Information for all Patients
General Guidelines at this time:
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How to Tele-Med:
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Daily Updates: Please follow us on Facebook for up to the minute updates as they become available.
Important COVID-19 update 3/15: I do not want to unnecessarily alarm our little Wombkeepers Community, but I feel strongly that open information is our most valuable tool right now. I had a possible COVID exposure and, out of an abundance of caution, Hackensack UMC officials did test me for COVID-19 and recommended home quarantine until I receive the results of my testing. A combination of the laborist team and our usual coverage team is caring for our patients in labor. Hopefully, my results will be negative and I can resume work on Tuesday or Wednesday.
What is important for you to know:
1. No one in our practice, either provider or patient, has a positive result at this time, so no testing or strict quarantine is recommended for our patients per current CDC guidelines. That said, if any patient displays signs of cough, fever or SOB please reach out to us by phone so we can provide further instruction. In the event that we do have a positive result for anyone in our practice, we will inform you immediately.
2. If you had an appointment scheduled for tomorrow in the office, it is because you need blood work or an ultrasound, and you should still come to the office as scheduled, unless you receive other instructions from us. All staff will be gloved and masked as a precaution. Appointments are on 30 minute intervals to avoid patient contact. I will be arranging a make-up tele-medicine appointment with you either Tuesday or Wednesday.
3. Postpartum appointments for Wednesday and gynecology appointments for Tuesday will be rescheduled. Staff will contact you.
4. Please respect the seriousness of this event. STAY HOME. Please follow the CDC social distancing advice.
5. Please keep our staff safe. If you feel you have a risk for infection, have symptoms, or anything else that would make you question if you should come in to the office, please call first. Potentially exposing our staff may result in me being unable to care for you and others, as it has this weekend.
6. Please understand that we are incredibly busy handling this quickly evolving situation. While we know many are highly anxious and seeking information from me or staff directly, please be patient and know that we will update here regularly.
- Dr. A
What is important for you to know:
1. No one in our practice, either provider or patient, has a positive result at this time, so no testing or strict quarantine is recommended for our patients per current CDC guidelines. That said, if any patient displays signs of cough, fever or SOB please reach out to us by phone so we can provide further instruction. In the event that we do have a positive result for anyone in our practice, we will inform you immediately.
2. If you had an appointment scheduled for tomorrow in the office, it is because you need blood work or an ultrasound, and you should still come to the office as scheduled, unless you receive other instructions from us. All staff will be gloved and masked as a precaution. Appointments are on 30 minute intervals to avoid patient contact. I will be arranging a make-up tele-medicine appointment with you either Tuesday or Wednesday.
3. Postpartum appointments for Wednesday and gynecology appointments for Tuesday will be rescheduled. Staff will contact you.
4. Please respect the seriousness of this event. STAY HOME. Please follow the CDC social distancing advice.
5. Please keep our staff safe. If you feel you have a risk for infection, have symptoms, or anything else that would make you question if you should come in to the office, please call first. Potentially exposing our staff may result in me being unable to care for you and others, as it has this weekend.
6. Please understand that we are incredibly busy handling this quickly evolving situation. While we know many are highly anxious and seeking information from me or staff directly, please be patient and know that we will update here regularly.
- Dr. A
COVID19 Update 3/12:
1. Both SBMC and MSH have modified their visitor policies and will now only permit ONE VISITOR PER PATIENT to enter the hospital for labor and delivery patients only. Other floors are not allowing visitors.
2. Many of you may have heard there is a confirmed patient with COVID 19 at MSH. All hospitals will have positive patients and this is not cause for new alarm, it will simply be our reality for the next few weeks. Sick patients will not be on labor and delivery and labor and delivery staff will not be caring for sick patients, so we still feel the hospital is the safest place for you and your baby for delivery at this time.
3. Telemedicine appointments will start for some patients on Monday. If your appointment has been converted into a telemedicine appointment, you will receive a notice from HIPAAvideo to confirm your appointment. It will be around the time of your previous appointment. You will have to input a security code. You do not need to download any separate program, simply follow the links from your phone or email. When it is time for your appointment, check into the virtual "lobby" with your video/microphone enabled device. Please have a blood pressure cuff, soft measuring tape in centimeters, and scale available for your appointment.
4. Reminder, please do not bring guests or children to appointments
5. If you have symptoms of COVID (fever, cough) or are in close contact with someone with symptoms, please notify us. We are working on obtaining kits for testing but we do not have them at this time.
1. Both SBMC and MSH have modified their visitor policies and will now only permit ONE VISITOR PER PATIENT to enter the hospital for labor and delivery patients only. Other floors are not allowing visitors.
2. Many of you may have heard there is a confirmed patient with COVID 19 at MSH. All hospitals will have positive patients and this is not cause for new alarm, it will simply be our reality for the next few weeks. Sick patients will not be on labor and delivery and labor and delivery staff will not be caring for sick patients, so we still feel the hospital is the safest place for you and your baby for delivery at this time.
3. Telemedicine appointments will start for some patients on Monday. If your appointment has been converted into a telemedicine appointment, you will receive a notice from HIPAAvideo to confirm your appointment. It will be around the time of your previous appointment. You will have to input a security code. You do not need to download any separate program, simply follow the links from your phone or email. When it is time for your appointment, check into the virtual "lobby" with your video/microphone enabled device. Please have a blood pressure cuff, soft measuring tape in centimeters, and scale available for your appointment.
4. Reminder, please do not bring guests or children to appointments
5. If you have symptoms of COVID (fever, cough) or are in close contact with someone with symptoms, please notify us. We are working on obtaining kits for testing but we do not have them at this time.
COVID-19 FAQ:
We are receiving multiple questions a day so we will attempt to address them here:
1. There is no known transmission of COVID-19 to the fetus
2. We do not have enough information to estimate the risk to the pregnant population, but would assume that our patients are more susceptible to infection and serious complications given how pregnant patients do with other viruses and their compromised immune system
3. The CDC has not yet recommended self-quarantine or travel restrictions. Therefore, we cannot take you out on disability to reduce your risk of exposure or get you reimbursed for cancelled travel plans. That said, we feel the risk of wide community spread is high and would recommend reducing your risk of exposure: work from home if you can, avoid social gatherings, minimize or avoid non-essential travel, wash your hands frequently
4. We will be reducing in-office appointments. We will have a tele-medicine plan in place by Friday for non-essential appointments. If you need blood work, an ultrasound, or have a high risk pregnancy, you will continue to be seen in office, in 30 minute intervals to reduce patient to patient contact. We will inform you if your appointment will be changed to a tele-medicine visit. If you do not hear from us, come to your appointment at your normally scheduled time. Please enter through our side door, rather than the front door, and please make every effort to be on time.
5. Call us with any fever greater than 100.4 and do not come to the office if you have symptoms of cough and fever.
6. Come to your appointments by yourself. NO GUESTS OR CHILDREN AT APPOINTMENTS AT THIS TIME.
We are receiving multiple questions a day so we will attempt to address them here:
1. There is no known transmission of COVID-19 to the fetus
2. We do not have enough information to estimate the risk to the pregnant population, but would assume that our patients are more susceptible to infection and serious complications given how pregnant patients do with other viruses and their compromised immune system
3. The CDC has not yet recommended self-quarantine or travel restrictions. Therefore, we cannot take you out on disability to reduce your risk of exposure or get you reimbursed for cancelled travel plans. That said, we feel the risk of wide community spread is high and would recommend reducing your risk of exposure: work from home if you can, avoid social gatherings, minimize or avoid non-essential travel, wash your hands frequently
4. We will be reducing in-office appointments. We will have a tele-medicine plan in place by Friday for non-essential appointments. If you need blood work, an ultrasound, or have a high risk pregnancy, you will continue to be seen in office, in 30 minute intervals to reduce patient to patient contact. We will inform you if your appointment will be changed to a tele-medicine visit. If you do not hear from us, come to your appointment at your normally scheduled time. Please enter through our side door, rather than the front door, and please make every effort to be on time.
5. Call us with any fever greater than 100.4 and do not come to the office if you have symptoms of cough and fever.
6. Come to your appointments by yourself. NO GUESTS OR CHILDREN AT APPOINTMENTS AT THIS TIME.