COVID-19 Information Center

During this time we hope that you and your loved ones are staying healthy and safe.  We are so proud to recognize our staff as they continue to support our essential practice operations during the pandemic, providing necessary healthcare in the safest ways possible.  We also express our sincere thanks to all essential workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Please check back often for updates, and we encourage you to like us on Facebook for up-to-date posts. 

COVID Updates as of May 11, 2023: 

• Consistent with the end of the previously declared COVID-19 public health emergency in 2020, masks are OPTIONAL in our office locations as of Thursday May 11, 2023. 
• Guests are allowed for non-ultrasound visits; for ultrasound visits, only ONE guest is allowed (guest must be 12 years or older for ultrasound visits). 
• We remind everyone to refrain from entering our offices if you are experiencing signs of a significant contagious illness or have fever due to a contagious illness, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of taste/smell, or are currently isolating due to COVID-19. 
• Please note that our policies may differ from those at Baystate Health hospitals; in addition, visiting information at Baystate Health can be found at https://www.baystatehealth.org/patients/visiting. 
• Policies are subject to change as needed.  

COVID Vaccine & Booster in Pregnancy, Pre-Pregnancy, and Breastfeeding Updates September 30, 2021: 

Are you pregnant, thinking of becoming pregnant, or breastfeeding?  Do you have fact-based information to make an informed decision about the COVID vaccine? We’d like to provide you with scientifically-based information so that you can truly make an informed decision about the vaccine. Aligned with CDC and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommendations, we strongly encourage pregnant women, women who are thinking of becoming pregnant, and lactating women to get vaccinated against COVID-19. More information about the COVID vaccine and pregnancy from the CDC can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html

Also as you may know, the CDC and FDA have recently approved a 3^rd dose of the Pfizer vaccine for people who have previously received a Pfizer COVID vaccine and are in a high-risk group. The full list of high-risk groups can be found on the CDC website; it includes people who are pregnant and postpartum. The Pfizer booster is recommended 6 months after the 2nd vaccine was received. It is not known at this time if a booster is needed for people who have received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine. Information about receiving a Pfizer booster can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html   

If you have ANY questions at all about the COVID vaccine or specific concerns about receiving it, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information (413-794-8484).

COVID Safety and Guest Updates June 3, 2021: 

We are pleased to announce that effective today June 3, 2021, one guest will be able to accompany patients during in-office visits (the guest must be 12 or older during ultrasound visits).  It is imperative that patients and guests not enter our offices if they are experiencing signs of a contagious illness including but not limited to COVID.  Patients and guests who are not fully vaccinated but were exposed to someone with COVID in the past two weeks must be in compliance with CDC guidelines regarding when to safely end quarantine in order to enter our offices.

For the safety of all and consistent with the guidelines from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for healthcare settings, masks are still required for all patients, guests, and staff providing patient care.  Social distancing is still in place whenever possible throughout our practice, as is hand washing, sanitizing, and hygiene.  We will continue to screen patients and guests for symptoms and COVID exposure.   

It is especially promising to see continued improvements in local and national COVID data trends as we gradually emerge from the pandemic.  We encourage you to continue to exercise safety measures consistent with the CDC and the MA DPH guidelines and your own risk assessment as those continue to evolve.  If you have already been vaccinated, GREAT!  If you haven’t been vaccinated yet but would like to be, please visit https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine .  If you are still deciding whether or not you would like to be vaccinated and have questions, please reach out to us – we are here to help. 

Thank you for your understanding and remaining respectful of our policies, staff, fellow patients, and visitors as we work to keep our offices as safe as possible for everyone.  We are so close to reaching the end of this devastating pandemic, let’s all push on to see it through.

Updates during the week of June 22, 2020: 

• Reminder regarding BOGG’s in-office visitor policy: While Massachusetts COVID statistics are improving and businesses continue to re-open under the state’s phased re-opening plan, we like many local healthcare providers are continuing to exercise safe social distancing and reduce foot traffic specifically for in-office visits. Only the patient is allowed into our office space during visits (no guests). We appreciate your understanding in our continued efforts to reduce the spread of illness, and we will keep you informed of any updates. 

Updates during the week of June 8, 2020: 

• We are pleased to resume in-office routine healthcare, but continue to provide telehealth services for certain types of appointmments. 

• Please be assured we are committed to providing care in the safest ways possible for you, our staff and providers as we return to our normal schedules using appropriate safety measures.

Updates during the week of May 11, 2020: 

• Per CDC, Federal, and State guidelines and regulations, we at Baystate Ob/Gyn Group, Inc. are wearing masks during office hours for patient and staff safety.   Patients are also required to wear masks or face coverings while in our office.  The CDC has published helpful information for the general public regarding cloth face coverings. 

Updates during the week of April 27, 2020: 

• While on site tours are on hold, go on a virtual tour of the Wesson Women and Infants Unit at Baystate Health!  In a 15 minute video, a parent educator from Baystate Health shows you around the unit and explains what patients can expect throughout their time there. 

• We are here for you - We continue to work diligently to address your medical questions, problems, prescription refills, urgent needs, etc. even during the pandemic.  For your own health and safety please do not delay reaching out to us because of the pandemic.  We strongly encourage you to contact us for any non-routine matter or prescription refill so that we can address your concern in the appropriate timeframe. (794-8484 or portal for non-urgent matters).   

• With delayed routine visits and our schedules focused on telehealth whenever possible, we have increased availability for menopause consults, birth control options, gynecologic problems, follow up on test results, pregnancy confirmation and prenatal care visits, IUD follow up visits, urinary or bladder concerns, medication follow up, etc.  We can help coordinate the necessary care. 

• When COVID-19 is no longer a significant public health concern, rest assured we will have increased availability for recently canceled routine visits when we return to normal schedules.  We will be in touch in the coming weeks to reschedule visits canceled due to the pandemic.

Updates during the week of April 6, 2020: 

• Per CDC and Federal Coronavirus Taskforce guidelines, we at Baystate Ob/Gyn Group, Inc. will be wearing masks during office hours in our ongoing effort to flatten the COVID-19 curve.   We strongly encourage our patients to do the same - the CDC has published helpful information for the general public regarding cloth face coverings. 

• To reduce the need for patients to come into the office during the pandemic for certain visits we are pleased to coordinate HIPAA compliant video appointments.  Learn more about video visits at BOGG!

A message to our patients on March 29, 2020: 

The providers and staff of Baystate Ob/Gyn Group, Inc. extend our thoughts to you and your family during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.  Our practice has continued to assess the rapid updates, recommendations, and mandates related to COVID-19 since the early stages of the pandemic and we are adapting our practice operations to keep patients and staff as safe as possible.  While our plan may continue to change in the days and weeks ahead based on new information, we feel it is important to relay our current plan to you especially if you need to receive ob/gyn care during the weeks to come. 

Actions we have taken to adjust practice operations relative to the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Early in the pandemic we began reminding patients that anyone experiencing flu or virus symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, diarrhea and/or vomiting must not enter our offices.  Receptionists and medical assistants reinforced this requirement by screening patients at visits, and staff were reminded of these requirements as well. 
• Our practice locations are equipped with personal protective equipment if the need arises for its use. 
• We made the decision to restrict guests during visits unless extenuating circumstances apply.  While this is especially difficult for certain types of visits, we felt that it was important to move forward with this decision to further reduce the chance of spreading illness. 
• We began postponing routine annual exam visits which will continue through April 17; we will re-assess this plan as we approach mid-April and make any adjustments necessary.  In addition to that some non-routine visits that still require an in-office visit but are not urgent in nature are being postponed.  In-office visits are targeted for necessary obstetrical visits and non-routine gynecologic visits that need to occur now. 
• Our practice launched telehealth visits for certain appointments.  Currently we are conducting some non-exam visits over the phone to reduce the in-person interactions with patients and staff.  We will continue to expand this initiative in the days ahead to further reduce the number of patients who need to be physically present in our office. 
• Our staff, whether working remotely or in the office, continue to exercise the same security and HIPAA protections that we always observe.
• We are working with Baystate Health to remain updated about any hospital policies that apply to us and our patients who need to be seen in a hospital setting. 

What you can expect from us if you need us for any reason: 

Our actions to date have focused on two parallel goals: To make our office environments as safe as possible for patients and staff and to continue to be available for patients for their ob/gyn questions, concerns, and medically necessary appointment needs in the context of COVID-19.  With those two goals in mind, when you contact our practice we will do our absolute best to address the reason for your call under the same high standards that we have always had.  

• Our team of triage nurses is still available to address your medical questions over the phone and to make arrangements for either telehealth visits or when necessary in-office visits. 
• Our billing department staff members are available to address your billing questions.
• Our team of receptionists is here to help you with your scheduling needs. So that we can continue to provide medically necessary care in the safest way possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not seeing routine visits at this time. However, we would be happy to take your information and call you soon to schedule a routine visit once we know the risk of COVID-19 is no longer a public health concern.   
• Our providers remain available on call when our office is closed for any urgent/emergent medical concerns. 

How you can help: 

By working together, we will be able to focus our attention on the most critical issues we are all facing.  We want to emphasize that we are here to help you; however, there are certain things we would like you to keep in mind in the days and weeks ahead that will help in our efforts to provide the best care possible in the most efficient and safest ways possible.

• If you are having a medical problem or have a concern, please reach out to us.  If we cannot resolve your issue over the phone, we will help determine what the next appropriate steps are. 
• Please plan ahead for your refills and contact us in advance if you need to renew your prescription.  Do not stop any prescription medication issued by us without consulting with our office.  If you will run out of your prescription before you are able to be seen for a visit to renew your prescription, please contact us - we are usually able to make arrangements to renew a medication for a period of time until your next visit. 
• If you are able to use your patient portal instead of calling our practice for non-urgent communications, please do so.  Portal communications can often be managed more efficiently and reduce the amount of phone tag between you and our office. 
• Temporarily we are not seeing patients for annual exam visits through mid-April.  However, if now is the time that you would normally schedule your visit, please contact us so that we can get you into the queue for being contacted when we resume scheduling of routine visits. 
• We encourage you to stay connected with family and friends through alternative communications that uphold social distancing recommendations and safety measures – during these difficult times, supporting one another in safe ways is so very important.  If you find yourself struggling to cope, please reach out to us so that we can help. 

In closing, we hope that you and your family remain healthy both mentally and physically in the coming weeks.  We as a community can continue to support one another in safe and healthy ways as we all learn a new temporary way of life.