Healthcare in Palo Alto

Few cities of 68,000 people have this much medical care inside their limits. Stanford's medical campus, on the northwest edge of Palo Alto, holds an adult hospital with a Level 1 trauma center and a children's hospital. Sutter Health's Palo Alto Medical Foundation runs a large multispecialty clinic on El Camino Real. The VA Palo Alto Health Care System has a major medical center in the foothills. Most residents never have to leave town for anything from a checkup to complex surgery.

This guide explains who runs what, where to find urgent care and when to call 911. It does not offer medical advice. Hours and phone numbers come from each provider's own website in October 2026. Insurance networks matter a great deal here, since Stanford and Sutter are separate systems, so check your plan before you choose a doctor. If you are visiting someone in the hospital, our guide to visiting Stanford Hospital covers parking and visiting hours.

When to call 911

Stanford Health Care's emergency department page puts it plainly: in a life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately or go to your nearest hospital. For problems that are not life-threatening but need prompt attention, it points to express care, urgent care and walk-in clinics.

• Call 911 if you think a life is at risk. Do not drive yourself or someone else if waiting for an ambulance is safer.
• In Palo Alto, 911 medical calls bring Palo Alto Fire, which staffs paramedic ambulances at stations around the city.
• If you are not sure, call 911 and let the dispatcher decide.
• For a mental health crisis, the national 988 line takes calls and texts. Veterans can press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.

Ambulance rides are billed separately from hospital care. Palo Alto Fire offers Palo Alto FireMed, a low-cost monthly ambulance subscription for households and businesses, as an alternative to paying for a transport out of pocket. Read the city's FireMed pages for what it covers before you sign up. Our police, fire and emergency alerts guide explains the city's dispatch center and how the fire department is organized.

Stanford Hospital and its emergency department

Stanford Health Care runs Stanford Hospital, made up of connected buildings at 300 and 500 Pasteur Drive. The newer hospital at 500 Pasteur began admitting patients on November 17, 2019. That same morning Stanford opened its new emergency departments.

When it opened, Stanford said the adult emergency department covered 42,692 square feet, more than double the old one. It said the pediatric department served patients up to age 20 and had 15 private rooms. Stanford's current emergency department page calls its trauma center the only Level 1 trauma center between San Francisco and the South Bay. Seriously injured patients from a wide area come here.

Stanford Health Care also runs primary care, specialty clinics and express care sites around the Peninsula. For the academic side of the campus, see our Stanford School of Medicine guide.

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford is at 725 Welch Road, next to Stanford Hospital. Its location page describes a 361-bed hospital devoted entirely to pediatrics and obstetrics. It opened in 1991 and doubled in size in December 2017. The main number is (650) 497-8000.

• Having a baby. Labor and delivery, newborn care and neonatology are part of the Johnson Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Services. Expectant mothers check in through the main building lobby.
• Entrances. The hospital says its West lobby entrance closed on February 1, 2026 for about two years of construction. Use the main entrance.
• Clinics. Stanford Medicine Children's Health also runs pediatric primary and specialty care clinics around the region.

Palo Alto Medical Foundation (Sutter Health)

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation, known locally as PAMF, is part of Sutter Health. Its Palo Alto Center at 795 El Camino Real, near Town & Country Village, is a large outpatient campus. Sutter's Palo Alto Center page lists primary care and more than 50 specialty services, including cardiology, dermatology, neurology and sports medicine, plus imaging, lab services and a sensory-friendly clinic for children. General hours are weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some departments open on Saturdays.

Many Palo Alto families use PAMF for primary care and Stanford for hospital care, or the other way around. Which one you use often depends on your insurance.

Urgent care

Sutter runs two urgent care clinics at the Palo Alto Center, both on Level 1 of the Lee Building at 795 El Camino Real.

Sutter's site listed holiday dates, including Christmas Day 2026, with the same hours. Stanford Health Care also lists express care, urgent care and walk-in options on its site, along with video visits. Check each provider's page before you go, since hours and booking rules change.

VA Palo Alto Health Care System

The Palo Alto VA Medical Center is at 3801 Miranda Avenue in the foothills off Foothill Expressway. It is the main campus of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. According to VA.gov, its emergency department is open 24 hours a day, every day.

The campus is known for spinal cord injury and disorders care and for polytrauma and traumatic brain injury care. It also offers mental health and PTSD treatment, addiction treatment, surgery, cardiology and primary care. Most services are for veterans enrolled in VA health care, though some programs serve caregivers, families and returning service members. The Veterans Crisis Line is 988, then press 1.

Practical tips for new residents

• Pick a system early. Stanford and Sutter accept different insurance plans. Choose a primary care doctor before you need one, since getting a first appointment can take time.
• Know your nearest urgent care for evenings and weekends. Keep its number in your phone.
• Get insurance sorted. If you do not have coverage through work, Covered California is the state's health insurance marketplace.
• Getting there. Stanford's free Marguerite shuttle serves the medical campus on weekdays. Visitors to Stanford Hospital park in the Pasteur Visitor Garage at 200 Pasteur Drive, which is open around the clock. Our Stanford parking and transit guide has details.
• Keep records handy. Stanford and Sutter use separate patient portals. If you see doctors in both systems, ask each office how to share test results and imaging.
• Language help. Large hospitals offer interpreter services. Ask when you book if you or a family member would prefer care in another language.
• Older adults can find help with Medicare questions and caregiving through the groups in our resources for older adults guide.

Frequently asked questions