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2025 Summer Update

Foundation News & Updates

Summer Greetings!

We just closed our 2025 Fiscal Year and are pleased to share with you some news and highlights from the Foundation. Thank you as always for partnering with us to ensure the health of our community.

The Hard Topic No One Wants to Talk About…

Spotlight on End-of-Life Care

 

In 2024, Saint Francis Foundation received a grant from the Stupski Foundation based in San Francisco to provide Chinese language interpreters to palliative care staff at both UCSF Saint Francis and St. Mary’s Hospitals. The goal of the project was to improve communication and provide better care for Chinese-speaking palliative care patients, aligning with the hospital’s commitment to patient-centered care. The program has been highly successful and is ongoing into 2026.

Stay tuned for a heart-warming video we are working on to showcase this work!

 

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is a specialized form of medical care that focuses on improving the quality of life for people with serious or life-limiting illnesses. It aims to provide comfort, support, and symptom management to both the patient and their family members.

Have You Drafted a Living Will Yet?

August is Make a Will Month! Consider leaving a legacy of compassion and care by including the Saint Francis Foundation in your will or estate plans. Your planned gift will help sustain life-changing programs and quality healthcare for generations to come.

If you’ve already included us in your plans, please let us know—we would love to hear from you and thank you for your generosity.

To learn more about planned giving and the impact your legacy can have, visit our website or contact Director of Development Kerry Weddington by phone or text: 415.470.0330 or by email.

Nationally Acclaimed Filmmaker & Palliative Care Doctor Visits Saint Francis Hospital

We were pleased to co-host a movie screening of Extremis in May, including a captivating and intimate conversation about the importance of palliative care with Filmmaker and Director Dr. Jessica Zitter, with UCSF Health Saint Francis Hospital.

Spotlight on Community Grant Recipients

Saint Francis Foundation was pleased to award an additional $1.32 million in grant funding to key community organizations listed below in light of the 2025 federal funding cuts to essential healthcare services in San Francisco. This funding doubles our annual community grants distribution, which reflects our commitment to advancing health equity and providing up-front capital to fundamental programs.
Curry Senior Center, San Francisco, Photo by Erin Lubin

Please visit the following websites to learn more about these impactful community organizations:

 

Saint Francis Foundation – Full of SF Pride!

As the initial (and largest funder to date) of the UCSF Health Saint Francis Gender Institute, Saint Francis Foundation proudly shares these events highlighting the work of the Gender Institute leadership.
(And of course we were happy to celebrate SF Pride all weekend June 28-29 as a sponsor of the 2025 parade – always a fun, playful time!)

UCSF Health Saint Francis Hospital’s Sara Lentz, Director of Nursing Operations and the Gender Institute, was named as one of the 2025 OUTstanding Voices – leaders paving the way for LGBTQ equality in the workplace — at the San Francisco Business Times’ annual Business of Pride event held June 4 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel.

 

Read our blog post >

Saint Francis Foundation is pleased to share this feature in the Nob Hill Gazette on two amazing medical professionals supporting LGBTQ+ members of our community at UCSF Health Saint Francis Hospital.
Read page 21 in the digital version (page 19 in the print version) to learn more about: Sara Lentz, Director of Nursing Operations and the Gender Institute, and Heidi Wittenberg, MD, Cofounder and Medical Director of the Gender Institute, as well as how the Foundation is supporting their work.

Board of Directors Feature

Brenda Wright

Brenda Wright

Welcome Brenda!

A highly regarded leader and community advocate, Brenda Wright is the President of Brenda Wright LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in Organization Management in the For Profit and Non-Profit Sector.

A retired 34-year Senior Executive with Wells Fargo, she was the Leader of the Corporate Philanthropy and Community Relations for the West Region, serving California, Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

She has received numerous awards including the Woman of the Year Award, presented by California State Senate.

Dr. Sarita Satpathy

Thank you longtime Board Member Dr. Satpathy!

For 15 years, Dr. Sarita Satpathy has purposefully marched the halls of Saint Francis Hospital (now owned by UCSF Health). As a hospitalist – a primary care doctor for patients admitted to a hospital, she coordinates and oversees their care from diagnosis to discharge. Dr. Satpathy has seen everyone from a wealthy longtime resident of Nob Hill to someone who sleeps in a tent in the Tenderloin.

Read more in our blog post >

Grateful Patient: Retired U.S. Marine Claxton Fullard

“[Saint Francis Hospital] gave me hope. It’s the only place I can progress and get stronger. It’s a life saver for me.”
Retired U.S. Marine Claxton Fullard began receiving support from Saint Francis Foundation for his in-hospital respiratory therapy when his Veterans’ medical coverage reached its visit limit.
When doctors and nurses see patients struggling to get the care they need due to lack of resources, they can apply to the Foundation for a grant to support a particular patient. The Foundation was pleased to approve this grant allowing Mr. Fullard to continue his (much needed) respiratory therapy!

Thank you for your partnership & support of healthcare in our community!

The mission of the Saint Francis Foundation is to raise funds and make grants that support and enhance the ability of Saint Francis Hospital to deliver exceptional health care services and compassionate care to its patients and to the communities the Hospital serves.

155 Sansome Street, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94104

sff@saintfrancisfoundation.org
415-470-0330

www.saintfrancisfoundation.org

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