The Massachusetts and Rhode Island Poison Center, based at Boston Children's Hospital, provides 24-hour treatment and advice to health care professionals and the public on all types of poisoning.

Our expertise

Our center handles on average 50,000 calls a year, providing information and assistance on a broad range of topics. In addition, we offer presentations on toxicology and poisoning prevention.

Our center at Boston Children's Hospital provides:

  • Emergency care and treatment
  • Follow-up services
  • Educational resources and materials
  • Expert consultations for complex poisoning cases
  • Patient referral resources
  • Assistance with the location of regional antidotes and unusual lab assays

The center also manages the Harvard Medical Toxicology Fellowship Program. For more information, please visit the clinician resources page.

When to call 1-800-222-1222

Call our department at Boston Children's if your child may have swallowed poisonous material, taken medication incorrectly, ingested household products, been exposed to biologic and chemical substances, or suffered a bug bite or sting.

Our staff

  • Medical director: Michele M. Burns, MD, MPH
  • Clinical fellows: Jamie Lim, MD, MPH; Monica Thacker, MD; Elizabeth "Lizzi" Lakamp, MD
  • Toxicologists: Melissa Lai Becker, MD; Steven Salhanick, MD; Katie O'Donnell, MD; Michael Toce, MD, MS; Michael Ganetsky, MD; Peter Chai, MD; Timothy Erickson, MD; Michael Simpson, MD
  • Certified Poison Information Specialists: Joel Myers, FNP; Adina Sheroff, RN; Jessica Flynn, RN; Carol Martinelli, RN; Michelle Preston, PharmD; Shams Karimi, RPh, MS; Ryan Boasi, PharmD; Cindy Luo, PharmD
  • Poison Information Specialists: Jeffrey Pierre-Paul, PharmD; Jolene MacKeen, RN

Administrative staff

  • Administrative Manager: Amanda Coppola, BS
  • Education Coordinator: Sarah Tong, MHA
  • Administrative Coordinator: Michael Iocco, BS

Contact us

Massachusetts and Rhode Island Poison Center
Mailstop 3025
Boston Children’s Hospital
300 Longwood Ave.
Boston, MA 02115