Despite CDC’s recommendation to stay home even with mild COVID-19 symptoms, people still need healthcare for non-urgent medical issues. Unfortunately, due to the imperative need to prevent cross-infection {as well as the severe shortage of protective and cleaning supplies}, many doctors have chosen to close their offices. As for the ones that remain open, many are fully booked or are not accepting new patients for the next few weeks. As a result, there are currently very limited primary care options locally, posing risks to those in need, especially patients with pre-existing or chronic conditions that require frequent monitoring. But rest assured, there’s hope.
For readers who are worried about what is going on at the primary care clinics in the neighborhood, and what services are available, we have put together a list of local primary care practices that remain open and are still accepting new patients at the current moment. Do note, however, that some of them might be operating at reduced capacities. Here’s the list:
Disclaimer: Please call each office ahead of time to confirm if it is still open + taking patients at the time you want to visit.
Dr. Inna Riva, Primary Care, Family Medicine {206 Washington Street, Jersey City}
Dr. Inna Riva specializes in family medicine. However, for most health insurance plans, the clinic is out of network and the office is very upfront about the cost when on-boarding a new patient. Office visits cost $200. The clinic also provides telemedicine services over the phone. A consultation can take place as soon as 15-20 minutes after the initial inquiry. Each session costs $150 and payments can be made via Paypal, Venmo, or Zelle.
Dr. Mmereole, Mmereole Health {6101 Boulevard East West New York}
Dr. Mmereole’s office provides primary care services, including regular medical exams, menopause management, allergy consultation, and arthritis treatments. The office is currently accepting new patients, but no appointments will be available before April 1st. Dr. Mmereole speaks English, Spanish, and Ibo.
Dr. Jonathan M Dominguez MD {211 60th Street, West New York}
The office is currently open for telemedicine services, so patients can still make inquiries for appointments or prescriptions. Dr. Dominguez will be available via telemedicine from 11:00AM-5:00PM every Monday through Friday.
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Telemedicine Options
During a pandemic when people are concerned about getting out of the house, telemedicine enables doctors to care for patients remotely when the doctor and patient cannot meet physically. Consultation sessions can be conducted via phone or video-conferencing platforms, and other services such as prescriptions can also be provided online. Insurance coverage, service availability, and pricing vary depending on the platform and location.
Although very few New Jersey doctors provide telemedicine currently at their own practices, New York University’s Langone Medical Center does provide convenient virtual urgent care services, covering non-emergency conditions such as flu and cold symptoms, allergies, and UTIs. The doctors will also send follow-up instructions via email, and prescriptions can also be sent to the patient’s local pharmacy if needed. Patients {must be five years old or older} can also download the NYU Langone Health app to schedule their appointments and talk to the doctors. Most health insurance plans, such as Aetna, Cigna, and UHC are accepted.
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CityMD is also offering telemedicine consultations via CITYMDnow.com or the CityMD app. Simply choose your medical provider from a list of available ones, choose your pharmacy, and begin our video visit.
Those who need care for more complicated issues can also find primary care doctors as well as specialists on telemedicine platforms such as AmWell. The platform provides services covering a wide variety of conditions, including psychotherapy, and most of the common health insurance plans are accepted.
Do you know of any primary care offices still open to add to this list? Email us at hello@hobokengirl.com!
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