Ensuring your voice is heard 

Imagine a world where healthcare is not just about treating illnesses, but also about providing exceptional quality, service and safety to every patient. Patient and family advisory councils (PFACs) offer invaluable insights that can help us move closer to this vision, by improving access, education, patient satisfaction and loyalty. They provide an independent community perspective to help the organization enhance patient services.

Make a difference

PFACs include patients, family members, healthcare professionals and administrators who work closely to promote trust, inclusion and build stronger and healthier communities. We'd love for you to join and contribute, find individual details including annual reports and how to join by selecting your local hospital:

• Lowell General Hospital
• MelroseWakefield Hospital
• Tufts Medical Center

As a patient of Tufts Medicine, you have the responsibility to:

• Be on time for scheduled appointments and call us when you are late or need to reschedule.
• Bring information about your present and past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other health-related matters. Be open and honest about your health and medical history so that informed decisions can be made about your care.
• Ask any questions you or your family members may have regarding your health so that they can be answered. Tell the staff immediately if you do not understand any information or instructions you receive regarding your health or if you think you cannot carry out any instructions.
• Follow your physician’s advice and instructions and take all medication as prescribed. Let the staff know immediately about any changes in your symptoms or general condition. We are partners in your care during and after your stay in the hospital.
• Promptly pay your bill and inform us about your health insurance so the bill can be processed quickly and appropriately.
• Be considerate of other patients and their needs.
• Help other patients breathe easier — do not smoke where prohibited.

Code of conduct

Tufts Medicine is committed to ensuring an inclusive workplace and providing frictionless, equitable care experiences. This means nurturing a culture of inclusion and maintaining a safe and respectful environment for patients, visitors, and care team members. Disruptive conduct that is offensive, abusive, violent, threatening, or discriminatory will not be tolerated.

Examples of such conduct include, but are not limited to:

• Racist, sexist, or derogatory comments or slurs
• Acts of aggression, including threats
• Possession of weapons or firearms
• Disruption of other patients’ care or experience
• Unauthorized videography, voice recordings, or photography of patients, visitors or care team members.

Violations of this code of conduct may result in:

• Visitors may be asked to leave the premises, and future visits may be restricted.
• Stabilized patients may be asked to leave and receive non-emergency care elsewhere.
• Violent behavior or criminal activity may be reported to campus or local police

Everyone using or visiting our facilities is expected to abide by these principles. If you witness or are the target of any of these behaviors, please report it to a care team member.

Download and read our code of conduct in 11 languages:

• English
• Arabic
• Haitian Creole
• Italian
• Japanese
• Khmer
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish
• Traditional Chinese
• Vietnamese

You are the primary member of your healthcare team and have the right and responsibility to participate to ensure the safe delivery of care. You may request copies of hospital policies and procedures or practices related to care, treatment and responsibility.

• HIPAA + Notice of Privacy Practices: A notice of privacy practices that describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information.
• Notice of Nondiscrimination: Tufts Medicine complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex.
• Financial assistance: Tufts Medicine provides financial counseling and assistance to those in need.
• Health Care Proxy + Medical Decision Making: Hospitals are required, by federal law, to provide all adult patients with information on their rights under state law to make decisions regarding their medical care, their right to make an “advance directive” and the hospital’s policies regarding such rights.
• Interpreter services: We offer free interpreter services to all patients, 24 hours a day, in over 240 languages.
• Massachusetts Patients Bill of Rights: Rights guaranteed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and information on how to file a grievance.
• New Hampshire Home Care Rights + Responsibilities: Your rights as a home care recipient in New Hampshire and how to share concerns or file a complaint.
• Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST): This is a decision-making process used by physicians for seriously ill patients. It involves specifying the patient's preferences for life-sustaining treatments based on their current condition. MOLST ensures that the wishes of persons with advanced illness regarding life-sustaining treatments are communicated and respected across all healthcare settings.
• Medical records: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guarantees that all medical records are confidential. Patients may request their medical records at any time.
• Speak up: We ask our patients to speak up if they have concerns. 
• Surprise Billing Protection Notice: Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills.
• Your responsibilities + Code of Conduct: We ask patients to take ownership of these responsibilities while they are at Tufts Medicine.

Visitor information
Are you a family member planning to visit a loved one in the hospital? Information in this section includes visiting hours, nearby ATMs, discounted accommodations, places to eat and more.

Spiritual care
Interfaith chaplains are here to provide spiritual and emotional support to our patients, their loved ones, and our staff. We are available to assist and care for people of any religious tradition or spiritual identity. We can explore with you what holds meaning for you and incorporate this into your care as well as connect you with faith-specific resources and practices. If this would be helpful during your hospital stay, please contact us at 617.636.2500 or page 1211. Learn more

Ethics consultation services
The Ethics Consultation Service is available to assist families who may be facing difficult decisions regarding the care of their loved one.

Volunteer services
Volunteers at Tufts Medical Center in Boston visit inpatients daily helping with non-medical support services. For example, our volunteers bring complimentary newspapers, magazines, books, puzzles, playing cards and games to patients and their families. If you are a patient and are trying to reach volunteer services, please call 617.636.1377, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

Medical records
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guarantees that all medical records are kept confidential. Patients may request their medical records at any time. Learn how to request your medical record.

Interpreter services
The Tufts MC Interpreter Services Program provides 24/7 access to interpretation to both our inpatient and outpatients. Learn about the languages available here. You can request an interpreter any weekday by asking the secretary on the unit to call 617.636.5547.

Pharmacy services
Tufts Medical Center has an in-house pharmacy that can fill all your prescription needs before you leave the hospital.  We can service patients discharged from the hospital and also patients seen in our ambulatory clinics.

Case management
The case management team is comprised of the case manager and social worker.  Their goal is to provide support for the patient/family/significant other throughout the hospital stay and during the discharge process.

Social work
The social work team helps you to enhance coping skills, communicate effectively with your other healthcare providers, gain access to resources and find solutions to a broad spectrum of problems.

• You may have water or sports drinks (Gatorade®, Powerade® or Pedialyte®) up until 2 hours before your surgery time.
• Wear loose fitting clothing and low heeled comfortable shoes. 
• Remove all jewelry, including rings and body piercings. Swelling may occur in your hands during surgery. Your rings may become too tight, which could affect the circulation in your fingers. Notify the nurse in advance if you have any questions or concerns. 
• Leave your contact lenses at home and bring eyeglasses. 
• Bring your crutches or walker or any other assistive device with you.
• Bring the name and telephone number of the responsible adult that will be escorting you home. 
• Bring your blue hospital card and insurance card.
• If you have a health care proxy or advance directive, bring it with you. 
• Bring your medication list to the hospital with you.
• If you have not been evaluated by an anesthesiologist prior, you will meet a member of your anesthesia care team to examine you and discuss your anesthetic and pain treatment options.
• Do not bring any valuables, such as jewelry, credit cards, checkbooks or large amounts of cash, with you.
• You will be asked to sign an informed consent. Read it carefully. Make sure everything on the form is correct. Make sure all of your questions have been answered. If you do not understand something on the form, ask someone to explain.
• The staff may ask you the same questions many times. They will ask: your name, what kind of surgery you are having, and the part of your body to be operated on. This is for your safety.
  Inform your surgeon and/or anesthesiologist if you have been previously told that you have a “difficult airway.”
• A health care worker might mark the spot on your body to be operated on. Make sure they mark only the correct part and nowhere else.
• Marking usually happens when you are awake. If you cannot be awake for the marking, an authorized individual will assist in the marking process.
• Your surgeon will take a “time out” just before surgery. This is done to make sure they are doing the right surgery on the right body part on the right person.
• Occasionally, emergency cases arise which cause unplanned delays. We apologize in advance for any wait you may experience and ask for your patience.
• If you are having a day procedure, you will stay in the recovery area for 90 minutes after your surgery and will need someone 18 years of age or older to accompany you home. 

• You will be taken to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). This is an open room with many patients awakening from anesthesia. Visitors are generally not allowed in the Inpatient PACU. Discuss any questions or concerns with your nurse.
• You will be observed closely until you recover from anesthesia. Your heart rate and blood pressure will be monitored and you will have an oxygen mask.
  The staff in the PACU will ask you a lot of questions to find out how alert you are and if you are having pain or nausea.
• The staff will ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 0-10 (with 0 being no pain and 10 being the most). Tell the staff about your pain so they can help relieve it.
• Ask questions about new medicines that are given to you. What is it? What is it for? If you have more questions about a medication, talk to your doctor or nurse before taking it.
• You will need instructions about what to do when you leave the hospital. This may include medications, therapy, how to care for your surgery site, and activities to avoid. Be sure to follow these instructions carefully, including when and who to call if you think you are having a problem. This helps reduce the risk of infection and, if you get an infection, allows for it to be taken care of early.
• You must have a responsible adult escort you home if you are having any type of sedation or anesthesia.
• To avoid reaching and bending, make sure you place medications and personal items within easy reach.
• Have a cell phone or cordless phone that you can keep in your pocket.
• Smoking, alcohol and drug use can cause you to have withdrawal or other substance-related problems after surgery. Please be honest with your care team. We are here to help you prepare and recover after your surgery.
• Your hospital care manager will help you arrange any services you need after your surgery.

Days or Weeks Before Surgery

At Home:

• Attend educational classes if available about your surgery.
• Complete Health Care Proxy which allows a person you designate to make medical decisions for you if you are unable.
• Arrange for someone to drive you home when you are discharged from the hospital. 
• Make arrangements for a responsible adult to assist in caring for you upon your return home.
• Arrange for a responsible person to care for children at home.
• Move obstacles such as throw rugs, extension cords, and footstools out of walkways. Make sure you can walk about easily with walker or crutches.
• Have appropriate seating for your type of surgery, no rolling chairs.
• Pets may need to be kept in a certain area so tripping is not a danger. Have enough food and supplies for your pet.
• Make sure handrails are secure in stairways.
• Have clean clothes for a few weeks ready or a plan for laundry.
• Arrange for mail to be picked up or place on hold for a few weeks.
• Stock up on food that is easy to cook like premade frozen meals, boxed meals, meals on wheels support, or grocery delivery.
• Have enough medications to last you a few weeks. 
• Try and refrain from smoking (or smoke less).

At the Hospital:

• Talk with your surgeon about why you need surgery, how it might help you and whether there are other options.
• Bring an up-to-date list of all medications and dosages, including over-the-counter medicines, supplements, and herbals, you take. Talk to your surgeon about why you take each medication and how it helps. Ask if there are any medicines (even over-the-counter) that you should not take before your surgery.
• Let the surgeon know if you are allergic to any medication and what happens when you take it. 
• Discuss with your surgeon if you are being treated for chronic pain. 
• Tell the surgeon if you have diabetes or high blood sugar.
• Tell your surgeon if you have heart problems or if you’re taking any heart medication.
• Depending on your surgery, you may be scheduled for a visit with an anesthesiologist. Tell your anesthesiologist about prior anesthesia experiences for you and for those within your family. Discuss your medical conditions and how they might affect your anesthetic options and your post operative pain management recommendations with your anesthesiologist.
• Inform your anesthesiologist if you have been previously told that you have a “difficult airway.”
• Talk to your surgeon about your anticipated discharge plan.
• Attend Center for Preoperative Assessment visit if scheduled. If you do not have an appointment, an RN will call you to do your assessment.

The Day or Night Before Surgery

• Do NOT shave near where you will have surgery. Shaving can irritate your skin, which may lead to infection. If you are a man who shaves your face every day, ask the surgeon if it is okay to do so.
• Keep warm. This means wearing warm clothes or wrapping up in blankets when you go to the hospital. In cold weather, it also means heating up the car before you get in. Keeping warm before surgery lowers your chances of getting an infection.
• Shower and wash your hair. Follow any instructions provided on use of an antimicrobial soap. Do not use hair spray or other hair styling products. Remove any nail polish on your fingers and toes and do not wear make-up. Your caregivers need to see your skin and nails to check your blood circulation.
• Follow all pre-surgery instructions carefully. You will probably be asked to stop eating the night before surgery. You may be instructed to stop taking regular medicines or you may be given a special medication or solution to drink before you go to the hospital.

Due to the complexity of the Operating Room schedule we are unable to provide your final arrival time until the day prior to surgery. After 2 pm on the day prior to surgery please call 617-636-TIME (8463) to confirm your expected arrival and surgical time.

Innovative partnerships with industry

Our longstanding dedication to working with industry and investors is reinforced by the creation and continual advancement of infrastructure, technologies and policies that fully support basic and clinical research — and its translation into commercially viable products and services in healthcare.

We continuously and successfully recruit some of the most innovative minds to collaborate and conduct their research here at Tufts Medical Center. When you partner with us, you’ll work with scientists and physicians who are not only among the most talented in Boston but among the brightest in the world.

Become a partner or investor

To find out how you can partner with one of our research teams or invest in innovation, please call 617.636.6182.

Cost estimate tool

This tool helps you estimate the cost of common hospital services and procedures. You can base your estimate on your insurance coverage or self-pay options. Self-service estimates for Medicare are not available at this time and are not required under the price transparency rules.

Get an estimate