Remember the Alemany
Vesper Society believes that a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being. Every day we link arms with communities to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices. We are filled with anticipation about the fall opening of the new Clinic by the Bay facility at a historic site on Onondaga Street.
Clinic by the Bay was founded in 2010 in the Excelsior neighborhood, one of the oldest and most culturally diverse in San Francisco. Nearly 90,000 people remain uninsured in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, with 25% in their service area. Operating out of a small space on Mission Street, Clinic by the Bay is almost ready to move into its new facility. Here is an excerpt from their website about the wonderful history of this location.
The Alemany Emergency Hospital was originally opened and dedicated on August 16, 1933. This was the last of seven emergency hospitals in the network to be built…and help address the growing community in the Excelsior district. The San Francisco Emergency Hospital System was heralded around the nation as one of the “world’s finest” and commended for their “exemplary service.”
After the announcement that the hospitals would be closed in 1978, there were many demonstrations against the closure. During this movement, volunteer power allowed the hospital to continue serving people of the Excelsior. They moved into the hospital – prepared meals, slept, cleaned up, waxed the floors, did the laundry, and more. The efforts were reported as “the greatest grassroots movement in San Francisco” by the San Francisco Examiner. Unfortunately, the hospital did not survive and was closed almost 45 years to the date on August 24, 1978.
Now Clinic by the Bay officially has the keys to the Historic Alemany Emergency Hospital and has been renovating the facility…. This historical landmark will be the new home for Clinic by the Bay and is a shining example of how to revitalize a neighborhood rather than gentrify it. With this new space, Clinic by the Bay can offer more clinic hours for its medical, behavioral mental health, and dental services.
Clinic By The Bay is affiliated with Volunteers in Medicine (VIM). VIM is a nonprofit that engages an often untapped workforce — retired physicians, nurses, educators, and others — to provide comprehensive primary care to the uninsured and underserved. Their mission is inspiring: “May we have eyes to see those who are rendered invisible and excluded; Open arms and hearts to reach out and include them; Healing hands to touch their lives with love; And in the process heal ourselves.”
If you would like to learn more about how Clinic by the Bay practices “the art of medicine, not the business of healthcare” please visit their website www.clinicbythebay.org.
We are proud to partner with Clinic by the Bay. In doing so we are one step closer to our vision of a world that protects human dignity and enhances human potential.