The Yoga Room is Nice, But Do They Have a Medical Concierge ?

I was at the hospital in the waiting room. My partner had been in surgery for a few hours and I was anxiously awaiting word on how he was doing. Having already finished my Vanity Fair, Car & Driver and Elle Decor magazines, I found myself eavesdropping on the conversation taking place next to me. The older woman said, "We got up at 3:30AM to make sure we'd be on time this morning. Took I-5 to 80 but traffic started to get bad once we got into Livermore, I was afraid we'd miss his appointment." The younger woman then asked, "What are you going to do tonite ?" The other responded ruefully, "Drive back and hope we can take him home tomorrow, otherwise we'll have to make the trip all over again the next day."

In the past year, four people very dear to me have had diagnoses that required them to have surgery and extensive follow-up care.
Thankfully, they all had great outcomes and can count themselves among the lucky that have insurance and access to world-class doctors and hospitals. These are things you don't think about until you need them.

It's not just about having health care, but easy access to it. I can't imagine having a sick loved one and then managing the logistics of being several hours away from quality care. The fact that the hospital is just 15 minutes from our home was comforting during a time when I needed all the comfort I could get.

A prediction: proximity to health care will be a significant driver for real estate values in the future, even more so than now. As the population ages, more and more people of means will demand quick and easy access to the best care.

San Francisco is already an expensive city and many of us justify the sacrifices we make to live here by reminding ourselves of the beauty and quality of life we enjoy. Part of that quality is being close to the services you want and need; be they The Ferry Building, Bloomingdale's, or in this case UCSF Mount Zion Hospital.