The Traveling Wheelchair

East Campus
330 Brookline Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-667-7000
http://www.bidmc.harvard.edu/

Today I headed to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for a routine appointment with Dr. Haspel and Dr. Silvestri , my Pulmonary doctors. Their office is located in the Carl J. Shapiro Clinical Center on the East Campus. I decided to do a wheelchair accessibility review of the Shapiro Building since I was here today.

There are two main entrances, one on Brookline Avenue and the other on Binney Street, right off Longwood Avenue. The parking garage, located on Binney Street is under the building. The first level has all handicap parking spaces. If they are all taken you can drive to other levels in which handicap parking spaces are conveniently located near the elevators which will take you to the main lobby. The elevators in the garage are spacious and easily fit a wheelchair and others. Valet parking is also available at the Binney Street entrance for disabled yet it is more costly.

If you enter or exit through the Binney Street  door, you will find an automatic door or revolving doors that can easily fit a wheelchair. There is a button that you can push to stop the revolving door to give you enough time to get in! I find the revolving doors kind of fun to go into!

The main lobby is very spacious and there is plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair.   It was recently renovated and has very high ceilings. On your way out don’t forget to stop at the main desk to get your ticket validated and pay so you can get out of garage! If you want to stop for a bite to eat before or after your appointment the  Souper Salad is located here. The elevators to all the floors are very large and can easily accommodate a few wheelchairs and others as well. Today, I went to the 7th floor for my appointment with Dr. Haspel and Dr. Silvestri, my Pulmonary doctors.

I have been to appointments on almost all of the floors and basically they all look the same and all have same features as far as wheelchair accessibility. Dr. Smetana, my Primary Care Physician, Dr. Kupperwaser, my Ophthalmologist, Dr. Arroyo, my Retina surgeon, Dr. Danzinger, my Kidney doctor and Dr. Weiss, my Sleep Apnea doctor are all wonderful and caring FIVE STAR doctors whose offices are located in this same building. Dr. Schomer, my neurologist is my only BIDMC doctor who is located in another building. His office is in the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Baker Building. He is a FIVE STAR doctor too :>)

The entry door to the offices of my Pulmonary doctors has an automatic door opener. The waiting room is spacious and the receptionists are friendly and polite. Dr. Haspel is really nice. He always comes to warmly greet me in the waiting room and takes me back to the examining room. The examining room appears kind of small, yet it really isn’t for we had no problem comfortably fitting my wheelchair, my mom, Kelly and Kevin my friends and Dr. Haspel all in this room at once. I like Dr. Haspel a real lot for he always takes the time to listen to what I have to say and always leaves choices up to me to decide. We also joke around a little and get some laughs in. He even remembered that at my last visit I told him that I was going to go to Hooters in Boston to do a wheelchair accessibility review. I told him today that I did go but Hooters closed and a new sports restaurant is in their location. (see my DJ’s at the Garden review). Dr. Silvestri always comes in to see me before I leave. He is always very kind and a really nice guy too.

I also checked out the restrooms at the office when I was there today. They have a separate unisex handicap restroom. It is spacious and has all of the ADA requirements, even the protective covering around the pipes of the accessible sink. The soap dispenser and the faucets are easy to reach for one in a wheelchair.

The back of the door of the restroom has two coat/purse hooks on the back. One higher hook is for an able person and a lower hook is at a height that a person in a wheelchair can reach. I really like that this office thought of us in wheelchairs. I didn’t have my coat with me today but it would really come in handy in the winter. I don’t carry a purse but women in wheelchairs would really appreicate the hook all year round.

I give the The Carl J. Shapiro Clinical Center at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) FIVE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. I also give Dr. Haspel, Dr. Silvestri and all my doctors at BIDMC FIVE STARS for being so sensitive, kind and respectful to me and especially for letting me make my own choices.