CCRM Minneapolis

CCRM is a well known, reputable clinic not only in Minneapolis, but also around the nation and maybe the world. They also have an amazing discount program (20% off all the services they provide/bill for!) if you or your spouse are active military, which was a big draw for us. We also really appreciate the opportunity to do the family building program, where we will do 3 retrievals at a discounted price in an effort to bank embryos. Not all clinics have this! One thing that is not ideal is that CCRM is often very busy, probably because they're so popular! But the waiting room is often full (which can be kind of awkward) and appointments tend to book out, especially the appointments you have early on. They do have cancellation lists though so don't be shy to ask!

Weaknesses would have to be the office administration- numerous times there had to be follow up with them around submitting any prior approvals, payments, etc. They held overpayments at their will, and were not compassionate about any of the areas that were of concern for my wife and I.

CCRM is obviously well known. They are leaders in the fertility field and for good reason - they have awesome success rates. However, understand they are busy. They have a lot of women that want to expand their families, sometimes things are streamlined to get people in and out. Be your best advocate. Study the billing statements, ask questions about insurance practices, if you are not familiar with a test or something they are asking of you ask questions and get it in writing. Make sure they are doing what they say they will do (example, if the egg retrieval says that you have a regroup before or after the procedure make sure it is set up and not overlooked) When they call in your Rx make sure they do it and in a timely manner before you are expected to take said medication. Just know that you are a patient but you are also expected to take the lead in your care. Its a whole new ball game and you need to be an expert in your (fertility) health.

Weaknesses: not feeling like you’re able to get through to a nurse or billing coordinator when you need. It seemed like there were always multiple people looking at my chart and they would jumble the info. Feels like they would quickly rush you through appts. Strengths: having Dr.Salem on staff

CCRM - Minneapolis is a very small clinic. You end up getting to know all of the clinic's employees very well. Most appointments are early in the morning to allow you to get to work without much disruption. Make sure you know the meds you're taking so when you're ordering you make sure it's correct.

CCRM has high success rates, particularly with elective single (euploid) embryo transfer. They have a large network of clinics and do a lot of research. The major downside is that they are very expensive and you literally pay for everything. You cannot talk to the doctor (even on the phone) without paying extra money. We had a few follow up questions (after our regroup appointment) and were charged over $100 for a 10 minute phone call.

They are a very busy clinic, but still do a good job of getting back to me when I've requested. Everyone is so nice and welcoming. I usually have no issue making appointments when I want or need them.

I like that they are open on the weekends. Everyone is very friendly. Wish I saw the doctor more between consult and egg retrieval. They also are not very forthcoming with information during stim checks. Had to specifically ask my estrogen and progesterone numbers. Never let me look at the screen for my ultrasounds. Which kind of annoyed me.

Strengths- *Clean *Quick *Phlebotomist and nurses are nice Weaknesses- *the front desk coordinators aren’t always in a good mood. *the billing department has messed up quite a few times and has tried to triple charge us. *I don’t like how they provide patients with a large bill all at once to pay when you check in with no warning of these charges. Example: I checked in a couple weeks ago and got a bill for $1,300 (charges back from Sept to now) and they wanted me to pay on the spot. This was my first time seeing this bill so I was a little shocked. During this process, patients are very vulnerable and stressed so I think there’s more appropriate ways to handle the billing process. An example would be for the billing team to contact the patient ahead of time to let them know they have a large bill. They also tried to double charge me this amount the next week after it was paid. Being in finance, I keep an eye on this kind of stuff, but for someone else, they might just hand their card over and not think twice about it. *the waiting area is too small *I’ve heard of other fertility clinics playing music during the transfer and I wish this clinic did this. *I wish the transfer rooms were more cozy and welcoming.

It was hard to get an initial appointment. They don't provide any information regarding the embryos till day 5/6. Once when I opted for fresh transfer, I was made to go all the way to the clinic only to be told there were 0 embryos. This was crushing.

Strength: Dr. B is awesome and knows her stuff. She is kind and compassionate. Weaknesses: Overcrowded- especially in the morning. They need more space and more doctors now that they are covered under Optum/United