Department of Emergency Medicine

Excellence at BIDMC

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is internationally recognized for excellence in patient care, biomedical research, teaching and community service.

As a Level I Trauma Center and a major adult tertiary referral center for New England, we serve as both a 673-bed acute care hospital and the primary hospital for our surrounding communities.

Emergency Department at a Glance

The BIDMC Emergency Department is the hub of our Harvard Medical Faculty Emergency Medicine Network operations, delivering high-quality, rapid-response care to the Boston metropolitan area.

• 55,000+ patient visits annually
• Level I Trauma Center with expertise in acutely ill and injured adults
• 30% of patients require hospitalization
• 7% admitted to intensive care units
• 3% taken directly to the operating suite following resuscitation

Expert Team, Round-the-Clock Care

Our department is staffed by 50+ specialty-trained, board-certified emergency physicians who bring expertise across the full spectrum of emergency medicine. Care is enhanced by layered attending physician staffing, with up to three attending physicians on duty at once.

Support includes:

• On-site integrated radiology suite
• 24/7 laboratory services
• Highly skilled nursing and advanced practice teams

Beyond the bedside, our physicians lead in research, toxicology, public policy, disaster planning, residency training, prehospital care and international emergency medicine.

Education & Research at BIDMC

As a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, BIDMC’s Emergency Department is home to the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency (HAEMR), a highly competitive three-year residency program with 39 residents, selected from 1,000+ annual applications.

The department is also deeply engaged in clinical, translational and basic science research. Guided by our “bench-to-bedside” philosophy, discoveries in our labs translate into new treatments at the bedside — enhancing both patient care and the education of future healthcare leaders.

Partnerships in Critical Care

BIDMC is a proud consortium member of Boston MedFlight, New England’s leading critical care air transport service. Through this partnership, trauma patients are directed here on a rotating basis.

We also provide medical control for advanced life support programs in surrounding EMS systems and host the region’s only weekly EMS morbidity and mortality conference.

A Modern Emergency Department

Our 23,000-square-foot emergency facility is designed for the needs of a high-volume, acutely ill patient population.

In 2003, BIDMC was chosen as the official hospital and health care provider for the Boston Red Sox. The Department of Emergency Medicine staffs Fenway Park with attending physicians, residents, nurses and practice assistants for every Red Sox game as well as special events held at the park.

BIDMC emergency medicine residents have the opportunity to experience the unique aspects of mass gathering emergency medicine in this historic ballpark located within a mile of BIDMC.

Several times a year, BIDMC ED staff also provide medical support to concerts held at Fenway. Artists have included Justin Timberlake, Tom Betty & The Heartbreakers, Billy Joel and Zac Brown. 

Boston Marathon

The annual Boston Marathon is an opportunity for BIDMC emergency medicine staff to volunteer at a mass event, providing medical care along the route and in the medical tent. All Boston area emergency departments are also very busy during Marathon Monday, proving to be a challenging and rewarding day of emergency medicine operations.

BIDMC played an instrumental role in the 2013 Boston Marathon, caring for many trauma patients. It was an emotional, transformative event for the emergency medicine staff involved.