COVID-19 Resources
We recommend that our patients follow CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19 prevention, infection and transmission. The CDC provides the most up-to-date information and recommendations available including guidance for travelers, currently confirmed cases and best practices. Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) is also a good resource for our patients to obtain information and ask questions about COVID-19. In addition to information on the BWH Website, BWH now has a hotline available for patients, providers and the public to ask questions about COVID-19. Please see the links and hotline information below:
BWH Hotline: 617-724-7000 (Available 7 days a week 8a-8p)
We will continue to update our patients with upcoming appointments and post up-to-date information on our website when possible. Thank you for your understanding during this time.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital Policies
Brigham and Women’s Hospital is working to create the safest environment for their patients and healthcare workers. Please see the policy updates below. We will continue to update this list as we receive more information. (last updated 5/17/22)
Universal COVID-19 Screening
All obstetrical patients being admitted to the hospital will be tested for COVID-19. If you are scheduled for a planned admission (eg planned c-section, pitocin induction, etc) we will help you coordinate COVID-19 testing 24-48 hours prior to your admission to the hospital. If you are scheduled for cervical ripening at BWH prior to your pitocin induction, COVID-19 testing will be performed at that time.
Visitor Policies
OB Triage – You may have one visitor (over the age of 18) in OB triage at this time. Newborn infants are also allowed in OB triage for our post partum patients receiving care.
Labor and Delivery – Two support persons are allowed.
Post Partum – One support person is allowed. Two additional visitors are allowed between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Children under the age of 12 are not permitted unless they are siblings of the newborn. Siblings count as visitors.
NICU – Two parents or guardians are allowed.
NEOGA Policies
Visitor Behavior
Visitors are expected to help keep our hospital a safe place for all patients, visitors and staff by:
Wearing the provided mask at all times while visiting and making sure it covers both your nose and mouth completely
Frequently washing your hands or using the hand sanitizer available
Going directly to the patient’s room and staying in the room for your entire visit.
Eating before or after your hospital visit. Visitors are not permitted to use the cafeteria, coffee shops and gift shop.
Visitor Questions
Family and friends who wish to learn about a patient’s status can call 617-732-5500. Immediate family are asked to please identify one primary family member to contact the patient’s nurse directly on the unit. Please note that patients have the right to limit access to information and condition. For more information, visit the BWH Visitor Policy site directly.
Educational Classes and Maternity Tours at BWH
Brigham and Women’s Hospital is also suspending all in-person maternity tours and BWH sponsored birthing classes at this time. Virtual educational classes are now available at BWH, visit their website to register.
Visitor Restriction Policy
Consistent with our commitment to help prevent further community spread, we are implementing visitor restrictions for the protection of our patients, visitors and workforce. To continue providing the safest care environment, temporary updates to our visitor policies have been made:
You may bring one visitor to each visit.
Visitors under the age of 18 are allowed, provided they can wear a mask for the entire duration of their visit.
Some visitors under the age of 18 may not require an accompanying adult (for example, an adolescent visitor who travels independently). An accompanying adult is considered an additional support person. We are not permitting visitors under the age of 18 who require an accompanying adult at this time.
We recognize the valuable role that family members and visitors play in the healing process and appreciate that these restrictions may cause challenges for our patients and their families. Thank you for your understanding and adherence to these policies as part of our continued efforts to keep our patients, visitors and workforce protected and healthy during this time.
Mask Policy
All patients and staff are required to wear a mask when in our office. We strictly enforce this policy for the safety of our patients and staff.
No Food or Drink
We ask that our patients refrain from eating and/or drinking in our waiting areas or exam rooms. In the event that a you require food or drink, we will provide crackers/juice/water as needed.
Social Distancing
Please respect the space of our patients and staff by maintaining a safe distance when possible. We now have a reduce amount of furniture in our waiting area and our main halls are marked with distancing decals. We appreciate your help in keeping everyone safe.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Update: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Gynecologists (ACOG)and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) now strongly recommend the use of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Links to these recommendations are provided at the bottom of this page.
Physicians at New England OB-GYN strongly recommend vaccination against COVID-19 during pregnancy and in breastfeeding patients given the current support and backing from our major obstetrical societies.
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people aged 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can protect you from severe illness from COVID-19.
CDC Statement:
CDC has released new data on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people and is recommending all people aged six months and older get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“CDC encourages all pregnant people or people who are thinking about becoming pregnant and those breastfeeding to get vaccinated to protect themselves from COVID-19,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “The vaccines are safe and effective, and it has never been more urgent to increase vaccinations as we face the highly transmissible Delta variant and see severe outcomes from COVID-19 among unvaccinated pregnant people.”
A new CDC analysis external icon of current data from the v-safe pregnancy registry assessed vaccination early in pregnancy and did not find an increased risk of miscarriage among nearly 2,500 pregnant women who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Miscarriage typically occurs in about 11-16% of pregnancies, and this study found miscarriage rates after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine were around 13%, similar to the expected rate of miscarriage in the general population.
Previously, data from three safety monitoring systems did not find any safety concerns for pregnant people who were vaccinated late in pregnancy or for their babies. Combined, these data and the known severe risks of COVID-19 during pregnancy demonstrate that the benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant people outweigh any known or potential risks.
Clinicians have seen the number of pregnant people infected with COVID-19 rise in the past several weeks. The increased circulation of the highly contagious Delta variant, the low vaccine uptake among pregnant people, and the increased risk of severe illness and pregnancy complications related to COVID-19 infection among pregnant people make vaccination for this population more urgent than ever.
COVID-19 Vaccine in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women Resources
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Recommendation
Center for Disease Control and Prevention Recommendation
Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Recommendation
Our Commitment to Safety
The safety of our patients and staff is our number one priority at New England OB-GYN Associates. We are committed to creating an environment where our patients and staff feel confident in their safety and the care we provide. We are in compliance with Federal, State and local health guidelines to establish the safest environment and we have implemented the following safeguards and innovations to ensure we can meet our goals and continue to serve our patients:
Prior to Your Appointment
Online medical questionnaires are now available on Patient Gateway prior to scheduled appointments.
All patients are screened for COVID-19 symptoms or exposure upon check-in.
We ask all patients to wear a mask to their visit. We ask that you please wear a mask from home so that we can conserve our personal protective equipment, but we also have masks available in our office.
At Your Appointment
A no-touch credit card machine is available to make co-payments.
Glass is installed as a physical barrier between our check-in/check-out staff and patients.
Our waiting room is cleaned regularly – we apologize but our coffee bar is closed for service, water bottles are available upon request.
Our exam rooms are cleaned thoroughly between each patient.
Our Practice Operations
Continuing to offer telemedicine to our obstetric patients with COVID-19 or COVID-19 exposures or when deemed appropriate by your provider.
Daily attestation to ensure that our staff are healthy and remain at home when they are unwell.
Staff are required to wear masks throughout the workday.
Social distancing is encouraged throughout the workday and during staggered breaks for our staff members.
Flexible and work from home schedules to reduce the number of staff members in our office each day.