Cardiac Direct Access
A New Option for Urgent Cardiac Care
The Cardiac Direct Access Unit at BIDMC provides patients with non- life-threatening symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath, the option to bypass the emergency room and see an attending cardiovascular physician, avoiding emergency room wait times and expense.
For Physicians
- All Cardiac Direct Access patients must have a referral.
- To refer a patient, please call our attending cardiologist.
- Frequently Asked Questions about CDAc for physicians
- Our fax number is 617-632-0120
For Patients
- Cardiac Direct Access is a referral-only service. Contact your doctor for more information.
- Frequently Asked Questions about CDAc for patients
- Directions (PDF)
CDAc Services
- Same-day evaluation by a cardiologist
- Hours on weekdays: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
- In-unit diagnostics and echocardiography
- Direct transfers to the inpatient cardiology service as needed, bypassing the emergency room
The Cardiac Direct Access clinic includes exam rooms where cardiologists and cardiac nurse practitioners test, evaluate and treat patients. This area also houses our advanced heart failure clinic, where patients with heart failure receive timely, expert cardiac assessment.
Our observation rooms allow cardiologists and cardiac nurse practitioners to monitor, test and treat patients overnight, often avoiding the need for hospital admission.
Our diuresis room provides heart failure patients with same-day outpatient IV therapy. We offer scheduled sessions and access to urgent slots Monday through Friday.
Access to advice from our cardiologists is available to colleagues through state-of-the-art telehealth capabilities. Teams from urgent care centers, emergency departments or physician practices can consult with the CDAc team and also get expert guidance on whether patients are likely to benefit from referral to BIDMC in Boston.