BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS · BEDSIDE NOTARY
Notary at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Need a document signed by a patient at Beth Israel Deaconess? We come to the bedside on the East or West campus, often the same day and with witnesses when needed, so families can handle powers of attorney, health care proxies and estate documents.
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EAST AND WEST CAMPUS, BOSTON
Bedside notary visits
Same-day and 24-hour appointments
- Powers of attorney and health care proxies
- Wills and estate documents
- Witnesses arranged if needed
- Signature by mark when needed
Visiting BIDMC for a notary
Two campuses
East: Feldberg, 330 Brookline Ave, and Shapiro, 98 Binney St. West: Rosenberg, 1 Deaconess Rd; Lowry, 110 Francis St; Klarman, 111 Francis St; and Farr.
Visiting hours
Most inpatient units 11am–8pm (arrive by 7:45pm), usually 1–2 visitors.
Parking
Feldberg, Shapiro, Lowry and Pilgrim garages.
Patient Relations
617-975-9750 · Mon–Fri, 8am–4:30pm
From BIDMC’s official website, November 2026. Policies change, so check with the unit before the visit. We’re an independent notary service, not affiliated with BIDMC.
How a bedside visit at BIDMC works
- 1
Call or request a visit
Tell us the patient’s name, unit and room if you know them, and what’s being signed. We confirm what’s needed, including witnesses.
- 2
Get the document ready
Complete and unsigned, with no blank spaces, plus the patient’s current photo ID.
- 3
We meet you on the unit
We meet you on the patient’s unit. Tell us the campus and building, since East and West are separate.
- 4
Notarized at the bedside
The notary confirms identity and willingness, watches the signing and completes the notarization.
BIDMC visits, in detail
BIDMC’s visiting window is shorter than some hospitals’: most inpatient units allow visitors from 11am to 8pm, with arrival by 7:45pm. We schedule within those hours and leave time to get through the building.
The East and West campuses are a short walk apart but are separate sets of buildings. Knowing the building, such as Feldberg on the East campus or Farr on the West, saves time.
BIDMC’s website includes information on advance directives and health care proxies, and its Patient Relations office can help families with questions about the hospital’s process.
Before the visit at BIDMC
- Confirm East or West campus and the building name
- Visiting usually ends at 8pm, so book earlier in the day
- Bring the patient’s current photo ID
- Ask the nurse when the patient is usually most alert, and avoid times right after pain medication if possible
- If the document needs witnesses, tell us. We can bring them, since hospital staff often can’t serve
Which documents need a notary?
| Document | Signing requirements in Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Durable power of attorney | Usually notarized, and it must be acknowledged before a notary to be used for real estate. Banks often insist on notarization too. |
| Health care proxy | Signed in front of two adult witnesses; the agent can’t be a witness. A notary isn’t required, but some families add one. |
| Will | Signed with at least two witnesses. A self-proving affidavit, signed before a notary, makes probate easier. |
| MOLST form | A medical order completed with the patient’s clinician. It doesn’t need a notary. |
| Affidavits and real estate documents | Signed before a notary with a jurat or acknowledgment. |
We’re notaries, not lawyers. Ask the attorney who prepared the document if you’re unsure what it needs.
When the patient can’t sign normally
After a stroke, with paralysis, a serious injury or memory loss, many patients can’t write their full name. Under the Massachusetts notary law, M.G.L. c. 222, § 15(f), a notary may certify a signature by mark, such as an X, when the patient makes the mark in front of the notary and two witnesses who are unaffected by the document, and both witnesses sign their own names beside the mark.
If the patient can’t make any mark, § 15(g) lets the notary sign the patient’s name at their direction, in front of the patient and two unaffected witnesses, and write beneath it that the signature was affixed by the notary in their presence.
Identification follows § 1 (a current government-issued photo ID with a signature, a credible witness, or the notary’s personal knowledge), and § 16 requires the notary to refuse if there’s compelling doubt the signer understands the document or is signing willingly. It also bars refusing someone solely because of a disability or age.
Read our full guide to signature by mark, and download the signature-by-mark instructions and notarial certificate (PDF).
Frequently asked questions
Can you come to BIDMC in the evening?
Most BIDMC inpatient units allow visitors until 8pm, with arrival by 7:45pm, so we schedule within those hours. For anything later, we’d need the unit’s agreement.
Does BIDMC have a notary for patients?
BIDMC’s website doesn’t describe a notary service for patients’ personal documents, and hospital staff usually can’t notarize them. A mobile notary comes to the bedside at a time that works for the patient, the family and the unit.
Does the notary count as a visitor?
Usually yes. Plan who will be in the room, and if witnesses are needed, tell the nurse ahead of time.
What ID does the patient need?
A current government-issued photo ID with a signature. A hospital wristband or medical record isn’t acceptable ID in Massachusetts. If the ID is at home, ask a family member to bring it.
What if the patient can’t sign their name?
Massachusetts allows a signature by mark, such as an X, with two unaffected witnesses. If the patient can’t make any mark, the notary can sign at their direction, also with two witnesses. We can bring witnesses.
Can the notary decide whether the patient is competent?
No. A notary confirms identity and that the signer understands and is signing willingly. If there’s compelling doubt, the notary can’t proceed. If capacity is in question, talk with the medical team and the attorney first.
How quickly can you come?
Often the same day, and we’re available 24 hours a day by appointment. Call 617-203-8755 for urgent requests.
Need a notary at BIDMC?
Tell us the unit and what’s being signed. We’ll confirm everything before we arrive.