UCSF Health

“I feel like there are a lot of ways you can have a positive impact on people,” says Dr. Michael Rosenblum, UCSF dermatologist and world-renowned skin immunologist — and now an accomplished musician who just released his first solo album. “You can do it through discovery and trying to create novel medicines. You also can do it through creating a piece of art that people smile to and they sing for a portion of the day.” https://ucsfh.org/40EsnKh

Please help us celebrate Karl – it’s been almost 15 years since his last kidney transplant, and he’s doing great and recently got engaged! As a teen, Karl developed nephritis, an inflammation in the kidneys, following a strep throat infection. Twenty-six years later, he began feeling rundown, and tests revealed he was in kidney failure and would need a transplant. Karl had his first kidney transplant in 2000 at another hospital and came to UCSF for his second transplant 10 years later. Karl has been doing well ever since and is grateful for his mother’s unfailing support. Since his transplant, Karl has gotten serious about woodworking, and he recently became engaged to his partner, Sarah! Karl’s original goal was to live to see his son, Brandon, turn 21. Now Brandon is 29 years old, and father and son love playing golf together. They’re looking forward to playing a golf trip at Pebble Beach this month! “My son was always my motivation,” he says.

Our new pharmacy at Parnassus opened this week! We accept most insurances and offer pickup, mail order and home delivery of medicines, as well as onsite vaccinations! ?? More on our new pharmacies at Parnassus and Mission Bay ?? https://ucsfh.org/3Yn9N7B

??????THANK YOU to our wonderful Respiratory Care Team! This dedicated group cares for patients with lung and breathing issues every day of the year! ?????? #RCWeek

Happy National #PharmacyWeek to our pharmacists and technicians! This dedicated team makes sure our patients receive safe and effective medications every day of the year!

UCSF's Dr. Alicia Fernandez and Nola Hylton have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in health and medicine! The academy elects no more than 100 members a year. Congratulations! ??https://ucsfh.org/3C2uHA9

Please congratulate Ben! He’s finally pain-free and sober, after years of chronic pain and addiction. As a teen, Ben loved snowboarding and moved to Colorado to become an instructor. Doctors there diagnosed him with sciatica after an accident, and he reluctantly started opioid painkillers, after physical therapy and other treatments failed to help him. Ben developed an addiction, and his life spiraled, and he eventually lost his job, home and relationship. His back pain also worsened, and after several years of homelessness in San Francisco, he needed a wheelchair and was unable to push himself without assistance. Ben’s friends never gave up on trying to get him help, and in May 2022, his friends Liz and James convinced him to go to the hospital. Within 24 hours of his admission at UCSF, Ben had surgery to treat an ulcer in his leg. Our surgeons were able to save Ben’s leg muscle, and he also had major spine and stomach surgeries. Ben spent several months in the hospital recuperating, while also working with spine surgeon Dr. Theologis and a pain management team on weaning off medications. He began walking again, with help from our physical therapists. “What they did was nothing short of a miracle,” Ben says. “I’m in better condition than I was in my twenties.” After his hospital stay, Ben went through rehab and was well enough to travel to Spain in early 2023 to hike the Camino de Santiago with a friend, while gradually tapering down on his methadone, with a goal to be methadone-free. Ben now loves hiking and running and practicing yoga. He was a preschool teacher in his twenties, and is now working full-time as a camp counselor teaching 1st and 2nd graders in Portland!

Happy Infection Prevention Week to our Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Prevention team! This dedicated group of preventionists, doctors, nurses, analysts and admins helps protect patients and staff from infections in the hospital — and advances the field locally, nationally and globally! ?? ?? ??

Congratulations, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals!

Imagine tracking Parkinson’s progression with just your phone. UCSF researchers have developed an AI system that uses smartphone videos to measure and monitor motor symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease patients right from home. By analyzing hand and walking movements, the AI transforms simple videos into precise, measurable data. This early-stage tech could allow doctors to personalize care, adjusting medications and pacemakers based on AI-analyzed videos captured by patients. https://lnkd.in/gDk3AhkQ UCSF Health