OAKLAND — Staff, patients' families, and supporters held a rally at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland to protest the relocation of specialized treatment clinics to San Francisco. Protesters stated the clinic relocation creates barriers to patient access to care.

Paola Portillo, a social worker, said the hospital started transferring clinics a year ago when UCSF Health integrated with Children’s Hospital Oakland. Portillo said patients who need bone marrow treatments and interventional radiology are forced to travel to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Francisco. “Children who go through a bone marrow transplant are immunocompromised, meaning that their immune system has been wiped out.” Portillo said having to take public transport to Francisco exposes immunocompromised patients to the risk of getting a dangerous infection.

UCSF spokesperson Kristen Bole said the move improves the hospital’s quality of care. “Inpatient BMT is a highly complex service where patient volume, specialized infrastructure, faculty coverage and 24/7 support are essential.” Bole said, “Concentrating non-gene therapy inpatient BMT care at Mission Bay allows us to provide the safest and most sustainable model for patients and families.” She said patients admitted for rehabilitative treatment have been directed to the children’s hospital in Oakland beginning this month.

Agnes Cho, a policy advisor speaking on behalf of Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, said the community fought hard for Measure C because every child deserves access to care in Oakland. “The funding should go towards strengthening care for children right here in Oakland.”

Protesters raised concerns about whether the hospital was appropriately using funds partially designated for pediatric services. Speakers at the rally said UCSF has not been transparent about how it has allocated funding from 2020’s Measure C, which created a half-percent sales tax that partially funded pediatric health care at the children’s hospital.

Protesters said UCSF’s $3.3 billion endowment has been misused. Last October, the University Professional & Technical Employees union noted projects such as the $4.3 billion UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights.

Hospital officials stated they are concentrating resources for highly specialized procedures so patients can receive the highest quality of care. A UCSF spokesperson said the university has been investing in its Oakland campus. Upgrades to the Oakland campus are expected to be completed in 2030 at a cost of $1.6 billion. Children’s Oakland is located at 747 52nd St. in North Oakland.

The dispute centers on the allocation of resources and funding following the integration of UCSF Health with Children’s Oakland. Measure C, passed in 2020, generates revenue for pediatric care, but protesters argue the funding should remain in Oakland rather than support projects in Francisco.

UCSF maintains that consolidating complex services like inpatient bone marrow transplants ensures patient safety and sustainability. The university points to ongoing investments in the Oakland campus, with $1.6 billion in upgrades scheduled for completion in 2030, as evidence of its commitment to the local community.