Medical Emergencies

A medical emergency is an injury, illness, or sudden event creating an immediate risk to a person's life or long-term health. Emergencies of this nature require immediate assistance from the emergency response system 911. 

If you experience an emergency on or off campus, your first response is the same:

Call 911 immediately (Boston Emergency Services). Give them the following information:

• Your name, and the name and approximate age of person experiencing the emergency.
• Location. Be specific: Street name and number or intersection, building, floor, and room number.
• Describe the emergency situation the ill/injured person is experiencing. If the emergency is an accident, specify the type of accident: e.g., a fall, an auto accident, electric shock.
• Provide a callback telephone number.
• Stay on the line until you are told to hang up.

Whenever possible, Emerson Public Safety will facilitate transportation for urgent medical situations on campus. Call Public Safety at 617-824-8888 after calling 911. They can provide additional assistance and help direct the emergency responders.

Special Emergency Situations

• Alcohol Poisoning (Medical Amnesty)
• Sexual Assault

Other medical situations that do not create an immediate risk still may require an urgent evaluation (within hours of event) by a health care professional. Call the CHW during regular hours, or Emerson Public Safety after hours. (Do not email us regarding emergencies.)

During school breaks, non-urgent care is available at Medical Care Affiliates (MCA), One Boylston Plaza, Boston, 617-262-1500, or any physician's office of your choice. Students treated outside the Center are responsible for all bills incurred.

For consultation with the After Hours On-Call Physician Practice, resident students can do one of the following:

• contact Public Safety at 617-825-8555
• make a request with a Securitas staff member, located in the lobby of each residence hall
• contact a Resident Assistant to page the Resident Director on duty