Important Announcements

Nondiscrimination Statement Update

Boston Medical Center Health System complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency and primary language), religion, culture, physical or mental disabilities, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression. BMCHS provides free aids and services to people with disabilities and free language services to people whose primary language is not English.

To see our full nondiscrimination statement, click here.

Campus Construction Update

Starting September 14, we’re closing the Menino building lobby entrance. This, along with the ongoing Yawkey building entrance closure, will help us bring you an even better campus experience that matches the exceptional care you've come to expect. Please enter the Menino and Yawkey buildings through the Moakley building, and make sure to leave extra time to get to your appointment. Thank you for your patience. 

Click here to learn more about our campus redesign. 

Press Releases

Boston Medical Center Press Releases

Alcohol Taxes Low, Have Not Kept Up with Inflation

State alcohol excise taxes are typically only a few cents per drink, and have not kept pace with inflation, according to a new study in the January issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Raising those taxes, according to the authors, represents an opportunity for states to increase revenues while simultaneously improving public health outcomes and costs related to excessive alcohol consumption.

Boston Medical Center to Invest $6.5 Million in Affordable Housing to Improve Community Health and Patient Outcomes, Reduce Medical Costs

(Boston) – Dec. 7, 2017 – Boston Medical Center is investing $6.5 million over five years to support a wide range of affordable housing initiatives, in an innovation lab approach that will be studied closely to determine the best ways that health care systems can improve both community and patient level health and reduce medical costs by addressing homelessness and housing insecurity.

109 BMC Physicians Recognized as Top Docs

(Boston) – Nov. 28, 2017 – Boston Magazine has released its annual "Top Docs" list for 2017, and as in years past, Boston Medical Center (BMC) is strongly represented in numerous fields and specialties. One hundred and nine BMC physicians in 42 specialties were recognized as being "tops" in their respective fields.

Matthew Kulke, MD, Joins Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine

(Boston) – Nov. 21, 2017 – Matthew Kulke, MD, will become the Chief of the Section of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Zoltan Kohn Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, effective March 1, 2018. In addition, Dr. Kulke will serve as Deputy Director of the BU-BMC Cancer Center and Medical Director of the Clinical Cancer Center at BMC.

New Care Model Closes Significant Gap in Addiction Treatment

(Boston) – Nov. 8, 2017 – A new program at Boston Medical Center’s Grayken Center for Addiction is showing that connecting patients to addiction treatment when they are hospitalized for other conditions can be a powerful tool in closing a gap in addiction treatment. In fact, early results show that many of these patients continue treatment after they are discharged, underscoring the importance of reaching patients who might otherwise not get treatment for their addiction.

BMC Launches Center to Improve, Advance Pediatric Care for Urban Families

(Boston) – Nov. 3, 2017 – More than a quarter of children in Boston live in poverty. Children living in poverty bring a unique set of issues to their health care providers. These include housing instability, food insecurity and exposure to violence – all of which can have negative short and long-term health implications for children and families.

Helping Smokers Quit: Payments, Personalized Support Can Work

(Boston) – Oct. 30, 2017 – Money can be more powerful than nicotine, as a new study found that smokers who received financial incentives, in addition to personalized support, to help them quit were more successful than smokers who did not receive these interventions. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study demonstrates that these approaches could play an important role in helping people quit smoking.

Strong Alcohol Policies Help Reduce Alcohol-Involved Homicides

(Boston) – Sept. 21, 2017 – Stronger alcohol policies, including taxes and sales restrictions, have been shown to reduce the likelihood of alcohol involvement among homicide victims, according to a new study from Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University. The study, published online in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, supports the importance of alcohol control policies to reduce violence, including homicide.

One in 12 Doctors Accepts Payment from Pharmaceutical Companies Related to Opioids

(Boston) – Aug. 9, 2017 – One in twelve physicians – and nearly one in five family medicine physicians – accepted payments from pharmaceutical companies related to opioids, according to a new study out of Boston Medical Center’s Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine. This is the first large-scale, national study of industry payments involving opioids and suggests that pharmaceutical companies may have a stronger hold than previously known on how doctors prescribe the powerful drugs. The study results are published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Public Health.

One Fall Too Many

(Boston) - Aug. 8, 2017 - Adults age 65 and older who go to the emergency department (ED) for a fall-related injury are not likely to participate in a fall prevention program after being discharged, despite being given a flyer for a local program before leaving the hospital. The study highlights the challenges of effectively helping these patients prevent future falls, as well as the importance of educating both patients and providers about available programs geared to help prevent falls in the future.

Black Light Helps Diagnose Common Skin Problem Found in Pregnant Women

(Boston) – July 17, 2017 – Researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that using a black light, or Wood’s light, helps dermatologists determine disease extent of melasma, a hyperpigmentation condition that causes brown and gray patches to appear on the face.

Boston Medical Center Grows First Hospital-Based Rooftop Farm in Massachusetts

(Boston) - July 13, 2017 - Boston Medical Center (BMC) is taking its reputation as the greenest hospital in the Boston area literally, as the once barren roof on top of its power plant building has been transformed into the largest rooftop farm in the city. The 7,000 square feet of growing space, already flourishing with fresh produce, including arugula, bok choy, radishes, Swiss chard and kale, is expected to produce approximately 5,000 pounds of food this growing season, most of which is going directly to BMC patients.

Hospital Discharge Program Improves Patient Experience Leaving the Hospital

(Boston) – July 6, 2017 – A standardized, in-hospital discharge planning program, known as Project ReEngineered Discharge (RED), improves patient experience as they leave the hospital, according to researchers at Boston Medical Center. The study, published online in the Journal of Patient Experience found patients who received the RED intervention felt more comfortable caring for themselves at home than patients who went through a standard discharge.

Yoga and Physical Therapy Yield Similar Results in Treating Chronic Low Back Pain

(Boston) - June 19, 2017 - While many people with chronic low back pain see a physical therapist to help improve their symptoms, a new study suggests that yoga may be just as effective. Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center (BMC) researchers found that yoga classes designed for chronic low back pain produced similar outcomes compared to physical therapy for reducing pain, improving function and lowering the need for pain medication among the study participants. This demonstrates that yoga should be considered as a treatment option for patients depending on their preferences and availability.

Boston Medical Center, Head Start Partner to Prevent Maternal Depression

(Boston) - June 14, 2017- Boston Medical Center (BMC), in partnership with Action for Boston Community Development’s (ABCD) Head Start program, has helped mothers experience a 40 percent reduction in the emergence of clinically significant depressive symptom episodes. Among the study’s subpopulation whose initial depression screening indicated low depressive symptom levels, they experienced a 61 percent reduction. The five-year study screened more than 2,200 mothers for their depression risk within Head Start locations in the Boston area and was the first to use lay health workers to deliver a depression prevention intervention within a community-based agency. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, could also help shape public health policy for improving mental health screening and preventing depression in mothers with young children.

Boston Medical Center Health System to Shift MassHealth Patients to Accountable Care Organization Model

(Boston) – June 8, 2017 – The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has elected to enter into contract negotiations with Boston Medical Center (BMC) Health System on its proposal to enroll low income children and adults covered by MassHealth (Medicaid) in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model of care. Slated to begin in January, the ACO is designed to improve care and slow the rapid growth in MassHealth costs.

In Utero Tobacco Exposure Can Lead to Executive Function Issues in Adolescents

(Boston) – June 1, 2017 – Prenatal tobacco exposure is known to have negative short-term impacts including preterm birth, low birth weight and subsequent behavioral issues. However, a new study found that the negative impacts can last well into the child’s future. The results showed that exposure to as few as 10 cigarettes a day was associated with negative impacts on the executive function of adolescents who were exposed prenatally. Published online in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the study is the first to look at the long-term impact on students in a high school setting and demonstrates the importance of providing more evidence-based smoking cessation programs to women of childbearing age and pregnant women.

Primary Care Hepatitis C Treatment Program Shows Promise for Success, Broader Implementation

(Boston) - May 9, 2017 - By employing a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care, Boston Medical Center’s (BMC) Adult Primary Care Practice successfully treated 66 patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), or one-fifth of those referred into the program, using new oral medications between March 2015 and April 2016. A PCMH is a model of primary care focused on comprehensive, team-based, and coordinated care that is accessible to all patients and centered on quality and safety. BMC’s multidisciplinary team approach demonstrates that physicians in primary care settings can deliver HCV care and is important to expand HCV treatment.

Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine’s Daniel P. Alford, MD, MPH, FACP, to Receive National Award from the American College of Physicians

Established by ACP’s Board of Regents in 2014, the award recognizes distinguished contributions to the integration of behavioral medicine with traditional medicine. This award is given to an individual who has furthered the care of patients by recognizing the importance of caring for the whole patient, both mind and body.

Study Shows Strong Alcohol Policies Protect Against Drunk Driving Deaths among Young People

(Boston) – Feb. 14, 2017 – Stronger alcohol policies protect young people from dying in crashes caused by drunk driving according to researchers at Boston Medical Center. The study, which is published online in the journal Pediatrics, supports the importance of comprehensive alcohol control policies to reduce the number of young people who die in alcohol-related crashes.

Scientists Aim to Create the World's Largest Sickle Cell Disease Stem Cell Library

(Boston) Jan. 19, 2016 - Scientists at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) are creating an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based research library that opens the door to invaluable sickle cell disease research and novel therapy development.