Protecting Patients and Families

Protecting our patients, their families and the many visitors who come to BIDMC every day is our top priority. A hospital is a place of healing, a place where every staff, patient or visitor should feel safe and secure.

Not only do our physicians have clinical protocols in place that help dictate the proper course of treatment for an illness, but we also have policies and procedures relating to everyday activities that make people healthier, or services available to help you deal with difficult medical decisions or other challenges or conflicts.

We are determined to do whatever it takes to make your visit or hospital stay with us a safe and healthy one.

Safety at BIDMC

Policy on Animals

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is committed to providing equal access to quality care for all patients. When you come here for a visit, you may see a patient assisted by a service dog. Service animals are a key part of helping patients independently go about daily life.

We are also committed to providing a comfortable and safe environment for our patients and staff, and appreciate that the presence of a dog may be difficult for some. We make every effort to minimize exposure to dogs for those with allergies or significant fear.

Hence, we respectfully ask that our patients come with service dogs only. A service dog is trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other medical disability.

We respectfully ask that other dogs or animals are not brought to BIDMC.

A companion or emotional support animal (ESA) is an animal that provides comfort or emotional support to its owner but is not individually trained to perform any specific kind of task. Although we recognize that people may benefit from the comfort of being with a pet, a companion or emotional support pet is not a service animal and is not permitted in the hospital.

Pet Therapy Program

A therapy dog is part of a BIDMC approved pet therapy program and is permitted in the hospital only after screening and approval.

We will ask for any dog to be removed immediately from the premises if they are not housebroken, or exhibit behavior such as barking, growling or other aggressive behavior, or impede safe travel of others.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask by:

emailing UniversalAccessBIDMC@bidmc.harvard.edu
contacting Patient Relations (617) 975-9750
asking to speak to an administrator at your location of care

BIDMC Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety at BIDMC is comprised of six divisions with more than 60 diverse professionals, whose main goal is to protect the patients, visitors, staff and property of the medical center, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We strive to maintain a high level of professionalism and customer service to the BIDMC community while forming strong working relationships with community members.

Campus Escort Service

BIDMC's Department of Public Safety offers security escorts 24 hours a day (including weekends and holidays) between the two main campuses of BIDMC and immediate surrounding areas. Escorts are subject to availability.

Request an escort: call 617-632-9111

Lost and Found

Please contact us or stop by our office in Farr 1, West Campus, if you believe you have lost an item. If you believe your item was stolen, you must file a larceny report.

Our Mission

To protect life and safeguard property;
To prevent crime, control criminal behavior, maintain order, and reduce fear of crime;
To maintain a safe and secure environment for the entire BIDMC community;
To accomplish all objectives legally and constitutionally, guided by BIDMC values and be mindful at all times of the rights of individuals and the interests of the community;
To participate in partnerships at BIDMC and with community groups, service agencies, institutions, and other criminal justice agencies;
To maintain a cooperative relationship with the general public and the BIDMC community;
To identify and solve problems;
To maintain personal and professional integrity at all times and to be mindful that department members are a representative of the BIDMC and the BIDMC Department of Public Safety.

Contact Us
BIDMC Public Safety
Farr 1, West Campus
185 Pilgrim Road
Phone: 617-632-9111
Fax: 617-632-8303

Smoke Free at BIDMC

BIDMC is a Smoke-Free Institution — Inside & Out!

Our Policy

As a leading medical center dedicated to health, we believe it is important to take a stand against what we know is the number one preventable cause of disease and premature death. It is also a major cause of disease and death due to ailments related to secondhand smoke. Creating a smoke-free environment is simply the right thing to do.

If you smoke, we recognize that our smoke-free policy is a challenge, whether you are here for an hour, a day or a week. Talk with your nurse or physician about ways to manage the challenge here and at home. We offer a number of resources, including physician-prescribed nicotine replacement therapies and information on smoking cessation programs.

If you smoke, does this mean you cannot come to BIDMC, or you must first quit?
Absolutely not; you are always welcome here!

It simply means that we do not provide designated smoking areas anywhere inside or outside of the medical center. If you wish to smoke, do so outside the BIDMC grounds.

Help and Resources for Quitting

For smokers, not smoking for any period of time is difficult. Once you've managed to be smoke-free at BIDMC, why not keep up the good work? We can provide the resources and information you need to quit for good. No matter how long you have smoked, you and your family will immediately experience the health benefits of not smoking.

For more information, talk with your nurse or physician.

Residents of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island can get information and support via the Try To Stop Tobacco Resource Center:

1-800-Try to stop (800-879-8678) English;
1-800-8-Dejalo (800-833-5256) Español
TTY: 1-800-TDD-1477 (800-833-1477)

Hand Hygiene

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a leader in providing excellent care to patients. You can become a partner in your care with one simple question: "Have you cleaned your hands?"

Facts about Hand Hygiene

Nationwide, 2.5 million hospital patients annually develop infections.
Hand hygiene is the single most important procedure performed at BIDMC to prevent the spread of infection to you, our patient.
Germs that cause infections can be spread in a number of ways. The most common is through hands. Hand hygiene removes germs from the hands and helps protect YOU from infections.

Soap and water, as well as alcohol-based hand cleaners, are everywhere in the medical center and staff are trained to use them often. By asking about hand hygiene, you help remind our busy health care workers how important it is.

Don't Be Shy!

Ask the question any time your doctor, nurse, or healthcare worker is about to make direct physical contact with you or touch things that are used in your care. This may be in your room or anywhere else in the hospital.

Your health care workers are interested in your care and encourage you to ask them about hand hygiene!