State authorities have temporarily suspended the license of Dr. Bruce Pierce, who practiced at the Delaware Valley OBGYN & Princeton Midwifery located in Lawrence Township.
The State Board of Medical Examiners voted Nov. 13 to temporarily suspend Pierce’s license for allegedly sexually exploiting two patients under the guise of providing routine medical care, according to U.S. Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
A formal Order of Temporary Suspension was issued Nov. 25 by the State Board of Medical Examiners, pending the outcome of a hearing in the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law and further action by the State Board of Medical Examiners.
Pierce was accused of engaging in professional misconduct, gross negligence and incompetence and other violations of State Board of Medical Examiners statutes and regulations for allegedly inappropriately touching two long-time female patients during exams in 2023, Platkin said.
The first incident occurred in January 2023, involving a woman who had been Pierce’s patient since the mid-1990s.
After conducting a normal breast, pelvic and rectal exam in the presence of a female chaperone, Pierce dismissed the chaperone and allegedly asked the patient if he could repeat the exam.
When the woman questioned the reason for repeating the exam, he allegedly told her that sometimes things change as people age, and he wanted to double check things to make sure. During that exam, he allegedly touched her inappropriately.
The woman left the office and knew that something about the second exam was not right. She reported the incident to the Lawrence Township Police Department and filed a complaint with the State Board of Medical Examiners.
The second incident occurred in December 2023. Another patient made an appointment with Pierce because she was feeling pelvic pain.
After an ultrasound was conducted by a lab technician, she was taken into an examination room. Pierce allegedly entered the exam room and told her the results looked fine. He allegedly asked her if she wanted a female chaperone in the room during his examination of her.
The woman said she had never had to ask for a chaperone because one was always present. She said she declined the offer because she trusted Pierce. During the exam, he allegedly touched her inappropriately. She asked him to stop, which he did.
Pierce contacted her about two hours later on his personal cellphone and asked if she was okay. She responded that she was okay, but sent him a text message two days later that his conduct was unprofessional and unacceptable. She said she was moving to a different medical practice.
Pierce apologized in a text message and promised it would never happen again. He asked her not to make the incident public because it would end his career.
The woman decided to report the alleged incident to the State Board of Medical Examiners, in part to prevent Pierce from abusing other unsuspecting patients. In her complaint to the Board, she said the incident had caused her significant distress and resulted in distrust of health care professionals.
“Patients who submit to sensitive medical exams place their trust in the expertise and professionalism of their practitioner,” Platkin said.
“When physicians abuse that trust for their own sexual gratification, the consequences can be devastating.”
