Our patient population is very diverse. UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest is a safety net hospital that cares for the underserved community, including significant homeless, immigrant, and HIV/AIDS populations. The Jacobs Medical Center and Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla are referral centers for the greater San Diego area, including many desert communities east of San Diego with large Hispanic populations. These experiences provide opportunities to speak Spanish on a regular basis, although interpreter services are always available.
At UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest, we also have a dedicated HIV outpatient clinic (Owen Clinic). Owen Clinic attendings also lend their expertise as consultants for patients with HIV who are admitted to the inpatient service, and these attendings work closely with the housestaff. VASDHS provides exposure to San Diego's very large veteran population, which tends to be younger, be more ethnically diverse, and has a higher percentage of females than many other VA referral areas. At the Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla, the patient population includes quaternary referrals from communities all over California, the United States, and beyond, including patients requiring services in organ transplantation, bone marrow transplantation, advanced oncology, and advanced heart failure.