Commission approves revised psychiatry and substance‑use policy for Laguna Honda

The San Francisco Health Commission approved revisions to Laguna Honda Hospital’s psychiatry, substance‑use disorder (SUD) and recovery services policy at its March 21 meeting.

Dr. Yifang Chen, head of psychiatry at Laguna Honda, summarized the policy changes and said the revisions implement deliverables from the facility’s root cause analysis under behavioral health and SUD: "The main changes include we added documentation for non specialty services for residents with SUD, that they will be entered in the EHR and accessible by our RCTs." Dr. Claire Horton, acting Laguna Honda chief medical officer and Health Network chief medical officer, added that the policy clarifies consent for release of information and the documentation workflows for specialty vs. non‑specialty services.

Presenters said non‑specialty services — basic screening, engagement and motivational interviewing — will be documented in Epic and visible to resident care teams, while specialty SUD services protected under 42 CFR will remain in a separate EHR (Avatar) with strict privacy protections.

Public comment raised questions about a proposed oversight committee and the timelines for implementing related policies. Director Pickens noted staffing transitions and said Dr. Nida Ratana Wansa will join as interim chief medical officer to support implementation.

The commission voted to approve the revised policy as presented; commissioners praised the policy’s clarity and operational utility. The vote was recorded as a voice vote with no opposition in the transcript.