Dear Lovenheim Pediatric Families,

The last couple of months have been like no other and have left no one unaffected in its wake. We continue to face our fears, confront our anxieties, and take comfort in our loved ones’ company. Seeing many of you, whether in the office or on a screen, has been a welcome distraction from everything else around us. The resiliency of children has never been more apparent when we have asked them to shelter in place for two months and yet they smile, laugh, and drive us crazy…. just like they always have.

As we begin to emerge from our “shelter in place”, I wanted to let you know where Lovenheim Pediatrics stands at and what our strategy is moving forward. I wanted to, first, thank our brave staff and physicians who helped me continue to provide the best care we could during this crazy time. We have continued to see our youngest ones to make sure they are thriving and to make sure they are fully protected from any other vaccine-preventable illnesses. We have continued to see many other patients via telemedicine and have tried to be a source of guidance, knowledge, and support to all who needed.

This week we begun our first step in moving forward by getting back to what we do best. We have begun to increase our in-office hours and are now encouraging all children of any age, who need checkups, to call to get those scheduled. We will also begin to bring in those non-COVID related issues which we can safely address in the office. For the time being, we will continue to provide telemedicine for many issues that may not require an in-office visit.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been meeting with many of our vendors and with other medical practices across the country to develop a safe and reasonable way to accommodate all of our patients’ needs in the way we have always been accustomed. Much of this depends on supply chain for personal protective equipment, safe workflow, and keeping the office a clean and safe environment for our most vulnerable patients and family. Over the next few weeks, I will continue to find ways to manage all our patients in the safest way possible. I assure you that your child’s and family’s health and safety is my number one goal.

We have already made some significant changes to make things as safe as possible:

• Patients will be prescreened prior to their appointment for possible illness or exposure
• Parents are asked to call the office upon arrival to the building and to wait in their car until their exam room is ready for them
• Parents and staff will be screened at the door for temperature
• We will only allow one parent per child and request no siblings at each visit
• Anyone over age 2, including staff, are required to wear a mask or face covering
• Enhanced cleaning of all rooms and high touch areas of the office will continue
• The waiting room will continue to be unused for the time being
• Interaction with our staff will be minimized when possible
• If you have a fever or any signs of respiratory illness, you will be asked to go back to your car and await further instructions

We are working with our building to find other unique ways to utilize our campus to provide safe and quality care. We are learning every day and changing things as needed and we appreciate you bearing with us during this time. Our in-office hours will hopefully get back to normal soon as well, but they still may be a little different each day as issues arise. We may also have to be a little less flexible in schedule times as we try and keep the office clean, safe, and socially distant from one another.

My staff and I sincerely thank all of you for all your well wishes and for the kindness you have all shown us through these difficult times. We look forward to continuing to be there for you and your children. It is an honor that you have trusted us with their health and well-being.

Please reach out to us at 973-325-1115 if you have any concerns or questions.

Stay Healthy,
Dr. Jay