Dear Colleagues:
As of today, Tufts Children’s Hospital will no longer accept overnight pediatric admissions.
However, we will continue to offer a robust program of outpatient primary care and specialty services, along with pediatric day surgery and our pediatric emergency room.
I’m writing to direct you to important information you may need as you consider where to send your patients for primary and specialty care.
First, there are some key phone numbers that you and your patients will need for questions and assistance transitioning patients:
FOR CLINICIANS:
Tufts Physician Access Line: 617-636-1440
- Line staffed 8:30 am – 5 pm
- To facilitate routine, urgent and emergent appointments for your patients
- To answer questions about physician availability at Tufts Boston and community sites
Boston Children’s Referring Provider Access Line: 617-355-KIDS (5437)
- Line staffed 24/7
- To facilitate transfer of patients requiring urgent care
- To schedule planned admissions
- To schedule ambulatory appointments with BCH specialists
FOR PATIENTS/FAMILIES:
Tufts Transition Line: 866-978-2339
- Line staffed 8:30am – 4:30pm M-F
- For help getting a new doctor
- For assistance transferring to adult services
Boston Children’s Patient/Family Transition Line: 617-355-3535
- Line staffed 7am – 8pm M-F
- Established specifically for Tufts pediatric patients and families
- For appointments with a BCH specialist
- New patient registration
- For help with insurance questions
- For assistance with Financial Services, Case Management etc
Finally, you can also log onto tuftsmedicalcenter.org/BCH, where you will find the access numbers above as well as copies of letters we have sent patients about the status of their specialty care practices. This page will also change frequently. So please check back regularly for updates.
For many reasons, these past six months have been challenging. For our beloved families who have relied on us for so many years to care for their sick children, it has been unsettling. For the care providers who have dedicated their lives to this work and the Tufts Children’s mission, it has been emotional. For those working to reimagine pediatric care at Tufts Medical Center and to make this transition as smooth as possible for our patients and families, it has been exhausting. I want to thank all our teams for their professionalism and all that has been accomplished so far. We said that every decision we made would be focused on what is best for the children of Eastern Massachusetts, and that focus continues to guide our actions.
We have more work ahead as we continue to hire new physicians and work through additional details with Boston Children’s Hospital. Thank you, as always, for your patience and support.
Sincerely,
Geoffrey Binney, Jr., MD, MPH
Pediatrician-in-Chief
Tufts Medical Center
