I felt like I was directing every step of my own treatment, which made me lose trust and faith in him [Dr. Long]...I paid nearly one thousand dollars to sit and listen to him talk about his family and never once look at my medical records. I have to demand the treatment I know that I need whenever I visit. And they do not answer medical questions through the patient portal. They expect you to pay hundreds of dollars for a tele-health call....
The billing office [America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama] has many issues. I paid for all of my appointments out-of-pocket at the time of the appointment, but they would continue to double charge or send me bills in the mail (failure to pay or late payment notices). I am on SS Disability and cannot afford these appointments, much less the anxiety from the billing issues...My lab results were misinterpreted. I've never felt educated or well-informed about anything from this clinic....
How was your experience with Cecil Long at America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama?
He seems to want to put his patients through IVF without first running diagnostic labs to determine if they'd be a successful candidate. He pushed IVF at my first visit and refused to look at my medical records. At my second visit, I convinced his RN to look at them, and she saw that I had a probable uterine anomaly (which I did not know because my ob/gyn never mentioned it to me). Dr. Long performed an HSG on me and diagnosed a unicornuate uterus with a non-communicating horn, then performed surgery to remove the horn and tube one month later. No one called to check on me throughout my recovery. After my next loss, I returned and he wanted me to do another HSG, but that didn't make sense to me, as he had performed a second HSG during the surgery. He decided I should get baseline tests, but I decided that I should get a recurrent pregnancy loss blood panel. I felt like I was directing every step of my own treatment, which made me lose trust and faith in him. When the test results came back, I was told that I had a clotting disorder. After researching the disorder, I came to the conclusion that I did not have the clotting disorder they diagnosed me with. So I contacted them through the patient portal with information copied from another source and they agreed that I was correct and that they had read the test results incorrectly. He was barely present. And when he was, it was difficult to understand his logic behind his thoughts, as he never explained anything. He seems very cheery and hopeful, but doesn't seem to want to help you figure out the root cause of infertility.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cecil Long at America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama?
Educate yourself and self-advocate every step of the way!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cecil Long at America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama?
I felt like a dollar symbol. I paid nearly one thousand dollars to sit and listen to him talk about his family and never once look at my medical records. I have to demand the treatment I know that I need whenever I visit. And they do not answer medical questions through the patient portal. They expect you to pay hundreds of dollars for a tele-health call. I am disabled from pelvic pain and cannot work, so I can't afford to pay hundreds of dollars to have the answer to a simple question (like why he prefers one medication over another).
Describe the protocols Cecil Long used in your cycles at America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama and their degree of success.
At my very first visit, he prescribed progesterone without ever seeing my progesterone blood test results. I took one round of those and they didn't do anything. He performed an HSG (per my direction) and said that I had a unicornuate uterus (although, today, I'm not certain that I ever did because I've lost trust). He performed surgery to remove part of my uterus, my left fallopian tube, polyps, fibroids, and endometriosis. That is all that he has done, aside from routine post-miscarriage transvaginal ultrasounds.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama.
When I asked why the doctor prefers Heparin to Lovenox, the nurse said it wasn't her area of expertise and I'd need to pay for a telehealth appointment to ask doc that question. They also were not concerned with my well-being after my surgery.
Describe your experience with America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama.
The billing office has many issues. I paid for all of my appointments out-of-pocket at the time of the appointment, but they would continue to double charge or send me bills in the mail (failure to pay or late payment notices). I am on SS Disability and cannot afford these appointments, much less the anxiety from the billing issues. Jenn Hicks, the billing coordinator, was very friendly (maybe the only friendly person on staff), and was quick to try and resolve issues. They (the staff) have good days and bad days as far as kindness and attitude is concerned. Only once did I ever feel welcomed or cared for. Other visits felt hostile and cold.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cecil Long at America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama.
I've gone over most of it in previous answers, but I will say that his rates are lower than other clinics. The initial consult was over $800. But nothing was gained from that consult.
What specific things went wrong at America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama.
At my second visit, I was informed that I would begin clomid, I believe. I can't remember. I had to explain that I had previously asked Dr. Long to view my records, but he had not and that I didn't feel comfortable beginning any protocol without that happening. That's when I was moved into an office where an RN confirmed my suspicions were correct. My lab results were misinterpreted. I've never felt educated or well-informed about anything from this clinic.
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Clinic
America Institute of Reproductive Medicine – Alabama
Birmingham