The exciting news at JCRM is the reopening of fertility cycles and the ability to complete fertility evaluations! National Infertility Awareness Week is upon us amid the coronavirus pandemic. What is usually a celebratory and supportive time is now a frightening time for all of us as this virus looms over our everyday lives.
As long time providers of infertility care, we understand the extreme stress patients feel during the best of times. In my 25 years of practice, we have only had the economic slowdown of 2008 to compare, but this situation has been far more frightening and disruptive to everyday life; especially to our infertility patients.
Our office will be opening back up for regular care on Monday, May 4th when we will complete evaluations and start treatment cycles. Our patients will receive calls from our nursing team in the next 10-14 days to begin calendar preparation. If you don’t hear from us or have recently decided to pursue treatment cycles, please call the office and we will start working on your coordination. This exciting news has limited our downturn to 8 weeks that we know seems like an eternity.
The office will continue to require screening and social distancing as we see patients in the office and our scan patients will wait in their cars to aid with social distancing. This may continue to the end of the year or longer we just don’t know. I would urge all patients seeking pregnancy to be comfortable with the idea of aggressive social distancing in pregnancy due to the uncertain effects of viral infection during gestation. A later resurgence of viral cases is expected in the late summer to fall timeframe.
We have decided to offer a 15% COVID-19 discount until June 1st for new patients doing IVF. This is to help families with the economic stress of being out of work during the crisis. We hope all of you are well and have been staying safe during this trying time. We hope successful fertility treatment can brighten everyone’s outlook from here!
Michael D. Fox, MD
Jacksonville Center Reproductive Medicine
Advanced Reproductive Specialists