Fertility Centers of Illinois
Available Resources
Genetic counseling
Acupuncture
Mental health counseling
Nutrition counseling
Administration of shots
Coordinating at-home nursing
Selling medication
Providing backup medication
Buffalo Grove
135 N. Arlington Heights
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
847-215-8899
Chicago/River North
900 N. Kingsbury
Chicago, IL 60610
312-222-8230
Crystal Lake (closed)
5911 Northwest highway
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
815-356-7034
Glenview
2555 Patriot Blvd
Glenview, IL 60026
847-998-8200
Highland Park
767 Park Avenue West
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-433-4400
Hinsdale
907 N. Elm Street
Hinsdale, IL 60521
630-889-7900
Hoffman Estates
2260 West Higgins Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
815-843-7034
Lindenhurst
2592 East Grand Avenue
Lindenhurst, IL 60046
847-356-0483
Oakbrook Terrace (closed)
1S224 Summit Avenue
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
630-889-7900
Tinley Park
18210 South La Grange Road
Tinley Park, IL 60487
708-633-1999
Warrenville
28373 Davis Parkway
Warrenville, IL 60555
630-305-7576
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345 assessments
5
6
Age
34
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
5
6
If you are looking for a no-nonsense, fact based experience that gets results and don't need someone who is warm and fuzzy to deliver the good and bad news, Dr. Hirshfeld is a good option...I had diminished ovarian reserve and my husband had some motility issues. Dr. Hirshfeld prescribed some vitamins including Vitamin D and CoQ10 for each of us...I believe that Dr. Hirshfeld is well informed and I trusted her care. I wouldn't characterize her as a "warm" person, but rather she is straight to the point which for me was totally fine. I appreciated her direct answers, but I could see how some other women might need a warmer experience especially during such a trying moment in their lives.
She [nurse at Fertility Center of Illinois] spent as much time on the phone as I needed explaining in fine detail all of the next steps so that I could prepare my schedule and make sure we did everything correctly...The office has some issues. They felt unorganized and honestly is the reason I'm taking the time to write this review...we had a few issues with getting appointments set via the scheduler (Frank?) and also had an issue getting our final documents transferred to our midwives office when the time came.
Age
34
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
5
6
How was your experience with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I believe that Dr. Hirshfeld is well informed and I trusted her care. I wouldn't characterize her as a "warm" person, but rather she is straight to the point which for me was totally fine. I appreciated her direct answers, but I could see how some other women might need a warmer experience especially during such a trying moment in their lives.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If you are looking for a no-nonsense, fact based experience that gets results and don't need someone who is warm and fuzzy to deliver the good and bad news, Dr. Hirshfeld is a good option.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
There is a slight "cattle being ushered through the field" feeling here. When we first came to FCI, I decided I didn't want to overwhelm myself with information from the internet and came to our first meeting(s) with no questions and an open mind. After some time, we felt like we were only being given the amount of information we needed at the moment, and after consulting with some other friends who had been through this process, we decided that we needed to be more pushy and advocate for ourselves harder. That resulted in a well planned out off-scheduled meeting with the doctor that was actually very helpful.
Describe the protocols Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I had diminished ovarian reserve and my husband had some motility issues. Dr. Hirshfeld prescribed some vitamins including Vitamin D and CoQ10 for each of us. I was prescribed Letrozole for 5 days, then after an ultrasound confirming I had a viable follicle I used the Ovidrel trigger shot and then took Prometrium every evening following. We had one unsuccessful IUI, but we got pregnant on the second try. I used Prometrium every evening until I was 9 weeks. I am now 16 weeks pregnant.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Christina)
I was very happy to be under Christina's care. Our first week we were with someone named Marny who was not very organized and was not a good communicator. When Christina took over we were relieved. She spent as much time on the phone as I needed explaining in fine detail all of the next steps so that I could prepare my schedule and make sure we did everything correctly.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
This clinic seems somewhat unorganized. My nurse was really helpful in moving things along, but we had a few issues with getting appointments set via the scheduler (Frank?) and also had an issue getting our final documents transferred to our midwives office when the time came.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
My insurance is pretty good so much of my costs were covered. I think I only paid for the ultrasounds and the prescriptions. All in all, with two rounds of IUI I think we spent around $500. After the first unsuccessful IUI I did more research on IVF and that would have been considerably more, in the range of $5K-$8K, due mostly to the prescription drugs.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost paperwork
- Lost appointments
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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10
10
Age
42
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
She [Dr. Hirshfeld-Cytron] didn't sugar coat anything, and also managed to be comforting and encouraging without making false promises about success. I had a terrible scare with a bleed about 2 weeks after my positive pregnancy test (post FET); I had the doctor paged and she immediately called me, listened to my fear that I was miscarrying, and reassured me that she believed the bleeding could have another cause- again, without promising anything. She turned out to be right, I was not having a miscarriage, and everyone was so compassionate towards me in that situation. She has called me from her personal cell phone to check on me. She is a kind, consummate medical professional.
They [staff at Fertility Centers of Illinois] were also incredibly kind and offered hugs and encouragement when I came into the office scared and upset after a bleed. The ultrasound staff, especially Jan, are fantastic and helpful. Definitely feel free to ask as many questions of the financial staff as you need to ask in order to understand payment options and insurance coverage. They do a good job of outlining things for you, and even when things become frustrating (as they inevitably do when paying for fertility treatments), they took the time to explain and answer all of my questions until things were clear.
Age
42
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Hirshfeld always clearly and patiently explained procedures, risks, and even drew diagrams to illustrate her explanations. She always gave me plenty of time to consider whether I had questions. She talked over options like genetic testing - which we almost didn't do- in the way that a friend who had been through this experience would explain it. She never talked down to me, just spoke plainly and clearly. She didn't sugar coat anything, and also managed to be comforting and encouraging without making false promises about success. I had a terrible scare with a bleed about 2 weeks after my positive pregnancy test (post FET); I had the doctor paged and she immediately called me, listened to my fear that I was miscarrying, and reassured me that she believed the bleeding could have another cause- again, without promising anything. She turned out to be right, I was not having a miscarriage, and everyone was so compassionate towards me in that situation. She has called me from her personal cell phone to check on me. She is a kind, consummate medical professional.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Ask as many questions as you may have, because she is totally willing to take the time to answer them. She is extremely compassionate and knowledgeable.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Everyone was friendly, comforting, treated me as an individual that they wanted to get to know. I felt that my becoming pregnant was as important to the doctor and the staff as it was to me. The nurses always responded quickly and thoroughly to my emails, and I was always made to feel welcome to ask any questions I had no matter how small the issue.
Describe the protocols Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Dr. Hirshfeld was aware that I had been a strong responder to Gonal-F in my previous IUI cycles at another clinic. I had cycles cancelled due to this issue. So her approach to my first IVF cycle was conservative in this regard, and as we went forward, she adjusted the medication up and down as needed. She was also trying to spare me the pain of OHSS since I was higher risk for that. At the same time, she wanted to get the most eggs since, given my age, there was a high likelihood that many of them would not develop to become embryos. Right before the egg retrieval, in order to get the most eggs possible, she prescribed another, second trigger medication which would allow the few remaining eggs that were right on the cusp of being mature enough to develop in time for the retrieval- without increasing my chances of developing OHSS. This strategy worked perfectly, as they were able to retrieve 25 eggs, with 20 fertilizing, 14 becoming embryos, and 4 of them making it to the day 5 embryo stage. We opted for PGS testing. Of these 4, two were normal, 1 was undetermined (needing to be re-biopsied) and 1 was abnormal. Dr. Hirshfeld counseled us to transfer 1 embryo, explained the success rates, and also explained our options for retesting the undetermined embryo. I did have some bloating after the retrieval, but I did not develop OHSS and Dr. Hirshfeld was very helpful in advising me on how to care for myself and decrease the bloating afterwards. I was put on estrogen and birth control to prepare for the frozen transfer, and one embryo (the best available, as we chose not to know gender at that time), was transferred. Recovery was fairly easy, lots of rest and 10 days later I had a positive pregnancy test at the lab.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Jen, RN and Myung, Medical Assistant)
Jen and Myung were absolutely fantastic- I was able to email them directly with my questions, they always called me promptly with test results, asked if I had questions, and treated my kindly and professionally. I felt very comfortable expressing fears, concerns, and doubts and they handled them the way a friend would. They truly made me feel like they knew me as a person and cared for my well-being.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The front desk staff are very helpful, friendly ladies and I was glad to interact with them on a daily basis. They know a lot and really helped me with the paperwork side of things. They were also incredibly kind and offered hugs and encouragement when I came into the office scared and upset after a bleed. The ultrasound staff, especially Jan, are fantastic and helpful.
Definitely feel free to ask as many questions of the financial staff as you need to ask in order to understand payment options and insurance coverage. They do a good job of outlining things for you, and even when things become frustrating (as they inevitably do when paying for fertility treatments), they took the time to explain and answer all of my questions until things were clear.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It was a specific time window, and I would choose a specific time to arrive. I was able to bring my 3 year old daughter and the staff was very accommodating. Easy to schedule and felt very efficient. I never waited past my appointment time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We had to meet our deductible and out of pocket max, and with the high cost of the medications, this happened very quickly. Our out of pocket max was $6000. FCI required a deposit of $1500 to begin treatment and this was applied towards this amount. Insurance covered 100% of everything after that- ultrasounds, visits, labs, additional medications.
We also opted for PGS testing of the embryos, and we paid for this entirely out of pocket as it was not covered by insurance. I believe the cost of that was approximately $4200. We also paid $500 to freeze our embryos for 1 year, also out of pocket.
Describe Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
She advised one embryo since she was very much trying to reduce the possibility of a twin or higher order pregnancy. This was extremely important to my husband and I, since a twin pregnancy was NOT what we wanted. Given that we opted to do PGS, she explained that the odds of a singleton pregnancy were not helped by putting in two genetically tested embryos. If we had decided not to genetic test, she would have considered transferring two embryos but this is not what we wanted to do, so her recommendation of PGS testing and a single embryo transfer is exactly what we decided to do.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
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6
8
Age
40 - 43
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Tubal Blockage
6
8
There were times I felt like she [ Dr. Hirshfeld-Cytron] was more interested in my partner's fertility chances than my own because my chances of going through a successful egg retrieval were low... However, at a recent appoint in the last 6 months, I felt like she started to "click" with us a bit better and really understood that my wife and I are both going through the fertility treatments as patients who might both conceive and not just a carrier and supporter. We have been seeing Dr. H for nearly 3 years and will stick with her through the remaining pursuit to have a baby.
nursing staff [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] were attentive, responsive and knowledgeable. I felt confident in the information they were providing and knew I would always get a response if I emailed a question... is run very efficiently - this is both a strength and a weakness. The strength part of this is you can get the appointments you need to proceed with your treatments, while also working and living your life. The weakness is that this can sometimes feel like you are just a number they call to perform another procedure. There are also times when things are running behind (30 mins+) and there is no apology/explanation,
Age
40 - 43
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Tubal Blockage
6
8
How was your experience with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Perhaps my opinion is schewed by the fact that both my wife and have each worked with Dr. Hirshfeld to try to get pregnant, and we have not yet gotten a healthy embryo to implant, but I often felt like I was a lower priority than my wife because my probability of producing healthy eggs was lower. This would manifest in time spent focused on my options during a consultation and how quickly she recommended moving on to only my wife attempting egg retrieval. However, at a recent appoint in the last 6 months, I felt like she started to "click" with us a bit better and really understood that my wife and I are both going through the fertility treatments as patients who might both conceive and not just a carrier and supporter. We have been seeing Dr. H for nearly 3 years and will stick with her through the remaining pursuit to have a baby. Despite some of the concerns I had about her interest in my fertility options (as opposed to my wife's), I trust her judgement and appreciate her compassionate approach to the ups and downs of the last couple of years. She also always took the time to explain the processes in great detail, in terms we could understand, was honest about the percentages of success for most procedures and took the time to answer questions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Make sure she understands your family dynamic and that you ask questions if you feel unsure that all options have been explored or offered.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
There were times I felt like she was more interested in my partner's fertility chances than my own because my chances of going through a successful egg retrieval were low.
Describe the protocols Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I started an egg retrieval cycle following standard diagnostic tests and consultation. IUI was not an option because of a blocked tube. My bloodwork and ultrasounds revealed that my estrogen levels were very low and only 1 follicle per ovary reacted to the drugs. Per this info, Dr. H said we could not go through with the egg retrieval.
We are now working to use an egg donor, and I have completed a new round of ultrasounds and bloodwork to prep for this process. I am now on birth control pills to regulate my cycle while determine the egg donor and associated paperwork.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Marni)
Marni and Dr. H's nursing staff were attentive, responsive and knowledgeable. I felt confident in the information they were providing and knew I would always get a response if I emailed a question.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI is run very efficiently - this is both a strength and a weakness. The strength part of this is you can get the appointments you need to proceed with your treatments, while also working and living your life. The weakness is that this can sometimes feel like you are just a number they call to perform another procedure.
There are also times when things are running behind (30 mins+) and there is no apology/explanation, or even acknowledgement that they are running behind.
Efficient, but not always personal. However, when you need to go for an ultrasound and blood work each morning of a week, and you can get the appointment you need before work and are in and out in 30 minutes, generally you can count on FCI to make it happen.
I also find that the nurses and office staff to do acknowledge any person accompanying a patient for treatment. In my case, my wife would be with me for many appointments (or I would go with my wife for appointments), and as the nurse or office staff would call your name to go to the procedure - they would never acknowledge or greet the non-patient. I find this odd, since in many, if not most scenarios, the non-patient is likely a partner or spouse, who feel every bit as much patient as the actual patient through this process.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We are lucky that we have insurance that covers some of the costs associated with fertility, but only to a point and for so many attempts. I feel that the cost most glaring was tied to the storage of sperm and/or embryos. That was a significant cost for us during this process and it is not covered by insurance. This is especially difficult to get a large bill like that following an egg retrieval that results in abnormal embryos that need to be destroyed (or used in research). Long-term storage of embryos or sperm seems reasonable, but short-term storage while viability is determined seems unfair.
Describe Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
No comments as it is not relevant to my treatment to date.
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10
10
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
10
10
Dr. Hobeika from the start made me feel like a person. He listened to our concerns and questions and talked with me in a manner we could comprehend. Even after I asked if it came to IVF, would I be able to be monitored here and treated at a lower cost clinic out of state, he was very supportive. Ever since our clinic has been closed, he has worked with my Ob-Gyn to ensure I can still get my medications needed and he has called me personally on numerous occasions, just to check up on me. He does what he can to get the best possible scenario for us, even though we cannot continue treatment at the moment.
The entire team work together so that we are seen right away. I am a teacher and need to be in and out to get to work. From the beginning they assured me that they would help that happen. I have never been late once. During Covid-19 they thankfully finished existing cycles, while taking our temperature before entering. Then they closed down the clinic, except for positive pregnancies, which they referred to one of our offices that would remain open for that reason.
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
10
10
How was your experience with Elie L. Hobeika at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Hobeika was very warm and open from the beginning. He had to come to the clinic as a favor because the doctor originally scheduled for my consult fell sick, but now I wouldn't want any other specialist. He was very thorough with my diagnostic information, and the next steps to take, how to figure out finances, and introduced me to my personal nurse. He let every decision be my (and my husband's) own. I would also like to point out he has personally called me on several occasions during this Covid-19 crisis just to make sure we can do all we can from home while treatment has stopped. While the clinic can no longer see me, he has worked with my Ob-Gyn to ensure I receive any medication that could help us conceive at home. It is so very obvious he is in this for all the right reasons, as he is even supportive if my IUI's don't work and I need to be monitored at this clinic while undergoing IVF at a lower cost clinic out of state. He has never made me feel like it's about what I could do for him, but what he could do for me. And that is the type of doctor everyone should have. I feel that God has placed him in our path and I am excited for what is to come!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Elie L. Hobeika at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Don't not be afraid to come with your list of questions. He will answer every one of them, no matter how long they take.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Elie L. Hobeika at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Hobeika from the start made me feel like a person. He listened to our concerns and questions and talked with me in a manner we could comprehend. Even after I asked if it came to IVF, would I be able to be monitored here and treated at a lower cost clinic out of state, he was very supportive. Ever since our clinic has been closed, he has worked with my Ob-Gyn to ensure I can still get my medications needed and he has called me personally on numerous occasions, just to check up on me. He does what he can to get the best possible scenario for us, even though we cannot continue treatment at the moment.
Describe the protocols Elie L. Hobeika used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
So far I am only in the IUI stage. I have had 2. For each I was monitored with ultrasound and blood work at the beginning of my cycle (to make sure I had follicles and to assess my lining and hormone levels). Then I was on medication to help my eggs mature, followed by another ultrasound and blood work (to see if my lining was thick enough, my eggs were getting mature, and assess my hormone levels again). Each of those ultrasounds were very close to having my eggs matured, so I waa prescribed a trigger shot right away on both cycles. A couple days later I would do my IUI. The ultrasounds and blood work helped them decide to prescribe estrogen in my first cycle, and progesterone in my second. I also switched from Clomid on my first cycle to Letrozole on my second since I had been taking Clomid for 6 months prior. Every detail of my treatment and that of my previous treatments at my Ob-gyn were fully analyzed. Now, while I can no longer go into the clinic, my doctor is working with my Ob-Gyn, to prescribe medicine for me while the clinic is closed, and he also instructed me how to use my left over progesterone since it is likely that I am still low. So even though I am not technically in a monitored treatment cycle, I feel very confident we are doing everything we can at an impossible time.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Jazmyn)
Jazmyn is an excellent nurse. I speak to her the most since she is my liaison with the doctor. Every single appointment I had was followed up by a call from her. Even if I needed to speak to her after hours, she would call me back. I love her!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The front desk is efficient and friendly. The waiting room is clean and inviting. The entire team work together so that we are seen right away. I am a teacher and need to be in and out to get to work. From the beginning they assured me that they would help that happen. I have never been late once. During Covid-19 they thankfully finished existing cycles, while taking our temperature before entering. Then they closed down the clinic, except for positive pregnancies, which they referred to one of our offices that would remain open for that reason. Now they are slowly opening again for diagnostic testing, then higher need patients (IVF's over 40), and then eventually to all IVFs and IUIs possibly in May. I think this is a very sensible approach in considering the needs of patients as well as the health of the wonderful staff. I really don't see any weaknesses.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Elie L. Hobeika at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Since I am newer I haven't received all my bills yet, but mine go through Progyny and they take longer and I pay them directly. So far every statement or EOB I have received has been exactly the out of pocket expenses I expected from my insurance coverage. They have a financial specialist if I ever need an explanation of costs.
Describe Elie L. Hobeika's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I have not started IVF yet, but he was very respectful of my conservative wish to make only as many embryos as I would be able to have transferred. I do not believe in letting my embryos sit in limbo. He was understanding.
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9
8
Age
35 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2020
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 Egg Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
9
8
Dr. Hirshfeld took the time to listen to my story and address my concerns. She provided facts and research while answering my questions. She adjusted my treatment plan after failed attempts. She was clear and precise. ... Visits with Dr. Hirshfeld were to the point but yet I never felt rushed when in a consultation. She was always willing to explain and answer questions.
Strengths [of FCI]: knowledgeable and kind Weaknesses/Concerns: I was called and told I was not pregnant before I even completed an IUI. The 2nd IUI I had a young nurse being supervised and told what to do performed the insert and messed up on clamp and then said “oh no” when pulling out the cath. Saying some may have come out. ... They [nurses]responded quickly to the email portal and always willing to call back in timely manner when questions needed answering
Age
35 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2020
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 Egg Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
9
8
How was your experience with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Hirshfeld took the time to listen to my story and address my concerns. She provided facts and research while answering my questions. She adjusted my treatment plan after failed attempts. She was clear and precise.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be prepared with questions; as she can not help you if she doesn’t know your concerns.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Visits with Dr. Hirshfeld were to the point but yet I never felt rushed when in a consultation. She was always willing to explain and answer questions.
Describe the protocols Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I began my journey a few years ago with the hopes of preserving my eggs for future use. I went through hormone shots to increase the number of follicles. And now have 6 eggs in freezer. About a year ago I went back to start my journey to motherhood. At that time my bloodwork came back that my thyroid levels were to high so was put on medicine. She then did the saline ultrasound and told me I had polyps within my uterus. I would then have surgical procedure to have them done. I was given a vaginal pill to thin my lining the morning of the procedure within 1 hr I was having every side effect I could related to that drug. They took me back flush my iv to clear the drug and then put me under. Before the surgery I was told it would be 15mins but 4hrs later i was able to go home. (partially cause of all the allergic reaction). Originally they said they would scrap the fee polyps but when I woke up I was told there were way more then they thought so they performed a full D&C. A few months later I decided to pick a sperm donor and start the iui process. The 4 trials I always took clomid the first 2 were same dosage the 3rd time she up’d the dosage and the 4th she added a hormone shot.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They responded quickly to the email portal and always willing to call back in timely manner when questions needed answering
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Strengths: knowledgeable and kind
Weaknesses/Concerns: I was called and told I was not pregnant before I even completed an IUI. The 2nd IUI I had a young nurse being supervised and told what to do performed the insert and messed up on clamp and then said “oh no” when pulling out the cath. Saying some may have come out.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
IUI treatments monthly roughly cost me $1500 out of pocket after insurance.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Provided conflicting information
- Read less
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
9
8
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
9
8
Dr Rogers always did her best to make the process as easy as possible for us including helping us complete appointments locally as we do not live in the same town as the office. Sometimes medical explanations were too technical which was difficult to understand but she always did her best to explain further when probed. ... Dr Rogers did well to talk to us as long as we needed and we never felt rushed off the phone or out of the office. She always answered any questions we had and even called us personally after our miscarriage.
The billing department is a mess. I would get charged differently each time I went to the office and staff were difficult to get a hold of. Bills were never itemized so it was hard to find out what you were getting billed for and multiple bills were sent for the same appointment. The centers were accommodating to get monitoring appointments in over the weekends or near holidays which was appreciated. It was very difficult to get a hold of staff on the weekend if there was an issue after getting weekend monitoring results.
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
9
8
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Rogers always did her best to make the process as easy as possible for us including helping us complete appointments locally as we do not live in the same town as the office. Sometimes medical explanations were too technical which was difficult to understand but she always did her best to explain further when probed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I would tell a prospective patient of Dr Rogers to keep asking her questions, she will answer and she is genuine.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Rogers did well to talk to us as long as we needed and we never felt rushed off the phone or out of the office. She always answered any questions we had and even called us personally after our miscarriage.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I used protocols using Gonal-f, Menopur, Ganarelix, Omnitrope, letrizole, progesterone injections, estradiol, estrogen patches, as well as hcg injections. My first cycle produced upwards of 25 eggs with slight hyper-stimulation of the ovaries. The second retrieval focused on egg quality rather than quantity which produces around 15 eggs. Genetic testing was done on all cycles and only 2 embryos on each cycle made it to the 5th day. Only one in each cycle was genetically normal.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Amanda Dutt)
It was very difficult to get a hold of the nursing staff, specifically via the patient portal. Many times staff were irritated with me when my local office did not fax results to them, which was obviously not in my control. Often times when I had questions I was rushed off the phone by the nurses or I was talked down to by staff. It was difficult to get medication protocols with enough notice to order more medication when necessary. Nursing staff were not accommodating when I was out or running low on medication after they changed dosages last minute, even though the amount ordered was given to the pharmacy directly by the nursing staff so the amount was not A mistake on my part.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The billing department is a mess. I would get charged differently each time I went to the office and staff were difficult to get a hold of. Bills were never itemized so it was hard to find out what you were getting billed for and multiple bills were sent for the same appointment. The centers were accommodating to get monitoring appointments in over the weekends or near holidays which was appreciated. It was very difficult to get a hold of staff on the weekend if there was an issue after getting weekend monitoring results.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
$35,000 for two cycles (retrieval’s, transfers, medication, monitoring, testing)
Describe Allison Rodgers's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I never had multiple embryos available to transfer.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
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9
9
Age
38 - 43
Treated
2015 - 2020
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
9
9
He is very busy and not very accessible; most communication is done through the nurses [FCI]. But otherwise we had no complaints about working with Dr. Sipe. He was warm, funny, and direct, which was what we wanted. He was never pushy or judgmental, just laid out the options and the odds and left it to us to make the decisions. ...
We weren’t turned off by the high volume of the practice [FCI] and appreciate that they were up on the latest tech and advancements. They certainly have plenty of real case experiences to learn from. It’s far from small or intimate in terms of the experience, but it was fine for our needs. ... very high patient volume. That makes it convenient in terms of lots of appointment slots available, but don’t expect a lot of contact or communication with the doctor.
Age
38 - 43
Treated
2015 - 2020
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
9
9
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is very busy and not very accessible; most communication is done through the nurses. But otherwise we had no complaints about working with Dr. Sipe. He was warm, funny, and direct, which was what we wanted. He was never pushy or judgmental, just laid out the options and the odds and left it to us to make the decisions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Take notes during your consult because he goes over things pretty fast and the clinic doesn’t provide a lot of written summaries.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He explained everything clearly and honestly, without sugar coating.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I’m not sure what this question is asking. First we tried IUI 2 or 3 times in early 2015, then changed to egg retrieval and fresh embryo transfer. My protocol included intramuscular injections of progesterone. That led to a single live birth. We tried a frozen embryo transfer in early 2020 with the progesterone IM injections, as week as pills, patches and suppositories. Although my lining ended up at 10 mm, which was good, and everything looked good with the embryo after thawing, sadly this transfer resulted in a negative pregnancy test.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It’s a baby factory, with very high patient volume. That makes it convenient in terms of lots of appointment slots available, but don’t expect a lot of contact or communication with the doctor. We weren’t turned off by the high volume of the practice and appreciate that they were up on the latest tech and advancements. They certainly have plenty of real case experiences to learn from. It’s far from small or intimate in terms of the experience, but it was fine for our needs.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The first round of IVF was covered by my insurance so our total costs including drugs ended up being about $6000. The frozen embryo transfer in 2020 wasn’t covered by insurance. They charged us $2575, not including drugs or out-of-state monitoring.
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The doctor initially told us in 2015 that they’d recommend transferring two embryos, on the day of, Dr.Sipe switched to recommending a single transfer. When we did the frozen transfer in 2020, he again recommended transfer of one.
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9
8
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
9
8
I loved working with Dr. Sipe because he has a great personality, doesn’t sugar coat things and tells you his honest opinion, and gives you information to help guide you to make a decision. He doesn’t push you one way or another. ... I went through 3 IUI cycles with clomid and they were unsuccessful. ... He is changing protocol for our next retrieval and we will be getting started as soon as the covid restrictions are lifted.
Clinic [FCI] operates mostly on time but sometimes falls behind with appointments. Expect to have a wait just to be on the safe side, some days longer than others. ... The clinic has kept us very informed as far as what their plans are with covid going on. ... Communication is great between their team members but be sure to ask questions during treatment. Their portal communication has been helpful since they have limited office hours.
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
9
8
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I loved working with Dr. Sipe because he has a great personality, doesn’t sugar coat things and tells you his honest opinion, and gives you information to help guide you to make a decision. He doesn’t push you one way or another.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be your own advocate and ask questions when needed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Lots of patients being treated at the office and sometimes different nurses would call back with results. But Dr. Sipe always treated us like a human instead of a number in all of his consults.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I went through 3 IUI cycles with clomid and they were unsuccessful. He gave me the option of doing another IUI with a 10% chance of success or IVF with 50% chance of success. I chose to go with IVF and had a failed fresh transfer and have no embryos left. He is changing protocol for our next retrieval and we will be getting started as soon as the covid restrictions are lifted. The clinic has kept us very informed as far as what their plans are with covid going on.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Patricia)
Patricia is my favorite nurse at the clinic. She showed compassion, gave me lots of information, and took her time answering all of my questions. The other nurses were good but Patricia is the best in my opinion.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Clinic operates mostly on time but sometimes falls behind with appointments. Expect to have a wait just to be on the safe side, some days longer than others. Communication is great between their team members but be sure to ask questions during treatment. Their portal communication has been helpful since they have limited office hours.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Costs seemed the same as other clinics from the other ladies I have talked to. I have had no problems with the billing department.
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Sipe felt that with my age and other factors, the risk of multiples was not worth the benefit of transferring more than one embryo. I agreed with his assessment.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost paperwork
- Provided conflicting information
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10
10
Age
37 - 39
Treated
2018 - 2020
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 Egg Freezing, IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
10
Dr. Kaplan explains everything very thoroughly. He also has a calming presence to him that helped me feel comfortable. I appreciated how he took my input into account. I had started my cycle before Shelter in Place went into affect. Dr. Kaplan called me and we talked - for a long time - about options (keep going or stop cycle) and he allowed me to feel empowered. Sadly my embryo did not take, and again he took his time talking and checking in. I felt very cared for and in the end felt a lot better about what happened.
The clinic [FCI] was great. They are very efficient and caring. I did not have long wait times or anything. I thought they handled my care during the COVID times very well. I felt safe and cared for. The only minor issue I had was that when they called with results of my embryos, I felt a little rushed and wasn't given enough time to ask questions.
Age
37 - 39
Treated
2018 - 2020
Success with this Doc
No
Race
—
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 Egg Freezing, IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan explains everything very thoroughly. He also has a calming presence to him that helped me feel comfortable. I appreciated how he took my input into account. I had started my cycle before Shelter in Place went into affect. Dr. Kaplan called me and we talked - for a long time - about options (keep going or stop cycle) and he allowed me to feel empowered. Sadly my embryo did not take, and again he took his time talking and checking in. I felt very cared for and in the end felt a lot better about what happened.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Take your time and ask all the questions. You are not inconveniencing him, so don't rush things.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I felt well cared for by Dr. Kaplan and his team. His nurses were always in contact with me and checking in on me. When my pregnancy didn't take, Dr. Kaplan called and spoke to me at length - helping me immensely.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
For my IVF I used shots and medication. I had progesterone shots that I needed help with due to having to put them in my bum. The stomach shots weren't bad. It was all based on my personal information.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Whitney)
Everyone from OVA to FCI- Highland Park are amazing. They are so compassionate and helpful. I could not go through this without them. Its like working with friends.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic was great. They are very efficient and caring. I did not have long wait times or anything. I thought they handled my care during the COVID times very well. I felt safe and cared for.
The only minor issue I had was that when they called with results of my embryos, I felt a little rushed and wasn't given enough time to ask questions.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I was able to setup a payment plan for the egg retrievals and IVF. Medication for egg freezing was paid out of pocket, but I got a group deal. IVF medication was covered by insurance and the clinic helped me facilitate getting those.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We only did one embryo, but I am going to ask about doing two next time to increase my chances.
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9
10
Age
33
Treated
2020
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
10
We're still at the beginning of this journey, but I can without a doubt say that I feel confident in Dr. Jacobs. He is warm and understanding and also get straight to the point (which I prefer). We've walked out of each appointment confident that we'll be pregnant within the coming months. ... Dr. Jacobs followed up with us after each appointment with a personal email as well - he definitely treats you as if you were a human.
Both my husband and myself have interacted with a few different nurses [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] and have nothing but positive things to say. ... I love the flexibility of visiting the clinic that work for you and your schedule. We specifically wanted to work with Dr. Jacobs but have an office much closer to home that works for monitoring/lab work. Everyone you come in contact with is extremely kind and friendly and puts you at ease during what can be an uncomfortable time. I also appreciate the ability to communicate with the nursing staff and scheduling staff via the online portal.
Age
33
Treated
2020
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
10
How was your experience with Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
We're still at the beginning of this journey, but I can without a doubt say that I feel confident in Dr. Jacobs. He is warm and understanding and also get straight to the point (which I prefer). We've walked out of each appointment confident that we'll be pregnant within the coming months.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Ask as many questions as needed. Dr. Jacobs will answer them all and have research and proof to back everything up.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
My husband and I met with Doctor Jacobs two times just to walk through previous medical history and also our plan moving forward based on test results. He took the time to walk through each step with detail and also provided us with follow up material and his personal email address for any questions. Dr. Jacobs followed up with us after each appointment with a personal email as well - he definitely treats you as if you were a human.
Describe the protocols Laurence A. Jacobs used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We have not made it through to our first IVF cycle due to CoVid.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Both my husband and myself have interacted with a few different nurses and have nothing but positive things to say.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I love the flexibility of visiting the clinic that work for you and your schedule. We specifically wanted to work with Dr. Jacobs but have an office much closer to home that works for monitoring/lab work. Everyone you come in contact with is extremely kind and friendly and puts you at ease during what can be an uncomfortable time. I also appreciate the ability to communicate with the nursing staff and scheduling staff via the online portal.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I'm not entirely sure here as most/almost all of what we've done so far was through insurance.
Describe Laurence A. Jacobs's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We were 100% in alignment with Dr. Jacobs when the times comes for embryo transfer.
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9
10
Age
32
Treated
2020
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
—
9
10
She [Dr. Uhler] looked at us both individually and as a couple to help determine a plan moving forward. She reviewed our histories and concerns and explained what her assessment and treatment plan might look like. She is a bit more blunt, but that did not overshadow her clear desire to help us conceive. ... She was patient when she explained the rationale for holding off on treatment until at least 3 months after we returned from a trip to Mexico, and while we were disappointed in the delay she helped us understand the concerns and current CDC recommendations in regard to Zika.
The clinic has been quiet during our appointments without a ton of patients waiting around. It's definitely timed well, almost feels like a well-oiled machine but with an appropriate level of compassion. We didn't feel rushed and we were able to ask questions every step of the way. ... I had to call for results about 72 hours later (after being told I should have results in 24-48 hours). A nurse was quick to respond after my call and apologetic that I was not called sooner.
Age
32
Treated
2020
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
—
9
10
How was your experience with Meike Uhler at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
We have only seen Dr Uhler once for consultation before Covid-19 limited further assessment and treatment. After reviewing our physical history, our conception history, and our current concerns, she reviewed what her assessment and treatment plan would look like. She was patient when she explained the rationale for holding off on treatment until at least 3 months after we returned from a trip to Mexico, and while we were disappointed in the delay she helped us understand the concerns and current CDC recommendations in regard to Zika. She was very encouraging with us and explained the process thoroughly in a way we would both understand.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meike Uhler at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Don't expect a warm and fuzzy moment, but her clear depth of knowledge in RE is very reassuring.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meike Uhler at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
She looked at us both individually and as a couple to help determine a plan moving forward. She reviewed our histories and concerns and explained what her assessment and treatment plan might look like. She is a bit more blunt, but that did not overshadow her clear desire to help us conceive.
Describe the protocols Meike Uhler used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We have only completed the consult thus far (after a fertility awareness check up), but she plans to further assess my hormone levels, follicle count, and complete a ultrasound to assess the health of my uterus and fallopian tubes. She will likely start a round of Letrozole with monitoring, which I was prescribed by my obgyn without montioring, to determine where things might be going awry.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
All staff and nursing that we'd had to opportunity to interact with so far has been great. They are patient and caring despite their undoubtedly busy schedules.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic has been quiet during our appointments without a ton of patients waiting around. It's definitely timed well, almost feels like a well-oiled machine but with an appropriate level of compassion. We didn't feel rushed and we were able to ask questions every step of the way.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Meike Uhler at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Both my insurance and my husband's are restrictive in terms of fertility coverage, but it does cover the consultation, evaluation, and non-artificial treatment (e.g. no IUI of IVF coverage). A handout explaining our coverage and associated costs was provided for each treatment option.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
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9
9
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
9
9
Dr. Jacobs is very warm and spends time explaining and answering all questions. He answers emails himself in a timely manner. He seems to stay current on all new research and best practices. I have DOR at age 35. So far we have done one egg retrieval which resulted in 2 fertilized eggs but both arrested development before day 5. ...
Appointments [at FCI] generally run on time. ... Financial office is not very helpful and very uninformed. ... Visits for ultrasound and labs take apx. 15-20 minutes. They open as early as 6am for ultrasounds and labs which is convenient. ... Nurses seem to be very busy. They answer all questions via the portal but rarely do they actually call you even when a call is requested. I had had to follow up multiple times on my own when I am waiting for information prior to the treatment cycle.
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
9
9
How was your experience with Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Jacobs is very warm and spends time explaining and answering all questions. He answers emails himself in a timely manner. He seems to stay current on all new research and best practices. I have DOR at age 35. So far we have done one egg retrieval which resulted in 2 fertilized eggs but both arrested development before day 5.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Ask as many questions as you need to in order to feel informed. Do your own research before meeting with any doctor as your visits will be more productive.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Jacobs is clear in delivering information, does not sugar coat the facts, but also has a great bedside manner. He answers emails promptly. His nursing staff is generally responsive via the portal but they rarely will actually get on the phone with you. Financial office is not very helpful and very uninformed.
Describe the protocols Laurence A. Jacobs used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
3 months before treatment: coq10 and Ovasitol daily
Treatment: Gonal-F 450 IU, Menopur 150 IU, Ganirelix 250 mcg
3 eggs retrieved, 2 fertilized, 0 embryos for freezing
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Nurses seem to be very busy. They answer all questions via the portal but rarely do they actually call you even when a call is requested. I had had to follow up multiple times on my own when I am waiting for information prior to the treatment cycle.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Appointments generally run on time. Visits for ultrasound and labs take apx. 15-20 minutes. They open as early as 6am for ultrasounds and labs which is convenient. Office is clean and everybody is nice. I have no complaints.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Insurance out of pocket max- $6,750.00
IVF Lab Embryo biopsy - $1200/round
PGT and PGS testing with Natera up to 16 embryos - $5000
Describe Laurence A. Jacobs's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI only performs single embryo transfers
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10
10
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
10
From our first appointment Dr. Hobeika was eager to ensure that our experience was personalized for us. He was a great communicator and ensured that he was available to answer questions when needed. In addition he made sure to schedule my transfer so that he was physician on shift. He also personally called me to share my pregnancy test results...truly sees the whole patient not just a number. He inquired about our family plans and seemed truly invested in helping us achieve our desired outcomes.
We completed a frozen transfer [at Fertility Centers of Illinois]...I had two primary nurses while at this clinic. We started with one and then moved to another due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both nurses were excellent communicators and showed excitement for our success!...is a small office. The staff remember you by name and are overall friendly. One of the receptionists was not as friendly but she did warm up after multiple appointments. In addition I liked that they always ran timely. I never waited more than 5-8 minutes for my appointments.
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
10
How was your experience with Elie L. Hobeika at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Before starting this treatment cycle we had a negative experience with another doctor at this clinic. I was feeling nervous and a bit guarded. From our first appointment Dr. Hobeika was eager to ensure that our experience was personalized for us. He was a great communicator and ensured that he was available to answer questions when needed. In addition he made sure to schedule my transfer so that he was physician on shift. He also personally called me to share my pregnancy test results.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Elie L. Hobeika at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Hobeika truly sees the whole patient not just a number. He inquired about our family plans and seemed truly invested in helping us achieve our desired outcomes.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Elie L. Hobeika at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Hobeika! He was kind, informative, seemed genuinely interested in our infertility journey, and overall had great bedside manner. In addition he made sure to time our appointments so that he was the doctor doing my transfer. He also personally called to tell me I was pregnant! We had such a great experience!
Describe the protocols Elie L. Hobeika used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We completed a frozen transfer. We began with a birth control regime, then moved to preparing the uterus for transfer with progesterone injections and vaginal inserts.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Michelle & Shamalia)
I had two primary nurses while at this clinic. We started with one and then moved to another due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both nurses were excellent communicators and showed excitement for our success!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I enjoyed that FCI is a small office. The staff remember you by name and are overall friendly. One of the receptionists was not as friendly but she did warm up after multiple appointments. In addition I liked that they always ran timely. I never waited more than 5-8 minutes for my appointments.
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10
9
Age
30
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
9
He [Dr. Alvarez] takes his time with his patients making sure all information is presented in a clear manner. He is friendly and kind. He was sensitive to the fact that I was very nervous especially since he was the first RE I had ever seen. He was blunt but knowledgeable when presenting information ... I saw him for my initial consultation and it was such a nice visit I felt heard and like I got all the answers I needed before I even asked one question.
The clinic [FCI] is clean and welcoming. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The feel of the office is comforting. The office location is easily accessible especially since I had to travel across state lines. ... As I've said before Michelle is an absolute angel! She is compassionate and caring. She explains all protocol and information clearly. She takes time with patients and truly cares about your journey to becoming a parent.
Age
30
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
9
How was your experience with Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I saw him for my initial consultation and it was such a nice visit I felt heard and like I got all the answers I needed before I even asked one question. He was blunt with delivery and clearly very knowledgeable. He was confident which also gave me confidence in him. He laid out protocol in a clear manner. When I had my HSG with him he was very kind talking me through all the steps and even being comforting when I was clearly having discomfort. I enjoyed having him as my doctor. When he did my hysteroscopy he eased my fears and the entire procedure was painless
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Stick with him! He knows what hes doing and he will comfort you when needed. He is intelligent and can easily answer any questions you may have regarding treatment. He makes uncomfortable moments comfortable.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He takes his time with his patients making sure all information is presented in a clear manner. He is friendly and kind. He was sensitive to the fact that I was very nervous especially since he was the first RE I had ever seen. He was blunt but knowledgeable when presenting information
Describe the protocols Juan Alvarez used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Dr Alvarez recommended an HSG ultrasound in which polyps were found for which he recommended a hysteroscopy. The polyps were easily and painlessly removed. He then laid out a plan for 3 IUIs with letrozole and ovidrel trigger shots. Unfortunately he left the practice just as we were getting started with IUI
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Michelle)
As I've said before Michelle is an absolute angel! She is compassionate and caring. She explains all protocol and information clearly. She takes time with patients and truly cares about your journey to becoming a parent.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic is clean and welcoming. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The feel of the office is comforting. The office location is easily accessible especially since I had to travel across state lines.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Since I started IUI after he left the practice the only costs I had were office meetings and my surgery. My insurance picked up a lot of it but an office visit without insurance for maybe 15 to 30 min was about 235. I believe my surgery was somewhere around 2-3000 but I cant recall exactly.
Describe Juan Alvarez's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
He felt that transfering 1 resulted in just as many healthy live births as transfering 2. He stated transfering 2 would only increase risk of multiples.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
6
9
Age
30
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS
6
9
She [Dr. Ahmad] was open to my desires with my treatment and switched gears quickly and jumped right into discussing next steps which will be IVF. ... I have had minimal interactions with her. She is well put together, friendly, and knowledgeable. I was assigned to her after my original RE left the practice and she made the transition seamless- there was no break in my treatment.
The clinic [Fertility Centers of IL] is clean and updated. The staff is helpful and friendly. Going frequently to the clinic they even remembered me which was a nice touch. The atmosphere of the office puts you at ease. ... Michelle [nurse] is the sweetest she sat with me and thoroughly explained everything I would be expecting. Whenever I had questions she answered them promptly and made me feel at ease. Michelle made me feel like she was working solely for me though I know she had many other patients. She is friendly and kind. Michelle is very intelligent and I felt like I was getting the very best care with her. She was my nurse with both doctors so that also helped.
Age
30
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS
6
9
How was your experience with Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
From my previous description- I have had minimal interactions with her. She is well put together, friendly, and knowledgeable. I was assigned to her after my original RE left the practice and she made the transition seamless- there was no break in my treatment. She was highly recommended from my previous RE. I only met her before my 3rd IUI failed when we were to discuss next steps. She was straightforward but I felt she was still somewhat of a complete stranger though she knew so much about my history. I wish we could have had more of an introduction prior to that meeting or that during that meeting there was a moment of getting to know each other. She had stated a 4th IUI could be done but I was set on my previous REs recommendation of moving on after 3 IUIs. She heard what I said and switched gears immediately jumping right into discussion of IVF. I left feeling nervous but heard by her. I am looking forward to getting to know her as we begin IVF treatment. I am fully confident in her ability as my RE I just want to get to know her more.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Make sure you set time to get to know your RE more than just medical jargon and stats. You will be working very closely on an intimate subject with this person so being completely comfortable is key!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I felt somewhere in the middle. I dont believe its anything against her. My original RE left the practice as I was starting my first IUI so I got assigned to Dr. Ahmad. I unfortunately never got to meet her before my treatments - staff stated she would just be overseeing everything but following my previous REs protocol he had put in place. Having never done this before I thought nothing of it. It wasnt until right before our 3rd IUI failed that I met with her and she was straightforward and knowledgeable but felt like a complete stranger to me. I wish we had been able to "get to know" before that time. She stated trying a 4th IUI would be ok but with the first RE he recommended moving on after 3 so I informed her I wanted to follow through with that protocol. She was open to my desires with my treatment and switched gears quickly and jumped right into discussing next steps which will be IVF. Since there is currently a pandemic no treatment has begun so I have had minimal interactions with her so that is all I can really say about her as a physician. My original RE highly recommended her so I do feel confident with her as my RE and I look forward to getting to know her better as we follow into further treatment.
Describe the protocols Asima Ahmad used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
For my first IUI 2.5 mg leteozole for 7 days followed by ovidrel shot and insemination was done. At my first monitoring appt it was found that 2.5mg wasnt enough so she upped it to 5mg letrozole. I ended up growing 3 mature follicles - her nurse told her to tell me to consider cancelling due to risks but if I wanted to we could proceed. My husband and I were fine with it and proceeded. That ended with negative pregnancy test. For our 2nd IUI we did 5mg letrozole right from the start for 7 days followed by ovidrel and insemination. My follicles were growing more slowly this time around - no reason was given as to why. I had one mature follicle. This resulted in another negative pregnancy test. For my 3rd IUI the protocol again remained the same 5mg letrozole for 7 days followed by ovidrel. this time 2 follicles grew to be mature but also ended in negative pregnancy test
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Michelle)
Michelle is the sweetest she sat with me and thoroughly explained everything I would be expecting. Whenever I had questions she answered them promptly and made me feel at ease. Michelle made me feel like she was working solely for me though I know she had many other patients. She is friendly and kind. Michelle is very intelligent and I felt like I was getting the very best care with her. She was my nurse with both doctors so that also helped.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic is clean and updated. The staff is helpful and friendly. Going frequently to the clinic they even remembered me which was a nice touch. The atmosphere of the office puts you at ease. It feels as if you are going to your weekly spa appointment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Office visits before insurance were around 235 for 15 minutes or a half hour I believe. My IUI including medication was around 800-900 that's with insurance. For IVF I was quoted 7300 not including medication and outside lab fees. I chose genetic testing which they have a flat fee of 2600. Freezing sperm is a flat fee of 600 followed by quarterly payments of 200. Freezing and storing embryos is a flat fee of 1500 for the first time/year.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
28 - 31
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
We did Clomid once, IUI twice, then IVF once and got our first pregnancy [with Dr Rodgers]. Our second pregnancy was after two negative IVF rounds. She was very helpful with how to modify my drugs and protocol due to how I was reacting to the Progesterone in Oil...She is kind, understanding (as she herself went through IVF) and personable. She made us feel heard and understood...was very willing to work within our unique requests. We were very cautious in how many embryos we created and how high of dose of drugs I was on. She explained everything very knowledgeable and was very understanding and kind to work with us with much compassion. And we got two healthy pregnancies with her.
[Fertility Centers of Illinois is a] "Well oiled machine" They got me in for appointments when needed and didn't make me feel an inconvenience. They got me in and out in very good time! Little wait time, especially compared to normal Dr. appointments. Weakness: we felt the costs for self pay weren't very clear.[The nurse is] Quick, kind, helpful responses. She took the time to care for me well...[monitoring appointments were] Great! the staff was so helpful...Our billing person forgot to send into insurance our request for coverage one round, but thankfully got it in right before we began. It was very stressful and frustrating process. But, Dr. Rodgers and our nurse Amber did all they could on their end to push it forward with their billing person.
Age
28 - 31
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers was very willing to work within our unique requests. We were very cautious in how many embryos we created and how high of dose of drugs I was on. She explained everything very knowledgeable and was very understanding and kind to work with us with much compassion. And we got two healthy pregnancies with her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Go to her! She's great!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers is amazing. She is kind, understanding (as she herself went through IVF) and personable. She made us feel heard and understood.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We did Clomid once, IUI twice, then IVF once and got our first pregnancy. Our second pregnancy was after two negative IVF rounds. She was very helpful with how to modify my drugs and protocol due to how I was reacting to the Progesterone in Oil.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Amber Kiddie)
Quick, kind, helpful responses. She took the time to care for me well.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
"Well oiled machine" They got me in for appointments when needed and didn't make me feel an inconvenience. They got me in and out in very good time! Little wait time, especially compared to normal Dr. appointments. Weakness: we felt the costs for self pay weren't very clear.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Great! the staff was so helpful
Describe the costs associated with your care under Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Depended on what our insurance was like that year! Clomid and IUI were self pay- cost sent to us were fussy. Thankfully it ended up being less than we expected. IVF in 2017 was very manageable because we had good insurance. 2019 it was very tricky since we had a different insurance plan that had a lifetime allowance on IVF procedure and IVF drugs. Our billing person forgot to send into insurance our request for coverage one round, but thankfully got it in right before we began. It was very stressful and frustrating process. But, Dr. Rodgers and our nurse Amber did all they could on their end to push it forward with their billing person.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
28
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Sipe is warm but also doesn’t sugar coat anything. I appreciate the fact that he doesn’t pump you up with false hope either. He was very clear about the odds of IUI. With each cycle he changed the medication dosages to help increase follicle size. I always feel like we are moving forward, not just trying the same thing over & over again. Iui did not work for us, so we will be moving on to IVF, sticking with Dr. Sipe. He is wonderful...You will mainly be communicating with him via his nurse. She is the one who will call with results.
The staff at hinsdale [office of Fertility Centers of Illinois] are all warm and caring, even the receptionists and financial coordinator. Dr. Sipe is also very warm and personable...You will mainly be communicating with him via his nurse. She is the one who will call with results...Patricia is wonderful. She is informative and prompt with her call backs and when you are waiting to hear results you do NOT want to wait all day. She never acts in a hurry to get off the phone and will answer questions and explain further. Very warm and compassionate when delivering negative test results as well.
Age
28
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European, Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe is warm but also doesn’t sugar coat anything. I appreciate the fact that he doesn’t pump you up with false hope either. He was very clear about the odds of IUI. With each cycle he changed the medication dosages to help increase follicle size. I always feel like we are moving forward, not just trying the same thing over & over again.
Iui did not work for us, so we will be moving on to IVF, sticking with Dr. Sipe. He is wonderful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
You will mainly be communicating with him via his nurse. She is the one who will call with results.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
The staff at hinsdale are all warm and caring, even the receptionists and financial coordinator. Dr. Sipe is also very warm and personable.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
IUI #1- 50mg clomid day 3-5, only 1 mature follicle. Trigger shot and then IUI 12h past the trigger.
IUI #2- 100mg clomid day 3-5. 2 mature follicles, trigger and IUI 16h past.
IUI #3- 150mg clomid day 3-5. 4 mature follicles. Trigger and IUI 16h past.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Patricia )
Patricia is wonderful. She is informative and prompt with her call backs and when you are waiting to hear results you do NOT want to wait all day. She never acts in a hurry to get off the phone and will answer questions and explain further. Very warm and compassionate when delivering negative test results as well.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Wonderful office staff. They are all so kind and make the whole process bearable. I have never waited long in the Hinsdale office, and if I were to arrive early they take me back early most of the time. Efficient staff.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Roughly $1000-1500 per IUI cycle. I did have to have multiple ultrasounds each time though.
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4
4
Age
34
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
4
4
When I did speak with Dr. Rapisarda he was very kind, but could never answer questions or give me the guidance I was looking for...We tried ~5 separate times for an FET and the doctor barely made any changes to my protocal that clearly was not working...was very kind and compassionate. He listened, but he did not give me enough details on my treatment...I had multiple cancelled FET's due to thin lining, and not one time did I receive a call from the doctor.
I always felt like I was bothering the nursing staff [at Fertility Centers of Illinois]. When I called, they sounded annoyed when answering the phone. When I got results, if I asked a question, they sounded annoyed. The nursing staff is clearly overworked...Monitoring was a well-oiled machine, but sometimes long wait times. There were at least 30 people waiting for monitoring each time I went...There are too many patients. You see a different ultrasound tech, blood work tech, talk to different people always. No one knows you and your troubles. The nurses, nor the doctors can truely care because they have too many other patients.
Age
34
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
4
4
How was your experience with John Rapisarda at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rapisarda was very kind and compassionate. He listened, but he did not give me enough details on my treatment. On my first IVF cycle, the dr. nor the nurses showed me how to do my injectable meds. I had multiple cancelled FET's due to thin lining, and not one time did I receive a call from the doctor. Only from the nurse, who always gave me the feeling that I was bothering her.
We tried ~5 separate times for an FET and the doctor barely made any changes to my protocal that clearly was not working.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Rapisarda at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be your own best advocate. Document everything.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Rapisarda at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I felt like a number because of the clinic, not the doctor. I was treated with the dr for a year and only saw him 3-4 times. When I did speak with Dr. Rapisarda he was very kind, but could never answer questions or give me the guidance I was looking for.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Misty)
I always felt like I was bothering the nursing staff. When I called, they sounded annoyed when answering the phone. When I got results, if I asked a question, they sounded annoyed. The nursing staff is clearly overworked
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
There are too many patients. You see a different ultrasound tech, blood work tech, talk to different people always. No one knows you and your troubles. The nurses, nor the doctors can truely care because they have too many other patients.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Monitoring was a well-oiled machine, but sometimes long wait times. There were at least 30 people waiting for monitoring each time I went.
Describe the costs associated with your care under John Rapisarda at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
My insurance covered most costs. Out of pocket for ERA test, genetic testing, embryo storage
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9
10
Age
31
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
10
I wish I had gotten to meet with him [Dr. Kaplan] more frequently, but I always felt extremely confident he knew what he was doing and was putting me on the best possible course of treatment to ensure success. My only complaint would be the limited windows of time he was available each month for procedures, causing longer wait times (~2 months) between cycles than I would have liked. I wish this schedule had been slightly more flexible, but realize this is how they are able to treat so many patients.
Due to number of eggs retrieved, froze all embryos rather than doing transfer right away [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] to increase chances of success...[nurses] Responded promptly to my questions through the online portal, provided detailed treatment schedules and walked me through all the details, very knowledgeable about all aspects of treatments...Very organized, gave me confidence that all aspects of treatment were well managed, online portal made communication easy, multiple locations made it easy to get to. Sometimes felt like a “factory” due to sheer number of people and rigidity of schedules, but still always felt like treatments were tailored to me and never felt like my own personal details were being ignored. Early morning hours made it easy to make weekday appointments that didn’t interfere with work.
Age
31
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I wish I had gotten to meet with him more frequently, but I always felt extremely confident he knew what he was doing and was putting me on the best possible course of treatment to ensure success. My only complaint would be the limited windows of time he was available each month for procedures, causing longer wait times (~2 months) between cycles than I would have liked. I wish this schedule had been slightly more flexible, but realize this is how they are able to treat so many patients.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If there’s anything you want to ask or make sure he knows about you, be upfront so you can use the time with him most efficiently.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan was always very warm and comforting. While we didn’t interact enough to build much of a relationship and I don’t feel like he remembered personal details about me, he had wonderful bedside manner and he seemed to genuinely care.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Used ganirelix and menopur for retrieval cycle and Luprolide (sp?) for the trigger shot.
Due to number of eggs retrieved, froze all embryos rather than doing transfer right away to increase chances of success.
Used Estradiol tablets for the first frozen transfer, then after that didn’t work, switched to patches for the second frozen transfer, which worked.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Responded promptly to my questions through the online portal, provided detailed treatment schedules and walked me through all the details, very knowledgeable about all aspects of treatments.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Strengths: Very organized, gave me confidence that all aspects of treatment were well managed, online portal made communication easy, multiple locations made it easy to get to. Sometimes felt like a “factory” due to sheer number of people and rigidity of schedules, but still always felt like treatments were tailored to me and never felt like my own personal details were being ignored. Early morning hours made it easy to make weekday appointments that didn’t interfere with work.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The only part of my treatment not covered by insurance was a $300 admin fee, and I was able to appeal to get this covered under my insurance plan.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Because of my age (31), no prior history of issues or known risk factors, and the fact that a pregnancy with multiples is considered risky, Dr. Kaplan recommended transferring only 1 for at least the first two cycles.
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9
9
Age
29
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
9
9
My first cycle [with Dr. Allison Rodgers] was clomid. My next two cycles were letrozole. We switched from clomid to letrozole per my request. We are currently moving on to IUI... seems to care about what we want for treatment. She takes what we feel into consideration. She also respects our religious beliefs and doesn't push us into doing anything that we are uncomfortable with...is always willing to answer our questions. She never acts like we are bothering her by asking questions. I wanted to try a different medication and she was open to discussing that option with me.
Orders weren't ordered by the morning I went in [to Fertility Centers of Illinois], but they did the tests anyway and the nurse put the orders in when she came in. One cycle it was confusing as to which protocol I was doing. The doctor said one thing but the nurse said another. I had my nurse confirm with the doctor so we could get it figured out...You have to be really on top of billing. Keep track of all bills and when you make payments. Keep a detailed list! Also, advocate for yourself! If your doctor/nurse isn't in, someone else will need to fill in. If they tell you something that you think is incorrect or your nurse/doctor does it differently, mention it. It doesn't hurt to clarify and ask!
Age
29
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
9
9
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers is always willing to answer our questions. She never acts like we are bothering her by asking questions. I wanted to try a different medication and she was open to discussing that option with me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Go into an appointment with your questions written down. She doesn't rush you and will answer all your questions, but she sometimes talks fast. For me, it was easy to get sidetracked while in our meetings. Writing everything down kept me on track during our meetings and made sure all my questions were answered.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers seems to care about what we want for treatment. She takes what we feel into consideration. She also respects our religious beliefs and doesn't push us into doing anything that we are uncomfortable with.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
My first cycle was clomid. My next two cycles were letrozole. We switched from clomid to letrozole per my request. We are currently moving on to IUI.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Amber)
Amber was great. She always answered my questions the same day. Sometimes it was later in the day even if I submitted/called earlier in the day. However, she always called/messaged back. She seemed to really care about my questions and if she was ever unsure about anything she asked the doctor and called me back with answers.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
You have to be really on top of billing. Keep track of all bills and when you make payments. Keep a detailed list! Also, advocate for yourself! If your doctor/nurse isn't in, someone else will need to fill in. If they tell you something that you think is incorrect or your nurse/doctor does it differently, mention it. It doesn't hurt to clarify and ask!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I have insurance so it's just been my normal deductible for now until I reach my limit.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Provided conflicting information
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2
3
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
PCOS, Unexplained
2
3
She’s ok. I am irritated by the disingenuous way she always says “I’ll be with you every step of the way” and “let’s make you a baby.” It felt canned and ridiculous after a year of failure. She acted like she was always looking at my chart for the first time. ... For my IUIs, she had me on Letrozole (varying the amounts) and Ovidrel trigger, with Crinone, PIO, or Endometrin. For my IVF, she started me on a very conservative dose of Gonal-f, Menopur, and Ganirelix.
Front desk staff [FCI] is very nice. Phlebotomist Beth is great. Financial counselors are not very communicative, Gwen is not very good at explaining things. ... hey didn’t call my meds into the pharmacy because I owed some money. They knew I was leaving on a trip the next day. Instead of asking me for payment, they withheld my medication prescription.
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
PCOS, Unexplained
2
3
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
She’s ok. I am irritated by the disingenuous way she always says “I’ll be with you every step of the way” and “let’s make you a baby.” It felt canned and ridiculous after a year of failure. She acted like she was always looking at my chart for the first time. I wish she had spent more time on my treatment plans.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dont expect the nurse to help you. You have to advocate for yourself, do your own research, and count your medications every day.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Treatment plans were communicated vaguely and at the last minute. I didn’t feel like they were looking at my chart from all angles before making decisions.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
For my IUIs, she had me on Letrozole (varying the amounts) and Ovidrel trigger, with Crinone, PIO, or Endometrin. For my IVF, she started me on a very conservative dose of Gonal-f, Menopur, and Ganirelix. It resulted in a much smaller number of eggs than I was hoping for and I was unhappy that she didn’t increase my dosage sooner.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Ashley)
Ashley is nice. She never answers all my questions when I write in on the patient portal- if I ask 2 questions, she will half answer one. Medication instructions are sometimes confusing, and they are always disorganized. I wish they would provide clear calendars or have an option in the portal for you to see what you need to take each day, along with a reminder of when/how much of a refill you need to get. I found medication management very difficult while working a full time job.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Front desk staff is very nice. Phlebotomist Beth is great. Financial counselors are not very communicative, Gwen is not very good at explaining things. My nurse Ashley is not great - I’ve never felt more disorganized in my life than when I had to deal with her confusing ways of explaining what meds I should take.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
IVF was about $13,000. Genetic testing of embryos was $4,000 at the clinic plus $2,500 at RGI.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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7
7
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
7
7
I felt like a human because Dr. Nani was super positive and optimistic. She made us feel like this is nothing and we will tackle it together with not being alone. ...The sperm had volume but the motility and morphology were quite low. Overall after sperm washing the amount for iui was not enough or in the most ideal preferred amount. ... The only times during consultation that it was questionable is the amou t of time spent with us. Spent more time with nurses but Dr. Nani still had a very pleasant approach compared to a previous Dr we attempted a consult with.
I do not agree with the billing practices [of FCI] so I would defibrillator go into this most likely on a financial plan and make payment based on that. Or remove insurance from the mix if it does cover treatment /major actions of infertility. ... [Nursing staff] Very informative, easy to talk to, real, and just really made you feel comfortable. After speaking with my nurse I felt like I understood everything happening and if I didn't she was very available and responsive via phone and email.
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
7
7
How was your experience with Jane Nani at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Nani gave my husband and I hope. We came to her From previous fertility Dr that just was harsh and unsympathetic of the situation. Dr Nani threw all that the previous Dr said out the window and said we will make it happen. That approach gave my husband and I faith. Now even though our multiple treatments with iui did not work, I still felt comfortable with the Dr. Through each cycle I did wish there was more time with the Dr. It wasn't enough interaction and discussion of the treatment plan as I thought it would be. Especially with coming in thinking that we had male factor infertility that turned into unexplained, I would have preferred to have more discussion with the Dr directly.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jane Nani at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If you are looking for Dr Nani to talk with you or perform the small procedures like iui then this will not be the one you want to see. If you want a DR that will try and give you good bed side manner she is great. If you don't have the ability to pay for treatment the Dr does try to do what she can to give a discount where possible if insurance doesn't cover. There are some benefits of support that the Dr will give if she has meds on hand. Not a bad experience but not an amazing one since we did not conceive.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jane Nani at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I felt like a human because Dr. Nani was super positive and optimistic. She made us feel like this is nothing and we will tackle it together with not being alone. The only times during consultation that it was questionable is the amou t of time spent with us. Spent more time with nurses but Dr. Nani still had a very pleasant approach compared to a previous Dr we attempted a consult with.
Describe the protocols Jane Nani used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
The sperm had volume but the motility and morphology were quite low. Overall after sperm washing the amount for iui was not enough or in the most ideal preferred amount. Dr started with non Medicated cycle first because of no female impact and completed iui and used trigger shot. Negative result moved to clomid in 2nd cycle. Follicles took longer to grow in a monitored cycle but once achieved at least 1 semi follicle that was off preferred size around 12mm Dr made us trigger and we performed iui with a negative result. 3rd cycle we started with injectable gonadotropins. Thankfully Dr had these to help in the cycle cost that we could not get insurance to cover. While doing injections and monitoring we still did not see the follicles grow to a highly desired size like the first and we did trigger with follicles at around 16mm. In this cycle I myself had to request a back to back iui to try and strengthened our chances with getting the most sperm we could to where it needed to be. 3rd attempt unfortunately failed and we stopped because there was no further discussion with the Dr. About moving to another route besides adding another iui cycle and the cost to us could almost equate to an entire IVF cycle when we have to pay out of pocket for everything.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Nurse kristin)
Very informative, easy to talk to, real, and just really made you feel comfortable. After speaking with my nurse I felt like I understood everything happening and if I didn't she was very available and responsive via phone and email. Everyone on staff was very pleasant and kind. This is absolutely what is needed during a stressful time.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic has a Funchal dept however if you are a patient going in to pay it of pocket, make sure you get everything taken care of on your end. Do not allow them to send it to insurance if you plan on paying in your own. I did 3 cycles where I thought I was fine to later have a hard time discussing with their finance dept and the person I spoke with was not helpful, not caring, and just didn't know what I was asking for to better understand the billing. It wasn't until I escalated to a supervisor and social media that I got what I need to better understand my bill. I do not agree with the billing practices so I would defibrillator go into this most likely on a financial plan and make payment based on that. Or remove insurance from the mix if it does cover treatment /major actions of infertility.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jane Nani at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Each iui cycle depended on how much minority was needed and what meds were used. First cycle was about $800 natural no meds ,2nd cycle was about,$900 Ned's were used clomid and monitoribg and 3rd was,$1200 injections lots if monitoring and 2iuis back to back.
Describe Jane Nani's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
This was not completed.
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10
10
Age
33
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Other
10
10
She [Dr. Nani] listened to our reasons as to why we were there and our concerns about my husband being the carrier of a muscular disease. She gave us time to talk and explained everything thoroughly. I did not feel rushed or belittled by her. ... She fully explained the process of how the genetic testing process would go. ... She offered plenty of her time to fully explain everything and listen to our story.
I think this clinic [FCI] shows immense compassion. They are very kind and I never felt like I was a burden on them. ... I do wish there was more guidance on how to pursue the financial part of IVF. They give plenty of details up front on how much it costs and offers businesses that do loans but I feel the financial part is super difficult and I feel I am working at it alone.
Age
33
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Other
10
10
How was your experience with Jane Nani at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
She listened to our reasons as to why we were there and our concerns about my husband being the carrier of a muscular disease. She gave us time to talk and explained everything thoroughly. I did not feel rushed or belittled by her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jane Nani at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
She is a fast talker so you have to keep up!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jane Nani at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
She offered plenty of her time to fully explain everything and listen to our story. We did not feel rushed and she was friendly and informative. Her entire staff was kind and caring.
Describe the protocols Jane Nani used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
In our case my husband is the carrier of a genetic muscular disease that is rather debilitating (he lives with it everyday) He did not want to pass it to his children which is why we sought out Dr. Nani. I saw she had articles posted on genetic testing which is why I chose her. She fully explained only he has to be the carrier - it does not matter if I am a carrier so long as he is and it would be a 50/50 chance. She fully explained the process of how the genetic testing process would go. She did thorough testing of me and my husband and determined we are both healthy and great candidates for IVF.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Kristen)
I have messaged my nurse quite frequently using the online portal. I never have to wait long for a response and she never seems bothered by how much I message her.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I think this clinic shows immense compassion. They are very kind and I never felt like I was a burden on them. Everyone from the front desk, nurse, Dr. Nani, the check-out desk has been fantastic. I do wish there was more guidance on how to pursue the financial part of IVF. They give plenty of details up front on how much it costs and offers businesses that do loans but I feel the financial part is super difficult and I feel I am working at it alone.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jane Nani at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I only had to pay my co-pay for office visits and my insurance covered all my pre-testing. As for the IVF process the cost for one cycle with genetic testing is around 26,000$
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6
5
Age
25 - 26
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
6
5
The doctor [Dr. Asima Ahmad] is wonderful, she is very kind and easy to talk too. She always explains each step in detail and is quick to answer all my questions. She preformed my embryo transfer and also did the IUI, but did not do the egg retrieval. I like her as a person and as a doctor and feel very comfortable speaking to her about my situation and asking her questions....I started this process with medication and trying timed intercourse which did not work. We then moved onto one IUI cycle which also failed, and the doctor recommended moving right to IVF because IUI's didn't seem very likely to work with my situation (I have PCOS).
I communicate mostly with nurses [at Fertility Centers of Illinois]. My nurses have been changed on me twice with no notice and it leaves me feeling very unimportant and like I need to re-explain my entire situation. I don't feel like I have a great connection with my clinic as I hear a lot of other women do. There have also been quite a few times where they call me and seem very short and have no sympathy. I feel like the money aspect is more important to them then actually getting results and that is incredibly frustrating.
Age
25 - 26
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
6
5
How was your experience with Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
The doctor is wonderful, she is very kind and easy to talk too. She always explains each step in detail and is quick to answer all my questions. She preformed my embryo transfer and also did the IUI, but did not do the egg retrieval. I like her as a person and as a doctor and feel very comfortable speaking to her about my situation and asking her questions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Ask to speak directly to her when they call you. As I stated earlier the nurses handle the majority of the phone calls and regular visits which I understand, but she seemed much more compassionate and involved then the nurses, and I think asking to speak with her directly would make a patient feel more comfortable and confident with whats happening.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
When I am speaking directly to the doctor I feel like a human, however most of the time I do not actually see or speak with her, I communicate mostly with nurses. My nurses have been changed on me twice with no notice and it leaves me feeling very unimportant and like I need to re-explain my entire situation. I don't feel like I have a great connection with my clinic as I hear a lot of other women do. There have also been quite a few times where they call me and seem very short and have no sympathy. I feel like the money aspect is more important to them then actually getting results and that is incredibly frustrating.
Describe the protocols Asima Ahmad used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I started this process with medication and trying timed intercourse which did not work. We then moved onto one IUI cycle which also failed, and the doctor recommended moving right to IVF because IUI's didn't seem very likely to work with my situation (I have PCOS). I then started the IVF cycle and had the retrieval done and we got 17 eggs, 6 of which turned into embryos. I had a fresh transfer done which unfortunately failed as well. I have had 2 cancelled IVF transfers now one due to a change in insurance and the second one cancelled because my body quit responding to the medication and my lining wasn't thick enough. After that I went back in and had a consultation with the doctor and we are going to try a different medication protocol using only injectables and then doing the frozen transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Yes, but it has changed multiple times.)
The receptionist was so rude and short with me every time I called that I ended up putting in a complaint. She now seems more pleasant but I'm sure its because she got talked too. The nurses are nice but when I am called with results it seems rushed and there's not much emotion. And as I have stated my nurse has been changed on me multiple times with no notice and that is very frustrating. This situation is so hard mentally, emotionally, physically AND financially; no woman should have to deal with a rude or crabby staff member.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The best advice I can give another patient starting this process is to be your own cheerleader. Voice any and all questions and concerns, no matter what they are. Call them 20 times a day if that's what it takes. This is your body and your baby, you have every right to know exactly what is going on and why its going on. After all, you're paying an arm and a leg for all of this so speak up. The center itself is very clean and pleasant, the staff is nice, but you have to speak up for yourself because they can be very short. I wish they would work on making a better connection with their patients and call them for more then just mandatory results and to remind them to pay their bill (I think that is so sh*tty.)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I've spent about $5,000 so far. I don't know an exact amount.
Describe Asima Ahmad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
For my situation my doctor has so far recommended only transferring one embryo at a time. She told me I have a very high risk of conceiving multiples and she wanted to cut down on that as it can be dangerous for myself and the babies. If this next frozen transfer does not work I will have some tests done and then we will discuss transferring 2 embryos.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
- Provided conflicting information
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10
10
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
10
Dr. Ahmad recommended single embryo transfers due to my age and infertility cause... listened to our concerns and was always available to talk to us regarding any questions that we had. She talked to us in a professional manner always clear on the treatment choices and options that we had regarding the plan of care. She was flexible in meeting with us after a first failed IVF so we could have a better piece of mind...
I underwent an egg retrieval [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] that resulted in a freeze all due to high estrogen levels because of PCOS...Sahar [nurse] provided excellent instructions throughout my treatment at FCI. She was always available by phone or the patient portal (email) if I had any questions or concerns...Diane, with scheduling, is excellent and has such a good rapport with the patients that it makes things less stressful. The machine works like a well oiled machine, but maintains a personal touch even though they are busy. Patty, with ultrasound, is very sweet and caring making you feel uncomfortable as you get countless transvaginal ultrasounds. The ladies with bloodwork, especially Allison, are excellent. I can say that I had less bruises than I thought because they were so great at their jobs!
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
10
How was your experience with Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Ahmad is extremely professional and intelligent, but is able to educate regarding the details of the entire fertility process. She explains plan of care in a way that is well understood while providing options to those who might be limited due to financial constraints. She truly wants you to succeed in your outcomes while providing realistic expectations.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If overwhelmed, feel free to write down questions in advance so you are able to discuss them during your meeting with Dr. Ahmad
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Ahmad listened to our concerns and was always available to talk to us regarding any questions that we had. She talked to us in a professional manner always clear on the treatment choices and options that we had regarding the plan of care. She was flexible in meeting with us after a first failed IVF so we could have a better piece of mind.
Describe the protocols Asima Ahmad used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Underwent three failed IUIs, with the one first one in the downtown office and the final two at my home office in Warrenville. After this, I underwent an egg retrieval that resulted in a freeze all due to high estrogen levels because of PCOS. Dr. Ahmad wanted to wait before an embryo transfer due to the risk of OHSS. Underwent a frozen 5 day embryo transfer using Lupron protocol, which resulted in failed IVF #1. After that, underwent a 2nd frozen 5 day embryo transfer following estrogen protocol which resulted in a positive pregnancy test.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Sahar)
Sahar provided excellent instructions throughout my treatment at FCI. She was always available by phone or the patient portal (email) if I had any questions or concerns. She was always professional and there to tal k to me during the difficult and joyful times.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI Warrenville provides excellent and flexible times in the morning during plan of care, which is especially convenient for people having to work full-time. It hardly ever affected my work schedule which made is easier and less stressful for me. Diane, with scheduling, is excellent and has such a good rapport with the patients that it makes things less stressful. The machine works like a well oiled machine, but maintains a personal touch even though they are busy. Patty, with ultrasound, is very sweet and caring making you feel uncomfortable as you get countless transvaginal ultrasounds. The ladies with bloodwork, especially Allison, are excellent. I can say that I had less bruises than I thought because they were so great at their jobs!
Describe Asima Ahmad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Ahmad recommended single embryo transfers due to my age and infertility cause.
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10
10
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
Dr Alvarez made sure that I and my husband understand our options. Since my husband does not speak fluent English he took time to make sure my husband felt comfortable. He presented us with options and did not push any options at us...When our 2 cycles of IUI did not work, we had another consultation to discuss our options. He suggested either conventional IVF or clinical trial IVF. I felt like we were given options and he did not push any particular one at us throughout the course of the treatment. He answered all my questions, no matter how minor they were. He was very kind , and patient oriented. I understand that not every result is pregnancy, but even during the negative results for us, I felt how compassionate he was.
Michelle [nurse at Fertility Center of Illinois] was amazing. She took time to call me back and answer my emails, even if it was a simple silly question. She collaborated with me when it came to my care. When we came across some issues with my insurance in regards to meds, she problem solved with me. I felt like my needs were addressed and I had a voice in my care...The clinic was wonderful. The girls at the reception desk friendly and work with you and your schedule. The phlebotomy ladies are friendly. The ultrasound tech is knowledgeable and polite. By the end of the treatment I felt like I was part of family instead of a patient.
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
—
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Alvarez is very kind and understanding. I needed a polyp removed and my regular obgyn did not want to do it. Since I felt comfortable with Dr Alvarez he made all the arrangements to perform the procedure on me. When our 2 cycles of IUI did not work, we had another consultation to discuss our options. He suggested either conventional IVF or clinical trial IVF. I felt like we were given options and he did not push any particular one at us throughout the course of the treatment. He answered all my questions, no matter how minor they were. He was very kind , and patient oriented. I understand that not every result is pregnancy, but even during the negative results for us, I felt how compassionate he was.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
This whole process is an emotional roller coaster. Things don't move in a time frame that one may expect. You have to remember that Dr Alvarez takes over your natural body process, but somethings he cant even speed up.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Alvarez made sure that I and my husband understand our options. Since my husband does not speak fluent English he took time to make sure my husband felt comfortable. He presented us with options and did not push any options at us.
Describe the protocols Juan Alvarez used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We did 2 cycles of IUI, with higher dosages of clomid - and both came back of negative pregnancy test. When it come to IVF , I was on higher dose of injections to obtain the desire results. We only had one embryo transferred since Dr Alvarez stated that due to my age this gives me highest chances of pregnancy. he also recommended ICSI since we had failed IUI. After IVF i was placed on higher dose of progesterone IM and oral , since my body had low production.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Michelle )
Michelle was amazing. She took time to call me back and answer my emails, even if it was a simple silly question. She collaborated with me when it came to my care. When we came across some issues with my insurance in regards to meds, she problem solved with me. I felt like my needs were addressed and I had a voice in my care.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic was wonderful. The girls at the reception desk friendly and work with you and your schedule. The phlebotomy ladies are friendly. The ultrasound tech is knowledgeable and polite. By the end of the treatment I felt like I was part of family instead of a patient.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I dont remember
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
28 - 29
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 Embryo Freezing, IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
She [Dr. Hirshfeld-Cytron] takes the time to explain in detail what's going on and what her recommendations are. She is unbelievably knowledgeable and kind. She definitely does not add much fluffery- she always gets right to the point...is available to meet with patients when they specifically ask or when treatment needs to be reviewed. I felt that she always was 100% focused on me when I met with her, which is a relief because every doctor obviously has so many patients. She remembered all the details of what was going on with me and my husband and proved to be extremely knowledgeable and helpful at all times.
They [the nurses at FCI] get back to you 100% of the time that you try calling, though, if you don't catch them and want to ask clarifying questions. All of them are so kind...The strengths are that they are a well oiled machine and I always got into my appointment on time or close to on time. The staff is professional, and the receptionists are super kind as well. The weakness is that on a weekend I did have to go downtown one time and it was super busy because they just had so many people... I'm not sure there's any way around that.
Age
28 - 29
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 Embryo Freezing, IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
How was your experience with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Hirshfeld is available to meet with patients when they specifically ask or when treatment needs to be reviewed. I felt that she always was 100% focused on me when I met with her, which is a relief because every doctor obviously has so many patients. She remembered all the details of what was going on with me and my husband and proved to be extremely knowledgeable and helpful at all times. We were so disappointed after a first failed IVF round, and she is extremely practical in her approach to solutions and recommendations for next steps, we always felt safe even though the road was hard. I truly cannot say enough good things about her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Hirshfeld gets to the point when you meet with her. I found this refreshing during a process where everything seems uncertain (and it is!). Don't be afraid to send her an email with simple questions. The simpler it is, the easier it is for her to get back to you and it can make you feel so much better. It is always super frustrating to have to wait until your appointment to have face-to-face communications and some more complicated questions answered, but that's all part of the process. Know that when you do meet with her she is totally committed to your cause.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I can't say enough good things about Dr. Hirshfeld. The process is extremely daunting and emotional, and Dr. Hirshfeld always gave candid answers and was available when I needed her. Any time I sent her an email she would get back to me within 24 hours, and often within just one or two hours. When I met with her on our visits, she did not rush me as many doctors do. She takes the time to explain in detail what's going on and what her recommendations are. She is unbelievably knowledgeable and kind. She definitely does not add much fluffery- she always gets right to the point. But in this type of experience the best way to feel human is usually to know the truth of what's going on and get honest opinions quickly.
Describe the protocols Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We did two rounds of IVF. The first round was not very successful, I am young so it was a shock to get so few embryos of very low quality. I decided to do a second round to get more embryos before implanting any of them. Dr. Hirshfeld guided me on my choices, but really the choice was mine and she was supportive of doing another round. I also was honest about non-medical issues, like financial concerns and our current insurance plan that we knew would not last forever, so she kept all factors in mind when considering when and how to do our next treatments. This was all really important to us. The second round of IVF she did differently from the first. We had higher quality embryos, which could have been the treatment or just the luck of the draw.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff was excellent. You work with so many nurses during IVF that you can't always count on consistency, even though they come very close. Always allow times to call and ask clarifying questions if needed, because at times they can communicate through voicemail which obviously isn't the very best method when trying to understand something new. They get back to you 100% of the time that you try calling, though, if you don't catch them and want to ask clarifying questions. All of them are so kind.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The strengths are that they are a well oiled machine and I always got into my appointment on time or close to on time. The staff is professional, and the receptionists are super kind as well. The weakness is that on a weekend I did have to go downtown one time and it was super busy because they just had so many people... I'm not sure there's any way around that.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It was covered by insurance, but I'm pretty sure each round of IVF is close to $20K.
Describe Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Because of my age and our circumstances, Dr. Hirsheld recommended single embryo transfer. Everybody is different.
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0
0
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
0
0
[Dr. Allison Rodgers was] Never focused in consultations. Always typing her progress notes during our visits. Repeating herself each visit to make me feel even more like she had no idea what was going on...She has ordered incorrect medication for me more than once. She tries to fit each patient into a predetermined course of action instead of making a plan of action based off of the patient. She defended her nurses when they were clearly in the wrong on multiple occasions. She was sarcastic and completely tuned out during our face to face visits.
I tried the highland park location [of Fertility Centers of Illinois] and I had a hard time getting prompt communication from nursing. I then switched over to the Buffalo Grove location and communication was a little better, but the clinic was so busy it was difficult to feel truly cared for. Everything was rushed and nursing was only available via email or a call back. If you’re going to spend thousands of dollars, this is not how you want to be treated. The support staff (receptionists, phlebotomists and others were very nice).
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
—
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
0
0
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Will not take responsibility for negligent care even when confronted. She tries to multitask instead of paying attention to her patient. She has ordered incorrect medication for me more than once. She tries to fit each patient into a predetermined course of action instead of making a plan of action based off of the patient. She defended her nurses when they were clearly in the wrong on multiple occasions. She was sarcastic and completely tuned out during our face to face visits.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Run!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Never focused in consultations. Always typing her progress notes during our visits. Repeating herself each visit to make me feel even more like she had no idea what was going on.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
She prescribed me solely endometrin and my progesterone level did not rise because my body did not absorb it. She questioned if I was inserting it correctly and the documented in my medical chart that I had stopped taking it, which was untrue. Now that I have a better physician I know that research shows endometrin alone is rarely successful. I should have been prescribed PIO or a PIO and vag insert combo.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Nancy and Allison )
The communication between nursing staff and myself was horrendous. I would always have to follow up with Rxs, appointments and nothing was proactive about them. I did meet a few nurses with a very sweet disposition, but unfortunately that was not the norm. I felt as if I had to manage my own care.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
They seem to only be interested in making money not whether or not you have a baby. I tried the highland park location and I had a hard time getting prompt communication from nursing. I then switched over to the Buffalo Grove location and communication was a little better, but the clinic was so busy it was difficult to feel truly cared for. Everything was rushed and nursing was only available via email or a call back. If you’re going to spend thousands of dollars, this is not how you want to be treated. The support staff (receptionists, phlebotomists and others were very nice).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
12,000
Describe Allison Rodgers's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
She didn’t seem to care one way or the other.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Failed to consider drug intolerance
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4
2
Age
41
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
5 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
4
2
He [Dr. Brian Kaplan] is charismatic and charming...I was not always sure he remembered who I was, though he was very polite the few times I have directly interacted with him... I feel though unless you have a fairly easy case, easy to stimulate, lots of eggs, good rate of fertilization then he is willing to work with you. If you are a challenging or slightly difficult case, meaning you have DOR, poor eq quality, high attrition rate of your eggs then you should definitely look elsewhere. He seemed to have no added advice or plan of action if you had a poor stim cycle.
FCI is crowded. Runs like a factory. You will likely feel like a number but that was ok with me. I care about the results. The monitor days seem to be pretty efficient with labs and sono. They have hours that accommodate most schedules. They open at 6am... In my second cycle no nurse from FCI called me to tell me when too trigger. I called at least 3 times in which they told me " to calm down, and a nurse will call me to trigger". No one did. The next morning, I finally reach Eileen. She never apologized for this mishap. She wanted me to drive an hour to Highland park to see if I ovulated, which I had. She never apologized, in fact she blamed me!!! I have heard other stories from other women about her. She is terrible.
Age
41
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Black or African-American, Other
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Doctor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
5 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
4
2
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is very charming. I feel though unless you have a fairly easy case, easy to stimulate, lots of eggs, good rate of fertilization then he is willing to work with you. If you are a challenging or slightly difficult case, meaning you have DOR, poor eq quality, high attrition rate of your eggs then you should definitely look elsewhere. He seemed to have no added advice or plan of action if you had a poor stim cycle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If you are older, 40 and over, DOR, this is not the doctor you should choose. He is very sweet, but if you are a difficult case, then I would choose another clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is charismatic and charming. FCI is a busy clinic. I was not always sure he remembered who I was, though he was very polite the few times I have directly interacted with him.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Initially, he started me on OCP, which over suppressed me. That was stopped half way through. The 2nd time, he primed me with Estrogen and Progesterone and that helped my numbers. The Menopur and Gonal were high doses. I cannot recall the exact numbers. 5 eggs from this cycle. The 3rd time, he did Estrogen and progesterone priming, but added Lupron, and same doses of Menopur and Gonal. 1 egg from this cycle. My AFC was 10-11.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Eileen/Aileen, Carmen)
Aileen/Eileen is terrible. She is rude, condescending and snarky. In my second cycle no nurse from FCI called me to tell me when too trigger. I called at least 3 times in which they told me " to calm down, and a nurse will call me to trigger". No one did. The next morning, I finally reach Eileen. She never apologized for this mishap. She wanted me to drive an hour to Highland park to see if I ovulated, which I had. She never apologized, in fact she blamed me!!! I have heard other stories from other women about her. She is terrible.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI is crowded. Runs like a factory. You will likely feel like a number but that was ok with me. I care about the results. The monitor days seem to be pretty efficient with labs and sono. They have hours that accommodate most schedules. They open at 6am.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
All my costs were covered by BCBS AFTER I met my deductible which was $2400 in network.Meds covered pretty much under my insurance.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost appointments
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
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10
10
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF, 2 Egg Freezing, 2 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
Dr Ahmad is a very informative doctor that will talk to you in a way that most doctors are unable to. She has an easy going personality but is very determined to assist you with having a great outcome. You will feel this way your first time meeting her. She has a big heart and is very passionate about her work...my husband and I were educated on both single versus multiple embryo transfers. We are currently in this stage.
She [nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois] has been a great part of our journey throughout this whole process. Sahar has such a down to earth personality that is so welcoming that the times I came in anxious into the office she made me feel calm and positive. She is also detailed and organized to the tenth degree...Due to our personal issue Dr. Ahmad and Sahar have and are assisting us with medicine. Their generosity is what helped us be able to move onto the second IVF retrieval.
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF, 2 Egg Freezing, 2 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
How was your experience with Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Ahmad is like no other doctor my husband and I have ever met. She comes off as very genuine and down to earth. Every time we have met with Dr. Ahmad whether the news was bad or great, we know that she truly did all that she could to give us the best outcome. My first round of shots ended with not being able to go to retrieval due to the follicles not growing at the same rate. Though that news was upsetting, she spoke openly to us and explained why and how we would have a better outcome especially knowing how my body now reacted to certain medicines. The news that she had to present to us was difficult but by her telling us straight forward yet being empathetic made my husband and I proceed further with her. The second round of IVF I made it to retrieval yet after genetic testing all came back abnormal. We talked to her about how upsetting the news was and it was by talking to Dr Ahmad that made us proceed again. We took about a month to mentally take a break, but it was her that made us feel good about trying again. Recently I just had my retrieval with a great outcome of 6 embryos that came back normal from genetic testing! My husband and I are truly grateful to have Dr Ahmad with us throughout this difficult journey that we have been on.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Ahmad is a very informative doctor that will talk to you in a way that most doctors are unable to. She has an easy going personality but is very determined to assist you with having a great outcome. You will feel this way your first time meeting her. She has a big heart and is very passionate about her work.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Walking into this clinic with my husband was both emotionally draining and made us both highly anxious. Every person that we talked to at the clinic made us feel as if our decision for this specific clinic was the best choice. Everyone was and has been very down to earth and truly genuine. I am very grateful that my husband and I are going through our IVF process here.
Describe the protocols Asima Ahmad used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Per my first retrieval I used Gonal F whereas on this second retrieval I used Follistim which produced a positive outcome of 6 embryos. She watched closely to all my levels, especially estrogen. Estrogen was something that kept increasing and i had to change the units per medicine at times.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Nurse Sahar Kohistani)
My husband and I are truly appreciative of Sahar K! She has been a great part of our journey throughout this whole process. Sahar has such a down to earth personality that is so welcoming that the times I came in anxious into the office she made me feel calm and positive. She is also detailed and organized to the tenth degree. The charts she makes me are so straightforward and easy to read it becomes one less thing to worry about when going through IVF. At times when I worked with other nurses per the downtown location I could not wait to talk to Sahar. Her way of stating information and explaining was different from the others. She is very genuine and empathetic. When going through rounds of IVF it takes a toll on one emotionally and mentally that I can say my husband are truly appreciative of everything she has done for us. From her promptness to answering my questions when anxiety was high to being empathetic when a round failed genetic testing. We are so thankful and blessed to have Sahar as our nurse throughout this whole journey!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
From the minute you walk into the door you are greeted by Diane who sets the tone for the office. Her positive, genuine personality is very welcoming. Your receptionist is someone you will have to work with every time and we are grateful she is so sweet and prompt. I also met with Patty and Allie throughout my rounds of IVF. At times they were the only two I saw during appointments due to needing an ultrasound and blood work. Both are the most sincere and positive people. For being 7am when I usually see them they are so easy to talk to and at times pretty funny! A personality that you will thank especially for being so early in the morning! All three are such caring individuals that again we are lucky to have chosen such a great clinic. Its an atmosphere that I never thought I would encounter during this process. For all of them, we are thankful!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
During our second round of IVF my husband was laid off. We are still paying cobra for both of us due to his insurance covering some of the costs. Due to our personal issue Dr. Ahmad and Sahar have and are assisting us with medicine. Their generosity is what helped us be able to move onto the second IVF retrieval.
Describe Asima Ahmad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Yes my husband and I were educated on both single versus multiple embryo transfers. We are currently in this stage.
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9
8
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Tubal Blockage
9
8
Dr. Rodgers has provided a caring service. She really shows that she cares for patients success and wants to do anything to get them there. She is always staying up to date on the latest studies too. We have not had the success we have been looking for yet but Dr. Rodgers has made us aware of our options...will be there with you every step of the way. She is not at every appointment you might have but she is very open to you emailing her with any questions too!
Protocols
[Fertility Centers of Illinois] overall is responsive. Waiting times for appointments tend to be longer than I'd like. Sometimes it's been over a 30min wait. Billing is sometimes a little funky. I get balances each visit but nothing in the mail for a couple of months....I absolutely love my nurses at the clinic. I feel as though they are my friend but so supportive along the way. Fertility has touched them in some point of their life and they really understand. I couldn't ask for better nurses.
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Tubal Blockage
9
8
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers has provided a caring service. She really shows that she cares for patients success and wants to do anything to get them there. She is always staying up to date on the latest studies too. We have not had the success we have been looking for yet but Dr. Rodgers has made us aware of our options.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers will be there with you every step of the way. She is not at every appointment you might have but she is very open to you emailing her with any questions too!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Allison Rodgers has been through a journey herself and really cares about her patients. She is open to listening and trying things to get her patients at a point of success.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Dr. Rodgers really believes in the ERA biopsies to check when the body is receptive to receiving an embryo. We did an ERA before another transfer of my embryos from my first clinic. We found out I am receptive at the right time and moved on to a transfer. When that transfer failed we moved on two a fresh egg retrieval with transfer. I was on gonal f, letrozole, menopur and cetrotide. All these drugs were standard for producing healthy eggs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Amber and Nancy)
I absolutely love my nurses at the clinic. I feel as though they are my friend but so supportive along the way. Fertility has touched them in some point of their life and they really understand. I couldn't ask for better nurses.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic overall is responsive. Waiting times for appointments tend to be longer than I'd like. Sometimes it's been over a 30min wait. Billing is sometimes a little funky. I get balances each visit but nothing in the mail for a couple of months.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We had some IVF insurance coverage at this clinic. With two retrievals, we still have to pay for medication out of pocket and the coinsurance. Overall under $10,000.
Describe Allison Rodgers's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Rodgers was open to transferring 2 untested but with pgs, transferring 1 was recommended.
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10
10
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
He [Dr. Alvarez] was very knowledgeable and was able to explain everything at a level that I could understand and ask questions He made sure that I knew what was happening, why and when. He reached out personally to develop plans for continuing IVF in the hopes of a healthy baby...We did 2 IUI next at 50mg clomid. After the second he suggested trying 100mg clomid. After that didnt work he wanted to consult and go over the results. He allowed me to choose between 2 options. We chose 1 more IUI at 100mg clomid. After it failed we discussed IVF and proceeded. He called the day before egg retrieval to go over my levels and discuss what would would happen next. We just had out egg retrieval and have 20 eggs, 11 mature and 8 fertilized.
They [Fertility Centers of Illinois] are very organized and keep the appointments in a timely manner. They are very clear about what needs to happen and when. They return phone calls and treat you as an individual not just another patient...They [nurses] would call every evening after an appointment to go over results and next steps from dr. Alvarez. They would always return phone calls and walk me through any questions I had.
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was very knowledgeable and was able to explain everything at a level that I could understand and ask questions
He made sure that I knew what was happening, why and when. He reached out personally to develop plans for continuing IVF in the hopes of a healthy baby.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Ask questions, be patient and trust that he is working towards the same goal as you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He looked at my case specifically, reached out personally and made sure that the goal was a healthy baby
Describe the protocols Juan Alvarez used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We first started with a testing. Making sure everything was where it needed to be. We then did a monitored clomid cycle. We met and discuss what he saw and what the next steps would be. We did 2 IUI next at 50mg clomid. After the second he suggested trying 100mg clomid. After that didnt work he wanted to consult and go over the results. He allowed me to choose between 2 options. We chose 1 more IUI at 100mg clomid. After it failed we discussed IVF and proceeded. He called the day before egg retrieval to go over my levels and discuss what would would happen next. We just had out egg retrieval and have 20 eggs, 11 mature and 8 fertilized.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Shannon, Annette and Quiana)
They would call every evening after an appointment to go over results and next steps from dr. Alvarez. They would always return phone calls and walk me through any questions I had.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
They are very organized and keep the appointments in a timely manner. They are very clear about what needs to happen and when. They return phone calls and treat you as an individual not just another patient.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
6
8
Age
43 - 45
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IUI, 4 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
6
8
I do feel like Dr. Hirshfeld tries her best to personalize the treatments spend time explaining the processes during our consultations...she did her best to answer all questions I had. My wife however felt as though she didn't really give us personalized attention and that perhaps she didn't have great attention to detail when dealing with us. For these reasons, we almost switched doctors, but ultimately decided to stay with Dr. Hirshfeld because of her nurses and the daunting thought of starting over with another doctor.
[The nurses at Fertility Centers of Illinois were] Very good with answering emails in a timely manner. If she didnt know the answer to a question, she would find the answer for us. She was compassionate, kind, and genuine...FCI is like a baby making factory. It is very easy to feel like just a number there. If you want or need early morning appointments you will be happy here. However if you need afternoon or evening appointments this is not the place for you.
Age
43 - 45
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI, 4 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
6
8
How was your experience with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Hirshfeld-Cytron is very knowledgeable and also very kind hearted. During consultations, she was very good about explaining things thoroughly and giving the reasoning behind the course of treatment she was suggesting. She always made sure to ask if I had any questions before I left her office. And she did her best to answer all questions I had. My wife however felt as though she didn't really give us personalized attention and that perhaps she didn't have great attention to detail when dealing with us. For these reasons, we almost switched doctors, but ultimately decided to stay with Dr. Hirshfeld because of her nurses and the daunting thought of starting over with another doctor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Make sure you let her know what you feel you need from her as your doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
It is difficult not to feel like a number while going through treatments at FCI. But I do feel like Dr. Hirshfeld tries her best to personalize the treatments spend time explaining the processes during our consultations.
Describe the protocols Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I went through two IUI cycles because I did not have a problem producing my own eggs. Neither resulted in pregnancy so Dr. Hirshfeld suggested moving to IVF because of my age and the increased success rate with IVF. I took clomid, follistim, and a nu.ber of other drugs I cannot recall right now. I also took some supplements and tried acupuncture treatments. After the first two cycles were unsuccessful, she tweaked the treatment a bit. I believe I did testosterone patches and estrogen patches with the third cycle. This cycle was most unsuccessful. I did not have any embryos viable for PGD testing. So she tweaked treatment again for the fourth cycle. But unfortunately no chromosomally normal embryos to implant.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Marni Z.)
Marni was amazing. Very good with answering emails in a timely manner. If she didnt know the answer to a question, she would find the answer for us. She was compassionate, kind, and genuine.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI is like a baby making factory. It is very easy to feel like just a number there. If you want or need early morning appointments you will be happy here. However if you need afternoon or evening appointments this is not the place for you.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I have blue cross blue shield pop insurance and it was still very, very costly do go through this process. Forty dollar co-pays for ever appointment which was 3-4 times per week at some points in the process.
Describe Jennifer E. Hirshfeld-Cytron's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
No comment on this as I was never able to get to the implantation phase.
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9
9
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
9
9
He [Dr. Alvarez] reached out to me after a failed IUI round to make sure I was doing ok and gave me encouragement that the next round would work. I have never had a doctor do that before! It was extremely kind and welcomed...He has tweaked the treatment plan with each round of IUI or IVF. We did 3 round of IUI before we started IVF. It was our choice to start IVF, Dr. Alvarez didn't try to push that treatment on us. When my husband and I did get pregnant, he genuinely seemed excited for us.
She [nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois] is compassionate and kindhearted. I have reached out to her many times with questions and she takes the time to go over every little detail with me. She responds to her emails and phone calls in a timely matter...Appointments for monitoring are convenient for people who need early morning appointments due to work. You can get an appointment as early as 6:30am and you never wait more than 15 minutes to get in. Most appointments I would be out within 15 to 20 minutes with ultrasound and bloodwork.
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
9
9
How was your experience with Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Alvarez took the time to answer my many questions during each consultation. With each failure we had, he always give us hope that the next round will work. He has tweaked the treatment plan with each round of IUI or IVF. We did 3 round of IUI before we started IVF. It was our choice to start IVF, Dr. Alvarez didn't try to push that treatment on us. When my husband and I did get pregnant, he genuinely seemed excited for us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
To be straightforward with him, let him know that you want to get pregnant right away, and that to be aggressive with the medication. Ask as many questions as you want, he will take the time to answer all your questions. You will never feel rushed in his office.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Juan Alvarez at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Juan Alvarez is a very caring and straightforward doctor. He thoroughly explained the treatment for IUI and IVF to my husband and I, as we didn't know much about fertility treatments when we started. After our failed rounds of IUI and IVF, he would go over the new treatment plan continuing to give us hope. He reached out to me after a failed IUI round to make sure I was doing ok and gave me encouragement that the next round would work. I have never had a doctor do that before! It was extremely kind and welcomed.
Describe the protocols Juan Alvarez used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Our first round of IVF we used Follistim, Menopur, and Ganirellix to help us get the most eggs. After a failed first cycle, Dr. Alvarez changed our treatment to help us get more eggs to make it through day 5. Our second round was more successful, we had 2 eggs make it through day 5. We are still currently trying to get pregnant.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Tori)
Dr. Alvarez's nurse Tori is amazing! She is compassionate and kindhearted. I have reached out to her many times with questions and she takes the time to go over every little detail with me. She responds to her emails and phone calls in a timely matter.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI has been my second home, I feel like I live there with all the appointments I have had! The staff has always been friendly! The IVF surgery nurses, anesthesiologist, ultrasound techs, and phlebotomist are great. The Chicago office is always busy but I have never waited long to see the doctor or nurse. The nurses call back with the results the same day and are friendly on the phone. Dr. Alvarez is a great doctor!
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Appointments for monitoring are convenient for people who need early morning appointments due to work. You can get an appointment as early as 6:30am and you never wait more than 15 minutes to get in. Most appointments I would be out within 15 to 20 minutes with ultrasound and bloodwork.
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10
10
Age
27 - 28
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
10
Dr. Uhler was very compassionate and smart. She explained my diagnosis to me in medical terms and then broke down to me what that meant for me and day to day life, and for the future of our fertility. In regards to treatment she was concise and clear about what the options were, as well how they worked/how we would proceed...think it’s best to try Letrozol after 4 failed round of clomid, it is too early to tell results.
When bringing you back they [nurses at Fertility Centers of Illinois] are informative— always cluing you in to how the blood draw or the procedure will go, what to expect, and what outcomes we are looking for. They are gentle in leading you through uncomfortable situation and always put your comfort as the top priority...There was a miscommunication between FCI and my Gynocologist about some paperwork that had to be sent over. It took a few calls to rectify but my nurse was on top of it. And quickly called to put my mind to ease when everything was settled.
Age
27 - 28
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Latino
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
10
How was your experience with Meike Uhler at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Uhler was very compassionate and smart. She explained my diagnosis to me in medical terms and then broke down to me what that meant for me and day to day life, and for the future of our fertility. In regards to treatment she was concise and clear about what the options were, as well how they worked/how we would proceed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meike Uhler at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Keep your folders, and read all the extra papers and packets they give. So much useful information that dives deeper into treatments, and meds.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meike Uhler at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
The staff is kind and gentle. They inform you of each thing they will be doing wether a blood draw or exam, they explain what the process is, what you may feel or experience, as well as what the outcome of the testing would ideally be.
Describe the protocols Meike Uhler used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Dr. Uhler think it’s best to try Letrozol after 4 failed round of clomid, it is too early to tell results.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Kind and caring staff who greet you with a warm hello in person and in the phone. Always are quick to get you in contact with your nurse when you have a question. When bringing you back they are informative— always cluing you in to how the blood draw or the procedure will go, what to expect, and what outcomes we are looking for. They are gentle in leading you through uncomfortable situation and always put your comfort as the top priority
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Hinsdale FCI is in an area that is being remodeled and having additions daily. That being said it can make getting to appts tricky. Plan in cushion time for traffic! This office it’s self is clean and sleek.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Meike Uhler at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The cost so far has been manageable. We are lucky for great insurance. We did have a debacle with genetic testing but the clinic took on all responsibility to battle it out with the insurance, making sure it was mostly covered.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
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8
8
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality
8
8
When we had our consultations with Dr. Rodgers I felt like a human. After that I felt like a number. Or rather I didn't feel like I was high on the spectrum of concern, especially in our last cycle. New protocol was introduced by my nurse and not Dr. Rodgers. I felt like I was not important. It made me wonder if IUI patients were treated differently than IVF patients...For our third (canceled) IUI my cycle started off poorly due to my baseline testing but treatment was recommended anyway. I questioned it but was encouraged to continue. I felt like my personal case was not really being considered when these decisions were being made. It felt like they were trying to "pull out all the stops" without considering me as a whole person.
I loved my ultrasound technician at the Lindenhurst clinic [of Fertility Centers of Illinois]! She always made me feel comfortable. I appreciated that there were multiple locations that I could go to depending on my needs. The billing is not great. I would often not get bills in the mail but go to an appointment and be notified of an outstanding balance. The bills were very hard to read and understand. I tried to contact billing via patient portal and never got a reply.
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality
8
8
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Face to face interactions with Dr. Rodgers was great. We really clicked with her and were very happy to have her for our doctor, she felt like the right fit. My first two IUIs were fine, though I didn't see Dr. Rodgers for any of the treatments. I only spoke to her when she called to tell us the negative results.
For our third (canceled) IUI my cycle started off poorly due to my baseline testing but treatment was recommended anyway. I questioned it but was encouraged to continue. I felt like my personal case was not really being considered when these decisions were being made. It felt like they were trying to "pull out all the stops" without considering me as a whole person.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Reach out directly to her if you need to. I sort of missed the memo on that and only communicated with the nurses. Also speak up if something doesn't feel right. I regret not doing those things.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
When we had our consultations with Dr. Rodgers I felt like a human. After that I felt like a number. Or rather I didn't feel like I was high on the spectrum of concern, especially in our last cycle. New protocol was introduced by my nurse and not Dr. Rodgers. I felt like I was not important. It made me wonder if IUI patients were treated differently than IVF patients.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I had a mass on my ovary. Dr. Rodgers recommended surgery first. She recommended a great surgeon who took out the benign tumor and minimal endometriosis. After that Dr. Rodgers recommended Letrozole IUI/timed intercourse or IVF. We chose to try THREE medicated IUI cycles. For the first one I took 2.5 mg for 5 days. I ended up with 1 follicle but it took a while and wasn't very large. I used ovidrel for the trigger shot. I was directed to take progesterone in oil daily. The cycle ended with a negative result. The next cycle was cancelled due to an estrogen producing cyst. Then we try again with 5 days of 5 mg of Letrozole. Again, it took a while and I only got one follicle, slightly larger. I used ovidrel for the trigger shot. I was on estrogen twice a day and progesterone once a day. It resulted in a negative test. For this cycle my FSH was high on baseline and was told I was less likely to respond to treatment but it was recommended we continued with the cycle. I took 7.5 mg for 5 days. I showed no results. I was recommended 100 IU of gonal-F/follistim for three days but that quickly changed to 300 IU for 4 days. I started showing a response and it as recommended to increase to 600 IU for 2 to 4 days. At that point we decided to stop treatment because the injectable medications were not a protocol we ever discussed with Dr. Rodgers and I had become increasingly uncomfortable with the way treatment was progressing.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Stephanie)
I had mixed reactions with the nurses. We went to two different clinics so we experienced I believe 4 different nurses. Nancy was great when I talked to her after a consultation. There was a nurse I did not know that talked to me during the cycle where I had the cyst who was rude (NOT Nancy, Stephanie or Amber). Stephanie was good at explaining when I asked her to go over details again. I know she relayed Dr. Rodgers treatment plan but I did feel like I was encouraged to go forward with treatment when it wasn't a great idea. I had a good talk with Amber and another nurse when we were deciding to stop the treatment cycle.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I loved my ultrasound technician at the Lindenhurst clinic! She always made me feel comfortable. I appreciated that there were multiple locations that I could go to depending on my needs. The billing is not great. I would often not get bills in the mail but go to an appointment and be notified of an outstanding balance. The bills were very hard to read and understand. I tried to contact billing via patient portal and never got a reply.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Honestly the billing was so confusing I don't think I could tell you how much different aspects cost. I will say it was in the estimated cost they provided. $2000 per IUI.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
1
1
Age
28 - 29
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Unexplained
1
1
We did not want to actually proceed with IUIs and wanted to jump to IVF but he [Dr. Marut] was adamant that it would work. I took follistim, had regular monitoring and ovidril as a trigger. All results were negative... If he tried to textbook explain something and we had a question it was like he got angry that he had to answer. Additionally, I felt like I was forced to do 6 IUIs and then was just placed into a generic program for our IVF treatment. Whenever I called to ask about labs and ask for an explanation as to why one level could have been higher or lower it took a significant amount of time to even answer or research.
Appointments that are as simply as blood work and ultrasound take over an hour [at Fertility Center of Illinois-Chicago] because they’re always running behind. It typically takes 30 minutes in the waiting room to be seen. That being said, the ultrasound technicians and lab were all wonderful and very nice. I have nothing negative to say about them or my experience with the staff in that regard!
Age
28 - 29
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Unexplained
1
1
How was your experience with Edward Marut at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is very clinical and seems like a nice man when you first meet him. I don’t think he actually reviews the patient as a person rather just looks at labs (without taking into consideration existing conditions) and plops patients into programs in hopes that the statistics hold up. As mentioned I feel like I was treated in an inhuman manner, it’s hard to even put into words.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Edward Marut at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be aggressive with your questions and don’t let him manipulate or bully you into IUI or a specific protocol.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Edward Marut at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Throughout I had issues with Dr. Marut’s nurse, Ashley. When I would ask questions she would simply make me feel stupid. This was similar with Dr. Marut as well. If he tried to textbook explain something and we had a question it was like he got angry that he had to answer. Additionally, I felt like I was forced to do 6 IUIs and then was just placed into a generic program for our IVF treatment. Whenever I called to ask about labs and ask for an explanation as to why one level could have been higher or lower it took a significant amount of time to even answer or research. They didn’t know me and I know they didnt really care. I felt like I was a mouse being tested on, poked and prodded regularly without true monitoring or care. It truly felt inhuman but I was blinded by the potential to have a baby.
Describe the protocols Edward Marut used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
IUI 1-3: medications used were letrozole, regular monitoring and ovidril for trigger. This was chosen as it was “typical” to start out. All results were negative.
IUI 4-6: given the first three cycles didn’t work he noted it was typical to do three cycles with injectables. We did not want to actually proceed with IUIs and wanted to jump to IVF but he was adamant that it would work. I took follistim, had regular monitoring and ovidril as a trigger. All results were negative.
Retrieval and fresh transfer: medications used were follistim, menopur, ganirelix, minivelle, crinone. He noted this was a standard protocol. During my last monitoring appointment my uterine lining was significantly thinner but no mention was made. Pregnancy test result was negative.
FET 1: I took birth control for 3 weeks, lupron, minivelle and crinone for this cycle. This was a standard protocol that he felt was suitable for me. Again, my lining was thinner before the actual transfer than it has been at previous appointments but no mention was made. This transfer ended as a chemical pregnancy.
FET 2: I took birth control for 3 weeks, lupron, minivelle and crinone and he added in a baby aspirin for this cycle. This was a standard protocol plus aspirin that he felt was suitable for me. Again, my lining was thinner before the actual transfer than it has been at previous appointments but no mention was made and when I asked it was brushed off and not acknowledged. Pregnancy test result was negative.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Ashley and Torria)
Torria was much better than Ashley. Ashley has sent me incorrect schedules which i had to correct for her with wrong dates and medications, she made me feel stupid, I was constantly asking questions about my care which she never knew the answers to and had to review and research my file, she was cold and not compassionate.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It is truly a baby making mill. Appointments that are as simply as blood work and ultrasound take over an hour because they’re always running behind. It typically takes 30 minutes in the waiting room to be seen.
That being said, the ultrasound technicians and lab were all wonderful and very nice. I have nothing negative to say about them or my experience with the staff in that regard!
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The monitoring appointments went well, aside from the long wait times. The staff was very nice and the technicians were all lovely.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Edward Marut at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Each appointment required a $50 copay and each round of IUI was approximately $1500. The retrieval cycle with fresh embryo transfer was about $10,000 and the frozen transfers after that we’re about $5000 each.
Describe Edward Marut's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
He was adamant about only transferring one embryo at a time (even though we didn’t do genetic testing) and was rude when we asked to do more than one.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost appointments
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
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9
8
Age
40 - 42
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
9
8
Dr. Kaplan is direct and clearly communicates his opinion. I appreciate that he does not sugar-coat the situation ... He is, however, quite busy. ... Due to my age, diminished ovarian reserve and low AMH (0.6), we went straight to IVF. ... Dr. Kaplan informed us that he prefers to do frozen embryo transfers ... Dr. Kaplan likes to do his own procedures and, therefore, bases your protocol around his set procedure dates each month.
When I did speak with some nurses [Fertility Centers of Illinois], half of the time the experience felt cold ... The other half of the time, the nurses were patient and empathetic, e.g., ... It is challenging to work full time and manage monitoring appointments especially since you may only be given a 1-2 days’ notice that you need to come in. It is frustrating that the nurses call you in the evening to advise on next steps but likely by the time they call, the scheduling team is gone for the day.
Age
40 - 42
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
East Asian
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
9
8
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is direct and clearly communicates his opinion. I appreciate that he does not sugar-coat the situation since fertility treatment is too expensive and time consuming to operate under false pretense. He is, however, quite busy. After my failed or canceled cycles, it was difficult to schedule a consultation appointment that wasn’t a few weeks out (by then I would have missed the opportunity to start a cycle the month immediately following the cancellation/failed cycle). In each case, he was able to do a brief phone consult with me the week after, in between procedures (i.e., no specific time scheduled), so I did not need to wait weeks to speak with him. In interacting with Dr. Kaplan it is best to have done your research and prepared all of your questions in advance. The conversation goes very quickly so know what you want to say and what questions you want answered. Dr. Kaplan does not provide an email address which would be helpful but I understand that this would be impractical given the number if patients he sees. Dr. Kaplan likes to do his own procedures and, therefore, bases your protocol around his set procedure dates each month. I appreciate that he likes to do the procedures himself but at the same time it is frustrating having to wait to start a cycle based on his dates. Dr. Kaplan does his retrievals at the Highland Park location since his embryologists are onsite there. Transfers are done either at Highland Park or at his office on Michigan Avenue, which is beautiful. During my initial consult, Dr. Kaplan informed us that he prefers to do frozen embryo transfers to give the body a bit of time to recover from the retrieval. This is an important consideration for those who want to do fresh transfers.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is recognized as one of the best. As such, he is in high demand and, therefore, may not get to spend very much time with you. Therefore, you will need to interact more frequently with his nurses. If you want an RE that can spend more time with you, perhaps Dr. Kaplan is not the right doctor for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
When interacting with Dr. Kaplan, I felt like a human, however, those interactions were limited. My primary interaction was with his nursing team who usually interacted with me via email on the FCI portal. When I did speak with some nurses, half of the time the experience felt cold, i.e., they were short in answering my questions or seemed put off when I had several questions to ask or did not answer my questions completely. The other half of the time, the nurses were patient and empathetic, e.g., . After my third cycle when all of my embryos arrested, a nurse called me promptly to address my questions and talk through next steps. Each nurse has a different “bedside” manner.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Due to my age, diminished ovarian reserve and low AMH (0.6), we went straight to IVF. My first cycle was a standard antagonistic(?) protocol with Follistim (300 IU to start), Menopur (150 IU), Doxycycline, and Ganirelex (250). I was also taking a prenatal vitamin from my local pharmacy, and had started acupuncture and yoga at Pulling Down the Moon since I could no longer run as a form of exercise. We considered ourselves very lucky with the first cycle as after 4 embryos retrieved, we were able to transfer 1 PGS-tested 5-day embryo via FET. Unfortunately, that did not result in a pregnancy. For my second cycle, I was put on the Lupron microdose protocol since that is typically used with “poor responders.” This included 40mcg of Lupron BID, 450 Gonal, 75 IU Menopur. However, that cycle was canceled as my body did not respond to it. During this cycle, I also started taking the PDTM Prenatal multi-vitamin with supplements and added supplements Kaplan recommended (CoQ10, pycnogenol, L-Arginine). My third cycle was similar to my first but with a different dose of Menopur - 300. I also took 300 Gonal and 250 Ganirelex. All of my 5 embryos arrested before making it to Day 5. For my fourth cycle, I was on 100 mg Clomiphene, 300 Gonal, 150 Menopur then 250 Ganirelex. I had 5 eggs retrieved, 3 fertilized, 2 made it to Day 5. One came back PGS normal and the other designated as “special considerations.” One of my issues in preparing for FET is my lining not getting thick enough. I’ve had three canceled FETs due to this. One FET cycle I was on Estrace (initially 2 pills am/pm) and baby aspirin then doxycycline, Medrol, and PIO. Another FET cycle I was on delestrogen (0.3ml every 3rd day), baby aspirin, and 5 units of Lupron then Doxycycline, Medrol, PIO. The next cycle was a stimulated FET with 150 Gonal but I ovulated before the FET. I’m currently on another stimulated FET protocol - 5 units Lupron and 150 Gonal.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Initially Ilynne McGovern then Donna Gerbhart )
Ilynne is very knowledgeable and kind. Donna is getting better. I was upset after my initial interactions with Donna since they felt rushed and as if she was irritated by my questions. She has gotten better and seems to have more patience. She now spends more time explaining things and does a better job with answering my questions. In general, I do not understand the various nursing teams Dr. Kaplan has and what the responsibilities for each are. He has his Highland Park nurses which I understand are the IVF nurses and the River North nurses (unsure what they do compared to HP). I was annoyed that their process is not seamless. On one occasion, I was told by one of the River North nurses that I needed to contact Highland Park to receive my protocol. I already feel that I have to be my own advocate, ask questions about the protocol/why certain meds are used because they do not consistently explain this, and to have to sort out logistics because communication is poor on their end shouldn’t have to be my responsibility. It’s also challenging if you have a demanding job to be available for their phone calls since they typically do not have a set time that they call. So if you are in a meeting and miss their call but have questions, you often have to email the portal since they have left for the day and need to wait for a response. I do appreciate that the nurses will let Dr. Kaplan know that I want to speak with him after a canceled/failed cycle. Typically, you are asked to leave a message with his admin, Carmen, who never seems to answer her phone or be prompt with her return call. On one occasion, I had already spoken with Dr. Kaplan (nurses had asked him to call me) the week after a failed cycle before Carmen even returned my call!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It is challenging to work full time and manage monitoring appointments especially since you may only be given a 1-2 days’ notice that you need to come in. It is frustrating that the nurses call you in the evening to advise on next steps but likely by the time they call, the scheduling team is gone for the day. Because of the short notice, they often cannot accommodate me at my desired time, 6:30a. I work in the far north suburbs (~1 hour drive in average). I have had to cancel important meetings, work from home, take calls from the car. My work schedule is challenging because of my level and the fact I am in meetings most of the day. This adds a layer of stress with going to appointments and not having my work suffer as a result.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
My BCBS IL PPO insurance provided by my employer has different coverage for procedures vs. medications. My lifetime medication max was $15000 which was usurped with my first round of stim medications and didn’t cover the full expense. I have been out of pocket for meds ever since then. For 4 stim rounds and 5 FET preps, I’d estimate I’ve spend $20-25K in medication alone. Most of my procedures are still covered under my insurance so I’ve only had to pay deductible/co-insurance though do not know the amount. I’ve elected for PGS testing for the cycles where it was possible so for 2 rounds that was about $10K including biopsy, testing, and storage.
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1
3
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Tubal Blockage, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Other
1
3
Rushed out of all consults. Didn't go over anything in detail. Laughed at my questions. Didn't take time to hear me out about what's been going on with my body. ... After several rounds of nothing working, she [Dr. Ahmad] ended up telling me that she was out of options for me. ... My amazing nurse, Shanon, actually came up with my protocol ... I would also like to feel more secure in her drive to get me pregnant...I'm not sure how motivated she is.
No compassion at the front desk [Fertility Centers of Illinois]. Overall the office seems very cold. ... I did feel like a number there. Most of my ultrasounds were done by Cathy. She is very sweet and kind. ... Blood draw staff were nice and didn't hurt when poking. I can't remember the name of the girl who did my IUI's but she was very nice as well. ... I did that 3 times for IUI, but they all failed. Now I'm on to IVF.
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Tubal Blockage, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Other
1
3
How was your experience with Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
After several rounds of nothing working, she ended up telling me that she was out of options for me. My amazing nurse, Shanon, actually came up with my protocol and it worked! Dr. Ahmad is very sweet and seems very caring, but when it came time for me to ask my questions, I think she responded poorly many times...not always, but often she would laugh or just give a quick answer that made it seem like what I brought up wasn't really a valid point. I would also like to feel more secure in her drive to get me pregnant...I'm not sure how motivated she is. I would also like to see statistics specific to someone with my conditions and she work with such patients as far as what I might expect and what results I may see.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be sure to do your research and push to get your questions answered relevantly.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Asima Ahmad at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Rushed out of all consults. Didn't go over anything in detail. Laughed at my questions. Didn't take time to hear me out about what's been going on with my body.
Describe the protocols Asima Ahmad used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I tried Gonal-F shots for 2 rounds, but my follicles never grew. Then I did 5 days of Femara and 2-3 days of Menopur (150iu) and was able to get my follicles to grow. I did that 3 times for IUI, but they all failed. Now I'm on to IVF.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Shanon Shroeder)
Shanon was amazing, sadly I just found out that she left FCI. :( She came up with my protocol and would always help me out trying to find meds b/c she knew I was 100% self pay. I'm unsure who is going to come in now, and FCI never gave us a heads up as to her leaving, so I'm pretty scared about who's going to come in.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
No compassion at the front desk. Overall the office seems very cold. Dr. Ahmad wasn't super compassionate either. Shanon is amazing to work with. I did feel like a number there. Most of my ultrasounds were done by Cathy. She is very sweet and kind. She always had suckers there for my daughter. Blood draw staff were nice and didn't hurt when poking. I can't remember the name of the girl who did my IUI's but she was very nice as well.
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9
8
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality, Other
9
8
Dr. Rodgers is really a cheerleader for all her patients. She takes the time to answer all questions ... and personally calls you with good or bad news. I feel that she really has your back and tailors treatment based on each individual case. ... The only negative that I would say about her is that due to the amount of patients, she sometimes has to be reminded of things like meds, what protocol you followed for your last transfer but that should be probably expected as I am not her only patient.
Getting an appointment is pretty easy and the entire staff [Fertility Centers of Illinois] is super friendly. For monitoring, they try to adhere as close as possible to your appointment time. The most that I had to wait was approximately 15 minutes. It's super helpful that they are open as early as 6:30 am for appointment for those of us who have to get to work early. ... Ashley [nurse] is pretty amazing. Anytime that I had questions, she has made sure to call me or email me back the same day.
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality, Other
9
8
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers is a compassionate and knowledgeable doctor. She may be younger than most RE's but I honestly thing she takes her time to really understand different treatment options and thinks outside the box. She is not afraid to be challenged and answers all questions and concerns with honesty and with data to back it up if needed. She will try anything and everything that makes sense for your treatment. The only negative that I would say about her is that due to the amount of patients, she sometimes has to be reminded of things like meds, what protocol you followed for your last transfer but that should be probably expected as I am not her only patient. I never have felt rushed during any consults with her and she makes sure to be there for all transfers and procedures. I really wish that I had done a cycle with her with my own eggs.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Once you are a patient and in treatment, make sure you remind her of things that could be important.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers is really a cheerleader for all her patients. She takes the time to answer all questions (even has answered emails on the weekends and when on vacation which i felt horrible about!) and personally calls you with good or bad news. I feel that she really has your back and tailors treatment based on each individual case.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Before the first FET I had a saline sono and ERA done. FET #1 included an endometrial scratch, lupron, estrace, estrogen patches, antibiotic, baby asprin, and PIO. I got pregnant for the 1st time ever but sadly miscarried a couple weeks later. After the miscarriage we ran a couple of blood tests and everything was ok. Before FET #2, we did an endometrial biopsy to look for inflammation which came back negative so we proceed with the same protocol as the 1st FET and it was a negative. For our last FET, we added predisone and lovenox (everything but the kitchen sink) and sadly we had another negative. After this last negative, we decided to run a couple of more blood tests and will possibly do an EIP before our next transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Ashley)
Ashley is pretty amazing. Anytime that I had questions, she has made sure to call me or email me back the same day. I never have felt rushed to get off the phone or to keep emails short with her. When she has not been available, all of her other nurses have been nothing short of amazing either. This is honestly the first group of nurses that I have felt the most comfortable and least stressed with. They are a HUGE group of cheerleader for all of Dr. Rodger's patients.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Many people don't like FCI and refer to it as a "cattle call" but I believe that's coming from those patients that visit the River North location which is the biggest and busiest with multiple doctors and not to mention where all the procedures take place. There are so many other locations that FCI has in the suburbs where you definitely don't get that feeling. Getting an appointment is pretty easy and the entire staff is super friendly. For monitoring, they try to adhere as close as possible to your appointment time. The most that I had to wait was approximately 15 minutes. It's super helpful that they are open as early as 6:30 am for appointment for those of us who have to get to work early.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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9
8
Age
33
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
9
8
When meeting with Dr. Marut he is very compassionate and does make you feel like a human. ... I didn't see him again until it was time for the actual transfer. I think this may have been the hardest part, because I didn't have that reassurance that I needed during that process. ... I do like that he makes the effort to be at every ultrasound appointment. It's reassuring to hear him say how everything is measuring well and what to expect next.
The overall feel at FCI though is not the most "homey". ... Strengths: lot's availability for appointments. I especially like the early appointments (they open at 6:45am - so it's very convenient). Phone is always answered. Weaknesses: Very large office. Hardly ever seen by the same person. ... There were a few instances when I felt that there was some disorganization and that made me a little flustered with the process; but overall, she [nurse] does a good job and is attentive to your needs.
Age
33
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Latino
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
9
8
How was your experience with Edward Marut at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Overall my experience with Dr. Marut was very good. I met with him for an FET and he took the time to explain the entire protocol with me. At one of our diagnostic exams, I mentioned to him that I'd like to try a "Natural FET" and he allowed for me to go that route. I'd also like to mention that during the saline ultrasound I had to bring my 1year old daughter with me and he was very accommodating. She cried the entire time and he told me not to worry and did what he needed to do as quickly as possible. I was truly touched by how caring and understanding he was in this situation. I didn't see him again until it was time for the actual transfer. I think this may have been the hardest part, because I didn't have that reassurance that I needed during that process. My FET was successful and he seemed genuinely happy for us. I do like that he makes the effort to be at every ultrasound appointment. It's reassuring to hear him say how everything is measuring well and what to expect next.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Edward Marut at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
To make sure you have your questions at hand when you see him at your initial appointment. You will not get that long of a time after the initial consult.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Edward Marut at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
When meeting with Dr. Marut he is very compassionate and does make you feel like a human. The overall feel at FCI though is not the most "homey". It's too large of a practice that at times you do feel like just one more person there.
Describe the protocols Edward Marut used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I asked for a Natural FET. So the protocol was basically monitoring of lining and follicles. Once it looked like I was ready to ovulate I took a trigger shot and started Crinone 3 days later. Transfer was 7 days after trigger shot.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Marut's nurse has a really pleasant demeanor. She is cordial and seems to truly care. There were a few instances when I felt that there was some disorganization and that made me a little flustered with the process; but overall, she does a good job and is attentive to your needs.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Strengths: lot's availability for appointments. I especially like the early appointments (they open at 6:45am - so it's very convenient). Phone is always answered.
Weaknesses: Very large office. Hardly ever seen by the same person.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Edward Marut at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
$3,500 for FET
$250 Transfer of embryos Fee
Paid separately to transfer my embryos to the clinic as well as paid separately for medications.
Describe Edward Marut's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Marut suggested early on to only transfer one embryo.
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10
9
Age
27 - 30
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
9
For egg retrieval [with Dr. Laurence Jacobs], Gonal F 225 units nightly along with Menopur 75mg powders, I did two powders. Added in ganirelix around day 6. Triggered with 80 units of lupron. For frozen transfers, I started with lupron and birth control, followed by estrogen patches, crinone and progesterone in oil. For my second successful transfer, we did the ERA biopsy. From those results we adjusted my protocol and did ganirelix, estrogen patches, crinone, progesterone in oil and a short course of steroids.
Front desk staff [at FCI- Hoffman Estates] is just ok, except Nora, she is awesome! Ultrasound tech Vita is the best!! Weaknesses lie in time management and scheduling. Allow yourself extra time for appointments, because they tend to get backed up quickly.... I’m all for the single embryo transfer just because I know multiples carry many risks. Dr. Jacobs always recommended only a single embryo transfer for me every time.
Age
27 - 30
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
9
How was your experience with Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Jacobs is compassionate and honest. He takes challenges headnon and always does his best to remedy the situations. He has a gentle demeanor but he is very knowledgeable in this field. He will answer your emails at all hours of the day, and can always set your mind at ease. He is truly a wonderful doctor with a wonderful purpose in life.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Just go and see him, you never know what miracles he has up his sleeve.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was very thorough and tailored his treatment plan exactly to my needs. I did not feel like a number, I felt like a person, and he was so compassionate and determined to make me a mother.
Describe the protocols Laurence A. Jacobs used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
For egg retrieval, Gonal F 225 units nightly along with Menopur 75mg powders, I did two powders. Added in ganirelix around day 6. Triggered with 80 units of lupron. For frozen transfers, I started with lupron and birth control, followed by estrogen patches, crinone and progesterone in oil. For my second successful transfer, we did the ERA biopsy. From those results we adjusted my protocol and did ganirelix, estrogen patches, crinone, progesterone in oil and a short course of steroids. I continued the crinone, estrogen patches and progesterone in oil until my 10th week of pregnancy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Cindy)
Very thorough, quick and to the point.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Front desk staff is just ok, except Nora, she is awesome! Ultrasound tech Vita is the best!! Weaknesses lie in time management and scheduling. Allow yourself extra time for appointments, because they tend to get backed up quickly.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Well oiled machine, very thorough
Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Don’t remember specifics, but we have paid roughly $10,000 out of pocket with some insurance coverage.
Describe Laurence A. Jacobs's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I’m all for the single embryo transfer just because I know multiples carry many risks. Dr. Jacobs always recommended only a single embryo transfer for me every time.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
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1
3
Age
45 - 47
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
1
3
He is a very intelligent and seemingly caring physician, however I want to be able to communicate with my physician. The system they have in place is everything runs through the nurses. ... I cannot be an advocate for my treatment plan if I never have the opportunity to speak to the physician. ... If you like the hands-off approach Dr. Sipe may be for you, but if you like to be informed and have transparent and collaborative communication about your care plan you may want to chose a different clinic/physician.
The clinic team [FCI] is very good, very friendly and caring - but I feel like I get more interaction from the phlebotomist and ultrasound technician than from the people who are managing my care plan. ...You are assigned a nurse as soon as you begin. In the first six months I had three different nurses. ... Making appointments was easy I felt they had plenty of availability. ... The only person I could complain to was the receptionist because there is no charge nurse or nurse manager on site, but complaining to her resulted in a phone call from my nurse.
Age
45 - 47
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
—
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
1
3
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is a very intelligent and seemingly caring physician, however I want to be able to communicate with my physician. The system they have in place is everything runs through the nurses. I made an appointment to see the physician because my husband and I had questions and the appointment was cancelled by the office because "Dr. Sipe is not sure why you have an appointment at this stage of the program." I was not allowed to keep the appointment or go in and speak to him. I had to direct our questions to the nurse. If I have questions I should be able to contact my physician. I cannot be an advocate for my treatment plan if I never have the opportunity to speak to the physician.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Meet with several physicians before you make a choice and ask them how much personal interaction they have with patients. If you like the hands-off approach Dr. Sipe may be for you, but if you like to be informed and have transparent and collaborative communication about your care plan you may want to chose a different clinic/physician.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
The only times I got a chance to speak to the doctor were the "consultations". Every bit of the care is managed with the nurse and I've had my nurse switched three times. The nurse I am dealing with now has poor communication skills and does not return phone calls or emails. Ever since we had to move to the donor egg process I felt left in the dark and ignored by my physician and nurse. The clinic team is very good, very friendly and caring - but I feel like I get more interaction from the phlebotomist and ultrasound technician than from the people who are managing my care plan.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I had to have a pre-IVF surgeries for an adhesion of the uterus. Then I underwent 3 different protocols for egg retrieval. Based on my age my physician recommended genetic testing between retrieval and implantation. The first Protocol was a Lupron protocol . The second protocol was the Schoyer 2. The third was a modified Lupon Protocol beacuse even though I produced more eggs the second time the quality was not as good. It was only in my first cycle that I had eggs get to blast and be sent for genetic testing. At that point we moved to using donor eggs. In this process we had to see the psychiatrist and deal with a lot of the anxiety and depression of the process. Once we chose our donor we began moving forward on payment as donor eggs add another level of financial stress to a couple. It took us about 2 months and now I am in the middle of the treatment plan for implanting donor eggs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Patricia)
You are assigned a nurse as soon as you begin. In the first six months I had three different nurses. The first nurse I had was great but suddenly another nurse was calling me about my care. It was never explained why, when, or how the change of care was initiated. I ended up with the nurse I have now. We have complained about her lack of response. During our time of getting things arranged for a egg donor i had a lot of questions and in a 3 week span I emailed her 9 times, left her voice messages 4 times, and never got a response until I called to complain. The only person I could complain to was the receptionist because there is no charge nurse or nurse manager on site, but complaining to her resulted in a phone call from my nurse. It makes the patient feel like they are no longer important. I understand people being out of the office or buy with other patients, but in 3 weeks there should be someone managing my care who could reach out to and explain the dissonance.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The staff at the clinic is great. I love the phlebotomist and the ultra sound tech. They are caring, empathetic, and aware of what you as a patient are going through. I had a situation where I was two days short on meds and my shipment was late and the phlebotomist who is also a nurse worked with me to find me meds for those 2 days so I would be able to go ahead with the retrieval.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Making appointments was easy I felt they had plenty of availability.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Our insurance plan covered a great deal, but there were out of pocket costs associated with specific procedures and most of the medications. The donor egg portion is extremely expensive and not covered by any insurance.
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10
10
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Jacobs likes to use novel treatments and tests so if you are interested in cutting edge science, definitely see him. This may mean that these tests aren't covered by insurance so that is something to be aware of. These additional tests did make the difference in my treatment so I would suggest doing your homework and making sure you are comfortable with spending the additional money on novel, cutting edge science that may not have as much research backing it.
Front office staff at Hoffman Estates [Fertility Centers of Illinois] are lovely, especially Nora! Kind, compassionate and willing to help when trying to fax, schedule appointments etc. Very helpful especially with out-of-state patients...18 eggs, 14 mature, 8 fertilized, 6 made it to day 5 blastocyst and 3 were PGS normal. Transferred 1 single embryo and resulted in live birth...They [nurses] both are very nice and knowledgeable however Mary is more organized. For those patients that are high anxiety, I would recommend requesting Mary as your primary nurse. All techs are wonderful especially Vida (one of the ultrasound techs).
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Jacobs is thorough and very willing to tailor the treatment and protocol to you as a person. Prior clinics have been reluctant or unable to dig deeper to figure out why I was not responding as expected to hormone stimulation for an IVF cycle. Dr. Jacobs took the time to do that and described all his approaches to me and my husband even though we were distant patients (traveled to IL for the treatment). He met with us in-person and via Skype and was quick to respond to emails from us directly. He is busy and sees lots of patients but we never felt like we were just a number to him. He understands the emotional aspect of infertility and treatment as well. I would recommend him in a heartbeat and referred him to a close family friend for a 2nd opinion who had success after following his protocol suggestions. He is a wonderful doctor and we are very happy to have found him after unsuccessful cycles elsewhere.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Jacobs likes to use novel treatments and tests so if you are interested in cutting edge science, definitely see him. This may mean that these tests aren't covered by insurance so that is something to be aware of. These additional tests did make the difference in my treatment so I would suggest doing your homework and making sure you are comfortable with spending the additional money on novel, cutting edge science that may not have as much research backing it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Jacobs is very compassionate and remembered minute details about your treatment, diagnoses, care and life. He listens and is one of the few infertility docs we have seen that really understands the emotional aspect of fertility treatment.
Describe the protocols Laurence A. Jacobs used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Antagonist protocol (Ganirelix, Menopur 150 and Gonal-F 300) with 7 days of Letrozole at the beginning of the stimulation. 18 eggs, 14 mature, 8 fertilized, 6 made it to day 5 blastocyst and 3 were PGS normal. Transferred 1 single embryo and resulted in live birth.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Cindy and Mary are two of Dr. Jacobs nurses at Hoffman Estates office. They both are very nice and knowledgeable however Mary is more organized. For those patients that are high anxiety, I would recommend requesting Mary as your primary nurse. All techs are wonderful especially Vida (one of the ultrasound techs).
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Front office staff at Hoffman Estates are lovely, especially Nora! Kind, compassionate and willing to help when trying to fax, schedule appointments etc. Very helpful especially with out-of-state patients.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We had insurance coverage up to a certain deductible and then 10% thereafter. Meds were covered similarly. Unsure of total care cost.
Describe Laurence A. Jacobs's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Yes, strong preference for eSET due to PGS testing. Informed us of risks of multiple embryo transfer and we were all comfortable with proceeding with eSET.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost paperwork
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10
10
Age
26
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
Dr. Rodger’s always explains things in a way that is easy to understand. She always encourages questions and she’s great at what she does. ... So far I am taking Levothryoxine, a prenatal vitamin, vitamin D, inostisol, and other supplements to prepare my body and hormones before starting the IVF process. ... Because at the end of every appointment Dr. Rodger’s has said “let’s get you pregnant” and she is so kind every time I consult with her.
One weakness is the distance - I travel to Buffalo Grove [Fertility Centers of Illinois] and live in Crystal Lake. Other than that, everything is great. The office is clean, the staff is very nice. Everyone is knowledgeable and compassionate. ... Stephanie is great at working around my schedule to communicate with me either through the patient portal or over the phone. She always makes sure my questions are answered. And she is reassuring every time I talk to her. She is also great at communicating with my husband (who is not in the health care business).
Age
26
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodger’s always explains things in a way that is easy to understand. She always encourages questions and she’s great at what she does. She had to go through treatments herself and she’s living proof that IVF is successful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Ask questions. Be an advocate for your care.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Because at the end of every appointment Dr. Rodger’s has said “let’s get you pregnant” and she is so kind every time I consult with her.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I haven’t started IVF yet but I know we will have to do egg and sperm retrieval. So far I am taking Levothryoxine, a prenatal vitamin, vitamin D, inostisol, and other supplements to prepare my body and hormones before starting the IVF process.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Stephanie )
Stephanie is great at working around my schedule to communicate with me either through the patient portal or over the phone. She always makes sure my questions are answered. And she is reassuring every time I talk to her. She is also great at communicating with my husband (who is not in the health care business).
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
One weakness is the distance - I travel to Buffalo Grove and live in Crystal Lake.
Other than that, everything is great. The office is clean, the staff is very nice. Everyone is knowledgeable and compassionate.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
My total estimated treatment cost is $10,181-$13,361. The deposit to start treatment is $2,500. I’ve already spent >$1,000 on appointments, lab work, medication, and supplements. The treatment will include IVF (early monitoring, monitoring, retrieval, embryology, and transfer), cryopreservation, sperm storage, progresterone, etc.
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5
6
Age
32
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor
5
6
The one time I did meet with Dr. Kaplan, he was very kind and spent time answering all of the questions we had - I did not feel rushed. ... I’m at the point now where I’m a bit frustrated as next steps are not clear to me. ...While meeting in person with Dr. Kaplan, he was very kind, caring and compassionate. Upon our initial consultation I was very excited to work with him and eager for what was to come.
The staff [FCI] is very knowledgeable and helpful as well. Improvements in this clinic would be in the billing department- as much as they say they want to make it easy I’ve only experienced stress and frustration. For me it has been challenging enough paying out of pocket, Chicago tiered, expenses and they have messed up my bill about 50% of the time.
Age
32
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor
5
6
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I’ve been visiting the clinic for four months and only met with him once, so very little to go off of. The clinic pushes most of the communication and forward plans through the nurses so I have much more experience working with them. The one time I did meet with Dr. Kaplan, he was very kind and spent time answering all of the questions we had - I did not feel rushed. I would overall like more interaction with him, but cost for appointments without insurance coverage is prohibitive so I’ve relied on email communications.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I do believe the clinic is good and ultimately if your case is complicated I think the staff is strong and experience is significant that you are in the right hands. If you are expecting more personalized 1:1 with Dr. Kaplan himself, ensure that you are financially able to make the appointments with him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
While meeting in person with Dr. Kaplan, he was very kind, caring and compassionate. Upon our initial consultation I was very excited to work with him and eager for what was to come. It was apparent that he has been doing this a long time, so was realistic about expectations, but also treated me as though I was not just the tenth person he had seen that day.
Following the consultation though, I have really just felt like a number at the clinic. Part of this, I believe, is a result of a large clinic and so many patients moving through the doors. Regardless, I do find it challenging to get personalized feedback on how I am progressing through treatment.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility while my husband has been diagnosed with mild male factor infertility. To date, we’ve gone through 3 IUIs with no success. I’m at the point now where I’m a bit frustrated as next steps are not clear to me. For each IUI treatment I started off on letrozole, followed by a trigger shot of Ovidrel, and progesterone to follow (Crinone). Monitoring throughout each cycle indicates I’ve responded positively and no changes were made to prescribed dosages.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Nursing staff is primarily who you work with at this clinic and they are great! They are absolutely the messenger between the doctor and you. Feedback on monitoring is very timely, they are quick to respond to any questions, and have been very accommodating working around my schedules as needed.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
This clinic is massive and with multiple locations. As a result, I have found it very easy to make appointments and the available times have been very accommodating to my schedule (630am appointments!). The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful as well.
Improvements in this clinic would be in the billing department- as much as they say they want to make it easy I’ve only experienced stress and frustration. For me it has been challenging enough paying out of pocket, Chicago tiered, expenses and they have messed up my bill about 50% of the time. Not to mention the 30min waits I spend with the billing department trying to resolve. Huge opportunity for improvement here!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I have no comparison but costs seemed pretty as expected. I’ve challenged quite a few bills as an out of pocket patient as they do charge for everything! I’ve been able to lean on my insurance for some of the blood work related costs as they are willing to accept this as non-treatment related activity and reduce it significantly. I also was surprised to see that despite $1400 (for me) in IUI clinic related costs, there is also a $300 ‘management of ovulation’ fee that seems pretty excessive. For out of pocket patients, they discount $25.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
- Read less
10
10
Age
34 - 38
Treated
2015 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
In our situation Dr Jacobs recommended we do eSET due to the fact that we had very highly graded embryos. However, he explained all of the risks of benefits of both approaches and ultimately left the decision up to us...is extremely warm and personable. He treats each patient as an individual and customizes your care to your personal needs. He also gives his patients his personal email and encourages you to reach out if you have any questions or concerns throughout the process.
Costs [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] were very clear and up front and we had no issues...the front desk staff is extremely nice. The phlebotomists and ultrasound techs are alsoreally great and kind. The one area for improvement I can suggest is I think the communication with the nurses could use some improvement. I felt a lot of the responses I received to questions or concerns felt rushed and not always thorough. I'm sure they're just very busy and overloaded but with the high emotions involved in all of this I would have appreciated extra support.
Age
34 - 38
Treated
2015 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Jacobs is the best of the best. Not only is s he extremely knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of infertility and treatment but he is a kind and caring person. He made us feel comfortable and confident throughout the process. I have and will continue to recommend him to any friend who is struggling to conceive.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be open and honest with him and trust him to know what is best.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Jacobs is extremely warm and personable. He treats each patient as an individual and customizes your care to your personal needs. He also gives his patients his personal email and encourages you to reach out if you have any questions or concerns throughout the process.
Describe the protocols Laurence A. Jacobs used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
During our first ivf cycle we retrieved 30 eggs, 21 of which successfully fertilized. Of those, 10 embryos made it to day 5. we did a fresh transfer of a single untested 5 day embryo based on Dr Jacobs recommendation which resulted in the healthy live birth of our daughter. Our second cycle was an FET cycle I had to be on lupron due to my body not responding to BCP. We again transferred a single 5 day embryo (frozen) and I'm currently 11 weeks pregnant.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Helen)
My primary nurse for monitoring, Helen, was ok. She seemed to be very busy andmost of her communication was via email and very short and to the point. The nurse who coordinated my IVF cycle was Keith and he was incredibly kind and compassionate and always took the time to call me and fully answer all my questions.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The main strengths of this clinic are Dr Jacobs is amazing and the front desk staff is extremely nice. The phlebotomists and ultrasound techs are alsoreally great and kind. The one area for improvement I can suggest is I think the communication with the nurses could use some improvement. I felt a lot of the responses I received to questions or concerns felt rushed and not always thorough. I'm sure they're just very busy and overloaded but with the high emotions involved in all of this I would have appreciated extra support.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurence A. Jacobs at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Our first cycle was not covered by insurance so it was completely out of pocket for us. Costs were very clear and up front and we had no issues. Our FET cycle was covered by insurance. The prior approval process was lengthy and frustrated but that was more the fault of my insurance than the clinic.
Describe Laurence A. Jacobs's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
In our situation Dr Jacobs recommended we do eSET due to the fact that we had very highly graded embryos. However, he explained all of the risks of benefits of both approaches and ultimately left the decision up to us. We fully trusted him and follow his advice and it worked out well.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
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9
10
Age
27 - 29
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Other
9
10
My husband had a vericocele procedure done and between that and medication, his sperm quality wasn't improving. Dr. Rodgers found that I had a low egg count for my age. She didn't want us to waste time or money on IUIs so she suggested we jump right to IVF. ... Dr. Rodgers was kind and honest. She explained everything clearly and truly helped us make the hardest of decisions.
I always was able to easily schedule appointments unless it was with Lindenhurst [FCI]. Make sure to just schedule an appointment before you leave because they don't always have their phones on due to it being a lower volume clinic. ... I visited 4 different FCI clinics and most of the staff was genuinely kind and caring. My favorite was nurse Amber Kiddie at the Highland Park office.
Age
27 - 29
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Native American
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Other
9
10
How was your experience with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Rodgers was kind and honest. She explained everything clearly and truly helped us make the hardest of decisions. She didn't perform any of my procedures unfortunately but I was happy with the other doctors that treated me on those days.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be prepared to be overwhelmed and take notes. She has gone through infertility herself and will tell you what's up!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Many of the staff remembered me and called me by name.
Describe the protocols Allison Rodgers used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
My husband had a vericocele procedure done and between that and medication, his sperm quality wasn't improving. Dr. Rodgers found that I had a low egg count for my age. She didn't want us to waste time or money on IUIs so she suggested we jump right to IVF.
Our first cycle consisted of a prep cycle with cetritide and patches then the stimulation contained Gonal F, Menopur and Cetrotide. Unfortunately all 4 embryos that survived at first were only compact embryos and had a much lower chance of survival. No embryos were able to be frozen and we got a negative pregnancy test.
Cycle #2 also consisted of a prep cycle with patches and Cetrotide. The simulation was changed by adding the Lupron protocol which made the cycle a little longer. It also contained Gonal F and Menopur. This cycle we had the best of embryos! We have 3 frozen embryos and I'm currently 12 wks pregnant with our 1st place embryo.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Amber Kiddie)
I visited 4 different FCI clinics and most of the staff was genuinely kind and caring. My favorite was nurse Amber Kiddie at the Highland Park office. She was so friendly and she always promptly responded to my emails or phone calls. The only issue I sometimes had was with over confident nurses who did my blood draws and didn't believe I was a difficult stick.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Highland Park and Lindenhurst was where I spent most of my time and they were very pleasant. I always was able to easily schedule appointments unless it was with Lindenhurst. Make sure to just schedule an appointment before you leave because they don't always have their phones on due to it being a lower volume clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Allison Rodgers at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We did not have insurance coverage for our treatments but there was partial coverage for diagnostic testing and consultations. I believe it was less than $100 per consultation visit with Dr. Rodgers.
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10
8
Age
38 - 42
Treated
2015 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Anovulation
10
8
Dr. Sipe made us feel comfortable the first time entering his office. ... He is practical with his responses and backs everything up with stats. You know where you stand with the IVF numbers game, and I found comfort in that. He feels like a friend more than a doctor. And we deeply share the same goal. ... He backs everything up with science, and I appreciate that. ... You won't feel rushed, so come prepared with questions to get the most out of your visit.
I will say making appointments [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] is easy. Check-out it easy. Depending on when you go, wait times can be tough. I opt to go during lunch so it's much less busy! The worst part about the clinic is the location - no easy public transportation to get there. It's along the Chicago River in River north. ... The technicians are wonderful. Very personable and informative. (Blood & Ultrasound)
Age
38 - 42
Treated
2015 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Anovulation
10
8
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I trust him implicitly. He has already shown us success with my first born, and now we are trying for a sibling. Our experiences with him are thorough and we leave with a great deal of confidence knowing that we (and him) are doing everything we can to achieve a pregnancy. I was successful on my first IVF cycle, so in my book, he is pretty darn good! I also appreciated his candor when I asked him questions about different things to do that I read off the internet to boost my chances. He did say half of his job is de-bunking stuff people read on the internet. He backs everything up with science, and I appreciate that. made the process less stressful to not try every herb out there that claims to help with infertility.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He gives you a lot of time. You won't feel rushed, so come prepared with questions to get the most out of your visit.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe made us feel comfortable the first time entering his office. My OBGYN had recommended him, and said he was the best. We already went into the appointment knowing we were in good hands. He is practical with his responses and backs everything up with stats. You know where you stand with the IVF numbers game, and I found comfort in that. He feels like a friend more than a doctor. And we deeply share the same goal.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
3 IUI's failed before moving into IVF. I honestly don't remember the specific protocol. But here it goes: Birth control to suppress system. Lupron injections. Added Follistim for stimulation. Trigger shot HCG, I believe. Retrieval.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Laila)
Very responsive. Answered all my questions. Super helpful!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I prefer the doctor to the clinic - my experience is with the doctor and his staff. I will say making appointments is easy. Check-out it easy. Depending on when you go, wait times can be tough. I opt to go during lunch so it's much less busy! The worst part about the clinic is the location - no easy public transportation to get there. It's along the Chicago River in River north.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Has improved since my first run, but I think switching to go during afternoon hours made a difference. The technicians are wonderful. Very personable and informative. (Blood & Ultrasound)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Handled through insurance, so can't comment on costs.
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
For my first, it was a fresh transfer and due to my age and quality of embryo's we transferred 3! Hey, one stuck, so yeah! For my transfer now, I am over 40 and protocol has changed. Because of my age, I need to do PGS testing so I have to do a frozen cycle. I have a 65% chance of pregnancy with 1 embryo, so we are only transferring 1 for my upcoming FET.
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5
3
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Immunological, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
5
3
He closely monitored me, frequently I was going in daily. ... Dr. Kaplan prefers transferring two embryos. ... He’s willing to adjust treatment a bit but I think he’s been in the game so long that he’s looking at statistics and not considering individualized options to better help the specific needs of his patients. ... Dr. Kaplan is great, but doesn’t seem willing to think outside of the box. ... He will not order additional testing until you’ve reached 3 miscarriages.
it’s easy to make appointments but there [FCI] is very little done to make sure the process runs smoothly. I would routinely wait 45-75 minuets for bloodwork and ultrasound.That paperwork is not closeiy watches either. ... They disclosed HIPAA information to a third party. The nurses do not closely review changes in medications. ... Lab personnel disclosed gender of embryos despite request not to learn that information.
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Immunological, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
5
3
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is extremely knowledgable but does not push the boundaries for treatment or looking for answers. He will not order additional testing until you’ve reached 3 miscarriages. Thankfully my OB ran a thrombophelia screen after two and discovered an issue. Dr. Kaplan added lovenox, but then after a 3rd miscarriage mentioned additional medications to consider. After having that many losses, and doing PGS, I was shocked to hear that there were additional low risk medications to add that could help. I wish he would have laid that all out ahead of time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If you aren’t having success push him on options. He’s willing to adjust treatment a bit but I think he’s been in the game so long that he’s looking at statistics and not considering individualized options to better help the specific needs of his patients. For instance 2/3 of my pregnancies have been twins. I luckily get pregnant easily, but don’t stay pregnant. I sought a second opinion and that RE suggested only transferring one embryo next time to avoid complications of a twin pregnancy cycle given my fertility issues. I was shocked Dr. Kaplan hadn’t suggested this as a means to lower the risks I face with a clotting disorder that would make a twin pregnancy especially difficult. Dr. Kaplan is great, but doesn’t seem willing to think outside of the box.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan made sure to meet with us a number of times to answer any questions.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Dr. Kaplan’s stimulation protocols for egg retrieval’s worked very well for me. He closely monitored me, frequently I was going in daily. I don’t recall the specific protocol.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Dr. Kaplan’s nurses are mostly responsive. There are a number of them and there appears to be a fair bit of turn over (new names each cycle). Unfortunately I ran into a number of problems because FCI’s computer system had issues working with same sex couples and not generating paperwork the nurses wanted. Rather than communicate this issue to me I was left in the car waiting for responses. Also the nurses have difficulty if you deviate from their standard plans. For instance Dr. Kaplan added a drug (lovenox) for a FET that I had not been on previously. I spoke to Dr. Kaplan about it, he explained the drug and the. It wasn’t called in or added to my schedule. When I asked the nurse I was told I was mistaken twice. I had to explain to the nurse my history of loss and diagnosis to make it clear I wasn’t just asking for the medication and then the nurse admitted that Dr.Kaplan had added it to my chart. The nurses just missed it. When going through an already stressful process, it’s hard to have the nurses add to the stress.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
it’s easy to make appointments but there is very little done to make sure the process runs smoothly. I would routinely wait 45-75 minuets for bloodwork and ultrasound. No one is checking to make sure patients are seen timely. I was told part of this is a computer issue. Part of it is just sloppy office management. For patients to be called for ultrasound a sheet of paper is placed in wall holder for ultrasound techs to grab. I learned from one ultrasound tech that she will take a stack at a time because she likes to be busy. Well, if you’re at the bottom of that stack you’re waiting in a line you didn’t have to wait in because another tech could have seen you in a reasonable order.
That paperwork is not closeiy watches either. I had my name, DOB, MRN, home address and medical information disclosed to a third party because they mistakenly gave away my paperwork.
Finally scheduling to see Dr. Kaplan is a nightmare. His scheduler Carmen is horrible. I think she might only work one day a week. It takes approximately 5 phone calls and messages to get her to return your call. And when she does she doesn’t give possible dates,she just wants you to call back but she’s never there! So you can’t even call and leave a message saying those two dates work, please let me know which one you schedule me for. She is horrible.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Typically I had a $30 copay for ultrasounds and the costs for FET and ER were nominal under BCBS.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Kaplan prefers transferring two embryos. He never discussed eset.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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