Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Dr. Lebovic was very responsive and his responses showed that he truly cared and knew what we had been through...he would respond to emails in an hour or two. We trusted him completely with our treatment plan. He also was extremely cautious with our egg retrieval, due to the risk of OHSS. We were going to do a fresh transfer, but postponed due to the number of eggs that retrieved...was very factual and straight to the point- we really needed this.

The cost of IVF [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] (required prior to the procedure) was $12,730 and this included ICSI. This did not include our frozen transfer- we needed to pay approximately $2000 extra for this...had IVF seminars every month. This was extremely valuable and I am so glad that we went. I really enjoyed all of the techs as well, and thought they were very pleasant. Even when I went to the blood draws, I enjoyed talking to the techs.

How was your experience with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

When we first saw Dr. Lebovic, he told us that our best shot was to do IVF. He was very honest, and at the time I don't believe we were ready to accept that. We let that news sink in, tried some various other courses of treatment, but ultimately we did proceed with IVF this year. Well, he was right and I wish we would have just done IVF right away. Dr. Lebovic was very attentive to our needs- he would respond to emails in an hour or two. We trusted him completely with our treatment plan. He also was extremely cautious with our egg retrieval, due to the risk of OHSS. We were going to do a fresh transfer, but postponed due to the number of eggs that retrieved. Although we were sad at the time, I am so glad that we did this. This was a very emotional process for us, and Dr. Lebovic was very factual and straight to the point- we really needed this.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Be prepared to be open minded. We had an idea of what our treatment plan probably would be, and we were totally wrong.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dr. Lebovic was very responsive and his responses showed that he truly cared and knew what we had been through.

Describe the protocols Dan Lebovic used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

We had severe male infertility, and therefore Dr. Lebovic recommended IVF right away. For our hormones leading up to the treatment, we used Menopur and Follistim, and then added Ganirelix a week after starting the injections. Due to my PCOS, we decreased the Follistim right away. In preparation for OHSS, Dr. Lebovic prescribed Cabergoline before and after the transfer, and I also added Letrozole after the transfer as well. This helped to prevent severe OHSS. We opted for a frozen transfer rather than fresh, and leading up to that we started Progesterone in oil and estradiol. After the transfer, I have continued with PIO injections daily, and estradiol three times/day.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

For strengths, I always received a call back within the day when I left a message for the nursing staff. Even when I had a concern about one of my shots on the weekend, they called me right away to talk me through my concern. I felt like when I received a call back, they were knowledgeable about my treatment plan. For opportunities, I suppose it would have been nice to have a lead nurse assigned to me so I could get used to them and develop a comfort level.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

I liked how our clinic had IVF seminars every month. This was extremely valuable and I am so glad that we went. I really enjoyed all of the techs as well, and thought they were very pleasant. Even when I went to the blood draws, I enjoyed talking to the techs. For weaknesses, I felt like the front desk staff at times was not the most friendly. I think when we first went there in 2018, I felt like I was a number. But, through IVF this year I realize that they need to do this to stay organized where everyone is at with their cycle. Filling out a paper first thing when you get there to confirm why you are being seen, calling and leaving messages on the nurse line, etc.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The cost of IVF (required prior to the procedure) was $12,730 and this included ICSI. This did not include our frozen transfer- we needed to pay approximately $2000 extra for this. I do believe there were some additional costs for medications (about $1500).

Describe Dan Lebovic's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

He strongly recommended 1 embryo transfer, and provided a great deal of educational material to support this.

Doctor

Dan Lebovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2016 - 2017, Successful

Age 34 - 35

3 IUI

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Doesn't Recommend

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Our interactions with Dr. Lebovic were very limited. He provided us with a good amount of information upfront, but after that I felt very in the dark as to my treatment plan...He seemed rushed and too busy...He clearly knows the medical science well and has his basic protocols for different diagnoses well practiced. Weaknesses: Bedside manner is awkward at best, cold at worst. I had a miscarriage in my second cycle and am still shocked how cold he was—it felt like suddenly I was outside his purview and there was nothing he could do or say.

CRM is a machine and the nursing staff are hit or miss as a result. I can recall one or two good ones, a few bad ones, and many more just ok. My biggest complaint is that the communication between doctors, nurses, and admin staff was extremely spotty, which led to having to explain things over and over that should have been in my chart. The most egregious example was when I suspected I was having a miscarriage the day of my 6 week appointment to check for a heartbeat. I called the clinic to tell them this, yet it was never conveyed to any of the staff who dealt with me that day, so I had to explain to three different people what was happening.

How was your experience with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Strengths: He clearly knows the medical science well and has his basic protocols for different diagnoses well practiced. Weaknesses: Bedside manner is awkward at best, cold at worst. I had a miscarriage in my second cycle and am still shocked how cold he was—it felt like suddenly I was outside his purview and there was nothing he could do or say. I felt that he was not as interested in me because my diagnosis was unexplained and therefore not a problem that could be solved. He seemed rushed and too busy.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Give him a shot In the initial consultation and if he’s not for you, switch doctors. Or, lower your expectations with regard to bedside manner and compassion.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Our interactions with Dr. Lebovic were very limited. He provided us with a good amount of information upfront, but after that I felt very in the dark as to my treatment plan.

Describe the protocols Dan Lebovic used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

3 medicated (letrozole and trigger shot) and monitored IUIs.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Strengths: they are big, well resourced, and seem to be successful. Space is nice and welcoming. They are really the gold standard in town. Weaknesses: admin and scheduling staff were frequently rude and seemed to be bothered by doing their jobs. Since it is big, it can feel like you are a widget in a machine.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

About $8000 all said and done

What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Doctor

Dan Lebovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2017 - 2021, Successful

Age 32 - 36

IUI

1 IVF

Donor Sperm

Male Factor

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Dr. Casey understood right off the bat that I’m very “type a” and need to know every little detail. She explained the entire process and even drew pictures. Infertility treatments are a very confusing process and she explained it all in an easily understood way...My husband and I wanted to transfer two embryos, but during my first pregnancy I had severe Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Preeclampsi, so they talked us out of an even higher risk pregnancy

They were very good with communication. Also, if I had a question (I had lots!), they knew exactly who to send me to to answer the question. They were also very friendly in every interaction I had with them...My interactions [with the Center for Reproductive Medicine nurses] were mostly over the phone, but they were all great...Medications were about $4000 and the rest of the cycle was about $14,000

How was your experience with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

She is very direct, which is so amazing. She doesn’t sugar coat, but at the same time, she has great caring bedside manner

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I had my first consult with Dr. Casey in 2017. It was a very emotional process for me and I distinctly remember crying in her office during the consultation. She was very caring and understanding and helped me come to terms with our infertility struggle

Describe the protocols Colleen Casey used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

I was on oral birth control pills for 3 weeks, then started my stimulation medications. I was on 75 units of Menopur and 900 IU of Follistim for 10 days. 250mcg of Ganirelix was added in and I did a double Ovidrel trigger. I was monitored this whole time as well with ultrasounds. I remember being at my ultrasound on a Friday and was told to come back Monday. Knowing my body, I advocated for a Saturday appointment- not wanting to miss my small window to trigger. I came in the next day and sure enough, was told to trigger Sunday night! I had previously gone through 8 IUI cycles (7 unsuccessfully) and I learned through those to advocate for myself more. 36 hours after my trigger shots, I went in for my egg retrieval. There were 25 eggs retrieved, 18 of which were mature. After 5 days, we needed up with 11 embryos. We transferred 1 on day 5, and she is currently 7 weeks old!

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

My interactions were mostly over the phone, but they were all great!

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

My work schedule isn’t very flexible, so I had a hard time with the appointments. That being said, CRM did their best in accommodating me and my hectic work schedule.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Medications were about $4000 and the rest of the cycle was about $14,000

Describe Colleen Casey's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

My husband and I wanted to transfer two embryos, but during my first pregnancy I had severe Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Preeclampsi, so they talked us out of an even higher risk pregnancy

Doctor

Colleen Casey

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2020, Unsuccessful

Age 29

2 IUI

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Joshua Kapfhamer Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

I saw Dr. K for a consult and then continued on with a couple IUI cycles. Although they failed, Dr. K never reached out or told me what we were going to do differently. I never saw him besides the initial consult. He also was dismissive toward my opinion on what my fertility issues were. Although I have read books about my hormones and fertility issues, he made it seem as though all of the information I ever read was false and laughable. He wasn't rude about it, but it was a little demeaning.

Overall, the [Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] staff is hit or miss. Some of the front desk employees are sweet and welcoming, others are cold. I found the lack of communication from my doctor throughout the process very disappointing. It felt like they didn't care about whether my cycle was successful or not. It felt like they were going to push through any cycle regardless if everything looked good or not.

How was your experience with Joshua Kapfhamer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I chose Dr. K because I had heard lots of people love him. They said he was compassionate and had a warm bedside manner. My consult with him went ok, but I didn't feel like my opinion or my questions were fully welcomed. I may have caught him on an off day, but I haven't seen or heard from him since I had my consult with him almost 5 months ago. I'm sure he is busy with IVF patients, but it felt like since I was "only doing IUI" I wasn't important enough to keep up with.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Joshua Kapfhamer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Make sure you're fully onboard with a minimal treatment plan and basically having the nurses as your doctor instead of Dr. K.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Joshua Kapfhamer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Describe the protocols Joshua Kapfhamer used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

First IUI cycle I was on 2.5 of femara with a trigger shot. It only resulted in one mature follicle. The nurse told me to trigger that night (right away without consulting with Dr. K, even though he told me that he wanted 2-3). The trigger shot was scheduled to be taken between 6-8pm that night before the IUI was even scheduled, so the timing was not the typical "36 hours." I was told by the nurses that the timing didn't matter. This cycle didn't work and I believe they missed ovulation. Second cycle the nurses bumped me up to 5mg of femara and a trigger shot. It resulted in 3 follicles, and once again the nurse told me to trigger that night between 6-8pm before even knowing when the IUI would be scheduled. This also resulted in a negative test. I never had blood work drawn once. I was also told progesterone wasn't proven to help women sustain pregnancy, so it was not recommended for me to take it.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

My first cycle I didn't care for my nursing staff. They were very cold and didn't seem to be happy to work there. The second round I had fantastic, sweet, and caring nurses!

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Overall, the staff is hit or miss. Some of the front desk employees are sweet and welcoming, others are cold. I found the lack of communication from my doctor throughout the process very disappointing. It felt like they didn't care about whether my cycle was successful or not. It felt like they were going to push through any cycle regardless if everything looked good or not.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Joshua Kapfhamer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

My IUIs were around 1,250, not including medication.

What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

My doctor initially told me they would run some bloodwork throughout my cycle, but it was never ordered. I asked about it and they said it wasn't necessary. I was also told by my doctor that my IUI would be 36 hours after my trigger shot, and was told that the timing wasn't important. This was disappointing especially since they weren't confirming that I was ovulating with bloodwork or more ultrasounds.

Doctor

Joshua Kapfhamer

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Joshua Kapfhamer Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019 - 2020, Successful

Age 40 - 41

2 IVF

Other

Income $200K - $499K

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

[Dr. Colleen Casey] was very thorough in our initial consultation...was a matter of fact, no bs, tells you how it is and what your chances are with scientific research to back it up... I walked in with tears and ended up smiling and laughing during our consultation...We did ICSI and PGS...the doctor you consult with may or may not do your egg retrieval and transfer

some of the nurses [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] got frustrated with me at my visits because I was always the one with a notebook and pen...the doctor you consult with may or may not do your egg retrieval and transfer... the lab is in house! The only time we experienced outside labs was with PGS...The total for both rounds of IVF cost us $45,000

How was your experience with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I remember the day we went in for our consultation with Dr. Casey. I walked in with tears and ended up smiling and laughing during our consultation. The reason why my husband and I liked her so much from that moment was that she was a matter of fact, no bs, tells you how it is and what your chances are with scientific research to back it up. This is exactly what we were looking for. We didn’t need a doctor who was going to hug us, cry with us, and lead us down a road with unclear expectations.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Go into your consultation with questions and know you'll receive direct answers.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

She was very thorough in our initial consultation and exactly what we were looking for in a doctor. She's not going to hug you or cry with you, but she'll give you her honest opinion and scientific research when asking her questions.

Describe the protocols Colleen Casey used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

Menopur 150iu, Gonal F 300 iu, Ganirelix 250 mcg, HCG 10,000 units We did ICSI and PGS

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

My wish was that CRM designated a nurse to you instead of seeing and talking to a different nurse at each visit/phone call. I advise everyone to be your own advocate wherever you choose to go. I could tell some of the nurses got frustrated with me at my visits because I was always the one with a notebook and pen in hand and questioning everything. I tracked every lab, ultrasound, and every bit of information I was given and compared notes at each appointment. As a patient in any medical setting, I believe it’s your job to advocate for yourself and not be naive and rely on a medical team to have your best interest in mind.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

At first I didn't realize the doctor you consult with may or may not do your egg retrieval and transfer. The doctors rotate since this is a 24/7 type of procedure happening. I don't recall this being communicated to me, but had a good experience with the doctors that ended up doing my 2 retrievals and 1 transfer. It would be nice if the nurses showed some compassion since this is such an emotional experience. I love that the lab is in house! The only time we experienced outside labs was with PGS.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The total for both rounds of IVF cost us $45,000 out of pocket.

What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Again, be your own advocate. I was frustrated a few times with the front desk after being told by Dr. Casey and a nurse to book an appointment at checkout. On more than one occasion, the front desk scheduler told me there were no available appointments and that I would go on a waiting list. (these are time-sensitive appointments and a waitlist is unacceptable. I called the nurse line and the nurse ended up booking the appointments.

Doctor

Colleen Casey

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 28 - 29

5 IUI

1 IVF

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

We really trust Dr.Hopeman. She has been upfront, candid, and honest. She provides hope while not sugar coating things. She does a great job of providing facts and statistics. ... Male factor: one natural IUI, 2 IUIs with clomid, one IUI with femara, one IUI with injectables. One IVF retrieval, resulted in 2 embryos. ... There are always more options and things to try, which I greatly appreciate. We are always talking about the future plan if the current plan doesn't work. I really appreciate that aspect, as I wanted to make sure that there was still a future to be excited for

It [Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] is in a downtown area, so traffic getting to and from the clinic can be a challenge for early morning appointments. There is a lot of consistency with the front desk staff, lab drawers, and ultrasound techs, and I enjoyed getting to know them and them getting to know me. ... There was one time where i needed a refill of a medication and it was not called into the pharmacy on time. I was able to get an emergency refill. However in the years i've been going there, this has only happened once.

How was your experience with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

We really trust Dr.Hopeman. She has been upfront, candid, and honest. She provides hope while not sugar coating things. She does a great job of providing facts and statistics. There are always more options and things to try, which I greatly appreciate. We are always talking about the future plan if the current plan doesn't work. I really appreciate that aspect, as I wanted to make sure that there was still a future to be excited for even if the current cycle didn't work. After failed cycles, she has come back with thoughtful insights on what happened and what our options were going forward.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Take the time to understand the full extent of her knowledge! I recommend taking notes to keep everything organized.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

She always remembered my current situation, and would ask me about details in my personal life. She was always thoughtful and took lots of time to explain things to me and my husband.

Describe the protocols Meg Hopeman used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

Male factor: one natural IUI, 2 IUIs with clomid, one IUI with femara, one IUI with injectables. One IVF retrieval, resulted in 2 embryos.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

They are all nice and willing to take any questions I had back to my doctor.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

It is in a downtown area, so traffic getting to and from the clinic can be a challenge for early morning appointments. There is a lot of consistency with the front desk staff, lab drawers, and ultrasound techs, and I enjoyed getting to know them and them getting to know me.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Unsure.

What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

There was one time where i needed a refill of a medication and it was not called into the pharmacy on time. I was able to get an emergency refill. However in the years i've been going there, this has only happened once.

Doctor

Meg Hopeman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2018 - 2020, Unsuccessful

Age 36 - 38

3 IUI

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

[nurse of Center of Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] They walk you through each part of the process and give knowledgeable answers to your questions...The staff is friendly and have everything you need ready to sign when you arrive. Service is prompt and often times if you show up for bloodwork a little before your appointment, they can squeeze you in early. Children are not permitted in the waiting area due to privacy reasons.

How was your experience with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Meg Hopeman has a calm, cool nature about her. She makes you feel calm in the storm of infertility. She is blunt but gentle when talking about treatments. She makes you feel optimistic but gently reinforces the realities that come with infertility. One downfall is that she was only there for the post treatment ultrasounds. She did not perform any of the procedures.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dr. Hopeman will likely not be the one performing your procedures but she has always been around to answer questions via phone or in person consultation. Even after not seeing me for a few months, when I called she was still knowledgeable about my situation. If you are ok with her not being there for procedures but keeping in touch to follow up, I would highly recommend Meg Hopeman

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

From the moment I stepped in to Meg Hopeman’s office, I felt a sense of calm in the ever brewing storm of infertility. Right away, she had reviewed all the information and had a plan laid out for us. She was cautiously optimistic. Each cycle of IUI, she was present and ready to answer questions, following up after each miscarriage to see how I was coping and letting me know, she was ready when I was.

Describe the protocols Meg Hopeman used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

During our initial consultation, Dr. Hopeman said she liked to start with the least invasive procedures first. Based on the test results given to her by my primary care doctor and by my gynecologist, she determined that starting with Clomid and an IUI procedure would be best since based on the test results there was no reason I shouldn’t be getting pregnant. Since January 2019, I have had 3 IUI’s and a surprise pregnancy. Two of the IUI’s resulted in a miscarriage and one in a negative pregnancy test. The surprise pregnancy also resulted in a miscarriage.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

From the beginning, the nursing staff was great! They walk you through each part of the process and give knowledgeable answers to your questions. Like many others who have gone before me, my treatments were unsuccessful. During the discovery of this, the nursing staff was so kind and gentle. Handing me tissues to wipe away my tears and a hug at the end of the appointment. They also followed up with resources a few days later to help me navigate my grief.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The whole fourth floor of the building is taken by the different aspects of the Center for Reproductive Medicine, from the ultrasound rooms to the male androgyny labs.The waiting room greets you as soon as you step off the elevator and is clean and quiet. The staff is friendly and have everything you need ready to sign when you arrive. Service is prompt and often times if you show up for bloodwork a little before your appointment, they can squeeze you in early. Children are not permitted in the waiting area due to privacy reasons.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

My husband and I are fortunate to have insurance to help cover a majority of the costs with our IUI’s. Totaling meds, the procedure and the subsequent D&C’s needed after my miscarriages, I would estimate that we spent around $4,000 in 2019.

Describe Meg Hopeman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

At this moment, this is not an option we have discussed.

Doctor

Meg Hopeman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2018 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 30 - 32

1 IUI

IVF

Male Factor

European

Income $100K - $199K

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Dr. Lebovic is incredible kind and makes the time to personally call with any "bad" news rather than leave it up to the nurses... I really appreciated his attention to my hormone levels and follicle results as I was at high risk for OHSS. He called me personally whenever there was a concern to explain things to me...My husband started with Clomid (male factor)...

[Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] Strengths - individual plans, well organized, kind and compassionate Weaknesses - none Other - if you want to see the same nurse every time, this is not the clinic for you, but the nurses communicate well and stay well organized...12 eggs retrieved, 11 mature, 10 fertilized, 8 blastocysts, 1 transferred, 7 frozen

How was your experience with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I felt like I was in great hands with Dr. Lebovic. I really appreciated his attention to my hormone levels and follicle results as I was at high risk for OHSS. He called me personally whenever there was a concern to explain things to me.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Don't expect to see him every appointment, but he is always available for phone calls if you need to speak to him.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dr. Lebovic is incredible kind and makes the time to personally call with any "bad" news rather than leave it up to the nurses.

Describe the protocols Dan Lebovic used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

My husband started with Clomid (male factor) - this was a low percentage chance that it could increase his sperm counts - it did not work. We tried IUI once - our expectations were set low, but he suggested trying it just to rule it out. IVF with fresh embryo transfer - 12 eggs retrieved, 11 mature, 10 fertilized, 8 blastocysts, 1 transferred, 7 frozen - resulted in chemical pregnancy. Fresh Embryo Transfer - in progress

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Nurses are all kind and compassionate.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Strengths - individual plans, well organized, kind and compassionate Weaknesses - none Other - if you want to see the same nurse every time, this is not the clinic for you, but the nurses communicate well and stay well organized. You also may not have the doctor managing your plan perform your procedure (egg retrieval, embryo transfer, etc), but all of the doctors are compassionate and easy to work with.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

IVF with ICSI and egg freezing, plus baseline ultrasound and extra ultrasound for longer cycle monitoring - $15,500, prescriptions - $4000 Frozen Transfer - $4900, prescriptions - $100 IUI - $500 Sperm testing - $250

Describe Dan Lebovic's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Our clinic and doctor encourage single transfers - they will do multiples, but we never had interest in multiple. Our outlook with single is good, we have quite a few frozen embryos and the cost of doing one more transfer vs. having twins is not worth it to us.

Doctor

Dan Lebovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 35 - 36

1 IVF

Male Factor

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Nurse or HC Services

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Dr Lebovic is very responsive with questions and I could tell it was important to him I understood what was happening. If I sent him an email at night I had a responsive before 8am the next day, even on weekends! I did not have problems with him personally however I wish I was able to see/talk to him more and that he would have been the one who did my egg retrieval

The people [at Center for Reproductive Medicine] are all very nice but the communication in general has been terrible...they didn’t call me with results/information (such as when to trigger)...The people are nice and seem to care, but I have constantly been frustrated with the clinic and the processes...The nurses were very kind however they struggled with communication.

How was your experience with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Use his email and contact him directly when you have questions/concerns

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

When working with Dr Lebovic directly I felt very much like a person who mattered, however my interactions with him were very limited and the rest of the time I felt like a number because of the poor communication

Describe the protocols Dan Lebovic used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

I was on menopur and follistim for my stims, my trigger wasn’t supposed to be ovidrel but got switched last minute to lupron to avoid OHSS. I was also on several medications after retrieval to avoid OHSS (cabergaline and something else I don’t remember). I did avoid getting OHSS but also ended up with a lot of extra medicine I wish I hadn’t had to buy (I responded very well to the follistim so the dose had to be reduced). For transfer I am an OCPs, lupron, estradiol, aspirin and progesterone in oil. The lupron got added because I had breakthrough ovulation on OCPs alone.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The nurses were very kind however they struggled with communication. I was given a great, detailed timeline that said after my retrieval in November by transfer would be in January, however it then never got scheduled!

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The people are all very nice but the communication in general has been terrible. My transfer was supposed to be in January, didn’t get scheduled. Then scheduled for February, but they didn’t give me enough meds so I ovulated, then April but again I ovulated, pushed a week and then Covid happened so now who knows. Additionally, this is probably more about my dr, but I was made to buy several hundred dollars of medicine I didn’t need because I was overstimulating. The weekend of my retrieval I had to call the on call doctor twice bc they didn’t call me before the clinic closed with critical information (such as what time to trigger). The people are nice and seem to care, but I have constantly been frustrated with the clinic and the processes.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

I don’t remember

What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

As I already stated, appointments didn’t get scheduled when they said they would, they didn’t call me with results/information (such as when to trigger) and they struggled with communication as a whole

Doctor

Dan Lebovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful

Age 35 - 36

3 IUI

1 IVF

Poor Egg Quality

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Lawyer

2nd of 2 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Dr Hopeman has a pleasant manner. She's compassionate and always sounds sincere but we did not get the results she so hopefully made us believe we would. She failed to listen to us every step of the way...She was against any testing up front...She negates every suggestion I have...it cost us hugely...near impossible to get to talk to the Dr herself...She failed to get all the information up front

The [Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] clinic has a large reputation...Patients feel like a name in a chart. It feels like a revolving door. It's impossible to get questions answered quickly and easily. Everyone has a different version of things...They're chronically 20 minutes behind for every appointment. Appointment times are absolutely terrible and inflexible for working people.

How was your experience with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dr Hopeman has a pleasant manner. She's compassionate and always sounds sincere but we did not get the results she so hopefully made us believe we would. She failed to listen to us every step of the way. She was against any testing up front, claiming it wasn't necessary as it wasn't indicated.. how can she know that without doing the tests and ruling things out?! I finally had tests run to rule out issues AFTER a completely failed round of IVF. She negates every suggestion I have that I've learned from research and talking with others in similar circumstances. She failed to get all the information up front, before investing our entire one chance on a blind trial and it cost us hugely.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Advocate for yourself and stick to your guns.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

there is very little communication about the plan, the results, the reasons for why things went like they did. There's no explanations, unless I specifically ask. I'm not called or checked up on. I rarely get responses. I always feel rushed and never feel listened to.

Describe the protocols Meg Hopeman used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

I used menopur, gonal F, ganirelix, and omnitrope (the human growth hormone). I started on low dose menopur but increased slightly throughout stims. It was believed I had PCOS (tested AFTER failed IVF to find out I DONT!), so my doses were kept low to avoid OHSS. I stimmed for 9 days and triggered day 9 when my largest follicle was 21mm. I had several small but mature follicles that ended up not being large enough to produce viable eggs. I triggered with an intramuscular.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota. (Assigned nurse: Dana Geving)

we felt really good meeting our nurse but quickly learned that she often failed to respond to emails or would take several days to respond. She only ever once reached out to check in on me.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The clinic has a large reputation but it comes with large corporate practices. Patients feel like a name in a chart. It feels like a revolving door. It's impossible to get questions answered quickly and easily. Everyone has a different version of things so it's really confusing to know what's true or what's happening. They're chronically 20 minutes behind for every appointment. Appointment times are absolutely terrible and inflexible for working people.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

They were only done within a range of hours in the morning. The times absolutely did not work with my work schedule and they were unwilling to bend their flexibility.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

We spent around $2500 total for a round of IUI that ended in a chemical. We moved to IVF and spent about $28,000, including $2500 for PGS testing. IVF completely failed so we finally ran a whole panel of tests coming to another few thousand. We also electively spent $1100 for HGH.

Describe Meg Hopeman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

we only ended up having 1 day 5 embryo to even transfer but we planned to only do 1 this time anyway because our insurance coverage only covered a single.

What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

I feel like I was always in the dark. I often didn't get test results and when I did, they were rarely explained. They were told to me as if I were a doctor and would understand. And more often than not, each person I spoke with had something drastically different to say. This happened always between the nurses and Dr Hopeman, but it was near impossible to get to talk to the Dr herself.

Doctor

Meg Hopeman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019 - 2020, Successful

Age 34 - 35

IUI

1 IVF

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Dr. Casey was very open and explained our treatment plan well in depth. Never once did we ever question what was going to happen. She really made you feel like you were her only couple she was working with...She was always available to answer any questions and really made us feel comfortable while under her care...made sure to review our information before meeting with us so we always felt she really took the time to understands get patient's situations.

Overall I feel like the [Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] clinic does a really good job at handling all aspects of their business...I never felt forgotten in a sea of people...the nurses are the main points of contact if there are any questions or anything, they really do a great job at making sure that you understand everything...show a lot of compassion towards their patients

How was your experience with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Don't be afraid to ask questions. That is what she is there for. Just know that your treatment plan well be explained in depth and you'll feel and know that she truly cares about your outcome(s).

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

She was always available to answer any questions and really made us feel comfortable while under her care. She always made sure to review our information before meeting with us so we always felt she really took the time to understands get patient's situations.

Describe the protocols Colleen Casey used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

I was under another doctor's care at the same office my first round of IVF and with how that cycle turned out, we decided to proceed with the same. I was on an antagonist protocol. I did Lupron 20 units then 5a day, menopur 150 units a day and then follistim 225 units a day. I also added in ganirelix for 5 days. I stimmed for 9 days and then had retrieval.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Since the nurses are the main points of contact if there are any questions or anything, they really do a great job at making sure that you understand everything and that you don't feel stupid for asking so many questions. They really do show a lot of compassion towards their patients which is so important when you're dealing with couples going through infertility.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Overall I feel like the clinic does a really good job at handling all aspects of their business. I never had an experience where something wasn't handled properly. They are very organized with everything and I felt when I needed any information or documents I was able to get it in a timely manner.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Since I live over 2 hours away from the clinic they were very accommodating with the time that I'd like to be there for my appointments. They do have a window of I believe four hours that monitoring has to be done in, but I never felt like it couldn't get in when it wasn't convenient for me. I felt that the appointments went very smoothly. Most of the time there weren't many people in the waiting room. I never felt forgotten in a sea of people.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

For monitoring, retrieval AMD frozen embryo transfer we were upwards of$18,000 and then with our genetic testing was an addition $6,000.

Doctor

Colleen Casey

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 31 - 32

3 IUI

Male Factor

European

Income $50K - $99K

Entrepreneur

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

I was incredibly impressed with her[Dr. Meg Hopeman] knowledge, care and willingness to walk us through all and any questions we had...after looking over our files she was able to see that in fact, my husband had low motility and numbers...our scheduled IVF cycle has been cancelled [due to covid]...[new patient advice] Come with your list of questions, but be prepared to have them all answered

We have had an incredibly experience with our Nursing Staff [of Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota], as we have had to call quite a bit for reschedules, updates, questions, etc during COVID-19. They have been understanding, compassionate and helpful...We were quoted $11,500 for 1 round of IVF and embryo preservation. This did not include ICSI or med costs...[clinic error]I do feel like there is a lack of communication between front desk staff and the nurses / care team

How was your experience with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Because our scheduled IVF cycle has been cancelled, we can't give a full review of our experience with Dr. Hopeman yet - but I can say that I was incredibly impressed with her knowledge, care and willingness to walk us through all and any questions we had. We are hopeful that our cycle gets rescheduled soon and we can restart care under Dr. Hopeman.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Come with your list of questions, but be prepared to have them all answered before you can even ask them! Take a breath and know that you are in the right place.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

After 2 1/2 years of trying to concieve, 3 failed IUIs and 8 months of hormones with our local OBGYN - we were excited to travel to Minneapolis and get an infertility consult with Dr. Hopeman. We had been told up to this point that we had unexplained infertility. Minutes after looking over our files she was able to see that in fact, my husband had low motility and numbers - and was sad to see our local OB had even done the IUIs in the first place. She treated us with kindness and compassion - and never disrespected our OBGYN, even though she had found their errors. We knew immediately that she was the Doctor for us moving forward into IVF.

Describe the protocols Meg Hopeman used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

Our plan, before the cycle got canceled, was to use ICSI - because of male factor infertility - and the following protocals: - One month of birth control prep (end of March into April) - April 18th start Lupron (20 units AM) - April 28th start Follistim (225 iu SQ PM) Lupron (5 units AM) Menopur (75 iu SQ AM) - Possible egg retrieval between May 7 - 10th - Possible transfer week of May 11th Obviously, these dates no longer apply and we are waiting for a re-schedule date when the clinics reopen.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

We have had an incredibly experience with our Nursing Staff, as we have had to call quite a bit for reschedules, updates, questions, etc during COVID-19. They have been understanding, compassionate and helpful.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

On our first visit, we were impressed with the appearance of the clinic - spacious, updated, a beautiful waiting room with large windows and comfortable seating. Our first impression was great. While we have been thrilled with our entire care team experience at CRM, there have been a few times when front desk workers have been a bit short with their responses. We have found it is easier to call the Nurse Line directly than to call and ask scheduling or front desk with any questions. I'm sure they are stressed out and inundated with calls during COVID-19 - but I would have appreciated a bit more care with our calls and questions. To us, this time feels anxious and scary - we're angry, heartbroken and confused. It would help to have front desk staff that acknowledges how hard this time is for their patients and doesn't get frustrated with them.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

We were quoted $11,500 for 1 round of IVF and embryo preservation. This did not include ICSI or med costs.

What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Specifically due to COVID-19: Our cycle appointments were slated to begin right as COVID-19 amped up in MN and unfortunately, we had to call several times to get updates ourselves and find out our RN consult was cancelled. I understand how hard and stressful this has been for clinics, so I don't want this to leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth looking for a possible clinic. However, I do feel like there is a lack of communication between front desk staff and the nurses / care team. I am constantly being told I cannot email or contact my Doctor by the main desk - but the Nurse line is more than willing to communicate with me and our Doctor. We continuously were told by the front desk that our appointments were fine - until we finally called the Nurse line and were informed that they were actually all cancelled and that someone should have called us. I want to stress that our experience has been nothing but excellent outside of this situation - which I am sure is due to the extreme changes COVID-19 is causing.

Doctor

Meg Hopeman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019 - 2020, Consult

Age 38 - 39

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Poor Egg Quality

Other

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Mark Damario Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Dr. Damario did a wonderful job of making us feel like a human, took the time to review all of our records and go over them in depth. Explained everything in great detail and made us feel like we were important to him... was very professional and described our situation in depth, he explained everything that we were facing and what our best options were, when we decided ivf with donor eggs were not an option for us he didnt hesitate to change the course of treatment and gave us all the details on why or why not an iui would or wouldnt work. He was very sympathetic of our situation and made sure our fears and concerns were answered and put at ease before we left

Our initial consultation [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] was about $400. That included a baseline ultrasound and some blood work up. The iui will be about $1200 for injectable medications and 2000 for services...is a wonder clinic with very caring nurses and an amazing doctor. They take the time to get to know you, what you want and what you dont want. They listen to all your concerns and are more then willing to work with you. They treat you like a human not a number and always want the best for their patients. I would highly recommend them!

How was your experience with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dr. Damario was very professional and described our situation in depth, he explained everything that we were facing and what our best options were, when we decided ivf with donor eggs were not an option for us he didnt hesitate to change the course of treatment and gave us all the details on why or why not an iui would or wouldnt work. He was very sympathetic of our situation and made sure our fears and concerns were answered and put at ease before we left

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

To go in with an open mind and be honest about what you want and dont want. Don't be afraid to speak up for what you want. Dr. Damario is more then willing to work with you.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Describe the protocols Mark Damario used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

We were set up to begin an IUI treatment before the Corona virus canceled all new treatments, our plans was to use Follistim 150iu of 8 days and the an ovidral hcg shot and the iui the next day. However we have been put on hold until it is safe to begin treatment again!

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

I have no had alot of one on ones with the nursing staff as we havent started our treatment yet, however, the couple nurses I have seen an spoke to are so kind and patient and answer any and all questions I did have!

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Center for Reproductive medicine is a wonder clinic with very caring nurses and an amazing doctor. They take the time to get to know you, what you want and what you dont want. They listen to all your concerns and are more then willing to work with you. They treat you like a human not a number and always want the best for their patients. I would highly recommend them!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Our initial consultation was about $400. That included a baseline ultrasound and some blood work up. The iui will be about $1200 for injectable medications and 2000 for services

Doctor

Mark Damario

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mark Damario Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2018 - 2019, Successful

Age 38 - 39

3 Egg Freezing

1 Embryo Freezing

IVF

European

Income $200K - $499K

Consultant

3rd of 3 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

[Dr. Dan Lebovic] was willing to meet with me on my proactive fertility journey. I hadn't been diagnosed with infertility, but because of my age I went straight to IVF. I appreciate that Dan was open to me taking this path and he was great at talking through everything with my husband and me, even though it took us many months to take the next step in the journey...He's probably the most responsive doctor I've ever worked with and gave us a good plan to follow...We followed a fairly typical protocol for my age. I had done egg freezing previously, which had worked well, so a similar treatment strategy was used.

The clinic [Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] is well run and is fairly similar to other large clinics that I've been to on the west coast. The only thing I wish they did differently is I wish their PGS testing center classified PGS-tested embryos as mosaic. Right now, they only classify them as normal or abnormal, and CRM won't transfer abnormally classified embryos. Most clinics follow the same approach for abnormals, but I wish they would go with a testing center that could tell if the abnormals were really mosaics.

How was your experience with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I had a great experience with Dan. He's probably the most responsive doctor I've ever worked with and gave us a good plan to follow. I hope to work with him again if we use IVF for our second child. I have to keep typing because FertilityIQ requires my response to be at least 200 characters. :/

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Be proactive in your fertility journey. Research the options you have and ask for tests if you think you might need them. This advice relates to the fertility journey in general.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dan was willing to meet with me on my proactive fertility journey. I hadn't been diagnosed with infertility, but because of my age I went straight to IVF. I appreciate that Dan was open to me taking this path and he was great at talking through everything with my husband and me, even though it took us many months to take the next step in the journey.

Describe the protocols Dan Lebovic used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

We followed a fairly typical protocol for my age. I had done egg freezing previously, which had worked well, so a similar treatment strategy was used.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The clinic is well run and is fairly similar to other large clinics that I've been to on the west coast. The only thing I wish they did differently is I wish their PGS testing center classified PGS-tested embryos as mosaic. Right now, they only classify them as normal or abnormal, and CRM won't transfer abnormally classified embryos. Most clinics follow the same approach for abnormals, but I wish they would go with a testing center that could tell if the abnormals were really mosaics.

Describe Dan Lebovic's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Dan recommended a single embryo transfer and after seeing the data, I agreed that it was the best option.

Doctor

Dan Lebovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2018 - 2019, Successful

Age 30 - 31

3 IUI

Donor Sperm

European

Black or African-American

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

LGBTQ

Doesn't Recommend

Successful

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

I enjoyed my initial consult meeting with her [Dr. Colleen Casey]. She was straight to the point and not phased that we were a same sex couple. But I never saw her again. I was shuffled around between nurses and techs. If I called with a question or the nurses were on a fence if we should go forward on a cycle, the nurses would reach out to her and then get back to me...She’s very knowledgeable and thoroughly explained how we would proceed with IUI. I just wish she was more hands on with patients who aren’t doing IVF.

I was shuffled around between nurses and techs [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota]...The clinic is very IVF focused, and I would trust them if we needed to go that route. Just be prepared to be treated like a second class citizen if you’re doing other treatments...The first time I went in for the vaginal ultrasound, the tech did the inspection and the nurse came it to give me the prescription for Ovidrel and letrozole. I asked her what they saw on the ultrasound and she seemed annoyed that she had to stop and explain something. The other nurses were great and optimistic. I just wish they explained more. For example never told me how many follicles or what size unless I asked.

How was your experience with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I was impressed with my one actual interaction with her. She’s very knowledgeable and thoroughly explained how we would proceed with IUI. I just wish she was more hands on with patients who aren’t doing IVF.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Be prepared to never see her beyond your consult

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I enjoyed my initial consult meeting with her. She was straight to the point and not phased that we were a same sex couple. But I never saw her again. I was shuffled around between nurses and techs. If I called with a question or the nurses were on a fence if we should go forward on a cycle, the nurses would reach out to her and then get back to me. The clinic is very IVF focused, and I would trust them if we needed to go that route. Just be prepared to be treated like a second class citizen if you’re doing other treatments.

Describe the protocols Colleen Casey used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

I chose the medicated IUI route because of the higher odds. I appreciated being able to choose. We used letrozole CD 3-5 and Ovidrel when instructed after the second ultrasound.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The first time I went in for the vaginal ultrasound, the tech did the inspection and the nurse came it to give me the prescription for Ovidrel and letrozole. I asked her what they saw on the ultrasound and she seemed annoyed that she had to stop and explain something. The other nurses were great and optimistic. I just wish they explained more. For example never told me how many follicles or what size unless I asked.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The front office staff has no personality and is short with everyone in line. I appreciate the the signs in the lobby asking that patients don’t bring children. Everything is clean and professional. I appreciate the free garage parking. The andrology lab down the hall is incredibly organized, professional, and has a lovely staff.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

I thankfully have some limited fertility coverage, so I only had to pay up to my deductible and all the costs associated with sperm. I think each cycle of actual treatment (minus sperm) was billed around $1200.

What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

There were a couple times where a nurse would make a call about when to trigger and then after they consulted with Dr Casey would call frantically to order something different. If this cycle hadn’t worked, we were planning on switching to a different clinic.

Doctor

Colleen Casey

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019, Unknown Success

Age 33

1 IUI

Endometriosis

Unexplained

Prefer not to answer

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

We are still early in our treatment. One cancelled IUI and starting our second cycle with her [Meg Hopeman]. She’s been wonderful. She was very thorough in our consult and answered all of our questions. She didn’t push us towards any treatment. Gave us all the information and let us know she thought IUI was the best route but was never pushy...During our consult she had a very warm personality. She thoroughly explained everything and answered all of our questions. When I over responded to clomid she personally called me to talk about how we couldn’t move forward with the IUI. She told me she knew this wasn’t the news I wanted to hear and seemed very empathetic.

The nursing staff [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] for is always very knowledgeable and professional. They clearly communicate the plan and also let me know when I need to wait for word from my doctor to move forward with treatment...They have weekend hours which is great. I did have to go on Labor Day and it was super clear some of the staff didn’t want to be there, but that has been my only negative interactions with the staff there.

How was your experience with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

We are still early in our treatment. One cancelled IUI and starting our second cycle with her. She’s been wonderful. She was very thorough in our consult and answered all of our questions. She didn’t push us towards any treatment. Gave us all the information and let us know she thought IUI was the best route but was never pushy.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

During our consult she had a very warm personality. She thoroughly explained everything and answered all of our questions. When I over responded to clomid she personally called me to talk about how we couldn’t move forward with the IUI. She told me she knew this wasn’t the news I wanted to hear and seemed very empathetic.

Describe the protocols Meg Hopeman used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

I came to her clinic with one failed IUI through my OBGYN. We do a baseline ultrasound, clomid, a follow up ultrasound to determine my response to the meds, then schedule the IUI and blood test. I only had one follicle with 50 mg of clomid so she bumped my dosage to 100mg. She adjusted me from day 5-9 to day 3-7. When I over responded to 100 mg of clomid she reduced my dosage back down to 50 mg. That IUI was cancelled due to 6 mature follicles. This cycle I was also offered femera if I felt the side effects of clomid were too difficult. They let me decide to stay on clomid since I don’t find the side effects to be too terrible and we know I respond to them. Just waiting on my follow up ultrasound and instructions on when to give myself the ovidrel injection.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The nursing staff is always very knowledgeable and professional. They clearly communicate the plan and also let me know when I need to wait for word from my doctor to move forward with treatment.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

They have weekend hours which is great. I did have to go on Labor Day and it was super clear some of the staff didn’t want to be there, but that has been my only negative interactions with the staff there.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

I don’t have the specifics in front of me, but the costs were broken down very clearly. My insurance offers $5000 in fertility benefits (NOT for IVF) and I will be able to do at least 3 IUIs with that.

Doctor

Meg Hopeman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019, Unknown Success

Age 31

1 IUI

European

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

3rd of 3 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Dr. Casey is warm and friendly. She hasn’t sugar coated any part of our process here at CRM. She made sure we left feeling like we had all of our questions answered. She has a calm presence to her that makes the whole process so much better. I knew if we needed any questions answered she would be able to answer them or find us the answers we needed.

We have had nothing but enjoyable experiences so far with all of our appointments [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota]. The women at the front desk are always friendly. Everyone we have worked with up to this point has exceeded our expectations. I don’t just feel like another patient, I feel like I actually matter. And when you are to this point in level of treatment that is very important.

How was your experience with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Go into the appointment knowing that you’ll be able to ask anything, not feel judged and you’ll leave knowing you are in great hands. I was very nervous before our first appointment- but after I left knowing we made the right decision.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dr. Casey was so friendly when we first met her! She was so understanding of why we’re finally here and explained all of our options to us. She made sure we were welcomed from the very beginning. I was actually scheduled at another clinic- did not get a good vibe and switched to CRM and could not be happier with our choice!

Describe the protocols Colleen Casey used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

I am currently at the start of my treatment plan. We are doing IVF.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Every nurse we have been in contact with has been nothing short of incredible. They are welcoming, gentle with their words, and make sure we have all of our questions answered. They are always friendly- no matter if it is a simple blood draw or a bigger procedure like an ultrasound. They all make me feel so comfortable here.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

We have had nothing but enjoyable experiences so far with all of our appointments. The women at the front desk are always friendly. Everyone we have worked with up to this point has exceeded our expectations. I don’t just feel like another patient, I feel like I actually matter. And when you are to this point in level of treatment that is very important.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Our treatment is cost around $11,000

Describe Colleen Casey's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

We have not gotten to this point of our treatment plan.

Doctor

Colleen Casey

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019, Unsuccessful

Age 40

7 IUI

European

Income $50K - $99K

Operations

1st of 2 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

I never got to talk to my doctor...I had no idea what my treatment should look like or why- I just kept calling and going in for baselines month after month with no results and no feedback....Meg [Dr. Hopeman] was compassionate on the first meeting and very hopeful. Then, I only saw her twice in 6 moths of treatment. Didn't see her again till I cried and said I was going to another clinic. Thr treatment plan wasn't explained further and I just kept going back in for more IUIs

Very disorganized. I sat in the office [Ctr for Reprod Med of Mininnesota] on more than one occasion waiting to be called back after checking in, and turned out that my file had just been sitting on the desk, never taken back to the nurses. Almost never got called back when leaving messages for the nurseline, and they didn't stagger staff so there was never anyone working over the lunch hour....Costs for treatment were very reasonable compared to other clinics.

How was your experience with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Meg was compassionate on the first meeting and very hopeful. Then, I only saw her twice in 6 moths of treatment. Didn't see her again till I cried and said I was going to another clinic. Thr treatment plan wasn't explained further and I just kept going back in for more IUIs even though there was no regroup to see why nothing was happening.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

You need to ask specially to have her call you, or you will never hear from her again and will have a new nurse every time you enter the clinic.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I never got to talk to my doctor...I had no idea what my treatment should look like or why- I just kept calling and going in for baselines month after month with no results and no feedback.

Describe the protocols Meg Hopeman used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

No rational for any treatment. I used letrozole 3 times/day for multiple IUIs, then changed to Gonal f 300 for the last two.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

You had a different nurse every time you came into the clinic. I honestly maybe saw one nurse more than one time. Felt very businesslike and impersonal. The nurses themselves were all nice, but none seemed to have any answers to any of my questions and I always left confused.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Very disorganized. I sat in the office on more than one occasion waiting to be called back after checking in, and turned out that my file had just been sitting on the desk, never taken back to the nurses. Almost never got called back when leaving messages for the nurseline, and they didn't stagger staff so there was never anyone working over the lunch hour.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Costs for treatment were very reasonable compared to other clinics. You get what you pay for though.

What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

This place was a mess. My new clinic never got the records we asked for, so had to get all new labs done. Nurses constantly gave conflicting info and next to never spoke with the doctor. Appointments were usually running late, but that was to be expected.

Doctor

Meg Hopeman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 27 - 28

4 IUI

Unexplained

European

Income $200K - $499K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 2 Docs

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Dr. Hopeman did a great job explaining what to expect with every appointment we had with her. She went into great detail explaining each part of the process and trying to make whatever we chose work for our plan and our schedule. She constantly reviewed our chart, and made changes as she saw fit. I was always updated with the plan in a timely manner.... We began using Clomid with IUI. Our ultrasounds had to be adjusted based off ovulating before triggering.

The clinic [Center for Repro Med of MN] is located in a busier part of town, which isn't always convenient at rush hour times. Overall, the clinic is very nice and is clean. Occasionally the front desk staff isn't always the most kind to overly emotional patients.... Overall, the nursing staff at the clinic did a great job. I saw difference nurses at each appointment, but they were always willing to answer all questions I had.

How was your experience with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Go in with as many questions as possible. She will answer all of them!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

During my visits, Dr. Hopeman remembered who I was, and what we had talked about. She did a great job making us feel like we mattered, and offering all of her best thoughts and opinions for our care. She made us feel reassured that it was definitely possible for us to have children.

Describe the protocols Meg Hopeman used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

We began using Clomid with IUI. Our ultrasounds had to be adjusted based off ovulating before triggering. After 3 cycles with Clomid, we sat down with her to discuss moving on to IVF or trying IUI with injectables. Both options were presented very clearly, and also presented us with multiple reasons why we could try either option. After laying out all of the reasons for each, we tried doing IUI with injectables. She was very willing to do however many cycles we chose to do, and move on to IVF whenever we felt comfortable. She often adjusted meds based off of response for desired effect with great stim results.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Overall, the nursing staff at the clinic did a great job. I saw difference nurses at each appointment, but they were always willing to answer all questions I had. If they were not able to answer, they always asked Dr. Hopeman in a timely manner, and called with the answer that day. They were very compassionate and empathetic towards me at all appointments.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The clinic is located in a busier part of town, which isn't always convenient at rush hour times. Overall, the clinic is very nice and is clean. Occasionally the front desk staff isn't always the most kind to overly emotional patients.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

I had some insurance coverage, so I am unsure of all associated costs. Doing some research before hand, costs seem pretty inline with other clinics in the area.

Describe Meg Hopeman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

For our IVF cycle, she has a strong preference of transferring only 1 embryo because of the risks involved with multiples, and being young.

Doctor

Meg Hopeman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 35 - 36

2 IUI

Anovulation

PCOS

European

Income $50K - $99K

Graphic Designer

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

She is caring and thorough. After calling and leaving questions with the office, Dr. Hopeman has personally called me back twice to address my concerns. She seems to legitimately care. She wants to ensure that I understand fully what is going on with my treatment. ... She was present at a radiology procedure at different location from the regular clinic at which I had not expected her to be there. I do not feel rushed at our appointments.

My one real critique would be with a couple of issues I've had with billing [Ctr for Repro Med of MN]. It has all been worked out eventually, but confusion has been caused by bills being sent for services already paid for. We paid in clinic yet received a bill in the mail several days later. ... One of the ladies cheered me up one day when she complimented my purse and we had a chat about it.

How was your experience with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

She is caring and thorough. After calling and leaving questions with the office, Dr. Hopeman has personally called me back twice to address my concerns. She seems to legitimately care. She wants to ensure that I understand fully what is going on with my treatment. I like that she draws out illustrations to help me get it. I keep a binder with all the info we have talked about; looking back after several appts I noticed the drawings again and it made me chuckle, both because I was amused and also that it reminded me of our conversations. She is endearing.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Come prepared, dont hesitate to ask or clarify anything, including costs and risks.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

She's easy to talk to and listens very well. She is willing to explain and elaborate on any questions or concerns I have had. She was present at a radiology procedure at different location from the regular clinic at which I had not expected her to be there. I do not feel rushed at our appointments.

Describe the protocols Meg Hopeman used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

We started out with testing to find out what the cause of our infertility was. Her treatment recommendation was to start off with IUI. There was no issue with my husband's sperm or function, I had plenty of follicles, but they were not maturing or releasing. We started with 5 days of letrozole, followed by an injection of ovidrel to help release an egg. First two rounds we did timed intercourse, but the letrozole and ovidrel doses were increased for the second round. 3rd round we did IUI. 4th round was iui again, but added Follistim on cycle days 9-11, as well as progesterone capsules vaginally twice a day starting the day after the iui. We are currently in the 2 week wait to see about this recent round. Follicle growth has been monitored throughout by internal ultrasound (Husband calls it getting wanded, lol). Typically baseline ultrasound day 3-5 of cycle, then a growth ultrasound on day 12, then an additional ultrasound 2 or 3 days later prior to triggering. If negative pregnancy test again for the most recent round, we will likely switch from letrozole to clomid for 1 more round, then take a pause and consider how to move forward.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The nursing staff has been fantastic overall. The one miscommunication we have had was during the first round of timed intercourse, we were told to take a pregnancy test 3 weeks instead of 2 weeks after. Ended up getting my period before I took the pregnancy test. There are 3 main nurses I have dealt with on the roughly 15 visits I have had with the clinic. They are all great, but I do have my favorite, mostly because she is really enthusiastic and chats with me, which helps me feel enthusiastic and hopeful as well.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The coffee in the waiting room is not good. Parking in the ramp next to the clinic is easy and free. Clean, nice, and welcoming. Scheduling and other front end staff are accommodating and personable. One of the ladies cheered me up one day when she complimented my purse and we had a chat about it. My one real critique would be with a couple of issues I've had with billing. It has all been worked out eventually, but confusion has been caused by bills being sent for services already paid for. We paid in clinic yet received a bill in the mail several days later. Called and it was cleared up but still caused me anxiety. Another time I paid a bill online, but apparently picked the wrong clinic (sister clinic across town). Again caused anxiety and confusion. Had to call to correct. Was told it would take a couple of weeks to process but would be corrected. Was told it happens frequently when paying online.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meg Hopeman at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Just dealing with iui, not ivf, including treatment, monitoring and meds, it has been over $2000 per cycle. This has been all out of pocket for us, since my insurance through my employer does not cover fertility treatment.

Describe Meg Hopeman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Due to our current treatment regimen, we have not yet had that conversation with Dr. Hopeman.

Doctor

Meg Hopeman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Meg Hopeman Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2016 - 2019, Successful

Age 40 - 43

5 IUI

IVF

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Given my age (over 40) Dr. Casey was willing to transfer two embryos, which is what I wanted. ... Dr. Casey is knowledgeable, direct, and takes the time to explain things in detail. She always went over our questions, even when we asked the same thing twice, or wanted things diagrammed or drawn out to understand them. She was also really pleasant when doing actual procedures with us. However, I would not say there was a true sense of warmth or investment in us as a couple, beyond just as patients.

The clinic is well organized, well staffed, and extremely efficient. It is a pleasant environment, but I would not describe it as a warm environment - similar to the staff. What I liked most about it (other than the fact that I had a successful treatment) is that they are open early, so I could get a lot of my appointments done before heading in to work, and that they are super responsive on the phone, which is very useful.

How was your experience with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dr. Casey is knowledgeable, direct, and takes the time to explain things in detail. She always went over our questions, even when we asked the same thing twice, or wanted things diagrammed or drawn out to understand them. She was also really pleasant when doing actual procedures with us. However, I would not say there was a true sense of warmth or investment in us as a couple, beyond just as patients. That is find I think, but it did not necessarily match my expectations before coming to this clinic. However, going back for a second treatment now, after a successful IVF pregnancy, I just know what to expect and it does not bother me. I appreciate even more Dr. Casey's matter of fact manner and her ability to help us cut through our own wishy-washiness. For instance, we were hemming and hawing about doing another IVF treatment right away, and asked whether we should maybe try naturally or try another IUI. She did not tell us what to do obviously, but quoted us some statistics that clarified where our chances stand. So I found that useful - no coddling, but rather straight information.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Come with questions, make sure you call if you think of anything else (because either she or her nurses will call back, which is always nice and useful); and finally, do not expect a super warm and engaged doctor - just a straightforward, knowledgeable, professional one.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Casey at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I usually try not to pick the middle of a scale on a question, but this really was in the middle - not quite like a number, not quite like a human either. The clinic has no warm atmosphere, but it's not super clinical either. It's just "this is all business, and our business is these treatments", but it's not "our business is trying to grow families", if you see the distinction. In any case, they know their treatments, and it worked, so heck, I am happy!!

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The nursing staff was always super well prepared and organized for whatever needed to happen - and there were so many appointments and pieces of the treatment, that I was always grateful for that (as I often had a hard time keeping track of things). However, much like Dr. Casey and the clinic overall, there was little warmth that showed through in our interactions. This was strange to me in the beginning, as it did not match my expectations. Going back for a second IVF treatment now, I know what to expect and it does not bother me much. I also realized something else: that if I ask more personal questions, nursing staff will often respond in kind - in fact, at my last appointment, I found out that one of the nurses I was always weary of because she always seemed to me to be annoyed, in fact has twins born as a result of IVF at this clinic, and she talked freely and warmly about it to me when I asked. So that just shows me that the staff follows a very business-like, rather cool, protocol with patients for reasons they must think are very good, and I will leave it at that.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Describe Colleen Casey's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Given my age (over 40) Dr. Casey was willing to transfer two embryos, which is what I wanted.

Doctor

Colleen Casey

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Colleen Casey Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2017 - 2019, Successful

Age 31 - 33

IUI

IVF

Egg Freezing

Endometriosis

PCOS

Unexplained

Other

Income $100K - $199K

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Our experiences with Dr. Lebovic were limited to the consultation and few appointments. He was pleasant during the interactions we had, though not overly personable. We appreciated his matter a fact and upfront approach to our frozen embryo transfer. ... The nursing staff [Ctr for Repro Med of MN] was good at relaying our questions to Dr. Lebovic and getting back to us in a timely matter.

The clinic [Ctr for Repro Med of MN] is set up nicely and organized well into subsections based on appointment type. The waiting room is set up in such a way to give you a sense space even when crowded. They also focus on scheduling IVF patients in batches. ... However, aside from the obvious knowledge and skill of the nursing staff, I was surprised that at times our interactions with the staff felt very clinical. By this point in our journey we had been through an emotional roller coaster and I guess I sort of expected the nurses to address the emotional aspects of the treatment as thoroughly as they did the technical.

How was your experience with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Come prepared to your consultation with your questions. Interactions with Dr. Lebovic were limited. Most communications after the consultation were with the nursing staff.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

It was difficult to feel comforted and well connected in the infertility process. That said, I understand the need for an objective approach when assessing the best treatment method(s).

Describe the protocols Dan Lebovic used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

I don’t recall the exact protocol used for our frozen embryo transfer but the results were successful with a singleton. However, I do remember brand name medications being preferred if not required in some situations.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The nursing staff was good at relaying our questions to Dr. Lebovic and getting back to us in a timely matter. It was clear that they are well practiced and knowledgeable of the various protocols. However, aside from the obvious knowledge and skill of the nursing staff, I was surprised that at times our interactions with the staff felt very clinical. By this point in our journey we had been through an emotional roller coaster and I guess I sort of expected the nurses to address the emotional aspects of the treatment as thoroughly as they did the technical. That said, everyone was pleasant to interact with, but none of the nursing staff brought the emotion to our treatment that I expected from such a specialized care team. Essentially, if you are able to separate from that expectation then they were pleasant to interact with.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The clinic is set up nicely and organized well into subsections based on appointment type. The waiting room is set up in such a way to give you a sense space even when crowded. They also focus on scheduling IVF patients in batches.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

We paid for our frozen embryo transfer upfront and prior to starting any protocol.

Describe Dan Lebovic's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

All doctors we interacted with at the clinic had strong preferences for a single embryo transfer. We felt they did a great job to help us better understand the risks of a multiple embryo transfer and pregnancy.

Doctor

Dan Lebovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 31 - 32

5 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

It is obvious that Dr. Lebovic is highly educated in reproductive medicine as well as other components of medicine. As disappointing as it was to be cancelled, we found out I had hyperprolactinemia and needed to be treated prior to transfer. If it wasnt caught i would have been at significant risk for miscarriage. He pays attention to details and although as t times i wish he'd give me his opinion and not just facts, at the end of the day my husband and I have been in complete control of our care because of it.

CRM is very good at what they do. The finance dept makes it easy by communicating with your insurance company and even sending applications for exceptions for coverage when denied. The ultrasound techs have the art done to a tee. They do little things like warming up the lubricant and painting the lights above your face so you are comfortable and relaxed. You never have to pay for parking. The clinic gives you a nicely framed picture of your embryo after implantation. All of these details make a big difference. The only negative experience I've had is that the patient cart I was brought into the procedure room on was outdated.

How was your experience with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I would recommend going into your initial consult with prepared questions you may have come up with through your journey. This is the time Dr. Lebovic will sit with you face to face as long as you need and he is happy to explain any uncertainty you may have. After this appointment he is available but not face to face. Oh and park on the second level of the parking ramp, go in the building and take the elevator to level 4. Closer parking, easier to get out of parking spot without waiting for cars to exit, and you can stay out of the elements as well.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dr. Lebovic sat down and talked with my husband and myself and explained thoroughly our situation and the research and education behind what he thought we should do next and why. He then gave us the resources and tools and allowed us to make our own decisions. He has been available via email through our entire journey as needed.

Describe the protocols Dan Lebovic used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

We started with an IUI cycle. I was put on Femara and then triggered with ovidrel a day or two before our IUI procedure. We went through 5 IUI cycles since they were relatively inexpensive and partially covered by insurance. After 5 failed cycles we began the process for egg retrieval. I was placed on menopur and gonal-f. I injected ovidrel the day before our retrieval. We froze all embryos and did PGS. I am now currently on estradiol and progesterone. Was taking aspirin stopped after positive beta.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota. (Assigned nurse: Theresa )

Theresa seemed to be truly invested in our journey and who we are. She was genuine, informative, and showed great empathy when relaying bad news.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

IUI cost us 200-300 after insurance each time. Egg retrieval was $10,243. Frozen embryo transfer was $2,957. PGS was $2,170.

Describe Dan Lebovic's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Dr. Lebovic prefers single embryo transfers but is open and will allow multiple embryo transfers if the patient is aware and understands the risk involved.

Doctor

Dan Lebovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019, Successful

Age 27

1 IVF

Anovulation

PCOS

Tubal Blockage

Other

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

We started with Letrozole/Clomid [with Dr. Lebovic], then moved to injectables. We ultimately chose to go with IVF which was a strenuous process but so worth it...IVF was a little added work/process but gave us better odds which is what we wanted - and now we are expecting after IVF and a frozen transfer!...was very diligent about providing us with reading material and resources on reasons for transferring one vs. two, but in the end, he respected our decision to transfer 2...did a great job of individualizing our plan of care. He made us feel like he wanted us to get pregnant just as badly as we wanted to.

Our primary nurse [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota], Dana was unbelievably caring and was a great advocate for us and our care at the clinic...the clinic provided a financial advisor at the clinic to assist in the process...has great hours (weekends as well), easy communication for scheduling and communicating with nurses over the phone, and is a very nice, pleasant environment. The one thing I will say is I wish I would have had the majority of my interactions with 1 nurse. Have a new nurse every visit inhibits continuity of care. Each nurse has to "learn" about you and what your current plan is and where you are at in your current treatment cycle. I think the care provided would be much smoother and make the patient feel more comfortable and confident in their plan of care and treatment.

How was your experience with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dr. Lebovic is a very kind, caring and intelligent doctor. We felt very confident in his plans throughout our time working with him. He was very quick to respond when questions were asked. We knew that he would be able to help us get pregnant, and he did!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Just make sure to be an advocate for yourself. There are a lot of patients at this clinic and at times the clinic seemed too busy to handle certain needs of ours which was frustrating at times. But with open communication and advocating for yourself as a patient, Dr. Lebovic and the clinic responded very well to our needs and desires.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

I felt like a human as Dr. Lebovic did a great job of individualizing our plan of care. He made us feel like he wanted us to get pregnant just as badly as we wanted to.

Describe the protocols Dan Lebovic used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

We started with Letrozole/Clomid, then moved to injectables. We ultimately chose to go with IVF which was a strenuous process but so worth it. The medications and injectables was a lot of work for 15-20% success rates monthly. IVF was a little added work/process but gave us better odds which is what we wanted - and now we are expecting after IVF and a frozen transfer!

Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota. (Assigned nurse: Dana)

Our primary nurse, Dana was unbelievably caring and was a great advocate for us and our care at the clinic. The other nursing staff was spotty at times - most were extremely nice and caring and informative while others were not as friendly and not as forthcoming with information.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

The clinic has great hours (weekends as well), easy communication for scheduling and communicating with nurses over the phone, and is a very nice, pleasant environment. The one thing I will say is I wish I would have had the majority of my interactions with 1 nurse. Have a new nurse every visit inhibits continuity of care. Each nurse has to "learn" about you and what your current plan is and where you are at in your current treatment cycle. I think the care provided would be much smoother and make the patient feel more comfortable and confident in their plan of care and treatment.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

A lot of the medications and injections were covered by insurance. IVF and transferring was not covered by insurance but the clinic provided a financial advisor at the clinic to assist in the process.

Describe Dan Lebovic's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

We ultimately chose to transfer 2 embryos. Dr. Lebovic was very diligent about providing us with reading material and resources on reasons for transferring one vs. two, but in the end, he respected our decision to transfer 2.

What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Just some poor communication when protocols needed to change - i.e. we were told we were having a fresh transfer after egg retrieval, then 1 day after the retrieval we were told we were going to have to wait a few months for a frozen transfer due to OHSS risk. In the end, I know it was the best plan, just wish it would have been better communicated that the fresh transfer may not be able to happen as planned depending on how many eggs are retrieved and my risk for OHSS.

Doctor

Dan Lebovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

2019, Unknown Success

Age 29

2 IUI

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

PCOS

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 2 Docs

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Dan Lebovic Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Dr. Lebovic was very honest in my meetings with him, he was understanding and polite without sugar-coating anything. I only met with Dr. Lebovic for my consultation, all other visits have been done with nursing staff (including IUIs) so I feel like he is not quite as available for questions or concerns as I would like him to be (but I could also just be overly needy!).

Strength: I feel the clinic [Center for Repro Med of MN] staff (reception staff, nurses, and doctors) are extremely knowledgeable and compassionate. The clinic itself is very calm and tranquil, which is helpful when the reason for being at the clinic can be stressful. Weaknesses: Cost can be prohibitively expensive. I have no insurance coverage for IVF, so if our IUIs are unsuccessful I have chosen to use an IVF clinic out of state because the cost is so much cheaper than this clinic.

How was your experience with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Don't expect him to be present at all visits or for all procedures.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?

Dr. Lebovic was very polite and listened to all of my concerns. I do feel like my initial consultation was quicker than I expected, which is also the only time I have been face-to-face with Dr. Lebovic. All other appointments and procedures have been with nursing staff.

Describe the protocols Dan Lebovic used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.

My first IUI was done with 7.5 mg letrozole days 3-7. This was the same dosage I had been on previous cycles with my OBGYN and seemed to produce 1-2 dominant follicles each cycle, so we continued this dosage. I ovulate early, so I had my follicle check on day 10 with 2 follicles and triggered that night with Ovidrel 250 mcg. I had my IUI on day 12, though I feel that I ovulated too early. This cycle was unsuccessful. For my second IUI cycle, all medications and dosages were kept the same. Follicle check done on day 10, triggered on day 11 and IUI done on day 13. Currently in the waiting period to find out if we had success.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Most of my face-to-face time at the clinic has been done with the nursing staff. All of the nurses I have worked with have been very knowledgeable and friendly. They are always able to answer my questions and are compassionate about my situation.

Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

Strength: I feel the clinic staff (reception staff, nurses, and doctors) are extremely knowledgeable and compassionate. The clinic itself is very calm and tranquil, which is helpful when the reason for being at the clinic can be stressful. Weaknesses: Cost can be prohibitively expensive. I have no insurance coverage for IVF, so if our IUIs are unsuccessful I have chosen to use an IVF clinic out of state because the cost is so much cheaper than this clinic.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Lebovic at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.

IUI is covered under my insurance, but only up to $5000. After my first IUI, I had $3000 left which means I can only have 2.5 cycles covered by my insurance. For IVF, out of pocket cost was quoted as approximately $23,000 per cycle.

Doctor

Dan Lebovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Minneapolis

Operations