Monthly Archives: May 2020

In the last few months, most of us here in New Jersey and beyond have been pre-occupied with the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, we had a new addition to our team and are excited to finally share this news with you.

Miranda Peurala, Certified Nurse Midwife, has joined our excellent team of midwives and obstetrician-gynecologists  in our Lawrenceville and Princeton and at Penn Medicine Princeton Health. We are thrilled to have her as part of our integrated team that offers our patients the best of all worlds, the personal touch and low c-section rate of a nurse midwife, the easy access to an obstetrician should you need a section or have medical complications during pregnancy, the availability of pain control such as a epidural and the safety of delivering in a hospital with a CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) nursery and the ability to handle emergencies should they arise.

A little bit about Miranda’s training:

• Associate Degree in Nursing: Rowan College at Burlington County
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Thomas Edison Statue University
• Master of Science in Nursing – Midwifery: Frontier University
• Certified Lactation Consultant-International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE)

Please join us in welcoming Miranda to Delaware Valley OBGYN and Infertility Group.

Is it time to schedule my annual gynecologic exam?

If you had your annual check up scheduled with us in the last few months, your visit was almost certainly cancelled, and if you called us to set up an exam, we were unable to schedule the appointment. It was important at the time to limit non-urgent appointments to flatten the curve and to keep our patients and staff safe. However, there is more to good health than just avoiding the coronavirus. Your reproductive and general health is still important, and the annual visit to the gynecologist is part of this. Reproductive healthcare is actually considered an essential service by the authorities in ours and nearby states. Our local hospitals are also now beginning to schedule elective surgeries again.

What do I need to do if I want schedule an annual exam?

We have trying to reach patients whose appointments have been cancelled due to COVID-19 to reschedule, but given the large number of cancellations, it is taking some time. Feel free to call us at 609-896-0777 or use our online form to request an appointment.

Is it safe to come to the office?

The pandemic is easing up but it is not gone. The number of new cases is dropping, but nobody can tell you that you are completely safe from the virus, even at home. Delaware Valley OBGYN’s Lawrenceville office has remained at least partially open so we could be there to serve our pregnant patients. Because of this, we have the experience to know how to keep the office as safe as possible. Our deep cleaning procedures and social distancing procedures have been in place since the early days of the pandemic.

Should I come in if I am high risk?

No. If you are at high risk for getting  a serious coronavirus  infection (over 65 or with serious medical problems), you should stay home and avoid leaving your home unless it is absolutely essential. We want you to be safe and would love to see you in a few months when the risks of leaving home go down.

One of the most difficult things for our fertility specialist and our patients who need fertility treatment during the corona virus has been the need to put a hold on fertility testing and treatment while the pandemic peaked in New Jersey.

Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to wane, we will be starting up fertility treatments once again. There are some changes in hours and the services we will provide until the situation allows us to fully reopen. This is to keep both our patients and staff as safe as possible.

Here is what you need to know about about what is going on if you are patient of Dr. Derman at Princeton IVF:

• We are resuming our morning office hours but with a different schedule. All appointments will be scheduled weekdays between 8 and 9:30 and by appointment only. If you plan on coming in, please let us know in advance so we can avoid crowding and continue to enforce social distancing practices.

• We will resume medication, workup and IUI cycles.

• We can now resume IVF cycles now that our IVF lab (Sincera Reproductive Medicine-Abington) reopened its facility. (Updated May 15)

• You must wear a mask when you come to Lawrenceville and will be screened for signs of coronavirus when you show up.

• Consults with the doctor will be available either in person or by telemedicine and can be scheduled by calling our office.

• Please use the main phone number to the office to reach us 609-896-0777 instead of the fertility line at 609-896-4984 as messages left at that line may take longer to reach us. You can also send us a message by clicking here.

• For non-emergent calls, you may also send us a secure portal message or email us at lbock@lma-llc.com.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE DURING THIS TRYING TIME FOR ALL OF US.