• What is the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF)?
• Is PAMF part of Stanford University?
• Is PAMF a hospital?
• What is PAMF's organizational structure?

What is the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF)?

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation for Health Care, Research and Education (PAMF) is a not-for-profit health care organization that is a pioneer in the mulitspecialty group practice of medicine.

The foundation has three health care divisions: the Palo Alto Division, the Camino Division and the Santa Cruz Division that operate clinics in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda and Santa Cruz Counties.

PAMF is part of the Sutter Health family of not-for-profit medical foundations, hospitals and physician organizations that share resources and expertise to advance health care quality. Serving more than 100 communities in Northern California, Sutter Health is a regional leader in cardiac care, as well as care of women and children, and is a poineer in advanced patient safety technology.
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Is PAMF part of Stanford University?

No, PAMF is not a part of Stanford University. However, PAMF and Stanford have a long-standing relationship. In 1946, the Palo Alto Medical Clinic created one of the first prepaid health plans in the nation when it agreed to provide medical care to Stanford University students for a flat fee, paid in advance out of tuition. Many of PAMF's physicians have been educated at Stanford and/or completed their residencies there, and some are clinical faculty members. In addition, several of PAMF's outpatient clinic locations perform surgeries or other inpatient procedures at Stanford University Medical Center.
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Is PAMF a hospital?

When PAMF was founded in 1930 as the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, it became one of the first outpatient multispecialty physician groups in the country. Today, the majority of PAMF's clinic locations exclusively provide outpatient care. However, the Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz and Menlo Park Surgical Hospital, which are a part of PAMF, provide both outpatient and inpatient surgical care. PAMF is also building a medical center in San Carlos that will include a full range of primary and specialty care physician services, an urgent care center, lab, X-ray and other testing services, as well as a 97-bed full-service acute care hospital with an emergency room, all in one location. The PAMF San Carlos Center is scheduled to open in 2013.
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What is PAMF's organizational structure?

PAMF is a not-for-profit health care organization comprised of three health care divisions, a Research Institute and an education division. Each health care division covers a different geographical area and offers a full range of primary and specialty care: the Palo Alto Division, the Camino Division and the Santa Cruz Division. PAMF is a part of Sutter Health.
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