Important Announcements

Nondiscrimination Policy 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 read our full Nondiscrimination Statement, click here.

Having Your Baby at BMC

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A baby's safety is very important at BMC. Only staff wearing yellow identification badges are allowed to transport a baby from a mother's room to other areas. Each baby will have a tag placed on his/her ankle when admitted to the unit. This is a part of an electronic-monitoring system used to keep babies safe. The tag will be removed before they leave the hospital.

During the hospital stay, the baby will receive:

  • Eye Ointment (by 2 hours of life)
  • Vitamin K Shot (by 2 hours of life)
  • Hearing Screen (before going home)
  • Hepatitis B Immunization (before going home)
  • Newborn Metabolic Screening (after 24 hours of life)

The team will provide patients with:

  • Personalized instruction on newborn care
  • Tips for successful breastfeeding
  • Access to videos that address infant care, safety, feeding, and other topics
  • Help identifying a primary care provider and making the first appointment
  • Birth certificates

Before going home, each family is given a book about newborn and child care called Growing Up Healthy (in English or Spanish). Parents are encouraged to bring this book to all of their pediatric visits and to use it to record their infant's growth and special achievements.

Things to take care of before bringing a new baby home:

Car Seat: A car seat is necessary to bring the baby home from the hospital. If a patient has BMC HealthNet Plan, they will automatically get a free infant car seat on the day they leave the hospital. For information call: 1-800-CAR-SAFE (227-7233).

Health Insurance: Patients are eligible. Call or visit these websites for more information:
WellSense Health Plan
617.414.6100

MassHealth (Medicaid)
1.800.682.1062
 

Making sure the patient’s home is safe for a baby:

To find out if a home is safe for a baby, reach out to one of the following programs.

Boston Public Health Commission Childhood Injury Prevention Program
617.534.5197

BMC Family Help Desk
617.414.4349

Lead Safety Issues: Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
617.534.2641

Breastfeeding Information:Call the BMC Breastfeeding Center at 617.414.MILK (6455) for support and answers, and attend the free breastfeeding classes. BMC HealthNet Plan provides free electric breast pumps.

Do You Need Help With Anything Else?

Stop by the BMC Family Help Desk on the 5th floor of the Yawkey Ambulatory Care Building, located at 850 Harrison Avenue. They are open Monday - Wednesday and Friday from 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM. Call 617.414.4349 to schedule appointments for help with:

  • AFDC/Welfare to Work
  • Cash assistance
  • Childcare
  • Food
  • Health insurance
  • Housing
  • Job training/employment
  • Summer camp
  • WIC

Important Phone Numbers

The BirthPlace
617.414.4363

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
617.414.4359

The Breastfeeding Center
617.414.MILK (6455)

Labor and Delivery
617.414.4360

BMC HealthNet Plan Insurance
617.414.6100

Newborn Hearing Screen
617.414.4898

Resources

Information for Families

Click the links to get more information about accessing these resources.

Highlights