Medical Community
Alleviate stress and financial hardship for your patients.
Ensure your patients have a safe and comfortable place to stay. At Hospitality Homes, we match out-of-town patients and caregivers with a volunteer host home or, in special circumstances, a donated apartment.
Refer patients to us and help them avoid the stress of figuring out where to stay and how to pay for it.
We expand access to care by helping patients from all over the country – and the world – find a home near Boston’s hospitals and other medical institutions. We extend patient-centered care beyond the hospital.
Working to support out-of-town patients and their caregivers since 1983, we are the go-to connector for area medical housing in Greater Boston, serving patients of all ages and with all types of non-contagious diagnoses.
Making a Referral
Tell your patients about us. When you have an out-of-town patient who might benefit from housing support, encourage them to apply(link to Need Housing? Page). We successfully match more than 75% of families who request our help.
If you have your patient’s permission, contact us and provide an email address or phone number, and we will reach out directly. This is often the most effective way to help an overwhelmed patient arrange their stay.
Does my patient qualify?
We serve patients of all ages and with all types of non-contagious diagnoses. We do not ask patients to demonstrate financial need.
We welcome patients and caregivers who:
- Live more than 50 miles from the hospital
- Have a permanent home to return to after their stay
- Are in active treatment (if staying for a week, patient has at least two appointments)
- Are an important support for the patient
- Have never been convicted of a violent or property crime or sexual violation
- Have not been convicted of a drug or alcohol offense in the last five years
- Are screened to ensure the host family is not at risk
Matching process
We work to match patients and caregivers with a host home that is the right fit for their needs. While we always strive to host the patient near the hospital, depending on availability, we may also match for things like:
- Access and mobility (e.g., wheelchair access, limited stairs)
- Family size (we can host families of up to 4 people)
- Language
Patients who apply are under no obligation to accept any housing option that’s offered.
Types of accommodations
All hosts provide accommodations in their private homes, at no cost to our guests. Guests will have a private bedroom and access to a bathroom (which may be shared).
Other guests, in certain circumstances, may be matched with a furnished apartment or hotel room. These accommodations carry a low cost.
Learn more
Get to know us and help us spread the word. We can provide printed brochures, in-service presentations, and event information tables to help raise awareness.
Each year, Hospitality Homes offers housing to hundreds of patients and families seeking care at Boston Children’s Hospital. This vital service elevates the patient experience and extends our ability to provide patient-centered care. We are grateful that they help the most vulnerable patient families to gain access to care when it might otherwise not be possible.
Deborah Hoffman Toffler, MSW, LCSW | Senior Director, Patient Care Services Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
We’re dealing with kids who need surgery urgently. When the pandemic began, Hospitality Homes quickly changed the way they operate and met our patients and their caregivers' needs for housing, when so many options were unavailable. Without their help, many of our patients would have had nowhere to stay.
Sue-Mei Portugues | Global Patient Access Manager, Department of Cardiac Surgery Boston Children’s Hospital
Each year, Hospitality Homes offers housing to hundreds of patients and families seeking care at Boston Children’s Hospital. This vital service elevates the patient experience and extends our ability to provide patient-centered care. We are grateful that they help the most vulnerable patient families to gain access to care when it might otherwise not be possible.
Miranda Day | Director, Family and Volunteer Services Boston Children’s Hospital
Our Stories
Pictured here: Avery and Dr. Christopher Baird
Watts Family, Maryland
Avery Watts suffers from a rare disease, homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, along with several cardiac issues. Her family sought medical help for her in several cities, from Baltimore to Wilmington, DE to Philadelphia.
But when they found out that Avery needed open-heart surgery, they knew Boston Children’s Hospital was the place they needed to be. Avery’s mother, Michelle Watts, had been doing research on surgeons and she knew that Dr. Christopher Baird at BCH was one of the few pediatric surgeons doing the Ozaki procedure Avery needed. Dr. Baird was the first thoracic surgeon ever to perform the procedure.
“From the moment we arrived at our Hospitality Home (away from home), we felt welcome and were greeted with masks from Love Your Melon. The facilities were modern, clean and gave us a sense of safety. It felt like home!” Michelle says. “The Hospitality Homes contact was very warm and compassionate, anticipating our needs and following up during our stays to ensure every “i” was dotted and every “T” crossed. As compared to staying at a hotel, the costs were affordable.”
“Finding affordable housing that is also clean and safe in the downtown Boston area is extremely challenging,” Michelle says. “Hospitality Homes has been a godsend each time we have needed to travel to Boston for medical appointments at Boston Children’s. This is a very important service to families with children suffering from serious medical conditions.”