It's worth noting that bans like these have several potential holes. Mobile devices carried by staff are one. Another is the teaching role that many urban hospitals have. Beth-Israel is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. BMC has an affiliation with the Boston University School of Medicine, which has offices and other facilities located inside the BMC complex. Unlike BMC, BU does not ban faculty, staff and students from using social networks. According to our source, if he or anyone else in his office wants to reach Facebook to connect with colleagues or add a friend, it's simply a matter of accessing a wireless access point from a BU office one floor up.

: Email from Paul Levy, runningahospital.blogspot.com, interview with Boston Medical Center doctor/researcher, BMC.org

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