program or just have questions about it, feel free to contact Dr. Josephson directly via email at [email protected].
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