Survival Guide - San Francisco and Northern California - page 263

Hospitals and
Pharmacies
If you do not have compre-
hensive medical insurance, a
visit to a doctor, hospital, or
clinic can be very expensive.
Even with medical insurance
you may find that you have
to pay for the services in
advance, then claim
reimbursement from
your insurance
company. Many
doctors, dentists, and
hospitals accept credit
cards, but traveler's
checks and cash are
sometimes the only
form of payment
allowed for visitors.
For non-
emergency medical
care, a handful of walk-
in clinics in San Francisco
charge reasonable prices;
these can be found in the
“Personal Services” section
of the San Francisco Visitor
Information Center website
(see p269) . There's even a clinic
at San Francisco International
Airport.
If you get a prescription from a
doctor, ask that it be called into a
pharmacy near your hotel. Some
Walgreens drugstores stay open

late or round the clock. If you
take medication, it is a good
idea to bring a back-up
prescription with you.

care, lost or stolen baggage and
travel documents, accidental
death, and trip-cancellation fees.

Natural Disasters
The Bay Area lies on several
fault lines, a fact that has led to
a few devastating earthquakes
in the past. According to the
US Geological Service (USGS),
a damaging earthquake hits
the Bay Area every four years
on average. Since the 7.8
magnitude earthquake of 1906,
the area has seen less activity
because stresses on the fault
lines were relieved. However,
according to the USGS, those
stresses are building up again,
and there is a 62 percent
chance of a magnitude 6.7 or
larger quake hitting the area
by 2032. The good news is that
the area is fairly well prepared
for earthquakes - by law,
buildings have to be retrofitted
to function well in a tremor.
Although earthquakes can
be extremely frightening,
they typically last less than
one minute. The best course
of action in the event of an
earthquake is to crouch
under a desk or brace
yourself in a doorway.

Lost and Stolen
Property
Although the chances of
retrieving property lost on
the street are remote, you can
phone the Police
Non-Emergency
Line . The Muni
transportation
system and BART both
have Lost-and-Found
offices, as do many
shops and restaurants.
Note the company
name, driver name,
color, and number of
any taxi you take. If
you lose an item, you will need
this information when calling
the relevant cab company to
report your loss.

Walgreens
pharmacy logo

Travel Insurance
Medical care in the US is first-
class but costly, making travel
insurance essential for foreign
visitors. Travelers should check
that their coverage includes
emergency medical and dental

DIRECTORY

Emergency
Services
All Emergencies
(Police, Fire, and
Medical Services)
Tel 911.
Victims of Crime
Resource Center
Tel (1) [phone].
∑ 1800victims.org

Dental Services
Emergency Dentist
24/7
Tel [phone].
San Francisco Dental
Society Referral
Service
Tel [phone] (24 hours.)
Lost and Stolen
Property
Lost-and-Found
(BART)
∑ bart.gov/guide/
lostandfound
Lost-and-Found
(Muni)
Tel [phone].
Police Non-
Emergency Line
Tel [phone].

San Francisco
General Hospital
1001 Potrero Ave.
Map 11 A3.
Tel [phone].
Traveler Medical
Group
490 Post St, Suite 225.
Map 5 A5.
Tel [phone].
∑ traveler
medicalgroup.net

Walgreens
135 Powell St. Map 5 B5.
Tel [phone].
498 Castro St. Map 10 D3.
Tel [phone] (24 hours.)
3201 Divisadero St.
Map 3 C2.
Tel [phone] (24 hours.)

Walk-In Clinics
Concentra Medical
Center
26 California St.
Map 6 D4. Tel [phone].
University of
California San
Francisco Clinic
400 Parnassus Ave.
Map 9 B2. Tel [phone].
Wall Medical Group
2001 Union St.
Map 4 E3. Tel [phone].

Hospitals
Saint Francis
Memorial Hospital
900 Hyde St. Map 5 A4.
Tel [phone].
Visitors' Medical Services
Tel [phone] (24-hour
emergency care.)
Tel (1) [phone] (24-
hour referral.)
∑ saintfrancis
memorial.org

Pharmacies
Four-Fifty Sutter
Pharmacy
450 Sutter St, 7th Floor.
Map 5 B4. Tel [phone].
(Will deliver.)
Saint Francis Medical
Center
901 Hyde St. Map 5 A4.
Tel [phone]. (Will deliver.)