A New Jersey obstetrician gynecologist is accused of inappropriately touching not less than two of his sufferers, officers stated.
The State Board of Medical Examiners briefly suspended the license of Bruce Pierce, an obstetrician gynecologist who practiced on the Delaware Valley OBGYN & Princeton Midwifery in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Investigators stated Pierce inappropriately touched two longtime feminine sufferers throughout exams in 2023.
Assets for victims of sexual assault can be found by way of the Nationwide Sexual Violence Assets Heart and the Nationwide Sexual Assault Phone Hotline at 800-656-4673.
The primary sufferer informed investigators she had been Pierce’s affected person because the mid-Nineties. She stated Pierce carried out a standard breast, pelvic and rectal examination on her within the presence of a feminine chaperone in January 2023. The sufferer stated Pierce then dismissed the chaperone and requested her if he may repeat the examination.
When the girl requested why that was obligatory, Pierce allegedly informed her, “sometimes things change as we get older” and that he needed to “double check things to be sure.” Pierce then inappropriately touched the girl in the course of the second examination, investigators stated.
The girl stated she left the workplace feeling violated and knew one thing concerning the second examination wasn’t proper. After talking with members of the family and a piece supervisor, she reported the incident to Lawrence Township Police and filed a criticism with the State Board of Medical Examiners. She additionally stated the expertise negatively impacted her life and her emotional well being.
The second alleged incident occurred in December 2023. The sufferer informed investigators she scheduled an appointment with Pierce after experiencing pelvic ache. After present process an ultrasound with a lab technician, the girl was taken into an examination room the place she was met by Pierce, investigators stated.
Pierce informed the girl her ultrasound regarded high-quality and requested her if she needed a feminine chaperone whereas he examined her, in line with investigators. The girl declined the chaperone, telling investigators she trusted Pierce, who had been her OB-GYN for greater than 20 years and had even delivered her little one. She additionally stated that chaperones had at all times been current throughout previous exams.
As Pierce examined the girl, he inappropriately touched her till she requested him to cease, investigators stated. The girl stated Pierce referred to as her on her cellphone about two hours later asking if she was okay. She informed investigators she was nonetheless upset over what occurred and ended the decision shortly, indicating she was “okay.”
The girl stated she then despatched Pierce one other textual content message two days later, telling him her emotions of shock had turned to “fury and disgust.” She informed Pierce his conduct was “unprofessional and unacceptable” and accused him of abusing “her good faith.” She additionally informed Pierce she wouldn’t use his apply ever once more and expressed concern over him presumably participating in related misconduct with different sufferers, investigators stated.
“Okay, I’m so sorry, I upset you. It will never happen again I do value our 20 plus year doctor patient relationship. Thank you for not making it public,” Pierce allegedly texted the girl in response. “My career will be over, and I don’t know what I would do. I hope you can forgive me. This will never happen again. I understand that you are leaving the practice, but I hope you will reconsider and give me one more chance.”
The girl then reported the incident to the State Board of Medical Examiners. The girl additionally informed investigators the incident precipitated her important misery in addition to mistrust in well being care professionals.
Throughout a listening to earlier than the State Board of Medical Examiners on Nov. 13, 2024, attorneys with the New Jersey Division of Legislation’s Skilled Boards Prosecution petitioned for Pierce’s license to be briefly suspended, arguing that permitting him to proceed working towards would current a “clear and imminent danger to the health, safety and welfare of the public.”
The Board then filed an order of non permanent suspension.
“We found each patient’s testimony to be credible, chilling, and compelling,” the Board wrote in its Order. “[Pierce] engaged in conduct, which is entirely antithetical to medical practice, and runs wholly afoul of all physician’s obligations to do no harm to their patients. That conduct unquestionably presents a continuing and immediate danger to any and all of [Pierce’s] patients. There are no measures short of a full, immediate temporary suspension of license that we could craft which would adequately protect [Pierce’s] patients from such egregious conduct.”
Whereas Pierce’s license has been briefly suspended, officers haven’t but revealed if he’ll face felony fees.
Any affected person who believes they’ve been handled inappropriately by a license well being care skilled can file a web based criticism with the State Division of Shopper Affairs on their web site or by calling 1-800-242-5846 or 973-504-6200.
