HealthFirst is a no-fee chronic disease management program in the Mission neighborhood supported by Community Health Workers who speak Spanish and English. Our mission is to educate and empower patients to manage their chronic illnesses and improve their quality of life. Our goals include:

• Serving people in the Mission Neighborhood community and beyond living with chronic diseases.

• Helping people understand the conditions and better self-manage chronic diseases in order to live healthier lives.

• Providing no-cost care that is culturally accessible.

• Partnering with community organizations to build education programs and reach more people.

• Assisting in accessing and navigating healthcare resources.

HealthFirst Location and Hours

1580 Valencia Street, Suite 602 (M62)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Regular Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, by appointment only
(415) 641-2160
(415) 865-4159 fax

Program Services Offered

• Prevention — By offering services which are culturally and financially accessible. Encouraging appropriate self-management skills to prevent complications and improve quality of life. 
• Education — By providing tailored education in nutrition, physical activity and taking medications correctly, our emphasis is on teaching self-management of chronic diseases.
• Referrals — HealthFirst accepts referrals from primary care physicians and specialists. We are working to expand our patient base by partnering with other community-based primary care physicians in managing patients who desire further health coaching and education regarding chronic diseases or basic nutrition.

How to Refer:

Fax Completed Form to (415) 865-4159: Referral Form PDF

For patients: Speak to your Primary Care Provider, or call our office, (415) 641-2160, for more information!

Our Team

We use a multidisciplinary team-based approach to managing chronic illness. Our innovative model has a community health worker as the core of the team who works alongside a physician, nurse educator, respiratory therapist, social worker and program manager. While these professionals are experts about diseases, it’s the patient who is an expert about his or her own life. With the HealthFirst program, this partnership is crucial to successfully managing chronic illness. Patients set their own goals and the clinical professionals help them make informed choices. This way, patients are more motivated, gain a better understanding of their illness and have the confidence to adopt new, healthier behaviors.
Team members include:

• Melissa Kwon, M.D., Medical Director
• Elizabeth Grant, FNP-C, CDCES, AE-C, Nurse Practitioner
• Cynthia Perez-Vaughan, Community Health Worker
• Carina Carrasco, Community Health Worker

Articles Published by Our Team

• Otero-Sabogal R, Arretz D, Siebold S, Hallen E, Lee R, Ketchel A, Li J, Newman J (2010)."Physician-community health worker partnering to support diabetes self-management in primary care." Quality in Primary Care 18(6): 363-372.
• Otero-Sabogal R, Arretz D, Ngo V, McKown J, Li J, Lee R, Newman J (2008). "Positive Impact of a Self-Management Program on Improving Asthma Symptoms among Inner-City Children: St. Luke's HealthFirst Center for Education and Prevention."
• California Association for Healthcare Quality Journal 32(3): 16-29.