Emergency Care

Expert Care for Urgent Needs

All ED patients are cared for on a walk-in base. No appointments are necessary, however, our ED is typically busiest each day from noon to 6:00 pm. Patients are seen in the order of their arrival and according to the level of severity. Patients will be first screened by a nurse and then seen by a physician.

Located just steps from Massachusetts General Hospital, Mass Eye and Ear provides care to their emergency patients who need to be seen for conditions related to the eye, ear, nose, throat, head or neck. Mass General then provides reciprocal medical and surgical support to Mass Eye and Ear.

Urgent Eye Care: 24/7 Hotline and Virtual Visits

Mass Eye and Ear's Emergency Department (ED) has a Virtual Hotline program, where urgent eye health questions or concerns can be triaged by a nurse. The nurse will ask a series of questions to determine if the patient needs to be seen in-person at the ED or if their situation is appropriate for a virtual visit.

To speak with the nurse on staff, please call 617-573-3880.

This program is optional and only available to Massachusetts residents. If you are having severe eye pain, vision loss, eye trauma, flashes or floaters, or another eye care emergency, we are available to treat you in-person at the ED 24/7.

Emergency Eye and Trauma Eye Care

Mass Eye and Ear is a major referral center for eye trauma in the New England area and provides other emergency assistance to patients whose regular ophthalmic provider is not readily available.

In addition, we maintain a complete Eye Trauma Service with regular weekly schedule of outpatient appointments, as well as subspecialty services including retina, cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics and neuro-ophthalmology. The operating rooms at Mass Eye and Ear are always available for urgent surgeries.

The ED serves as a tertiary referral center for other hospitals and trauma centers in the area that lack ophthalmology coverage. Isolated eye trauma in an otherwise medically stable patient may be sent to the Mass Eye and Ear ED for consultation, treatment, and admission. Our staff has decades of experience in treating emergent ophthalmic conditions and treats over 20,000 patients yearly.

Emergency Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Care

Mass Eye and Ear also provides the region's only dedicated ear, nose, throat, head and neck emergency services with staff coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We work in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, which is accessible to patients with broader or associated medical issues. We also have access to the latest in radiologic imaging and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Conditions appropriately managed by referral to us can include conditions such as epistaxis (nose bleeds), hearing loss, injuries to the ears, injuries to the head and neck area, foreign bodies in ears, nose, or throat, facial fractures, burns involving the nose, ears, or mouth, paralysis of the face, sinus disorders, dizziness, compromised upper airway, difficulty swallowing, and lumps in the neck/throat, among others.