bmc travel clinic

Travel Clinic

Shapiro Center 725 Albany Street, Suite 9B Boston, MA 02118 United States

Phone: (617) 414-4290 (Appointments by phone only) Fax: (617) 414-5503 Hours Available: Monday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm

Boston Medical Center Travel Clinic

The Boston Medical Center Travel Clinic provides comprehensive travelers’ health services, including routine and travel vaccines, malaria prevention, travelers’ diarrhea prevention and management, general advice about keeping healthy during travel, and diagnosis and treatment of travel-related illness. Our team is made up of nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians with experience in internal medicine, pediatrics, infectious diseases, travel and tropical medicine, parasitology, and immigrant medicine. Some members of our team have additional certifications in Travel and Tropical Medicine from the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) and/or the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).

We stock and provide all routine childhood and adult vaccines as well as specialized travel immunizations including yellow fever vaccine, Japanese encephalitis vaccine, typhoid vaccines, meningococcal vaccines, and rabies vaccine. Our team can provide individualized services to travelers with special travel health needs, including infants and young children, travelers with special medical needs, immunocompromised travelers, pregnant travelers, those preparing to work or live overseas for prolonged periods, and business and adventure travelers. We can arrange to provide sessions for groups of travelers such as students, volunteers, and missionaries .

We are located in Suite 9B of the Shapiro Ambulatory Care Center at Boston Medical Center, 725 Albany Street, Boston. The clinic is located in Boston’s South End. We can be reached at 617-414-4290. We offer appointments for adults 8 am – 5 pm Monday through Friday and specialized clinics for children and families Wednesday from 8 am – noon and Thursday from 9 am – noon. Although we recommend that the prospective traveler make an appointment 4-6 weeks in advance of the trip, we are pleased to accommodate those with time constraints.

Please contact us at 617-414-4290 to make an appointment or receive assistance with any questions.

Please visit www.bmc.org/travelclinic.htm for more information.

Services Offered

Boston Medical Center’s Travel Clinic offers expertise in travel medicine to all areas of the world including:

• Latin America
• Middle East

Additionally, we offer the following services :

Pre-Travel Care

Immunizations:

• Routine childhood and adult vaccines

Travel vaccines, including:

• Yellow fever vaccine
• Hepatitis A vaccine
• Japanese encephalitis vaccine
• Meningococcal vaccine
• Typhoid vaccines (oral and injectable)

Pre-travel advice on the following topics:

• Avoidance of insect bites
• Prevention of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and other insects, such as malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis
• Prevention and treatment of traveler’s diarrhea
• Prevention and management of animal bites
• Prevention and management of travel-related health problems such as traffic accidents, altitude illness, motion sickness, and jet lag
• Travel with children
• Travel during pregnancy evacuation insurance
• Healthy travel for individuals with chronic diseases or immunosuppressive disorders
• Topics for long-term travelers including adjustment issues, need for tuberculosis testing, and healthcare options abroad

We will prescribe medications as needed :

• To prevent malaria
• To treat travelers’ diarrhea
• To manage altitude sickness and motion sickness
• For HIV post-exposure prophylaxis for people who will be providing medical care overseas

Post-Travel Care

Diagnosis and treatment of travel-related health problems:

• Fever after travel
• Acute and chronic diarrhea
• Skin diseases
• Parasitic diseases including malaria, schistosomiasis, filarial diseases, and chagas disease

Frequently Asked Questions

• Which shots will I need?
• How soon before my trip should I see you?
• How do I make an appointment?
• Where is the Travel Clinic located?
• Will my insurance cover all this?
• Should I bring anything with me to my appointment?

1.   Which shots will I need?

At the time of your visit, your healthcare provider will determine which vaccines are needed. The choice of vaccines depends on where and when you are traveling, your past vaccination history and your health history. We will review your routine vaccine record and update your vaccines as needed.  Additional vaccines may include one or more of the following:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Japanese encephalitis
• Meningococcus
• Pneumococcus
• Typhoid fever
• Yellow fever
• Standard adult/children vaccinations including: Tetanus/diphtheria/acellular pertussis and MMR

2.   How soon before my trip should I see you?

Ideally, schedule your appointment at least 4 to 6 weeks in advance of your trip. While it is possible to receive most of the vaccines within 2-4 weeks of your trip, a few vaccines (rabies, Japanese encephalitis) require you to get multiple doses within a 4 week span.

3.   How do I make an appointment?

To schedule an appointment, please call 617.414.4290. Appointments are available Monday thru Friday, 9 am – 5 pm for adults and Wednesdays (8-noon) and Thursdays (9-noon) for children and families.

4.   Where is the Travel Clinic located?

The Travel Clinic is located in the Shapiro Ambulatory Care Center at 725 Albany Street, 9th Floor, Suite 9B.

Directions to BMC

The nearest parking garage is located at 710 Albany Street. Metered street parking also is available nearby. Valet parking is available for $12 per day in front of the Menino Pavilion.

5.   Will my insurance cover all this?

We accept most major forms of insurance. Please check with your primary care doctor first to see if you need a referral. Also, please be aware that some insurance companies may NOT cover all services. Please check with your insurance company regarding what services will be covered, prior to your appointment. All uncovered services will be the responsibility of the traveler. If your insurance company does not cover the specialized services that we offer or if you do not have health insurance, then you will be responsible for paying all charges at the end of your travel clinic appointment.

6.   Should I bring anything with me to my appointment?

Please bring your vaccine records, your WHO International Certificate of Immunization (yellow book) if you have one and a list of medications you are taking.

Travel Medicine Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Traveler’s Health http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/
• WHO Travel Health http://www.who.int/topics/travel/en/
• State Department Security Alerts  http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1766.html
• US Department of State Health Information http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_4971.html
• CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
• Fit for Travel www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx

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There are several places you can get vaccines and medicine before you travel.

Call your doctor or local health department to see if they can provide pre-travel advice, vaccines, and medicines.

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If you want to see a travel medicine specialist, the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) can help you find a clinic.

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• Frequently Asked Questions
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Grow Clinic

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The Grow Clinic for Children is an outpatient subspecialty clinic at Boston Medical Center that started in 1984 to provide comprehensive specialty medical, nutritional, developmental and social services and dietary assistance to children from the Greater Boston area referred with Failure To Thrive (FTT) by their primary care physician. In addition to providing clinical services, we advocate for policies that decrease the number of children in need. The Grow Clinic is part of BMC’s Department of Pediatrics.

About Failure to Thrive

Children with FTT have significant problems growing and do not gain weight or height at rates comparable to other children their age. Children who are not growing according to national standards are referred to the Grow Clinic by other clinics and physicians throughout the Greater Boston area for special care and follow-up.

Children with "Failure To Thrive" Diagnosis Demonstrate

• Shortened attention spans
• Increased risk of illness
• Persistent growth failure and emotional problems
• Delayed learning and language skills
• Impaired fine and gross motor skills

About Our Patients

Since the clinic was founded in 1984, more than 1,650 FTT children have graduated from our program. In 2015, over 230 children were served in the clinic. The following are some of our findings:

• Average time of successful treatment is 11 months.
• About 12% of our children are homeless and live in shelters.
• 82% of our children depend on public health insurance.
• The referral rate has doubled in the last five years.
• 10%-20% of children newly referred to the Grow Clinic were less than 2,500 grams at birth (low birth weight), and 89% of the children referred were less than 24 months of age.

Community Outreach

The Grow Clinic serves a diverse patient population, mostly low-income families from some of Greater Boston's poorest communities, including Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain, South Boston and the South End. Recent census data for these neighborhoods shows that:

• 68% of the population lives below 100% of the poverty level and nearly all live below 200% of the poverty level.   
•  55% of residents are African-American, 24% are Hispanic and 17% are Asian (includes Asian Indian and Middle Eastern). African Americans are at much higher risk of infant mortality than other ethnic groups, due in part to poor nutritional status of mothers and babies.

The Grow Clinic's intensive efforts to educate and reach out to community health centers have resulted in earlier intervention for FTT children, thus greatly increasing their chances of getting better and reducing the risk of hospitalization from 50% in 1984 to 5% in 2006.

The success of the clinic depends on outreach services that are not reimbursed by insurance companies or government programs. Therefore, the survival of the clinic depends on private  donations to fund essential outreach services to our clients in addition to medical care.

The children in the Grow Clinic range from moderately to severely malnourished. Because malnutrition is both a medical problem and a social/economic condition, the clinic takes a multidisciplinary approach to the care of FTT children and their families. This approach recognizes that there is a relationship between a safe and secure family environment and the well-being of the child.

Children’s HealthWatch  is the outreach and research arm of the Grow Clinic. Children’s HealthWatch identifies need for additional services for children in the pediatric emergency room with food insecurity and previously identified FTT and monitors the impact of public policy on the health of children ages zero to three.

Our services extend beyond traditional medical treatment. We provide intensive social service and nutrition home visiting, not only to residences but also other settings where children are fed (day care, schools, etc.). Our very successful outreach program helps patients' families access essentials such as nutritious foods, clothing, transportation, proper housing and other fundamental necessities.

These special outreach services are the key to our clinic's success and survival and depend entirely on donations from the private sector. Contact us to learn more about charitable opportunities, including donations , volunteering and internships.

• Medical assessment and treatment
• Nutritional assessment and counseling
• Social worker assessment
• Developmental assessment
• Child Psychiatry brief consultations
• Home health education
• Referral to BMC Food Pantry specialized nutritional supplements if not covered by insurance
• Referral to  Medical-Legal Partnership Boston  
• One way Taxi service to or from Grow Clinic appointments for selected fragile patients
• Camperships (as funding permits)
• Iron Foods List

Faculty Physicians - Tuesday & Wednesday

Founder, Grow Clinic Deborah A. Frank, MD

Co-Director, Grow Clinic Megan T. Sandel, MD, MPH

Co-Director, Grow Clinic Soukaina Adolphe, MD Mona Doss Roberts, DO

Margot Newburger Tang, MD

Jodi K. Wenger, MD

Administrative & Clinical Staff

Senior Coordinator Marie Celestin

Team Lead Emily Guerrero, MPH

Patient Navigator II Oliver Diaz

Registered Dieticians Amelia Quigley, RD Rebecca "Yi-Hsin" Lee, RD

Social Workers  Tania Altidor, LICSW Jesika Lopez, LICSW

Outreach Workers

Haitian-Creole Family Outreach Worker Simeon Damas

Hispanic Family Outreach Worker Olga Elias

Vietnamese Family Outreach Worker Hong Mabington

Patient Information

To schedule an appointment or to refer a patient please call 617.414.5251

Your appointment will take place on the Boston Medical Center campus at the following location:

Grow Clinic Crosstown Center, 7th floor 801 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, MA 02119

Clinics are held on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon and in the evening on the second Tuesday of each month. Directions  and a  campus map  are available to help you find our office.

You may also schedule an appointment at our satellite clinic Brockton Neighborhood Health Center 63 Main Street Brockton, MA 02301 508.559.6699

Support Grow Clinic

Under "Gift Designation" select "Other" and type in "Grow Clinic" in the "Other Designation" field.

Growth & Development Programs: Supply Drive

Many of the Grow Clinic children and their families are struggling with the cost of heat, food, and shelter year round. Finding additional funds to provide children with basic necessities is difficult indeed. With your help, we can support our patients and their families and help them to be warm and healthy. Your gift ensures that our yearly drive reaches not only our patients, but also their siblings, strengthening the whole family.

The Grow Clinic serves families in Boston at Boston Medical Center and also has a satellite clinic at the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center. Please review our supply donation listing to help you plan your donation.

Please call 617.414.5251 to schedule your donation drop-off. 

Grow Clinic Holiday Party and Toy Drive

Our holiday party takes place in December. In preparation for the party and to ensure that every family we serve has a joyous holiday season, please consider donating to our annual toy drive starting on October to support the children and siblings of the Grow Clinic.

Baby Steps NICU Follow Up Clinic at Boston Medical Center

The Baby Steps Clinic provides developmental evaluations and nutritional assessments of infants born prematurely or term infants that had a complicated newborn period. Similar to The Grow Clinic, Baby Steps is a multidisciplinary clinic staffed by a developmental/behavioral pediatrician, occupational therapists, dietitians, and family outreach advocates.

Families seen in the Baby Steps Clinic often face struggles similar to those faced by Grow Clinic families, including the cost of providing heating, food, and safe, stable housing for their medically fragile child and their siblings. With your donations and support, we can provide Baby Steps families with supplies that are essential to newborn development and nutrition and help families begin a healthy life for their babies.

Please also consider supporting the Baby Steps Clinic. In-kind donations, detailed in the link below, can be dropped-off following the same directions for Grow Clinic donations.

Baby Steps Supply List

Useful Links

• C.A. MacDonald and Associates
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention Pediatric Nutrition and Surveillance System
• Center for Law and Social Policy
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Child Trends Inc.
• Child Welfare League of America
• Children's Defense Fund
• Harbor-UCLA Department of Pediatrics
• Project Bread
• Second Harvest
• Stand for Children
• Urban Institute
• US Department of Agriculture  
• US Department of Health and Human Services
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation