Frequently Asked Questions about the Emergency Department

The Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital Emergency Department is located at 1153 Centre Street, Boston, MA 02130. Click here for directions and parking information.

The waiting area is accessible through an outside entrance as well as through the main first floor lobby entrance at the front of the building. If entering through the lobby, pass the Information Desk and the elevators and take your first right and you will see the Emergency Department entrance straight ahead.

If you have a medical emergency, it’s important to visit the nearest emergency department (ED) as soon as possible. A medical issue that requires immediate care may worsen without attention and proper treatment from an emergency care team. Seeking out care when every minute counts has never been more important.

"If you are experiencing chest pain or a worsening headache, please do not delay emergency care as these delays can lead to heart attack, stroke or even death," says Robin Powell, Nursing Director of the Emergency Department at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. "If you are experiencing an emergency, please visit us for emergency care."

• Any sudden or severe pain, including sudden or severe headache
• Change in mental status, confusion or unusual behavior or suicidal thoughts
• Coughing or throwing up blood
• Heavy bleeding that can’t be controlled
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizure
• Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea
• Trouble breathing or speaking
• New onset arm or leg weakness, facial droop or change in speech

• A significant accident or injury, including a severe burn, cut, blow to the head or fall
• Drug overdose
• Poisoning
• Severe allergic reaction
• Mental health emergency

You should bring your health insurance card, a list of all the medications you are currently taking (if you do not have an accurate and up-to-date list, please bring your medication bottles with you) and any records you may have concerning your health.

We recently developed and implemented a new patient- and family-centered emergency medicine model that is designed to get patients into an ED bed more quickly and provide other advantages to the traditional emergency care model.

Patient- and family-centered care is important to us. Please read our Visitor Information page for the latest updates.

For your convenience, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital provides valet services Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm (excluding holidays) at the 1st floor main entrance. There is no additional charge for valet service; customers only pay the daily rate. Patient/visitor self-parking is also available in the first floor garage and open lot. Click here for more information about parking.

Cell phone use is allowed in certain areas of the Emergency Department. We ask, however, that cell phone users be sensitive to the needs of patients and staff.

For a listing of food and beverage options at BWFH, including cafeteria and grill hours, click here.

The Interpreter and Translation Service at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital is committed to facilitating health care for non English-speaking and deaf and hard of hearing patients through the use of professional healthcare interpreters and by translating key healthcare documents. The service contributes to the overall hospital mission by serving a diverse group of patients and their families.

We make every effort to communicate with your personal physician during your visit, and some health plans require us to notify them of your visit.

Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital‘s Police and Security Officers are in the Emergency Department 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These officers are highly trained professionals, and are here to help ensure the safety and security of patients, visitors and staff.

The ED will be launching new digital technologies to help further improve safety and access to emergency care. We are developing a digital tool that will display wait times to allow patients to know how long they would have to wait to get emergency care at any given time. We are also developing a tool that will allow patients with less severe illnesses or injuries (like a swollen ankle) to schedule their own visit to the ED during times when it’s typically less busy (morning).