Boston Medical Center

Boston Medical Center
Moakley Building from Harrison Avenue
Geography
Location	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates	42°20′06″N 71°04′25″W / 42.3349°N 71.0735°W / 42.3349; -71.0735Coordinates: 42°20′06″N 71°04′25″W / 42.3349°N 71.0735°W / 42.3349; -71.0735
Organization
Care system	Private, Medicare, Medicaid
Hospital type	Teaching
Affiliated university	Boston University
Services
Emergency department	Level I trauma center
Beds	496
History
Founded	1855
Links
Website	http://www.bmc.org/
Lists	Hospitals in Massachusetts

Boston City Hospital, shown here in a 1903 photo, was one of the two institutions which merged in 1996 to form Boston Medical Center.

Boston Medical Center (BMC) is a non-profit 496-bed academic medical center in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest safety-net hospital and Level I trauma center in New England.

BMC employs more than 1,400 physicians — including 704 residents and fellows — and 1,505 nurses.

History

BMC was created by the formal merger of Boston City Hospital (BCH) which was the first municipal hospital in the United States and Boston University Medical Center Hospital (BUMCH) in July 1996 which was sponsored at founding by the Methodists and then by Boston University.

Boston University School of Medicine opened its doors November 5, 1873, combining the Female Medical College of Boston with the medical staff of the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital. Dr. Israel T. Talbot was the first chairman of the Department of Surgery at BU while also serving as the first Dean of BUSM.

The history of the Department of Surgery at BU dates back to 1946, when Dr. Reginald H. Smithwick was recruited from Massachusetts General Hospital to serve at Surgeon-in-Chief. With him, he brought a team of talented surgeons, including Dr. Jesse Thompson, a pioneer in vascular surgery; Dr. Douglas Farmer, a gastrointestinal surgeon; Dr. Chester Howe, a specialist in surgical infectious disease; and Dr. George Whitelaw, a noted educator and general surgeon. Smithwick served as chairman for nearly 20 years, and was followed by Dr. Richard Egdahl who was recruited from the Medical College of Virginia in 1963. Dr. Egdahl continued to pioneer the clinical research capabilities, and later retired in 1973. In 1997, Dr. Egdahl was named the first Alexander Graham Bell Professor of Entrepreneurial Medicine at BUSM.

Following periods of leadership by Drs. Lester Williams, Peter Mozden, Robert Hobson, Edward Spatz and James Becker, Gerard Doherty assumed the position of Chair of the Department of Surgery in 2012.

Research

The Framingham Heart Study, a longitudinal study of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in collaboration with staff who are faculty at the Boston University School of Medicine, has helped obtained much of our current knowledge about heart disease.^[1]

The Amyloidosis Center at Boston Medical Center is known internationally as a leader in basic and clinical research on amyloidosis. Notably, they pioneered the use of high dose Chemotherapy and Stem cell transplantation for patients with AL amyloidosis.^[2]

Patient care

Supporting services

The hospital has many services, extending beyond traditional medical procedures. With its long history of serving the low-income population, the hospital has programs that include:^[3]

• The Preventive Food Pantry to which doctors can write prescriptions for food for undernourished patients
• The bWell Center innovative approach to educating and supporting families of the Boston Medical Center Pediatrics Department.
• Home visits to ensure patients and their families are following care instructions, and to identify problems at home which may lead to medical conditions
• Lawyers on staff to help people navigate government assistance programs, and to deal with landlords who maintain unhealthy conditions
• Special counseling and asylum assistance for victims of torture and political persecution
• Training for first responders dealing with children who have witnessed violence
• Pediatricians giving books to families with children to promote reading

Boston Medical Center (BMC) HealthNet Plan

BMC HealthNet plan earned the #3 rank among Medicaid plans in the nation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in its Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Rankings, 2011–2012. Comprehensive coverage for hospital, primary, specialty and behavioral health care are among the benefits and services provided. The Plan also offers extras beyond traditional benefits; all members receive discounts on Weight Watchers® and fitness club memberships plus access to a 24/7 Nurse Advice Line. In addition, MassHealth members receive free car safety seats and bike helmets for kids and manual breast pumps for nursing mothers. BMC HealthNet Plan also operates Well Sense Health Plan, a Medicaid plain in New Hampshire.

Employees

Boston Medical Center employs,4,902 full-time equivalent employees, consisting of more than 1,422 in-house physicians — including 704 residents and fellows — and 1,331 nurses. Boston Medical Center also incorporates the ambulance service Eascare (headquartered in Dorchester, MA) into their operation to transport patients from one campus to another.

References

1. ↑ http://www.framinghamheartstudy.org/about-fhs/history.php
2. ↑ http://www.bu.edu/amyloid/about/program/key-research-findings/
3. ↑ Boston Medical Center Documentary (from the WBUR Newsroom)

Further reading

• Ryan, Andrew, "Old morgue finds new life as a clinic for homeless", The Boston Globe, May 31, 2008

External links

• Boston Medical Center
• Boston University Medical Campus
• Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan
• Boston Medical Center Documentary By Rachel Gotbaum. WBUR. 2006 audio documentary on the 10th anniversary of the merger, describing history and innovative programs of BMC. (RealAudio)