Support Services

Resources and Support for Patients and Families

At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), we are committed to supporting you and your loved ones throughout your care. Our support services include resources to help address concerns about your care, dedicated volunteers who provide comfort and assistance, and educational tools to help you better understand health and treatment options.

Patient Relations

BIDMC puts people at the center of everything we do and we are committed to trying to meet your needs in the best possible way. We recognize that, at times, concerns and problems may arise. To promote communication, we encourage you to speak with the people involved in your care, such as your attending or resident physician, your nurse, or the nurse manager on your unit.

If there is a concern or complaint that is not being resolved to your satisfaction, or if you would prefer to discuss with someone not directly involved in the situation, the patient relations staff is available. They can help to clarify issues, obtain information, facilitate communication, mediate, and otherwise help to resolve concerns about your care or service.

The Office of Patient Relations is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00–4:30 pm. Please complete the form below and someone will be in touch with you.

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You can also reach us by phone, mail or email:

Volunteer Services

We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of volunteers who provide additional services to patients and families throughout the medical center. During your stay, a volunteer may deliver magazines or a newspaper to your room. Or a volunteer may offer to assist you at the information desk, in the emergency department, in testing areas, or in the waiting areas of inpatient floors.

Our volunteer surgical liaisons are the primary contacts between medical staff and families while patients are in surgery. They are able to relay non-medical information to family members on the day of the procedure. If surgery is on the west campus, family and friends should check in with the surgical liaison office on the sixth floor of the Clinical Center. On the east campus, volunteer staff are available in the waiting area on the third floor of the Carl J. Shapiro Clinical Center.

Health Information Resources

If you or your family want to learn more about any aspect of healthcare, the Beth Israel Deaconess Learning Center can help. Call 617-667-9100 to ask a Learning Center resource specialist to send you information on treatment. The medical center's website also contains a wealth of information on a variety of health topics.