Lakeside: A One of a Kind Medical Resource for Older Adults
Since opening in 1988, Lakeside Senior Medical Center has carved a reputation as one of San Francisco's leading healthcare providers for people aged 65 and older.

In fact, the UCSF-managed clinic may be the ONLY resource of its kind in the Bay Area.

Lakeside "is the only free-standing primary care practice I'm aware of that specializes in patients over the age of 65," says Verne Doxey, a San Francisco geriatric care manager. "Aside from maybe the [Veterans Administration] Medical Center, there's no other place in San Francisco that provides the same combination of geriatric medicine and case management services."

MaryLu Murphy (left) and Dr. Carolyn Welty of Lakeside Senior Medical Center

"Lakeside's full-service geriatric medical practice is a one-stop medical and psychosocial center," adds Jane Mahakian, another San Francisco geriatric care manager. "The quality of care they provide is outstanding and comprehensive."

The clinic's reputation among health and eldercare professionals stems largely from its focus on treating the whole person and the amount of time its staff - including two physicians and a full-time social worker - spends with patients.

"There is more to health than just medicine," explains Dr. Carolyn Welty, a specialist in geriatric and pulmonary medicine who joined the clinic in 2001. "We take the time to listen to our patients and their families and to develop a plan of care that addresses their individual needs and preferences. We want them to feel comfortable talking to us about anything."

Older patients "want to be comfortable and respected and know that their doctor is concerned and cares about them," continues Dr. Welty, who helped develop a geriatrics clinic at Boston City Hospital and now teaches geriatric medicine at UCSF. "Many health problems associated with age can, with appropriate care and treatment and support, be modified or ameliorated and the overall condition improved."

Located in a converted 1940s pharmacy in the city's Lakeside Village shopping area, the clinic is headed by Dr. Daniel Pound, who teaches in UCSF's Department of Family & Community Medicine. "We make an effort to deal with the whole person, rather than just one organ system, which is what so many specialists do today," says Dr. Pound.

Having a social worker on staff enables Lakeside "to coordinate with families and with service providers such as mental health case managers and home care nurses to maximize a patient's care," says MaryLu Murphy, the clinic's social worker since 1990.

"Most of our patients have multiple, chronic medical problems and need to be seen quite often. And if they have dementia or problems with [activities of daily living], it often involves the whole family, so it's important to have a social worker here," adds Murphy.

Lakeside's physical design also makes it a friendly environment for older adults. The street-level clinic provides a comfortable lobby, spacious bathrooms and wide, wheelchair accessible hallways with handrails. The examination rooms are equipped with special beds that allow easy access for people with mobility problems, and much of the clinic's lab work is done on site. "We try to do as much as we can here, which is important for people who have difficulty getting around," says Murphy. The clinic is also located near several public transit lines.

As of this writing, Lakeside is still accepting new patients. While new patients must generally wait three to four weeks for an appointment, established patients can usually make a same-day or next-day appointment to see one of the clinic's doctors. "We make every attempt to see people in a timely manner," says Dr. Welty.

Nearly all of Lakeside's patients are over the age of 65. The clinic accepts Medicare with supplemental insurance, as well as leading senior HMO and private insurance plans like Health Net Seniority Plus and Brown and Toland.

UCSF Lakeside Senior Medical Center is located at 2501 Ocean Avenue at Junipero Serra. For information or to make an appointment, call (415) 586-8600.

(This article originally appeared in the Summer 2005 issue of Bay Area Summit).

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