The Community

Managing Your Money

Banks and Banking Services: It is a good idea to have a bank draft forwarded from your own country, in advance if possible, to a local bank in order to cover initial expenses. Your money would then be payable upon proper identification. Be sure to bring your passport to the bank and, for wiring funds (which tends to be expensive), be sure to use your name exactly as it appears on your passport. If you bring a check with you and deposit it at a local bank, it can take two to four weeks to have access to that money.

Falmouth has several banks, but the only local bank with a branch in Woods Hole is Bank of America. You may wire funds in U.S. dollars to Bank of America, Woods Hole Branch.

Opening an Account: Most banks offer many different types of personal account services for checking and savings. To open any kind of bank account, go to the bank of your choice and tell the receptionist that you would like to open an account. You will be directed to a person who can assist you in deciding what kind of account to open and how to complete the paperwork. For short-term visitors, a checking account (called a "current account" in many countries) will be the best kind of account to open. Most banks will request either your passport or your social security number before you are permitted to open an account. Some banks will require both. For a list of banks in Falmouth see our useful links section.

Automated teller machines (ATM) provide 24 hour access to your funds. Ask the person at the bank for an explanation of the service. The Woods Hole branch of Bank of America is open all year round but with limited winter schedule. An ATM is available all year round.

If you receive a biweekly or monthly check from WHOI, you may choose to have WHOI direct deposit the check into a bank account in your name, saving you a trip to the bank to deposit the check into your account.

This can be arranged through your department administrator or Human Resources

Credit Cards: It is very useful to obtain a major credit card such as Visa or Mastercard before you arrive. Some employees may obtain a WHOI Corporate VISA Card for business purposes (information is available through the WHOI Controller's Office). Many stores honor credit cards and most car rental companies will only rent a car to you if you have a major credit card. In order to apply for a major credit card while in the U.S., you will need a credit history from your home country.

Community Services

Numerous public agencies and private organizations serve the health and social service needs of Falmouth's citizens. Neither an inclusive list nor full descriptions of services can be presented here, but the local newspaper, The Falmouth Enterprise published on Tuesdays and Fridays, lists counselling services, support groups, clubs, relief agencies, walk-in clinics, libraries, places of worship, as well as information on recycling, garbage collection and hours for the town landfill. The information offered below is geared for the newcomer to our town who may not be familiar with public or private services.

Health Care & Medical Expenses

Medical Care and Health Services: There is no national medical care program or national insurance program in the United States. This means that medical costs in the U.S are very high and that they must be paid by the individual incurring them. Individuals can buy health and accident insurance which will pay some of their medical expenses. Insurance through your own country may provide some coverage for you and your family while in the U.S. This should be considered and clarified before you encounter a medical emergency in the U.S. You may qualify to participate in one of WHOI's health insurance programs (see below).

General Medical Care: It is common for families in the U.S. to select a doctor or dentist in the community whom they visit when they need examinations or medical care. You may wish to ask someone you have met here to recommend a doctor or dentist, or you may consult the yellow pages of the telephone directory under "Physicians" or "Dentists", or you may contact the Falmouth Hospital (with whom most of the town's physicians are affiliated) to see which doctors have openings for new patients. Your insurance provider may also have a list of physicians from which to choose, as dictated by the terms of their health program. Internists or family practice physicians are most commonly chosen for the general medical care of adults, and pediatricians for the care of children.

The Falmouth Hospital is a private community hospital serving Falmouth, Mashpee, Bourne and Sandwich. The hospital's medical staff has almost 150 physicians and surgeons including specialists in most areas. Patient care is provided by more than 500 nurses and about 600 other technical and service workers. The hospital's emergency room, staffed by physicians under private contract, is used by many residents and vacationers for their primary health care.

Emergency Care: In case of emergencies, there is a special number to call, 911, which will bring an ambulance, firemen, or policemen to your location very quickly. An operator will ask you to describe the nature of the emergency and state your location so she can get the necessary help for you.

If you are at work at WHOI, there are several emergency medical technicians on staff who will come to your aid when a call is placed to 2911.

Home Care: The Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Upper Cape Cod is a nonprofit health agency that provides health care to residents of Falmouth, Mashpee, Bourne, and Sandwich. Its professional staff of more than 60 makes over 30,000 home visits each year. Referrals to the VNA are made by family, physicians, hospitals, and other agencies. Services are provided in accordance with physician's orders.

Pre-Natal, Maternity Care, and Family Planning: In the U.S. a woman usually goes to a doctor (obstetrician) or to a clinic for regular check-ups during her pregnancy, and has the doctor deliver the baby in a hospital. Most health insurance plans cover such pre-natal care and the medical and hospital costs associated with delivering a baby. As part of a town-financed health program, a VNA nurse specializing in maternal and child care will contact all families of newborn infants to offer support and guidance. Most new mothers receive at least one or two home visits from the VNA nurse.

Family planning information (including information about contraception or birth control) is available through your family physician or through family planning information centers listed in the telephone directory's yellow pages. These centers offer counselling, referral services, and pregnancy testing.

Health Insurance at WHOI: International arrivals who are full-time salaried WHOI employees can enroll in WHOI's medical insurance plan and pay the employee's share of the premium. Guest Investigators and Guest Students, however, are not WHOI employees and are generally unable to enroll in the WHOI insurance plan. Such coverage should be maintained through your current employer or university.

If you choose to continue your out-of-country medical coverage, you may have to pay for medical service you receive in the U.S. at the time of the service and then be reimbursed by your country's medical service or insurance carrier. You should check with your national medical service or insurance carrier regarding their claims procedures before you arrive in the U.S. in order to protect yourself and family in the event of an illness or accident in this country. For more information on WHOI medical coverage, contact your Benefits Specialist in the HR department or view the benefits information at the HR site

If you are coming to the U.S. as a J-1 Exchange Visitor, you will be required to have health insurance for you and your family. The United States Department of State (DOS), who administers the Exchange Visitor Program, has set standards for minimum health coverage. Contact Beth Andrews for more information.

Selected Patient Information Resources in Asian Languages (SPIRAL): SPIRAL, a resource from Tufts University’s Health Sciences Library, has detailed health information in seven Asian languages, specifically Chinese, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Thai and Vietnamese. It is a unique multi-language health information site because it is for both physicians and patients. Segmented by language and by subject, a user - either a patient, doctor or other caregiver -- can search for documents in an Asian language on topics such as asthma, diabetes, nutrition, substance abuse, SARS and HIV/AIDS. A native speaker of an Asian language would go to the main web site, select his/her language, and then search for the information that was needed. Material is also provided in English so that an English-speaking physician or caregiver can see what patients are reading.

Transportation

Woods Hole/Falmouth is accessible by bus and car with major connections through Boston, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island. The Peter Pan Bus Line services Woods Hole and Falmouth from downtown Boston and Boston's Logan International Airport, and from Providence's T. F. Green Airport. Bus schedules are available at the Woods Hole Steamship Authority terminal and at the bus depot in Falmouth as well as by calling the bus company at 1-888-751-8800. The Plymouth & Brockton street railway company offers connections between Boston and Provincetown via the Sagamore bridge. Local public transportation is limited. For around town, taxi cab service is available. Summer shuttles operate between the end of June and early September. One of these is the Breeze, which travels between Hyannis and Woods Hole (via Falmouth). Between towns on Cape Cod there is a limited bus service on SeaLine Transit.

In warmer weather, a bicycle is a feasible means of transport for getting around Falmouth and Woods Hole. The International Committee owns a limited number of bicycles which can be loaned to new employees on a short-term basis until they secure a more permanent form of transportation (call your international committee member to request a bicycle loan).

Cars--Owning and Operating an automobile , Getting a Driver's License

November 3, 2017 -- [WHOI-announcements] Attention Foreign Nationals and Supervisors of Foreign Nationals – MA Driver’s License Important Notice-- Click Here

Additional Resource: Find All the Information You'll Need to Pass the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Permit Test and Get Your License at a DMV Near You! -- Click Here

The following information regarding regulations, fees and procedures may have changed since written. For up-to-date information, please visit the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) web site.

Massachusetts Driver's License

A Massachusetts license can be obtained by passing written and road examinations at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The nearest Registry of Motor Vehicles is located in Falmouth at 80 Davis Straits. You should bring your identification with you when you go to the Registry (passport, birth certificate or other ID). Drivers manuals, used to study for the written exam, are available at the Registry. For more information regarding how to obtain a Massachussetts drivers licence, and the associated fees, refer to the RMV web site. If you have a driver's license from another state in the United States, you must convert it to a Massachusetts license after one year of residence in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Identification Cards

Buying a Car

When you find a car you want to buy, be sure the car has a "title" (certificate of ownership). When you purchase the car, the previous owner must sign the title and give it to you in order to legally transfer ownership of the car over to you. The next step is to purchase auto insurance. Look in the yellow pages of the telephone book under "Insurance". A variety of factors can affect the annual price of car insurance such as the age of your car, how many years you have been driving, your place of residence, and the type of coverage requested. You should take the title of the car and your driver's license to one of the automobile insurance agencies to purchase your insurance. Often, for a small additional fee, the insurance agent will also register your car and get the license plates for you.

If you choose to register the car by yourself, you must do so by the end of that month in which you purchased car insurance. You must bring proof of car insurance, the bill of sale, proof of payment of sales tax and the certification of ownership (the "title") to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. You may also have to pay for a Massachusetts license plate and Massachusetts sales tax if you have not already paid it (about 5%) on the price you paid for the car or the "NADA" trade-in value of your vehicle (whichever is greater).

Finally, you must have your car inspected within seven days of registering it. Certain garages can inspect your car for the required safety features. The insurance agent can give you a list of garages which will inspect your car. There is a fee.

Remember, many of the expenses in purchasing a car will be annual expenses. Each year, you will have to insure your car, have your car inspected, and pay "excise tax" on the value of your car. The town in which you keep your car will notify you of the amount of excise tax you owe each year.

Renting a Car

Transporting Children:

Seatbelts are required by Massachusetts law, and children under the age of 5 must be secured in a car by an approved child car-seat. The Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plan (available through WHOI) provides car seats at reduced costs to its subscribers. The Visiting Nurse Association may have infant and toddler car seats available for short-term use; and such car seats can often be purchased inexpensively at yard sales or borrowed from other families whose children have grown. After a child turns 5 years of age (or weighs over 40 lbs.), he or she must be secured by a standard car seat belt.

WHOI Shuttle Bus:

A shuttle bus operates at no charge between the two WHOI campuses (the Village campus and the Quissett campus which are 2 miles apart) on Monday-Friday 3 times per hour (between 7:40 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.). The shuttle leaves Clark lab at the Quissett campus at 10 minutes after the hour, on the half hour, and at 10 minutes before the hour (e.g., 9:50, 10:10, 10:30); the shuttle leaves the Village from the Dyer's Dock/Water Street parking lot opposite the Redfield building on the hour, 20 minutes after the hour, and 20 minutes before the hour (e.g., 10:00, 10:20, 10:40).

Religious Organizations

Religion does not play the dominant role in the United States that it does in some other countries, for example, in Muslim countries or in countries where Catholicism is the official religion. There is no official religion or established church that is supported by the government. The doctrine of "separation of church and state" is widely respected, and religion is generally considered a private matter.

Foreign students and scholars who are Christian or Jewish and who want to join a church or synagogue here can simply look up appropriate addresses and phone numbers in the yellow pages of the telephone directory or refer to the listings in this Guide. Those representing other faiths may seek out other foreign nationals who share their beliefs and ask how they go about practicing their religion in the Cape Cod area.

If you wish to see what happens in an American church you can simply attend a service or go with an acquaintance who attends a particular church or synagogue. The Falmouth Enterprise publishes a directory every Friday of the observances and current activities of the various religious groups in the greater Falmouth area.