Kaiser Permanente near Palo Alto

Kaiser Permanente is one of the biggest health plans in California. Plenty of Palo Alto households carry its insurance through work. Unlike Stanford and Sutter, though, Kaiser does not run a medical center inside the city. Members here use the Mountain View Medical Offices on Castro Street for everyday care and travel to Redwood City or Santa Clara for hospital stays, emergencies and some specialties.

This page sorts out which Kaiser site does what, as Kaiser's own facility pages described them in late October 2026. It is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911. Kaiser changes hours and services often, so confirm on kp.org before you go.

At a glance

We found no Kaiser medical office or hospital in Palo Alto itself. If you see one listed somewhere, check whether it is a contracted outside provider rather than a Kaiser facility.

Mountain View Medical Offices

The closest Kaiser site to most of Palo Alto is the medical office building at 555 Castro Street in downtown Mountain View, within walking distance of the Mountain View Caltrain and light rail station. Kaiser's facility page lists the main number as 650-903-3000 and says, "All clinical services are provided by appointment only at this time."

Departments listed there include:

• internal medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology
• dermatology and chronic conditions management
• a minor injury clinic
• adult, child and women's injection clinics and an adult travel clinic
• laboratory, radiology and mammography
• optometry and an optical center
• a first-floor pharmacy, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed weekends, phone 650-903-2150
• a seasonal flu vaccination hotline

The same page is clear about what is missing. It says urgent care is not available, emergency care is not available and after-hours care is not available at this location. For anything that cannot wait for an appointment, members need the advice nurse or one of the medical centers below. Our Mountain View station guide covers the train and bus connections from Palo Alto.

Redwood City Medical Center

To the north, Kaiser's Redwood City Medical Center at 1100 Veterans Blvd. is a full hospital. Kaiser lists it as open 24 hours. The information line is 650-299-2200 and the 24-hour advice nurse is 650-299-2015.

• Emergency. The emergency department is open 24 hours. Kaiser says its entrance is at the corner of Veterans Blvd. and Walnut Street.
• Hospital services. Labor and delivery, a well-baby and special care nursery, a cardiac catheterization lab, a neuroscience intensive care unit, interventional and neuro-interventional radiology and CT.
• After hours. An adult after-hours clinic in the Cypress Building, 1190 Veterans Blvd., weekdays 6 to 8 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pediatric after-hours care is at the Marshall Medical Offices, 905 Maple Street.
• No urgent care. Kaiser lists urgent care as not available at this campus.
• Parking. The Veterans Parking Garage at 1250 Veterans Blvd. A free campus shuttle runs weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; call Security at 650-299-3139.

From Palo Alto the drive is up Highway 101 or El Camino Real. Our Redwood City guide has more on the area.

Santa Clara Medical Center

To the south, the Santa Clara Medical Center sits at 700 Lawrence Expressway at Homestead Avenue. Kaiser lists:

• Information: 408-851-1000. Emergency information: 408-851-5300.
• Emergency department: open 24 hours.
• Urgent care: listed as available, though the page gave no hours. Call first.
• Labor and delivery: listed, with Mother/Baby information at 408-851-7320.
• Pediatrics: weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for members 17 and under, with a 24-hour pediatric advice line at 408-554-9810.
• Pharmacy: the main outpatient pharmacy is open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kaiser also lists a 24-hour outpatient pharmacy on the campus at 408-851-5500.

That 24-hour pharmacy is worth knowing about, since no drugstore in Palo Alto lists round-the-clock service. Our pharmacies guide covers local options.

Redwood City or Santa Clara?

Which medical center you use for specialists, surgery and hospital stays usually depends on your doctors and your Kaiser plan. Your kp.org account and member services at 1-800-464-4000 can tell you where your care is based and whether you can change it. If you see doctors at the Mountain View offices, ask them which hospital they refer to.

Without a car, Redwood City is the easier trip. Caltrain runs from Palo Alto to the Redwood City station on a two-zone fare. The medical center is a short ride from there. Santa Clara Medical Center is off Lawrence Expressway, away from the Caltrain line, so most people drive.

Emergencies and the nearest hospital

For a life-threatening emergency, call 911. Do not drive across the county to reach a Kaiser hospital if someone needs help now. In Palo Alto, 911 medical calls bring Palo Alto Fire paramedics, who choose the destination. That is often Stanford, which runs the area's Level 1 trauma center. Our emergency rooms guide lists every department near Palo Alto, including Stanford's adult and pediatric departments and El Camino Hospital in Mountain View.

Federal law requires hospital emergency departments to screen and stabilize anyone who arrives, whatever their insurance. Kaiser's Redwood City emergency page also defines an emergency medical condition and notes that active labor counts when there is not time for a safe transfer. How Kaiser covers emergency care at a non-Kaiser hospital is set out in your plan documents. Call member services at 1-800-464-4000 with questions.

Advice nurses and same-day help

Kaiser's advice nurses are the members' front door after hours. The numbers on Kaiser's facility pages include:

• Redwood City advice nurse, 24 hours: 650-299-2015.
• Santa Clara, 24 hours: internal medicine 408-554-9800, pediatrics 408-554-9810, OB/GYN 408-554-9820.
• Kaiser's general toll-free advice line, listed on the Santa Clara page: 1-866-454-8855.

Kaiser's Redwood City emergency page also notes qualified interpreter services, including sign language, at no cost 24 hours a day.

Tips for Kaiser members in Palo Alto

• Save the numbers. Put the advice nurse line and member services in your phone before you need them.
• Know your nearest emergency room. For most of Palo Alto that is Stanford, not a Kaiser hospital.
• Flu shots. The Mountain View offices list a seasonal flu vaccination hotline. Our vaccines guide covers other options.
• Mental health. Stanford says it does not provide mental health care to patients using Kaiser insurance, so start with Kaiser's own behavioral health services. Our mental health resources page lists crisis lines anyone can use.

Frequently asked questions