COVID-19 Health and Safety

Boston IVF takes the health and safety of our patients and staff seriously. To that end, we have continued to update and implement a series of robust safety guidelines.

Our COVID-19 safety initiative incorporates all precautionary measures outlined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) plus additional procedures created by Boston IVF to instill confidence in our care and welcome back patients for any in-person services they may require.

Here are some of the steps we are taking to protect our patients and team.

Patient screening

Boston IVF performs daily, in-person temperature and symptom screenings at the front entryway to all patients before entering our center.

Additionally, we conduct phone screenings at the time of initial scheduling and pre-visit reminders.

employee SCREENING

Each day, Boston IVF team members receive temperature and symptom screenings prior to beginning their shift.

Any staff member with symptoms cannot enter the building and will not return until evaluated by a healthcare professional.

CLEANING & DISINFECTING

Boston IVF has increased the frequency of its daily cleaning, with particular attention geared towards the disinfection of high-contact areas.

Each phlebotomy and ultrasound station is wiped down after each patient. Additionally, all offices, exam rooms, equipment, waiting rooms, and bathrooms are cleaned with CDC-approved disinfecting products.

waiting rooms

All Boston IVF waiting rooms have been strategically redesigned to maintain 6-foot distances between chairs.

Additionally, we limit the number of patients in each waiting room and continuously monitor occupancy for full compliance.

MASK POLICY

All patients, Boston IVF team members, and any visitor must wear a simple cloth face covering or personal mask at all times.

A mask will be provided to you if one is needed.

This policy is in place to protect yourself, your fellow patients, and our staff.

VISITOR POLICY

To further minimize risk to anyone who enters our fertility center – all in-person diagnostic appointments, monitoring, and procedures (HSG, SIS) are limited to the patient only.

For egg retrievals and IUI, patients and their partner will check in for an egg retrieval/IUI or semen sample collection. Once a sample is collected, partners may wait outside of the building while the retrieval/IUI is being performed.

We cannot accommodate a partner or any other family members in the waiting room at this time. For embryo transfers, only the patient can be present in the transfer room.

NEW UPDATE (10/30/20)

We are happy to announce the introduction of a new platform that will allow partners or a support person to virtually participate during embryo transfers.

While partners / support persons, are still unable to attend in person, we have created a ZOOM platform that will allow virtual attendance. All that is required is for the partner to download the ZOOM application to their preferred device, and the patient to provide the partner / support person’s email address. Your clinical team members will discuss this new option with you at the appropriate time.

Additionally, for their own protection, children cannot enter the building.

EXCEPTIONS:

Although we continue to encourage no partners be present for OB U/S visits, exceptions will be made to allow a partner to be present in-person for patients with a history of miscarriage, anxiety or depression documented by a mental health provider, patients who have experienced abuse, and patients requiring an interpreter. All in-person OB visits, where patients request the presence of their partner, must be approved by your nursing team.
Partners will be allowed to wait with patients prior to their D&E procedure. Partners will be instructed to return to their cars during the procedure and will be called by the PACU nurse post-procedure.

hand-washing stations

Frequent hand-washing is one of the best defenses against the COVID-19 virus.

Boston IVF provides accessible hand-hygiene stations throughout our fertility center to ensure patients and staff take the proper precautions to stay safe and healthy.

splashguards

We have installed transparent plexiglass barriers to give our patients and staff added protection and enhanced distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

telehealth appointment

Boston IVF continues to offer the use of phone or video conferencing in lieu of in-person visits.

Our team of fertility doctors can fully mimic an in-person consult via phone & video without any loss in education or planning for next-steps in care.

Industry Leadership

Boston IVF reproductive endocrinologist Alan Penzias, MD is also a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s COVID-19 Task Force – where he helps to create important COVID-19 treatment guidelines for IVF clinics nationwide.

Thanks to the expertise of Dr. Penzias – Boston IVF patients can remain confident they are receiving the safest care possible during the pandemic.