Columbia University

The strengths are many - being able to schedule monitoring appointments to eliminate the wait time is invaluable. The staff is so sweet - they often greet me by name. The only weakness is the billing system. As part of a bigger university, the actual billing coordinators are only able to do so much and that needs to change.

The level of communication is unlike any other doctor I've been treated by - follow-ups are consistent and the ability to reach my doctor directly via email at any and all hours of the day is simply priceless. During such a stressful and emotional process, knowing Dr. Forman is reachable to alleviate additional worries is such an incredible peace of mind.

Christine is amazing. I started with Tiffany who was equally fantastic, but Christine came on board after working with Dr. Forman for 4 years at a previous practice. If that doesn't speak for itself, what does? Christine also gave me the best advice - she told me to try and sit back and let the experts manage the process. For a Type A person, it was a lightbulb moment and did in fact result in a positive pregnancy test (followed by a miscarriage). But nonetheless, it's a mantra I try and hold on to each and every step of the way.

As a patient of Dr. Forman, I've felt that we're in this together and that he wants the best possible outcome for me and my husband. From the very first meeting where we never once felt rushed, he explained all of our options. And when we needed to change our approach, he didn't force it upon us but rather allowed us to come to the decision on our own as this is a very personal process and often times there isn't just one way to proceed. I never doubt he has our best interests at heart and that, along with his priceless communication skills, gives us peace of mind that we're in the right place with the right doctor.

Be patient and try and relax - allow Dr. Forman to guide the process.

We started with oral meds and IUIs. My IUI first cycle we tried Letrozole but I didn't respond well so we went back to Clomid and did a double IUI. When that didnt work, I took a cycle off from monitoring but took Clomid to ensure I ovulated and keep things moving forward. Dr. Forman had mentioned injectable meds as a course of treatment but I was resistant and concerned about multiples. After reading a blog of a patient successfully pregnant via injectables, I decided to follow his advice and move ahead with them for the next cycle. And it worked - we were pregnant! I was NOT expecting it and was fully prepared to move on to IVF. Unfortunately, we had a miscarriage - and we were prepared for it as Dr. Forman saw the signs during an early scan. He never gave us false hope but was very pragmatic in managing expectations. We're now onto IVF and retrieval cycles - our first one did not yield as many as expected, but we're learning from it and hoping to have more success this 2nd time around.

My IUI cycles were not covered by my insurance - no monitoring or medication. I now have monitoring coverage but nothing for IVF or medication.

We are doing PGS testing on the embryos and Dr. Forman will only transfer one at a time (when we get there).

The facility has an elegant look and is on a private floor. I did like that the office is located in Midtown Manhattan, which makes it easy for many New Yorkers to get there. Also, I like that all emails sent from the facility are secured, and only the Fertility Clinic has access to see your medical records regarding your treatments.

I felt that I was treated like a human with Dr. Rudick because she was very kind, understanding and empathetic.

Julissa Mota was phenomenal with me! She was very kind and understanding during my whole process at the facility. Julissa also speaks Spanish which is my mother tongue language, and that made it easy for me to communicate with her. Julissa was very responsive with emails and phone calls. She was great in following up with me in a great timely manner and kept me in the loop about my test results and next steps. The whole nursing team was super nice and empathic during my visits at the clinic. They always tried to life my spirits, which I appreciated. Also, the Front Desk team that worked during the weekdays are super nice with patients and are always in a great mood. They are very proactive and kind.

Dr. Rudick was absolutely amazing with my husband and I during this whole process! Ever since, I read her online Overview and saw her introduction video on the Columbia OB/GYN website, I knew that Dr. Rudick was the right doctor for me. I appreciated how she showed compassion for her patients and their experiences. I always appreciated how kind Dr. Rudick was, but mainly, she was incredibly knowledgeable and made me feel very confident about her work during my visits and treatments in the clinic. Dr. Rudick always educated both my husband and I during our visits at the facility and guided us during the whole process. Lastly, Dr. Rudick was always accessible for questions and concerns. She was very responsive to my emails, which was much appreciated when I wasn't feeling well or was experiencing symptoms from my treatment. I was very happy, and I am very thankful for Dr. Rudick's work.

N/A

From what I can remember, I did a few tests at the beginning of my visits to ensure I was in the right track, such as checking my hormone levels, a brain MRI, blood work, genetic tests, etc. After these initial tests, I was prescribed to take a small amount of Cabergoline once a week to balance my prolactin levels. My blood work and uterus were screened frequently in order to see my progress. During my first IUI try, I took Clomid, and for the last two IUIs, I took Letrozole which I was able to get pregnant with. On the 3rd IUI, I was able to get pregnant with twins :)

During my visits at the facility, I had two insurance, Aetna and Empire BlueCross BlueShield, and they both covered my IUIs treatments, etc.

Columbia Fertility is a wonderful practice. I felt like a dignified, respected patient. It wasn't like some clinics I have heard of where the lobby is always packed like some kind of baby-making factory. Everyone who works at the front desk is happy and helpful. The practice is clean/modern and well run.

Dr. Forman and his staff were very kind, informative, educated, clear and concise. They treated me just the way I treat others!

Christine was a delight to work with. Very communicative throughout the process and kind during our many visits!

Dr. Forman was a kind and gentle man who was incredibly well informed, well trained and handled all communications and procedures with great attention and care. From our initial meeting to our most recent, he has taken the time to review all our concerns, teach us the necessary science and let us work through the options. I feel we were in charge of the decision(s) we made and always felt I was informed.

IVF is always a choice. There is a huge amount of pressure, when seeing a fertility doctor, to get pregnant as soon as possible--but making each decision with your partner, without pressure from anyone else is very important.

We elected not to move to IVF treatment just yet. My fiance has male factor infertility that could potentially be solved through surgery. As I am young and in good fertile health, we elected to wait to pursue IVF until after the surgery is complete and hopefully the sperm quality is much higher quality.

Dr. Forman and his practice took our insurance. So the costs were not too bad for the variety of tests we needed. We didn't choose to pursue IVF just yet--so we weren't hit with the huge IVF+ bills.

Dr. Forman said he rarely transfers multiple embryos (only in extreme cases). At first I wasn't aware that single embryo transfer was preferred due to the increased risk to mother and child--but after learning a great amount during the course of our journey, I would not see a doctor who regularly practiced multiple embryo transfer.

Columbia has a great new office in the same building that they were in but in the penthouse now. The place is soothing, clean, and nice to wait in. The wait times have drastically decreased. The morning appointments are super fast. They are quite organized, I've just seen a bit of line once. The front desk women are lovely. Always smiling and supportive. Overall my experiences there have been good. Hope it stays that way.

Dr Rudick always makes me feel like a human. Columbia as a clinic has changed a lot in the past 3 years as well. I went there to conceive my first child in 2016 and it was a mess. It feels quite congenial now. That could be also because they see me day in and out. Conceiving our second child has been a longer and a more arduos process than the first one.

The care staff has been great. The nurses I have been working with (Julissa and Katherine(?)) are both super compassionate lovely people.

Dr Rudick is probably the nicest doctor I've met. She is not fake nice, she is just a genuinely nice person. She is also really smart and has taken her time with us during our one on one meetings. However when I see her for my sono's I don't get to ask her questions. That said, the doctors are super busy and its not so called meeting time. Things haven't really gone our way this time round, by this time round I mean that I have been able to conceive through this clinic once before. Our insurance was not great and it took forever for us to get our diagnostic stuff taken care of, it was also very confusing, we changed our insurance but apparently didn't tell billing in time, just told the front desk. One would think front desk would tell billing but that is not the case. This delayed our start date for treatment. We did way too many IUIs, couple of which we did because we were under the impression that the IVF lab was closed for the whole of Jan. And then we realized that we could have still kicked off a IVF cycle since the labs do open by the second half of the month. A lot of this information was hazy and unclear. I feel we've lost a lot of time because of a lot of factors, none of which are directly related to Dr Rudick.

She is compassionate and relatable. However, I did feel a bit lost, like why am I doing what I am doing. What is the reason, why 1,2, or 3 IUI's, why not something else. Is this related to my age, something else? I feel that if I asked questions I would get an answer but if I didn't I wouldn't really know why I was doing the treatments I was. A reason for this could also be because we have unexplained infertility and there are routine treatments for that.

We are paying out of pocket for IVF and medication. All of IUI procedures and costs were covered. They don't have a payments plan for IVF by the way. I thought I read a review saying that they did.

I have found the clinic to be organized. They are accommodating to patients on weekends (walk-ins). The front desk staff are welcoming. I am usually in and out of the clinic within half hour or so for blood work and ultrasound. Wait time may be a bit longer for follow up visits with my doctor. The earlier your appointment is the quicker you are seen. I like the consistent flow from one procedure to the next. I do wish I saw my Primary Physician more often for the ultrasounds rather than any Physician who is present that morning.

Dr Grosasman Becht is very professional. She maintains a constant smile on her face when discussing my care(the smile sometimes come across as rehearsed rather than genuine). She covers all aspects of my care including benefits vs risk of each drug I have been prescribed. So far, her team has been good with communicating pertinent information/updates.

My nurse is efficient in communicating information regarding my care. She responds in a timely manner to my emails. The is reassuring and professional. I truly believe she has my care in her best interest even though it is the doctor who makes decisions.

Dr Grossman-Becht is polite and profession which for me allows me to feel comfortable to ask questions. She makes effort to explain procedures as well as test results. She is a practical but positive MD. She covers all the possibilities of my care including alternative treatment if the current treatment fails. She takes my personal account of how I think my body functions(eg. Left /right side ovulation on any given month based on my experience throughout my teen to adult years) without being dismissive.

Write down all the questions you need answers to before consultation/visit. She will answer your questions.

My treatment included IUI protocol with blood work and ultrasound on day 2-4 Followed by a phone call that day to start taking Clomid 50mg for 5days (2 pills). Ultrasound and blood work to check hormone levels and follicles for size at approximately day 8-10. May have another ultrasound 3 or so days later to reassess follicle size and uterus lining thickness. This is followed by a trigger shot of ovidril the morning of the day prior to IUI date. The IUI was cancelled because I was going to travel to a Zika territory. I am now following the same protocol for pending IUI but instead of Clomid, I am taking Letrozole 2.5mg.

billed amount for Dr Grossman :530.00 amount allowed by insurance$151.00 amount paid: $151.00. These amounts are higher for Physicians who seem to have more years of experience when they perform my ultrasound. My medications/treatment is not covered by insurance and is paid out of pocket. IUI cost $2649.50

Columbia seems to have made an effort to cut down on wait time. I never had to wait more than 10 minutes--very important when you're trying to squeeze these appointments in before work. All the doctors I saw for ultrasounds seemed very kind and knowledgeable. The financial coordinator overall was very helpful, but my one complaint is that I sometimes had to email repeatedly to get the information I needed.

Dr. Forman goes above and beyond to answer every question you have, consider all your specific circumstances, and give you as much information as you need. He's very professional and can report results in a straightforward manner, but he also understands what an emotional rollercoaster IVF is and makes himself extremely available for his patients.

Wonderful! Jenny did a lot of my blood draws and gave me such comfort during those 7 a.m. needle in the arm appointments (and also never left a bruise). Christine and Tiffany did a lot of the communication about medication and appointments and were clear and prompt.

Dr. Forman is the best doctor I've had across the board and has elevated my standards for medical care. Never before had I met a doctor who emailed me back (from his direct email, not through some labyrinthine portal system run by a staff person) always within the day, often within the hour, and sometimes within minutes! He made it a priority to do my transfer himself and did two of my three retrievals; for the one retrieval he couldn't do, he called me the night before to go over what to expect and check if I had any questions. When my first retrieval didn't yield the desired results, he spent an hour on the phone with me to review what had happened and discuss protocol shifts. He validated my frustration but also left me feeling hopeful and, sure enough, the next outcome was better. He also was willing to share as much information as my neurotic brain required, including sending me my follicle measurement and hormone level charts, doing side-by-side comparisons of rounds, etc. Even after I got pregnant and "graduated" out of the IVF clinic, when I reached out with a concern Dr. Forman quickly offered me an appointment and had me in for a blood draw to confirm that all was okay. I ended up doing a CVS to confirm the PGD/PGS testing (the reason we had done IVF), and while I was no longer officially his patient at that point, he still reached out beforehand to wish me luck and later followed up to ask how it went. While Dr. Forman is not overly demonstrative and his manner didn't at first strike me as super smiley or warm, he shows his care through his actions and patient outcomes. With a process as emotionally challenging as IVF, he's the doctor you want managing your treatment. I can't recommend him highly enough.

Ask him everything. He is extremely knowledgeable and can give you as many detail as you want but won't overwhelm you with jargon if that's not your speed.

We saw Dr. Forman for IVF with PGD after learning I carried an x-linked disease. He was willing to do a repeat genetic panel to confirm the diagnosis. We eventually did three rounds of stimulation drugs: Round 1 - 150 Follistim and 150 Menopur, then Ganirelix, then 10000 HcG. Yield: 14 eggs, 7 mature, 6 fertilized, 2 made it to blastocyst. Round 2 - 300 Follistim and 150 Menopur, then Ganirelix, then 5000 HcG and Lupron (dual trigger) Yield: 15 eggs, 7 mature, 7 fertilized, 6 made it blastocyst. Round 3 - Estradiol to suppress before starting (because I'd had a leading follicle in between rounds that led us to delay). Same medication regimen as Round 2. Yield: 25 eggs, 15 mature, 13 fertilized, 7 made it to blastocyst. The thinking was that increasing the stim dosage would improve possibly both my egg yield and the number of embryos that made it to day 5. The thinking behind the Lupron was that it might help my egg maturity ratio. Neither was a perfect fix, but the results kept improving overall, so we were pleased. We had to do three rounds because few embryos passed both the PGS and PGD testing, and we wanted to do a transfer with a couple embryos banked. Before the FET, we did progesterone shots and estrogen pills, and the first one took!

$3K to develop a genetic probe $3K for PGS/PGD testing of up to 12 embryos $10K out-of-pocket in meds for three retrievals, 1 transfer, and hormones for first 10 weeks of pregnancy My insurance miraculously covered my three retrievals and transfer with copays, which I'm still adding up--but are probably around $600 (as opposed to the $10K I feared)

Dr. Forman I believe is a pioneer in eSET and strongly believes in this approach.

I loved every aspect of the Columbia Fertility clinic. It felt small and personalized without feeling overly exclusive or anything like that. I felt incredibly well taken care of at every step, like people recognized me and cared about ME specifically and were rooting for my success. Very very humanizing.

Dr. Forman and the whole Columbia Fertility center were SUCH a breath of fresh air. I had been going to RMA before where I very much felt like a number, not a human. At Columbia the office is small, the wait time is non-existent, and even though it can be busy it always felt, at every single step of the way, like every person cared about me and making sure that I was being taken care of in all ways, physically and emotionally. I really can't say enough good things. It was SUCH a good, relaxing, reassuring experience going there.

Christine was amazing! My interaction with her was primarily via email and she was incredibly responsive and helpful with all my questions.

Dr. Forman is great, very measured and thoughtful. He's definitely reserved meaning he's cautious about being overly positive OR negative and really takes things one at a time. I wouldn't say that he and I are besties, but I did feel incredibly well taken care of at every step of the way and never EVER felt pressured to move forward faster than I was ready he for. Instead, my experience of Dr. Forman is that he's incredibly thorough and takes his time, meaning that he really considers the options, tries different things, and lets you decide what you're ready for.

Ask lots of questions! But also rest assured you're working with a great doctor. Oh and when they say you can email them they REALLY mean it, Dr. Forman and his nurse would get back to me SO fast even on weekends.

I did one IUI cycle with a double IUI (two IUIs performed 24 hours apart) with Letrozole and Progesterone suppositories. This was after having done 2 unsuccessful IUI cycles with Clomid. Dr. Forman said that he used Letrozole because it tends to work better with patients with endometriosis. I have not technically been diagnosed with endometriosis but its suspected because of a 3cm cyst on my right ovary that appears to be an endometrioma.

$300 or so in insurance co-pays, VERY reasonably priced.

Its in a new space - spacious and very clean. I always felt comfortable during my visits. If you see a packed waiting room, don't fret, they are very organized and I never waited for monitoring more than 10 minutes. If I were waiting for my doctor that was a bit different and if they were running late they always told me. They communicate all updates in a timely fashion.

The office has done a wonderful job of keeping to schedule. I never had to wait more than 10 minutes during morning monitoring, even when there was a full waiting room. Staff always had smiles on their faces and you get to know the nurses well.

The staff at the office were very nice. I found it much easier to communicate with my nurse via email and would receive responses within 24 hours.

Dr. Williams was exactly who we needed after an unsuccessful attempt at IVF with another clinic. Dr. Williams took more of a clinical approach with us and I did not feel like they were playing a numbers game or just going through the motions with us. We walked through our plan by steps. It was A to B. When we got to B we stopped assessed and moved to C. It was never a check the box feeling I had when working with this office. I also felt that Dr. Williams viewed my health as a priority. After my third miscarriage (2 natural, 1 IVF), another clinic said I should jump right into another cycle. I felt like something was missing and I needed to know that I was okay. Dr. Williams took a step back and ran test after test until we were comfortable with moving forward. I also felt that the office walked me through everything to make sure I understood the procedure. At another clinic I was told to watch youtube videos to figure out some stuff. It was just a different experience for me, and I feel like to have found Columbia when I did.

Dr. Williams is extremely sought out and very busy, but I never felt that he didn't get back to me. When I was going through setbacks, Dr. Williams would call me personally just to check up on my mental wellbeing - he really truly cares. If I was unable to get a hold of him, my nurse was able to get the information I needed.

Dr. Williams stopped an IVF cycle Day 8 into meds as he felt I could get better results with a different attempt, so we switched to IUI that month. When we were ready for another IVF round, I was put on Chlomid, Menapur and Follistim. I never really had a reaction to meds, but this go around with the addition of the Chlomid I was super tired - exhausted. I never felt hormonally out of control, just tired and sleepy after the Chlomid so I started taking it right before bed instead of the morning.

Cost of IVF with ICIS, PGD and transfer was around $22,000. Medication costs were approximately $5,000 per cycle.

Columbia University Medical Center is a nice place, staff is polite and friendly. office looks clean and busy, they offer very flexible appointments the atmosphere is very calm and relaxing, in general I was very satisfied wit the service I got in Columbia University Medical Center.

Not only we were treated human, with dignity, patience and respect, we always felt priority ! Dr. Williams genuinely cared for our success. He always took the time to explain things making eye contact while he spoke. He works very gently and has refined bed side manners. He made sure to give me a call back even on days the center was closed, Dr. Williams went a long way, beyond his call of duty, to ensure my safety and well being. Dr. Williams is one of a kind, both, as an expert in his medical field and in being a devoted, dedicated doctor.

Laura is a wonderful RN with a very pleasant personality, she is responsive, understanding and gets things done swiftly. Laura is a excellent communicator between you and your doctor. Her smile is pure sun shine !

When we had our initial consultation, Dr. Williams carefully listened to us, paid attention to every detail, reviewed our medical records and explained to us that our initial diagnosis was wrong ! we had a few other medical professionals review our case in the past. He was the "firs one" to realize that we were off track and misled. Dr. Williams has a very out of the box open minded approach when diagnosing his patients. He has a brilliant mind and a kind heart. He analyzes a situation from every angle and possibility before customizing your treatment plan. He patiently addressed our concerns and answered all our questions in a clear sensible way. Although he is very realistic and careful not to promise, he gave us a sense of security and hope.

Give your doctor as much information as you can. When it comes to diagnosing and treating infertility "small" details matter, "big time!" Also, don't be shy to ask. understanding whats going on puts you ease,

Two rounds antibiotics, vitamin D, aspirin

The Clinic is a well kept and calm environment. The staff is friendly and accommodating. The documents are very organized, prescriptions are sent directly to the pharmacy for on time delivery. It's easy to get in touch with a doctor or nurse, everyone is there to help you and make you feel important.

Dr. Williams was very polite to us, he made us feel that he has all the time for us. He explained every detailed until we understood it. He explained the process and steps. We felt very comfortable, knowing that Dr. Williams is monitoring every step of the way just as if we're his only patient.

Laura was always there for us, if we had any questions we knew that we can rely on Laura.

From the minute we got to know Dr. Williams, we were delighted, because he showed us that he is here for us, and will be with us along the journey. Dr. Williams is very intelligent and always informed with the latest studies. His bright insight in every situation, gave us the feeling of trust. He knows each patient and follows up with them.

If you want to have a Doctor that won't leave a stone unturned, meet Dr. Williams.

We came to Dr. Williams after a number of miscarriages. He started off by reviewing all the repots from our previous Doctors. He took multiple blood tests and monitored the sugar levels. Then he did a Sanagram to try to identify the cause. The cause he identified was a combination of blood clotting that were around the embryo and high sugar levels that didn't allow the placenta to connect properly to the embryo. I was put on a low carb and sugar diet and baby aspirin. I was monitored until he confirmed that it was a safe and successful pregnancy.

I think the strength of the clinic depends on what doctor you get—Dr. Williams always made you feel like a priority but some of the clinic staff did not seem entirely organized or thorough. That being said, they were always friendly. The facilities may not be as nicely furnished or new as other centers, but there is definitely a lot of human talent within the walls.

Doctor Williams and his nurse, Laura, truly understood my feelings of desperation for help and helplessness because my husband and I had experienced 11 miscarriages and a neonatal loss and had no answers as to why. They both treated us with urgency, and from the very first consultation, outlined a plan of tests that would help us find answers, and ultimately, hope. Within one week of meeting Dr. Williams for the first time, he had figured out the source of our infertility (Asherman’s syndrome) and had scheduled the first surgery we needed to work on correcting it! Within 6 months, the corrective procedures had been completed and we were ready to try again—and WITHIN ONE YEAR, we were pregnant with our daughter who was born months later! After five years of pregnancies, and other fertility doctors who would not treat us for fear that we may skew their success numbers after so many unexplained losses, Dr. Williams took us as patients—understood our grief and responded with compassion and hope. We have a family now because of him.

Laura was thorough and positive from the beginning. Like Dr. Williams, her approach to her role was more of an ally than a nurse. I felt that with each positive result, she was cheering us on!

Dr. Williams always explained our treatment thoroughly and set expectations for possible outcomes. Although you can see that he has a brilliant mind, he was always patient with our many questions, offering insight into the hows and whys of each step. But more than anything, he treated my husband and I like the family we were trying to become—like two parents for whom he would help find answers rather than two people who were trying and failing at making a family. It’s a subtle difference but the effect is that we felt at all times that we had an ALLY rather than just a PHYSICIAN. A Physician might tell you why you keep losing your keys. An Ally helps you find them. Dr. Williams never had an observation that he didn’t quickly follow with a plan and a “what questions do you have for me?” I had to have two corrective surgeries and several other procedures in between to diagnose and correct my Asherman's—and through each one, he helped us maintain hope. When we conceived our daughter (only 9 months after meeting Dr. Williams for the first time!) I’ll always remember how he congratulated us: “You’ve got some really exciting milestones ahead!’

Bring your data and know your clinical history—Dr. Williams brilliantly connected a sensitivity to gluten (that I was completely unaware of!) as a potential cause for some of my earlier miscarriages. He will ask you everything, even things that don’t seem associated as he rules out possible causes—so be open, honest and as thorough so as to help him as much as possible!

I believe we began with testing for various auto-immune and sensitivity disorders as well as genetic testing on past embryos and my husband and I. Then a hysteroscoopy revealed scar tissue and lesions inside the uterus. Two further adhesolysis procedures followed with baloon insert and rounds of estrogen following to regrow uterine lining.

The clinic was very pleasant, from the front desk check-in process to back end phlebotomy experience, everyone is always smiling and attentive. They know you by your name when you are there for every visit. Also, when doing morning monitoring, you were in and out of the office within 15-20 minutes. There was never a long wait for morning monitoring, so you will always make it to work on time.

Dr. Zev Williams and colleagues (just to name a few-Drs. Eric Forman and Briana Rudick) are amazing physicians. They were very attentive to all my questions and concerns throughout my treatment. Questions and concerns were answered immediately to a few hours when asked. Staff and physicians knew my name and greeted me each time I was in the office. It was a family feel and they were going through each step with my husband and I.

Laura Lodico, RN is an amazing nurse who works extremely well with Dr. Zev Williams and the team at CURC. Laura was very attentive to my questions and concerns and got back to me with answers immediately. She always followed up with lab results immediately when it is available and always checked in after treatment to see how I was feeling. She made me feel very special.

Dr. Zev Williams is an amazing, kind hearted, and intelligent physician. He was very through in explaining step by step what the treatment plan will be. He was very attentive to any questions or concerns I had throughout the treatment. From the consultation visit until we conceived, he always made my husband and I feel very important and extremely cared about. We still keep great communication regarding the progress of my pregnancy. I recommend any patient to see him or his colleagues.

If you want the best experience with treatment and success in conceiving, he is the physician you want to see and his colleagues.

Preparation for egg retrieval: Gonol F 225U daily for 10-12 days, Menopur 75U daily for 10-12 days, Cetrotide for 5 days; HCG trigger injection x 1. To produce follicles for retrieval. ICSI with the retrieved follicles and allow 5-6 day fertilization and freeze embryos. Frozen embryos have greater success rates of conceiving than fresh embryo transfers with timing.

Insurance covered a lifetime of $30,000 for infertility treatment. Had to pay deductibles, co-insurance and copayments. But, the clinic have payment options for patients that would need to pay out of pocket.

Dr. Zev Williams wanted to transfer a single embryo, but was not opposed to two embryos being transferred, if we wanted.

When you walk into Columbia Fertility, there is a sense of calm about the place. It seems as though there was a lot of thought put into the way the space is structured - lots of natural light, open airy spaces, soft music in the background and an overall beautiful decor. There never seemed to be more than 5 or 6 other patients waiting in the waiting room, which made me more comfortable taking the time I needed with my doctor, without having to worry about holding up a waiting room full of angry patients. I had some insurance issues in the beginning, but I found the billing department to be very accommodating, and they did their best to help straighten it out. I must note that when you are trying to reach a nurse or a secretary by phone, there is usually some waiting time, and you do get transferred around a bit which can be frustrating. I also find their online patient portal to be severely lacking - appointment summaries and test results are never posted.

Dr. Williams always made eye contact when he spoke to me, and I felt as though he was constantly assessing my emotional reaction to whatever information he was giving me.

Laura was a great liaison between us and Dr. Williams. She was always the one to call us with results, and she made sure that we understood each step of our protocol. She was the one that we reached out to whenever a question came up, and she was never more than a phone call or email away... and always with a smile!

Although Dr. Williams is absolutely brilliant in his field of expertise, he is also extremely humble. He treats his patients with genuine empathy and a unique sensitivity. At times, it almost felt as though Dr. Williams was being more sensitive to our emotional needs than we ourselves were being. We always felt that he was truly listening to us with his full attention. His kindness can also be seen in the way that he treats his staff - always introducing the nurses by name to the patient, and always talking to them in a respectful manner.

Have a list of questions ready, because he will be willing to answer them all.

One Round of Antibiotics - due to Chronic Endometritis (low grade uterine infection which can inhibit fertility and/or cause miscarriage) Operative Hysteroscopy for Asherman's Syndrome - to remove moderate scarring which was found on my cervix and inside my uterine cavity Vitamin D supplementation Folic Acid supplementation Baby Aspirin + Lovenox Injection - due to an ACE Gene Mutation Metformin - due to insulin resistance Prometrium (vaginally) - due to low levels of progesterone in the early weeks of my pregnancy

It's a money making machine. There is no customization in terms of adjusting hormones. You have to go 3 times a week and they must process 50 women within 90 minutes. You don't see your doctor regularly for ultrasounds or blood work. We sat down with Dr. Grossman twice throughout the whole process. The fact that 2 different doctors did our transfers and used 2 different procedures for the transfer confused us. There should be consistency at least in that area.

The clinic processes about 40 women an hour in the morning. The doctor who is primarily assigned to you doesn't even do your transfer. So you get to know "your" doctor, but then you have a random doctor do the transfer.

It's a zoo in there. They barely have time to remember people except for 2 nurses who were above average.

Dr. Grossman as an individual is compassionate and friendly. She also explained as much as she could when we saw her. The issue was that we barely saw her for such an important event in our life. I believe this is a negative consequence of the clinic and not her.

Just avoid Columbia in total.

My husband's first sperm analysis came back with results that he had extremely low sperm count. Columbia referred us to a urologist they recommended, who ended up being completely disorganized and disappointing. Since he has such low sperm count we should've pursued a competent urologist path in the first place, but Dr. Grossman said we'd be ok doing IVF as long as we had a few sperm to work with. I went through the egg retrieval process (which was an nightmare. they overstimulated me and doubled the dose of hormones). I could barely walk the two days preceding my egg retrieval process and they got 33 eggs from me (way above normal). We had to wait a month for first transfer because my ovaries were overstimulated and had to calm down. The first transfer was done by a random doctor, and failed. Our second transfer was done by another random doctor (who used a completely different procedure) and failed.

we paid 20% of total costs.

No comments here.

The clinic actively takes part in research performed at Columbia University, which means that it remains at the forefront of the field. Treatments provided are state-of-the-art. Besides the expertise, sensitivity and kindness of the staff, the clinic facilities provide a welcoming surrounding.

Dr. Forman had carefully read our medical history before meeting with us. On our first visit, a doctor in training attended our consultation, but before leading us into the room, Dr. Forman asked us in a sensitive manner whether this would be ok with us. It was clear that we had the choice to say no and that this would be accepted and respected. During the consultation, he took the time to listen to us, review any medical data we had brought with us, and explain various details of the anticipated procedures to us, weighing different options and providing a clear treatment plan tailored to our specific situation. He directly organized for us to meet with different members on his team to address various aspects of the treatment, and take blood samples for additional diagnostics. Everyone on his team was completely focused on us and our needs, and acted in a calm and efficient, yet supportive manner.

The care coordinator called a week before our first appointment to make sure that we submit our new patient questionnaire ahead of time, so that Dr. Forman would have the time to review our case before meeting with us. The nurse, Christine, was very helpful, providing us with a checklist of additional diagnostic tests required and talking us through the advantages and disadvantages of genetic testing. The nurse who took our blood was very diligent, competent, and friendly.

When we left Dr. Forman's office, both my husband and I felt imbued with confidence that we were in good hands. He had taken the time to carefully review our medical history and data, and explained to us potential treatment paths with their advantages and disadvantages, concluding with the best option for our situation. All the while he was eager to hear our story, and provided us with ample opportunities to ask any questions we might have. He also gave us his e-mail address and answered any e-mail within 24 hours.

We are at the very beginning of treatment. Since my husband has azoospermia due to blockage, the anticipated treatment would require sperm extraction, egg extraction, ICSI, and finally IVF. Dr. Forman suggested not to perform both the sperm and egg extractions on the same day, in order to prevent me from having to undergo invasive treatment should the sperm extraction not yield the desired results. Dr. Forman also suggested some strategies to save both time and money, which was very much appreciated.

Dr. Forman suggested implanting a single embryo only, as he was confident that given my values this should not be a problem. He said that if we were to perform genetic testing on the embryo pre-implantation, this would allow us to determine whether any of the generated embryos might not be good for implantation, thus raising the chances to obtain a successful pregnancy after implanting just one embryo.

I am so glad that I chose to use Columbia when my husband and I struggled to conceive. Dr. McConnell is brilliant and also kind and comforting throughout what can be a very anxiety-producing process. She is patient with me and answers all of my questions, and I never feel rushed. I mainly see her in the Westchester office, but I have been to the new Manhattan location as well and it's amazing!! I had an appointment with Dr. Forman once when Dr. McConnell was out of the office and he seemed great as well. The process of scheduling appointments is seamless, and I adore all of the nurses, secretaries, and phlebotomists I have interacted with.

I am so glad that I chose to use Columbia when my husband and I struggled to conceive. Dr. McConnell is brilliant and also kind and comforting throughout what can be a very anxiety-producing process. She is patient with me and answers all of my questions, and I never feel rushed.

They are very kind and thorough and answer all of my millions of questions;

She is knowledgeable and compassionate. I highly recommend her. I mainly see her in the Westchester office, but I have been to the new Manhattan location as well and it's amazing!! I had an appointment with Dr. Forman once when Dr. McConnell was out of the office and he seemed great as well. The process of scheduling appointments is seamless, and I adore all of the nurses, secretaries, and phlebotomists I have interacted with.

Be proactive. Ask any questions you have.

My insurance covered everything, but the patient financial coordinator is wonderful and helps with every step of the financial aspect of treatment. She responds to emails immediately.

The clinic is beautiful, you’re always greeted. They have coffee, tea and water for you while you wait. They even sometimes play relaxing music. The clinic is always clean. The waiting area, the rooms and bathrooms are well kept. They provide anything you need to freshen up.

My first time meeting Dr. Rudick we went over my fertility records. She asked questions and also listened to me. The first clinic I went to I didn’t get none of that. They barely spoke to me about my failed IUI’s and didn’t even try to see why it wasn’t working.

The nursing staff was amazing. They communicated well and were very pleasant.

Dr.Rudick was welcoming which made me more comfortable since I had a bad experience from my first fertility doctor. She also asked me what I will like to do as far as treatment. She gave me all my options and broke them down to me. She also got a chance to talk with my husband who’s a trans man. She gave us insight on fertility in the LGBTQ community. She’s been nothing but amazing so far.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Dr. Rudick will communicate very well with you. She will even email you if to make sure you and her on the same page.

I haven’t gotten a chance to have a cycle with her yet. She ordered an SHG test which discovered I had Fibroids so I had to undergo two surgeries to remove them. I’m currently recovering now from the 2nd one.

So far I haven’t gotten any fertility treatments because of the surgeries. But I was told the cost if my insurance don’t approve me for IVF.

IVF is a very stressful process, especially when we are using extensive hormones, which could easily make our feeling and emotions swing and tiny little bit of discomfort occurred to us could trigger a big drama. Having gone through numerous consultations and IVF treatments over the past 4 years, The Center For Women's at Columbia University Medical Center has worked best for me. Columbia provides many opportunities to communicate with your own doctor. Most of the time, it’s your own doctor provides the ultrasound, so you know the status. Dr. Rudick impressed me early on as being both intelligent and attentive. She is very thorough and very quick to get what’s on my mind. She made me feel positive and gave me confidence. The process of drawing blood can be uncomfortable, but the staff at Columbia were friendly and compassionate. I love Arula. She made my day when she successfully drew the blood in one shot from my hard-to find vein. Jenny is very patient. Patrice is always smiling and sometimes she does it herself, despite being the lead nurse who assigns tasks. Pam, the most senior staffer, gave us very detailed training. I deeply appreciate advice to avoid google searches, and not to make any guesses. I believe most of us like to read, analyze and formulate questions; Pam pointed out that operating from assumptions won’t do us any good. She encouraged us to directly ask the doctor. The administrative staff is also great, particularly Sofia. She has a passion for her work, despite being relatively new. She takes everything seriously and is focused on the tasks at hand. Without her help, I won’t be so fortunate. The last item I want to mention is the billing department; they made difficult issues very simple. I am able to match their bills with my insurance EOB’s. If I came across any discrepancies, Miriam provided a detailed explanation and an immediate fix. This is in sharp contrast to prior experiences, in which the bills were tough to decipher and help was not consistent.

Dr. Rudick impressed me early on as being both intelligent and attentive. She is very thorough and very quick to get what’s on my mind. She made me feel positive and gave me confidence.

Pam, the most senior staffer, gave us very detailed training. I deeply appreciate advice to avoid google searches, and not to make any guesses. I believe most of us like to read, analyze and formulate questions; Pam pointed out that operating from assumptions won’t do us any good. She encouraged us to directly ask the doctor.

Dr. Rudick impressed me early on as being both intelligent and attentive. She is very thorough and very quick to get what’s on my mind. She made me feel positive and gave me confidence. I also appreciate her attention to detail and willingness to discuss matters openly.

Open your mind, be positive and don't hold anything back.

The Columbia Women’s Fertility Center is awesome! All the receptionists and phlebotomists get to know you and are always welcoming and well organized. Morning monitoring is extremely efficient and runs daily from 7-9am. Some people may not like the volume of people who are there every day, but I appreciate it because they always move efficiently through patients. I rarely wait longer than 10 minutes for morning monitoring and am usually only there about 30minutes so I am able to get to work on time.

Dr. McConnell is very warm and personable and we appreciate her genuine way of communicating. She is never put out by any of the questions we have asked and is always patient with helpful and accurate answers. She also took the time to personally reached out to me about renovations in the office to ensure that my treatment was not effected.

The nursing staff that works with Dr. McConnell is awesome. I have more contact with them than Dr. McConnell herself. Nurse Katrina is my personal care coordinator and she is the one who always calls me with results and information. She is extremely helpful, warm and patient with my questions.

Dr. McConnell is very easy to talk to and extremely knowledgeable. She makes a point to explain the process and also the science behind the process of IUI and now IVF as we have shifted our path of treatment. She is always positive while being honest about potential risks of each medication, procedure or pathway. She has performed one of my IUI procedures and a sonogram personally - although for other procedures I have had various doctors in the clinic. When she doesn’t personally perform the morning monitoring or other procedures she always looks over the results and I get a call a few hours later with her assessment. Dr. McConnell also has a patient, warm nature and I always feel supported and cared for when interacting with her. I have also already recommended her to a friend who is absolutely thrilled to be working with her compared with her last doctor. I feel very lucky that Dr. McConnell is my doctor through this process because it has so many ups and downs, and she is a constant, hopeful and calm presence through it all.

Bring your own questions to appointments- don’t be afraid to ask her anything! She is very knowledgeable and helpful.

Dr. McConnell took time to do a lot of preliminary testing of myself and my partner before beginning treatment. Testing identified that I have a blocked Fallopian tube and my husband has low motility. As a result, She recommended starting with less intrusive methods, so we started with IUI. She will support patients desire to go with more aggressive treatment but would herself recommend the least intrusive care possible given the couple’s issues. I did three cycles of IUI with Chlomid and a trigger shot, which did not result in any positives. After about 3 attempts she likes to meet again with patients to se if they want to continue with IUI or move to a more involved cycle like IVF. We were ready to try IVF, and she walked us through the process, risk factors and more. I asked her if I should have surgery to unblock my Fallopian tube, but she said it wasn’t needed because of the type of blockage I had. This reinforced my appreciation for her because she wasn’t just out to get more money by pushing patients to have more procedures that aren’t truly necessary. We are now awaiting the start of our first IVF cycle, which will be next month.

I have insurance that covers much of the IUI process but not the IVF process. There is usually a co-pay for each morning monitoring visit of $25. This doesn’t apply if just blood work is done. IVF will be more expensive because I don’t have insurance coverage. They gave us a print out of all the various components of care and procedures and the prices so we could get a good idea of what to expect. We are budgeting to need $10-$15,000 for the IVF trials. This clinic also assigns each patient a financial advisor and I call or email her whenever I have billing or insurance questions or issues. She has been very helpful through the process in making sure my costs were properly processed through insurance and also that I understood my coverage.

Dr. McConnell supports a eSET approach in IVF. She stated that it doesn’t improve chances by using more than one at a time.

Strengths: There is hardly a line when checking in, I never have to wait more than 10 minutes for a bloodwork. And they are all friendly. Weaknesses: The clinic can use a little update especially the bathrooms.

Dr. Forman made me feel that I was important and not just another patient. He followed up with me through email, and whenever I had a question, he would respond right away. He was there for me throughout the process.

They were all very nice and they seem to know what they were all doing. They also know your name. They give you privacy. They confirm your name and birthdate. I would say it has gotten better.

I am so proud to have him as my Doctor. I was about to give up on CWRC after several failed procedures. But I gave them another chance and met with Dr. Eric Forman. I told him how I felt about CWRC. He assured me that things were going to change. He spoke with confidence. He took his time to explain everything. And I really wanted to try having another baby and so I gave him a try. And then, our journey began, 4 months later, I was pregnant! Dr. Forman made sure that I had all the medications I needed. He kept in touch with me through email and I was shocked that he responded so quickly. I had so many questions and he answered all of them. He was patient with me. He's just an amazing Doctor, not because I became pregnant, but because I didn't feel like just another patient. I didn't feel like I was passed down from one doctor to another. He is absolutely wonderful!

I would tell a prospective patient to tell Dr Forman everything like what works for you and what doesn't. He listens. Example: if you can't get to a scheduled appointment, let him know and he will make it work. Also to ask questions even if it doesn't makes sense, he will explain everything.

This time around, by evaluating my previous procedures, Dr. Forman saw that I could take higher dosage but almost the same medication. The only different medication I've received from Dr. Forman is the the pregesterone. Instead of the normal pills, I was given pregesterone in sesame oil. I was also seeing Dr. Forman almost every week during the process and made sure that my bloodwork is all good. I was basically monitored closely which I think helped in the whole process to see how my body is reacting to the treatment.

I had insurance that covered everything except for Freezing of the embryos.

CWRC definitely had a factory feel because they treat such a high volume of patients, but it’s my understanding that all NYC clinics are like this. I had over 30 appointments at the Manhattan location. This location was very hit or miss in terms of the service received. Sometimes I only waited for 10 minutes for an appointment, and the staff was pleasant, other times there were long waits and the staff was curt and rushed. My worst experience was when I waited for 3 hours for my first embryo transfer, which was really difficult. This whole process is so emotionally fraught and my anxiety built with each hour that passed. But the worst part was how it was dealt with - my partner kept checking in with the receptionist, and he continued to assure her that we would be seen in “5 minutes,” which clearly wasn’t happening. When it became clear that she was getting upset he had the Dr on call come out and talk to us. When we complained that we’d been waiting for 3 hours, she replied “yeah, well I’ve been working for more than 3 hours.” It was just an obnoxious comment that was totally unnecessary. After that experience is when we switched to Dr McConell. The staff at her Scarsdale office are all wonderful, pleasant, helpful, and knowledgeable.

I began seeing Dr McConnell after a negative experience with another Dr in the practice. I had just undergone 4 unsuccessful IUIs and it was time to move on to IVF. During our IVF consultation Dr McConnell was very informative as well as warm and took her time answering all of our questions.

Chrissy and Angela are both wonderful nurses. They are both extremely knowledgeable and personable.

CWRC is a large clinic and serves tons of patients at their Manhattan location. Dr McConnell works part of the week there, and spends the other days running the Scarsdale location.If it is at all possible for you to get to the Scarsdale location, I highly recommend it. I went out of my way to come to this location because the one in Manhattan is such a zoo. You will still have to go to the Manhattan location for procedures like IUI, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer. For those procedures you never know which Dr you’re going to get. But all of my morning monitoring was done by Dr. McConnell. She was always upbeat and personable and I never felt rushed, like I did woh other Drs in the practice.

Come with a list of questions.

I did 2 IVF cycles with Dr McConnell. Both times I used injectables (Gonal F and Cetrotide) to prepare for the egg retrieval. For the first cycle I did a fresh embryo transfer using 2 5-day blastocysts. When this cycle was unsuccessful, Dr McConnell had a follow up appointment with my partner and I to recommend PGS testing for the next cycle. We had 4 embryos tested and 2 were deemed chromosomally normal. I transferred one which resulted in my current pregnancy, and the other is still frozen for a future transfer.

Monitoring is done between 7 and 9, and at the Manhattan location there was often a wait. The Scarsdale location had Mich less wait time.

I spent about 20k total out of pocket, because my 4 IUI treatments were not covered at all under insurance. My IVF treatments were mostly covered. However, I needed to have a certain number of failed IUIs before the insurance deemed IVF necessary.

The doctors are one of their strengths. The medical assistants and blood work assistants are a weakness. The front desk staff is pretty friendly, empathetic and helpful although some more than others. One thing I've realized is they have a lot of patients and a lot of people that have done this before but I have to remind them this is my first time with a fertility treatment plan and to explain things a little more. At the initial consultation a nurse explained all the tests I needed to get and she assigned me to a financial counselor. The financial counselor is great- she gets things sent to my insurance for approval right away which I appreciate.

Dr. Douglas is easy to talk to and explains things in great detail. She understands that we have busy lives and wanted to make treatment as easy as possible for us. She seems both "real" and empathetic in her interactions.

I'm a little unsure of the difference between the nursing staff vs. the medical assistants/phlebotomists. I'm fairly confident I've only come in contact with 3 actual nurses. They were all very nice. The medical assistants and phlebotomists are pretty terrible. The call the first name and last initial for you to do blood work. I thought the woman was calling my name so I said are you saying "first last" and she just kept repeating what she was saying and not answering my question. Once we got back there she said "we only say the first name and last name initial" which is totally fine but answer when i tell you my full name. Also, my rubella immunity came back low. I got the booster (and had to sit that cycle out). Two months later they call me back and ask me if I got it. I told them the date I received the booster and said I thought the record should be in my file but could have the doctor's office resend it. Then they went back and forth about whether they needed to draw my blood to test for it again. They were basically asking me if they should. I told them "I got the booster so if I'm not immune at this point there is nothing I can do and I'll have to take my chances. But if you need the blood test for me to continue with my treatment plan then do it." It just felt like they had no idea what was going on. I feel like when you go in you have to already know what should be happening or you might get extra blood drawn or unnecessary ultrasounds. If insurance wasn't covering my treatment I would be really concerned about the confusion if I was the one paying for all these tests.

I only saw Nataki Douglas at my consultation and the appointment after all tests were complete to go over a treatment plan. I thoroughly enjoyed both these appointments. She took time to explain test results, treatment options, potential risks and it never felt rushed. She is very caring and her conversation didn't feel too stiff or clinical.

Obviously the doctors can't work 7 days a week for morning monitoring so don't expect her to be there for all your appointments.

After trying for a little over a year we decided to seek answers. Due to female cycle irregularity and male low morphology Dr. Douglas suggested clomid with better timed intercourse at home or we could go straight to IUI. Due to the low morphology and the fact that we do have insurance coverage for IUI we decided to do that. I started with 50mg of clomid on cycle days 3-7 with an IUI the day following LH surge.

I think the initial consultation was $550 if not covered by insurance. They were very up front about that. Our insurance covers all treatment associate with IUI but won't for IVF if we get to that point. I would definitely work more closely with the financial counselor if we were paying for treatment to make sure I was getting what I needed for treatment and no additional blood draws or ultrasounds.

The experience was a nightmare, and my treatment was unsuccessful. The set protocols made everything easier for the clinic/doctors but weren't successful for me and often left me with negative side effects for several extra days before my procedures. I could barely get a callback, and the clinical staff don't use email. Even though the clinic claimed to have a lot of experience with same-sex couples, they often had to make up the process along the way. Because they didn't have updated consent forms for same-sex couples, we had to solicit external legal council and advocate for changes to the forms in order to protect of our parental rights. The lead social worker was also highly unprofessional and shared obvious details about the identity of famous patients.

After each failed cycle, Dr. McConnell just recommended the same protocol without additional testing. I'm not sure if it's Dr. McConnell's preference or the clinic's, but she doesn't individualize or alter a protocol even when it fails or the patient has an adverse reaction. The oral estrace that they use for FET cycles made me very sick, but she refused to let me do another FET protocol or consider one of the many alternatives forms of estrogen.

The only slight positive was that the support staff including the nurses were very kind. That said, I was frequently given misinformation and strange instructions by the nurses, who seemed overwhelmed and unorganized. One told me to avoid yoga/light exercise even before my frozen transfer because it would bounce my uterus!

I had a horrible experience with Dr. McConnell. She regularly failed to explain procedures or recommendations and lied to me. Dr. McConnell said that one couldn't stop birth control pills mid-pack--apparently, it was easier to lie than share her reason for wanting me to continue the medication. She also made an error during an exam and said my uterus was retroverted; it's not and she had done ultrasounds on me previously. Most significantly, I went through with a surgery that Dr. McConnell recommended for me, and unfortunately she failed to mention that it could have a significant negative impact on my ovarian reserve. She also did not help get me an appointment with a surgeon.

Go elsewhere if possible. Otherwise, advocate heavily for yourself: push for answers, follow up repeatedly, and make sure you stay on top of every detail of your care.

unsuccessful medicated FETs with the same standard protocol each time (estrace, antagonist, progesterone suppositories, low dose medrol before transfer)

They tried to have us pay out of pocket rather than use our insurance benefits. Luckily, insurance covered treatment. However, they routinely tried to bill me for covered procedures or at higher prices than I was told in advance. Sorting it out was almost impossible.

We went into the process knowing that we wanted eSET, so there wasn't much if any discussion about it with Dr. McConnell.

Not suitable for someone who needs treatment that extends beyond their standard protocol e.g. estrogen priming in my case

She did not ask about my goals or manage my expectations. I was told we would get pregnant quickly and without any issue. Even after the first failed embryo transfer did not take, she did not discuss any possible changes to our protocol. I distinctively remember that in our follow up appointment to discuss our failed transfer, she sat back cross her fingers and asked "what can i do for you?" That question struck me as uncaring and cold. All she suggested was to follow the same protocol and transfer the next embryo. We did as we were told for the next 2 embryos (makes 3 total transfers) using the same protocol and received the same negative results each transfer.

I can remember only 2 individuals who were our lifelines during our treatment there. 1) Michael worked the front desk and was always friendly, kind and efficient. 2) Erica was a blood tech there and is now at Sher NY. She was always friendly and efficient - uplifting and important qualities to help patients navigate this stressful time.

Communication skills are poor. Next steps were spoken about in broad strokes. She dictated the next steps without asking for my input and paid little attention when we provided input/shared concerns. It always took a very long time for her to get back to us (by phone) - we resorted to carrying the phones with us into bathrooms etc. so as not to miss her calls. There are far better and faster ways to communicate today e.g. email

Do not expect any compassion or customized treatment. This is not a doctor I would recommend unless you know (and who does?) you only need to go through this once to be successful and you have no need for customized treatment/protocol.