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City Hall entrance and steps facing the Civic Center park.

Health Service Board

Health Service Board Overview

The San Francisco Health Service Board (HSB) is dedicated to providing outstanding health and other employee benefits to its members while adhering to the highest standards of customer care.

The Health Service Board (HSB) is the governing and policy-making body of the San Francisco Health Service System (SFHSS). The Board supports SFHSS's mission to preserve and improve sustainable, quality health benefits and to enhance the well-being of members and their families. The Health Service Board is responsible for the duties listed below. Since the Board has oversight on member appeals (when needed), members should call Member Services if they have questions about their personal health options Member Services.

 

Board Duties:

  • The Board receives and reviews regular financial and audit reports as a Fiduciary for the SFHSS Trust Fund and the Healthcare Sustainability Fund.
  • The Board reviews and approves all plan and premium rate changes for SFHSS Benefits following the Annual Rates and Benefits Calendar
  • The Board develops and as needed, amends its Policies and Terms of Reference which provides operating descriptions for Board governance and duties
  • The Board reviews and approves the implementation of the SFHSS Strategic Plan
  • Health and welfare plan and fund administration

 

Board Committees:

Health Service Board Commissioners also serve on one of two committees: the Governance Committee and Finance Committee: The Committee terms are adjusted on an annual basis.

  • Finance and Budget - Established to assist in the financial oversight of the Health Service system, including the oversight of all audits of the Health Service System and the budgeting process.
  • Governance- Established to assist in developing and overseeing the governance policies and practices of the Health Service Board and its committees.  

 

Commissioner Terms:

The Board consists of seven members. Three Commissioners are elected. Four appointed Commissioners are comprised of a San Francisco Supervisor, two selected by the Mayor, and one selected by the City Controller. Commissioner Bios and Committee memberships can be found on our Board Commissioners page.

  • President, Randy Scott
  • Vice President, Mary Hao
  • Commissioner Karen Breslin
  • Commissioner Chris Canning
  • Commissioner Stephen Follansbee, M.D.
  • Commissioner Claire Zvanski
  • Supervisor Matt Dorsey (District 6)

 

Board and Committee Meetings:

The Health Service Board meets on the second Thursday of each month. For Board meeting agendas and materials please visit our Board Calendar page. Meeting agendas, presentations, and meeting minutes are all posted on our Board Calendar page. The Governance and Finance Committee meets on an as-needed basis. 

 

Health Service Board Elections 2024: 

A Health Service Board election for two SFHSS member seats will take place in May 2024.  Interested candidates can find more information on the Board Election page. 

The Department of Elections will be the city agency that runs the elections for the Health Service Board.

  • For seats appointed by the Mayor, an interested person may contact the Mayor's office for more information here. All applicants must be residents of San Francisco unless otherwise stated. 
  • For seats appointed by the Board of Supervisors, interested persons may obtain an application from the Board of Supervisors' websites here. Completed applications should be submitted to the Clerk of the Board. All applicants must be residents of San Francisco unless otherwise stated.
  • For seats filled by active/retired SFHSS members, please contact the Health Service Board Secretary for upcoming election dates/information. Holly Lopez, (628) 652-4646, holly.lopez@sfgov.org 

 

Board Contact Information:

Members of the public can bring policy comments to the Board at the regular monthly meetings. Any emails sent or addressed to the Health Service Board become a matter of public record and are subject to San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance laws  (Admin. Code Charter 67). SFHSS has a duty and responsibility to protect personal health information. Thus, if a member requests an appeal, all initial steps must be submitted through Member Services. The Board will only exercise an administrative review in the appeal process when necessary. Members of the public can also bring policy comments to the Board via the contact information below. 

San Francisco Health Service System
1145 Market Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
health.service.board@sfgov.org 
(628) 652-4646

 

Connect with Member Services

SFHSS Member Services is the direct liaison between our members and healthcare providers. Member Services is available to assist members with enrollment and eligibility questions and using member benefits while protecting individual identity and health information. Members can also share feedback or suggestions on other administrative matters. Please visit our Contact Us page to connect with the Member Services team.