life-threatening EmergencIES
- Call 911 (or 9-911 from campus), or go to the nearest Emergency Room.
Non-Life Threatening Emergencies
- During regular hours: Call the Medical Area Health Service at 617-432-1370.
- After Hours: Call HUHS Urgent Care (Cambridge) at 617-495-5711. The Urgent Care Service may direct you to come to HUHS at Holyoke Center in Harvard Square or to go to a nearby Emergency Room. If directed to Holyoke Center’s Urgent Care Services, cab vouchers are available for students living on campus from the Vanderbilt Hall security desk attendant.
Needlesticks or biohazardous exposure
- First, attend to the injury. For example, if there is a wound from a sharp object, wash it with soap and water and apply direct pressure if it is bleeding. If clothing is contaminated from a chemical, biological or radiation spill, remove it and wash the exposed area. The MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheets) are available when laboratory reagents and chemicals are used and may be a useful resource for immediate care.
- Next, call to arrange medical attention. During weekdays, 9AM-5PM, call the Medical Area Health Service 617-432-1370. After hours, weekends and holidays, call the HUHS After Hours Urgent Care Clinic 617-495-5711.
- Dental and medical students who may have been exposed to pathogens via body fluid exposure should call 617-384-STIK (7845.) This is a recorded message with a page number of the HUHS on-call physician. Page the physician for advice in receiving immediate care and follow-up care for the exposure. Note, medical students who are advised to seek immediate care in a hospital emergency department should register using their Harvard Student Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan or other supplemental insurance. Do not register in the hospital emergency department as a hospital employee or you may be subject to a bill for the E.D. services.
Contact Information at HMS Clinical Sites Following Possible Body Fluid Exposure