Across a wide range of health care issues challenging the U.S., San Francisco  has been at the forefront of identifying and implementing innovative solutions that can influence what other communities do.

On Tuesday, June 25, KFF hosted a discussion with San Francisco’s new public health director Dr. Grant Colfax about key local and national health issues. Dr. Colfax brings years of local and national experience to the job, including leading national AIDS policy in President Obama’s White House. Among the many issues facing him in San Francisco are the city’s homeless crisis and the need to expand access to mental health services for city residents. San Francisco is also one of the priority communities under the Trump Administration’s new initiative to eliminate HIV/AIDS in 10 years, which will require substantial on-the-ground efforts from local governments and in many ways builds upon the successes achieved in places such as San Francisco.

The briefing was held in KFF’s conference center in its headquarters in San Francisco. Vice President and Director of Global Health & HIV Policy Jen Kates interviewed Dr. Colfax and moderated a question and answer session with the audience.