Patient Services
North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) offers a wide range of patient services. Patients are encouraged to relay special requests to their nurses or caregivers.
Patient Services and Amenities
Interpreters
NSMC provides interpreter services at no cost to patients, family members or companions involved in patient care. Trained medical interpreters are available in Spanish, Portuguese, Cambodian/Khmer, French, Haitian Creole and Russian. For additional languages, NSMC will try to provide in-person interpretation whenever possible. If an interpreter is not available, the staff may use a telephone interpreter service that offers up to 140 languages.
American Sign Language interpreters are also available. Hearing impaired persons may elect to bring their own interpreters, or NSMC will provide the services of interpreters who are registered with the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing when available.
An interpreter may be arranged for a patient by calling 781.477.3882.
Patient mail is delivered each morning to patient rooms. Any mail that arrives a patient has been discharged is forwarded to the patient's home address. Stamps and stationery may be purchased in the gift shop.
Care Mail
NSMC is pleased to offer an online greeting card service to patients. Family members and friends can send a patient a free email card through NSMC Care Mail. Greetings are delivered Monday through Friday by NSMC volunteers.
Flowers and Balloons
NSMC volunteers deliver flowers to patient rooms Monday through Friday afternoons. Weekend deliveries are made by floral truck drivers. Flowers are not permitted for ICU patients. Only Mylar balloons (not latex) are permitted in the hospital.
Magazines and Newspapers
Magazines can be purchased in the NSMC Salem Hospital Gull gift shop on Axelrod 6. Newspaper boxes are located in the following locations:
- NSMC Salem Hospital
- Davenport 1, near the entrance
- Emergency Room, near the entrance
- Davenport 2 in the connector to Spaulding Hospital North Shore
- MassGeneral for Children at North Shore Medical Center, near the entrance
- Spaulding Hospital North Shore, in the hallway connector to Davenport 2
- NSMC Union Hospital, at the Gift Shop on East 1
The Gull gift shop is located on Axelrod 6 at NSMC Salem Hospital. Volunteers staff the shop Monday through Friday from 9 - 4 p.m. Patients and visitors can reach the gift shop at 978.825.6282.
The Pine gift shop is located on East 1 at NSMC Union Hospital. Volunteers staff the shop Monday through Friday 9 - 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from 10 - 3 p.m. Patients and visitors can reach the Gift Shop at 781.477.4038.
Visitors should check with the nurse before bringing gifts of food or drink to patients.
Cafeteria
Visitors are welcome to use our cafeteria. The cafeteria at NSMC Salem Hospital it is located on Davenport 2. The cafeteria at NSMC Union Hospital it is located on East Ground. The cafeterias are open daily from 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Vending Machines
At NSMC Salem Hospital food and beverage vending machines are located in the cafeteria on Davenport 2, on the ground floor of MassGeneral for Children at North Shore Medical Center, and in the emergency department waiting area. At NSMC Union Hospital they are located in the cafeteria on East Ground. They are available 24 hours a day.
ATM
At NSMC Salem Hospital there is an Eastern Bank ATM located (just outside the cafeteria) in the hallway connecting Davenport 2 to the Spaulding Hospital North Shore. Walk through the double doors to the right of the elevators on Davenport 2. The ATM will be on the left. At NSMC Union Hospital, there is an ATM located near the main lobby on East 1.
Parking
Free parking for patients and visitors is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Patients and visitors may park in all designated visitor parking lots at NSMC Salem Hospital or use the free Valet Parking by following the orange valet signs to the Wheelock 5 entrance.
- Valet parking is available Monday through Friday from 8 - 5 p.m., except holidays.
- To pick up keys between 5 - 11:00 p.m., patients are asked to go to the Admitting Office located on Wheelock 4, across from the Radiology Department.
- To pick up keys between 11 p.m. - 8:00 a.m., patients may report to the Telecommunications department located on Axelrod 6, across from the gift shop.
