HRC

HRC is completely overworked, overbooked, and overcrowded. It seems they are most interested in generating profit rather than providing attentive care to people who are experiencing one of the most difficult things they can go through in their lives. The nurses are too busy, the doctors are busy and also too confident and cocky in their abilities (which hasn't worked for us as we are not pregnant yet) and unwilling to change. They are more concerned with their foreign investments and their clinic is more about making a profit than providing personalized, attentive care. I would NOT recommend HRC to any prospective patients. They have good success rates but they treat you like a number. This is not worth it to me at all.

HRC's clinic in Pasadena is completely overworked and understaffed. They have taken on too many patients, including a large number of foreign national patients. There have been many times where the waiting room is so crowded that patients have nowhere to sit. This in turn affects the level of care that the doctors and nurses provide us as patients. I have had very little interaction with Dr. Wilcox and he is so busy that he does not do follow up appointments with patients. I realize that we need to find a clinic and doctor that offers more personalized care.

Dr Wilcox's nursing staff is good and prompt in returning my calls and emails, however they do lack some compassion or empathy. For example, my nurse called with the negative beta results and did not say "I'm sorry" or any other words to provide comfort. I also think the nurses are completely overworked and understaffed.

I believe Dr. Wilcox is an exceptional, knowledgeable doctor with years of experience. He has a calm, supportive and reassuring demeanor, however, he is a bit too confident in his abilities and unwilling to change or adjust his protocol. We have had two failed transfers with pgs normal embryos and he only suggested one test (ERA) but does not believe in changing our protocol at all. He also does not do follow up appointments and after two failed transfers, I had to push our clinic to demand a meeting with Dr. Wilcox. I believe it is unconscionable that a doctor does not provide follow up care with failed treatments and that I had to demand follow up meetings.

I would not recommend HRC or Dr. Wilcox if you are seeking personalized, one-on-one care with a provider who has the time to respond to your concerns. However, if this is not a priority for you, then HRC and Dr. Wilcox are very capable and should hopefully get you success. They are not a good clinic for patients that have more difficult cases and need more specialized care.

I did one egg retrieval with Dr. Wilcox which yielded 34 eggs, of which 28 were mature. All 28 were fertilized with ICSI and we ended up with 14 blastocysts. We sent the 14 embryos to be PGS tested and 6 came back PGS normal. He gave us a protocol of menopur and follistim and Lupron trigger. For FET #1, we did delestrogen injections every 3 days and then progesterone suppositories and sublingual progesterone 3 times a day. This resulted in a negative beta test (implantation failure) with our best PGS embryo. FET #2 I took 10mg daily of prednisone, delestrogen injections every 3 days and progesterone suppositories twice a day and progesterone injections once a day. This also resulted in a negative beta test (implantation failure) with our second best PGS embryo. Dr. Wilcox suggested ERA to determine if the timing is accurate but does not recommend any further immune testing or testing for endometritis or endometriosis. With each transfer, my lining has been perfect (10mm a week before the transfer, trilaminar stripe), my hysteroscopy showed a great uterine cavity. Dr Wilcox believes it is just a matter of time until we get pregnant and does not suggest any other testing so we will be switching doctors.

We paid around $16,000 for egg retrieval, ICSI, and pgs testing on 14 embryos (including ultrasounds, blood tests, and one beta test and transfer). Our next FET cycle cost $3260 which includes a Kaiser discount. The medications were extra and varied in price.

N/A

It a pretty clinic, which was very misleading because the facade of looking good didn't match the behind the scenes medical experience. Strengths: the office is beautiful, the parking is free and it is convenient for people living in Pasadena. Weakness: there is awful communication and you are expected to know about fertility treatments at your consultation as a new patient.

We felt like a number because we had very little knowledge of the process in the beginning and we trusted Dr. Nelson. During the first minute of our consult he said we were already behind because of our age. If he thought that we were so far behind, why did he start so conservatively? When you've experienced your 4th failed attempt at IUI and the nurse practitioner, who you've only met for 5 seconds blurts out, you should just go to IVF, it dehumanizes you and makes you feel like a failure and you are out of options.

Justina had a heavy accent, which made communicating about things which require so much detail, like giving yourself injections on specific days very challenging. We had NEVER gone through any form of fertility treatment before and this information was not given to us like we should know the process and what to do.

We didn't know much about fertility treatment when we began our fertility journey. Upon consultation, we were told that we should have started our treatment years ago, which was discouraging considering we had just gotten married and there was nothing we could do about that. We began with all diagnostics to make sure that everything in my body was working as it should, which was Dr. Nelson's suggestion. We were never told that anything wasn't "good." HRC Pasadena in general had many miscommunications and directions given to us that were not clear, from both the medical assistant assigned to our case to the financial coordinator. As we began our treatments with Dr. Nelson, which was close to our home and convenient, he began conservatively. We appreciated this because I came in believing, and was under the impression even after all the labs, that I was fertile Myrtle. We were NEVER told that my AMH was under 1 when we began trying to get pregnant. It wasn't until we were out of funds in 2017 where we were just paying our OBGYN to do IUIs that we consulted with another fertility doctor who went over our labs from 2015 and said that she would have started with IVF immediately back in 2015 to retrieve the eggs I had! I have been so so so so so disappointed in the fact that 2 years and over $50,000 have been spent without us knowing the proper information. We have taken time off to build up our financials so we can try retrievals once again AND here we are in 2019 now with nothing. I'm SO angry, upset, resentful and frustrated that my bloodwork and personal lab results were withheld and not given to me clearly in 2015 when I was 34 as they would have changed our plan and how we proceed. I also know now that if someone says something to you like, "you should have started your fertility journey years ago," they are NOT the person you should trust to guide you on your way to making a baby.

Don't expect a physician to objectively explain your lab work or the process. Get educated and ask for all of your information and labs to be printed for you so you can get educated on your own.

Dr. Nelson wanted to start with bloodwork and diagnostics to make sure that my body was functioning properly. He suggested we start with an ICI, which was very conservative and in hindsight, we have no idea why he would start there if he knew that my AMH was below 1. We asked about using Clomid, which he didn't offer immediately. Going into our first insemination, we did use Clomid, per our own request, and we did request an IUI. After the first insemination, he thought the Clomid was pointless and he didn't suggest any other meds except the HCG trigger shot. We continued with 3 more IUIs using HCG trigger shots, none of them resulting in pregnancy. It was after our 4th insemination that the nurse practitioner, who we'd just met, said, "you should just do IVF." At that point we were done with this office and never received a call or follow up from Dr. Nelson.

Each time we did a round of IUI, it was $2000 for the procedure + the cost of meds + the cost of sperm = $3500-$4000 each round of IUI.

We never go to this point with Dr. Nelson.

The clinic employs friendly staff who are available to answer questions, provide information, and go the extra mile to work with our insurance carrier. We appreciated the billing department's staff advocating for us with our insurance carrier and even providing invoices that they don't usually provide so that my husband and I could be reimburse through our insurance company for certain treatment procedures.

Dr. Peck was very thorough with her visits with us and always made sure we understood every step of our process, she was compassionate, patient, understanding, and knowledgeable.

Our Care Coordinator is very thorough with our consultations with us and helps to further educate us on our process. She always promptly responds to my emails when I have questions and I appreciated that more than anything, she was always available. During the time when we ordering our stimulation medications she went above and beyond to help our insurance cover the medications by writing a letter of medical necessity on our behalf very quickly and our medications were approved which was a huge help financially for us. We appreciate Kimberly sharing her own personal experiences with the treatments we were going through and telling me what to expect during the process.

From the beginning of our process with Dr. Peck she has always taken the time to explain all information, including risks, and encouraged us to make our decisions regarding our treatment based on the information she provided. I liked that she never pushed for a particular agenda with our treatment, she always provided information and let us (my husband and I) consult with each other and make our choices. I like that Dr. Peck is so patient, compassionate, and shares our triumphs us with which makes us feel like we are a team, instead feeling like it's us vs doctors. I've been very happy with her level of care during out IVF process which we are still in the middle of, we look forward to the next steps in our journey with Dr. Peck as our guide.

Share any concerns you may have about treatment or your process with Dr. Peck so that she may provide you with information and knowledge to make the possible decision for you and your partner.

During our egg retrieval Dr. Peck adjusted possible dates and dosages of medications based on the growth of our follicles during the time I was taking stimulation medication. Towards the end of our cycle Dr. Peck monitored our progress very closely by having me do daily ultrasounds and blood draws. She took the time to explain the reason for my feeling so much discomfort and overall pain (high number of follicles developing), she explained the reasons for the delay during my egg retrieval and explained the benefits of waiting longer for egg retrieval (waiting until most of the follicles reached full maturity). We appreciated the close attention paid to our progress during our egg retrieval. During the day of our egg retrieval she came in and spoke to me and told me what to expect and even after the procedure she came in and provided us with our results and I truly appreciated her answering questions despite being very busy and treating multiple patients including ourselves.

Embryo testing, PICSI, genetic counseling, and stimulation medications.

We have not completed a transfer cycle yet.

Communication and compassion are this clinic's strengths. Dr. Coffler and Angel the nurse stand out at this office because you can really tell they care, and they work directly with you on the details of your treatment. Also, this office has a small staff that knows what they are doing. They have a team who each knows their roles and you will see them doing it throughout your treatment. This office isn't in the nicest or newest building but that really wasn't an important factor for me. My previous doctor had a nice facility but poor communication and bedside manner. The opposite is true at HRC, and I was so happier and felt respected here because of that!

Although I did not necessarily see the doctor at each visit, I knew that he was actively involved in the management of my treatment. Communication was always prompt and the staff was always available to answer any questions. They understood my needs as a person and did not just treat me like I was a statistic for their office. For example, the doctor recommended a procedure and I was about to do the procedure but I had some concerns, so I decided to cancel even though I had already showed up. The doctor was completely fine with my decision and even called me that afternoon to see how I was feeling about it all. Another time, the doctor left me a 3 min long voicemail on a Friday afternoon to answer one of my questions that I had emailed a nurse about. Very considerate staff!

Angel is an incredible nurse. She was a breath of fresh air compared to my previous RE's office! Angel was pleasant and kind. Angel was so easy to communicate with. She was available anytime by phone or email. I even emailed her while she was on vacation and another time on a Saturday and she responded the same day. Angel is one of the main reasons that I LOVED this clinic!

Dr. Coffler sits down one-on-one with you and your partner during the initial consult. We had about 45 minutes with him to explain our fertility history and ask many questions. He did not rush us at all. He addressed our questions. He does not typically go into detail when communicating, so sometimes I felt like I had to ask more questions to understand at the level that I preferred. He wants to help and will answer any question, but he does seem busy and juggling a lot of things. Also Dr. Coffler is well respected in the community. When I had an HSG, I mentioned his name to the radiologist and she confidently said, "Oh, you'll get pregnant! You're in good hands."

If you need more information, just ask and tell him that. Email is an easy way to communicate with the staff and you can expect quick responses (usually within the same day).

We did medicated timed intercourse with monitoring. We started with the highest dose of Letrozole (which I had used in my previous cycle with another doctor) but I did not respond, so then Dr. Coffler prescribed Clomid at the lowest dose (which was my first time using). I responded to the Clomid and had a Ovidrel trigger shot. I ovulated (for the first time out of my 3 total cycles, two of which with another fertility specialist) but did not get pregnant.

With TRICARE Standard, my copay for a monitoring ultrasound and blood work was $100. Most everything else with my medicated timed intercourse was covered.

Nice facility in a great location. Will work with outside monitoring facilities for out of state patients. Seem a bit disconnected from a financial aspect; requires full cycle payment (FET) up front, despite benefits / insurance coverage. Financial people don't communicate well and were lousy at being able to check my insurance benefits - told me I had no coverage when I knew I did. Just constantly had to micromanage them despite my desire for them to be more proactive about my care.

2 failed cycle attempts so far. Both were avoidable. When I asked why I wasn't given Lupron in the luteal phase, to prevent early follicle recruitment, was told "that's not the doctor's standard protocol." So, I lost my chance at a fresh transfer cycle. When my 2nd cycle was canceled for lining thickness, I asked why I went a whole 2nd week on estrogen when my lining was already a good thickness at day 7 monitoring appointment. Again, I was told that it's Dr. Potter's standard protocol to do at least 14 days of estrogen. So far, the "standard protocols" aren't working for me. And some of the standard protocols explained ahead of time - like 2 embryos transferred when no genetic testing is done - aren't even industry best practice any more. Case studies indicate that live birth rates plateau once a patient has at least 9 days of exposure to estrogen; birth rates begin to decline at 13+ days. 3 days of bed rest after transfer is also his standard protocol, and a practice no longer recommended. He just seems out of date and not willing to change or consider other courses of treatment. I really don't understand the point of monitoring at all if my treatment plan wouldn't be adjusted based on how my body is reacting to the medications.

Stephanie was very kind, compassionate and usually available. I would have to ask multiple times for basic things like schedules, monitoring orders (out of state monitoring patient). Would leave VM and have to follow up with her via email.

If you want a laissez faire experience, Dr. Potter is great. You have 1 initial consult with him and never hear from him directly again - not even after 2 failed transfer cycles. He asked me a couple of questions, asked me what questions I had for him, and then told my nurse the next day what additional tests he wanted from me: Vitamin D and prolactin, mammogram, etc. I suppose that's more efficient, but it's better to talk to your patient about why you want those tests done. I went and had labs drawn as requested, but I was taking 5000 IUs of Vitamin D, and had told someone on his staff before - thus, it was in my chart.

Talk to your patients. Customize treatments to get the best results. When you're dealing with donor eggs, understand the bulk of your clientele aren't young. Consider that when conceiving of your new standard protocols. Consider industry best practice (elective single embryo transfers) before handing out orders through your nurses. 2 embryos just has a greater chance of multiple births, it's no longer considered an industry best practice.

20cc of lupron starting on Day 3 of birth control pills. Early follicle recruitment, failed. 20cc of lupron starting after confirmed ovulation; Cut down to 10cc on day 10 Day 10, start estradiol valorate .2cc every 3 days Result: uterine lining too thick on day 14 to see feathering effect. cycle canceled. 10 days of progesterone to "reboot".

$6500 for embryo transfer cycle - had to pay all up front, regardless of in-network insurance benefits.

Was told that if I didn't pay >$2000 out-of-pocket for genetic testing, Dr. Potter would want to transfer multiple embryos as "part of his standard protocol". I said no.

HRC is very professional and has a hands on approach with their clients. The wait time can be long, but it’s because they are spending valuable personal time with each patient. I never was upset about this because I knew they would be giving me the same attention and care.

Dr. Norian took an enormous amount of time to sit with, discuss, and teach my husband and I about the available options. I have never felt like a number or a paycheck for him. I especially love my nurse coordinator, Deanne. She is amazing!

Deanne has been my rock and saving grace through this whole process. She answered every phone call and email with compassion, expertise, and care. She consoled me when I was crying and disappointed, boosted me up when I needed it, and guided me through the entire cycle.

Dr. Norian has great bed side manners and spends every appointment with you. He does every ultrasound and reviews results with you every time you go in. He answers questions in a knowledgeable but patient friendly way. He is blunt and to the point, so he does not sugar coat anything which can be emotional but I appreciated so I did not ever have too high of hopes/positivity for things. I always had a realistic view of everything that was going to happen and what the possibly outcomes could be.

Ask ALL the questions and do not be afraid to speak your mind.

Aggressive IUI, hoping to turn into IVF since I started with only 1 follicle and a low estrogen and AMH level. My protocol was Menopur 225 (3) and Gonal F 225 for the first 10 days. Was supposed to add Centrotide on day 6 if I had been responding well, which I wasn’t so we continued with the original dosage until day 8, but I am still not responding well. Continuing until day 10 and then deciding if we will continue with IUI or cancel the cycle.

The clinic is on busy Ventura Boulevard. There is parking at the building, but it is pricey. I wish there validated for the attached parking, but you have to self-pay. The clinic itself is nicely decorated. I have been to others with shabby chairs and 1990 decor, but HRC is modern and clean. Each appointment I had in the Encino office, there was minimal wait time, if any at all. All of the staff from the front desk, phlebotomists, and nurses are all friendly and kind. Billing can be a little bit confusing. My case is likely unique with extra charges and additional procedures. They do offer a military/veteran discount, which is very nice!

Dr. Boostanfar and his staff are warm and take time to explain every step of the process. I am an out of state patient, which can make things more difficult. His staff helped every step of the way.

My nurse, Bahar, was highly communicative and on top of every med, symptom, and appointment. She gave me her personal contact to reach out to anytime I needed her. She has been amazing!

Dr. Boostanfar is direct. I am an educated, self-advocating patient and he took that into account when explaining why he chose a particular protocol for retrieval and transfer. He was very compassionate when I miscarried and is determined to get me to my goal.

I would say meet him and let his expertise guide you.

My cycle before finding Dr. B was a complete failure where I made no blasts. I was a low responder. Instead of jacking up my FSH, Dr. B suggested micro dose Lupron and HGH. I had 5 embryos sent off for testing and 2 came back normal. For my transfer, he tried an out of the box protocol including an HCG injection, Neupogen uterine wash, vaginal viagra, intrilipids. It worked in terms of getting me pregnant.

Due to travel and additional testing needed, I've likely spent $30K

I believe that this clinic does a fantastic job at what they do. I feel that our setbacks are because of our diagnosis or lack therefore. I think there are somethings we just won’t ever understand about our fertility with DOR and a family history of male infertility on my husband’s side of the family. There are just some people that have a higher success rate than we do. I wish that Dr. Norian could have spent some more time explaining things to us. And maybe that will come later during a follow up consultation if this is a failed cycle. Another weakness is that the clinic is so busy. There were two occasions I sat in the waiting room for over an hour because they were behind. It’s tough to put up with this because I was working and had to make up my time at work. So waiting was stressful. I wish they would have notified me to come in a little later and that would have made all the difference.

Dr. Norian was super busy, and I didn’t feel like he could spend time with us to answer questions. He was very rushed trying to get through patients.

Deanne spent most of the time of our visit with us explaining medication and appointments. She also seemed to be rushed. I made about two phone calls to her and the call went to voice mail each time. It was best to communicate with her via email. The laboratory nurse was pretty good about getting my blood drawn right away.

I came in already having been treated elsewhere so my diagnosis was done outside of this clinic. I don’t feel that I learned anything new being under his care. He seemed to be a very skilled doctor from the times we met with him. The medical treatment was not unlike our other experiences.

Make sure to have your questions written so that when you get time to talk to the doctor you will not forget what you wanted to ask.

We did Gonal F 225mg and Menopur 225mg-300mg for 9 days. Novarel on day 10 and Cetrotide for 5 days. Doxycline a day before the retrieval for 5 days. We started a few meds a day after egg retrieval that included progesterone in oil, endometrin, estradiol, Medrol dose pack. I would have liked a rationale for using this protocol from the doctor but mostly the nurse would just tell me what we were doing with not too much explanation.

Procedure was like $12k. Medication was about $6k.

You will be a number in a revolving door. We got to our appointment 20 minutes early with everything filled out and still didn't get called until an hour after our appointment time. We didn't feel that we were anything but a number and checkbook to them.

He was crass and said comments that disturbed us.He didn't look us in the eye. He didn't know anything about us or take the time to try. His office would never get back to us with questions.

Our nurse was super nice and we felt really comfortable with her but once the billing issues started I never heard from her again. Called and emailed with no response.

My husband and I agree we would never go back there even if he was the only doctor covered by our insurance. Which we were told he was. He was so rude to us. Then his office tells us that the $10000 worth of tests he ordered would be cash payment when we have insurance coverage. But they couldn't figure that out over 4 months so even though I called and emailed dozens of times I never got to move forward. He tried to charge us almost 4 times what the average cost of a cash test was at all the other clinics ($1900 for a hysteroscopy vs $500 at most OC clinics). I do not, can not, and will not ever recommend him or his clinic. Save your money, energy and emotional stability and go elsewhere.

Look elsewhere. There are more compassionate doctors who won't make you feel like a slug on the ground.

We didn't get this far because even though we had an approved referral for a service he wouldn't bill our insurance and said we had to pay cash. But every time I talked to insurance or my healthcare group they said he was covered and our only option.

Extremely high. Yes infertility treatments are expensive but even my obgyn seemed to think it was astronomical so I called other clinics in the area. When I told them the price I was quoted they said to run away from there because that was robbery.

It's a very well organized clinic. They can get busy later in the day but I usually book the earliest appointment available and I haven't had any issues with waiting too long. The financial department was slightly slower in responding to my questions when comparing to the rest of their staff.

I appreciated her being so matter of fact with us. Our previous fertility doctor was nice but also seemed to not give us the guidance we were looking for and Dr. Frederick has given us the guidance and confidence with this process. She met with me prior to egg retrieval and shared "Don't worry, I will take very good care of you" and that stuck with me, it was what I needed to hear, her confidence.

Liz was compassionate and a great communicator. She encouraged questions and took her time with us when going over protocol and medications. It felt like she genuinely cared about us.

Dr. Frederick is compassionate and direct and that's two qualities I definitely want in a fertility doctor. She has a confidence that also makes me feel that I am in good hands. In comparison to a previous doctor I was seeing, I felt I was always questioning him and advocating for myself, with Dr. Frederick I feel she hears me and is accessible.

You'll be in good hands with Dr. Frederick.

I began with birth control on my 3rd day of my menstrual cycle and about 5 weeks later of all active birth control pills I stopped taking it. Had a baseline appointment to go over medications and any other questions I may have had. 5 days later I began Follistim 375IU and Menopur 1 vial for 10 days each at 7:30pm. I visited the doctor's office 3 times for ultrasound and blood lab. I started Ganirelix at 7am for 4 days on day 6 of medications. Had my 3rd, last appointment before egg retrieval which was 4 days later and reviewed medications and expectations for egg retrieval day. I took Ovidrel 35 hours before scheduled egg retrieval and began doxycycline (antibiotic) 1 day before egg retrieval. They were able to retrieve 24 eggs. 17 of those eggs were mature and 17 eggs were successfully fertilized. 14 embryos came from the 17 and our final number after PGS was 7 embryos.

I was able to book my monitoring appointments at my convenience, so I made the appointments for as soon as they opened and it seemed smooth to me.

I believe it's more expensive than other clinics, however, what Dr. Frederick has provided to my husband and I is definitely worth it.

n/a, embryo transfer will be happening in June 2019

The clinic does not manage time or patients well. There is not a realistic timeline to see the dr and you have to wait a long time to get in. They are also terrible at returning calls and still owe me a considerable amount of money from a reimbursement my insurance company already sent them. This clinic is terrible. If you want to be treated like a number and you have endless amounts of money to waste and you don’t want a doctor that cares, this might be the place for you.

He never took the time to get to know us and often kept us waiting for hours to see him. The first time we waited an hour and a half and the second time it was two and a half hours. His office insisted he was on his way the whole time, when we did meet with him it was only 15 min to say ivf will never work for you try an egg donor. All he wanted was the money and we were just a number. He was horrible at making us feel heard or understood. Once he saw my results he was basically like see ya, you’re never going to make it so I don’t want to prioritize you.

The nursing staff tried their best to makeup for where Dr potter lacked. You could tell they were afraid of upsetting their boss, he frequently blamed them for why he was late or why they didn’t communicate correctly. They seem like nice people who try but again they treated me like I was just a number they could get money out of.

Dr. Potter keeps all his patients waiting for hours on end. The waiting room is always filled with people waiting for him with no end in sight. When he meets with you he promises you the moon on the first visit. Then once he sees your results he doesn’t care to support you in the next step and quite honestly showed zero compassion or empathy for the shocking news we received. You can tell he’s in it for the numbers and the money and will move on to the next gullible patient who’s willing to pay an extreme amount of money for poor care.

Do your research and find another doctor who will actually care about making your dreams come true. HRC is like a factory trying to squeeze everyone and has zero personal attention for patients.

Dr potter recommended an egg donor as the only resort for us to get pregnant. He didn’t provide any other solutions and sai this was the only way.

$2000 just for initial consultation and bloodwork.

The office was clean. But I could tell by other patients there that having an appointment did not mean you would be seen in a timely fashion. Seems you would wait at least 30 min or longer in some cases. For me I had to wait 20 min for my first appointment for just a consultation.

Results were not relayed in a timely manner. The nurses weren’t very helpful in getting information back to me, or asked me if I understood everything the doctor was saying. I wish they could have given me written information regarding my lab results, instead Dr. Norian called me once and basically just recommended IVF. I never heard back again afterwards, therefore I decided it would be best to go elsewhere where I felt more comfortable.

I can’t remember my nurses name, she was I believe if Indian ethnicity. She appeared to just do her job and had zero effort on being pleasant. She barely spoke unless it was just to answer me. I felt like I was pulling information out of her instead of her being a resource for me.

Dr. Norian was polite, very knowledgeable, but I also felt like he had a lot of other things going on in the office, like his attention could not be 100% committed to my care. It could be more helpful if he were able to give more educational handouts on whatever diagnosis he had for my care because a lot of times I couldn’t remember everything he was saying.

Write everything down.

N/A

I was still covered by my insurance for “diagnostic” treatments, so I didn’t have to pay at first. Later I would end up paying for an HSG he ordered through another Facility.

N/A

From our one experience with the one doctor, it felt like he might be ok for someone with a simple fertility issue that responds to basic protocols for treatment. Anything other than that and he’s not refining the treatment to the specific needs of the patient nor was he knowledgeable of current information in fertility (such as triggering earlier for AMA because the eggs mature more quickly). On the upside, they take insurance and are adept at working with insurance companies’ protocols.

At the initial consultation, he was friendly and seemed like he would work with the recommendations provided by our previous provider (Dr. Baek). While he did use her initial recommended protocols (which were admittedly different from his), he never adjusted them throughout the cycle and each time I was seen for ultrasound, I felt more and more like I was just being herded through the process. I’d ask questions that he wouldn’t answer and was dismissive of my concerns that he was overcooking (i.e. too much meds and too long) the eggs. At the end of the cycle, when none of the eggs were good (all overcooked), he told us it was just chance as to whether we’d get a good cycle if we tried again. There was no attention to fine-tuning the process or individualizing it. We were very disappointed. The only reason we tried him instead of going back to Dr. Baek (who was successful in helping us get pregnant years earlier) is because our insurance covered the majority of the treatment at HRC and money was tight. We were very disappointed.

Our primary nurse was very nice and helpful.

At the initial consultation, he was friendly and seemed like he would work with the recommendations provided by our previous provider (Dr. Baek). While he did use her initial recommended protocols (which were admittedly different from his), he never adjusted them throughout the cycle and each time I was seen for ultrasound, I felt more and more like I was just being herded through the process. I’d ask questions that he wouldn’t answer and was dismissive of my concerns that he was overcooking (i.e. too much meds and too long) the eggs and felt more condescending at each visit, dismissing my concerns with “I’m not going to overcook the eggs” (despite doing exactly that). At the end of the cycle, when none of the eggs were good (all overcooked due to too much medication and for too long a time), he told us it was just chance as to whether we’d get a good cycle if we tried again. There was no attention to fine-tuning the process or individualizing it. We were very disappointed. The only reason we tried him instead of going back to Dr. Baek (who was successful in helping us get pregnant years earlier) is because our insurance covered the majority of the treatment at HRC and money was tight.

if you want someone who is going to fine-tune your medication regimen to your individual needs, go elsewhere.

While he was willing to use the initial treatment protocol we’d received in our consultation with Dr. Baek (which was admittedly different from what he would have done), he never adjusted it throughout the cycle and triggered much too late. The eggs were all overcooked (which he attributed to age and chance) and took no responsibility for his part in the ineffectiveness of the cycle. I was very concerned that he didn’t seem to have any interest in refining his approach for future cycles. We would have gone through the exact same regimen again with similar failed results. It did not appear he was up-to-speed on current approaches for refining IVF treatments to the individual needs of the patient.

Because they work with insurance, I believe we paid a little over $2000 for the entire process.

As a whole they are amazing. From dealing with the front desk to the nurses to talking to dr and financial advisors. I never had any issues with anyone or anything with HRC Rancho Cucamonga. They get back to within a good time whether it’s emailing or calling. The entire staff is very professional as well.

Dr Norian is very straight forward but also empathetic to the needs and wants of his patient.

Extremely friendly and comforting. They try to help you to the best of their knowledge and if they don’t know an answer they’ll direct you to someone that does know.

At first I was extremely nervous about what to expect from a fertility specialist and honestly expecting the worst outcome, that being that I won’t be able to have children with and without treatment. Dr Norian and his team put all those fears and worries to rest. The nurses are very comforting and friendly. Dr Norian was also comforting along with delivering the truth about my condition and treatments that would help us conceive. I really appreciate the empathic approach they have especially when infertility is a complete roller coaster of emotions.

Don’t be shy. If you have questions make sure to write them down before the consultation. The information given at the appointment can be extremely overwhelming and you might forget some of the important questions you have. He’s very open and understanding so don’t be afraid to ask about anything on your mind.

My Fallopian tubes are no longer connected after a surgery. Dr Norian suggested FET IVF and gave us all the statistics relating to it and said I’d be a great candidate but being that I’m going to be 35 soon we need to start right away. He gave me an ultrasound which we found a small polyp and soo I was referred back to my OB to get that removed before we could move forward. We were able to remove it but unable to go back for treatment due to the fact my husband is military and was sent to Korea for a year.

We have insurance that cover consultation and some fertility medications. I’m unsure of the costs.

The staff are very friendly especially the financial people. The in house acupuncture is also great. I still see Pei-Jen even though I've switched clinics for treatment. It's nice that the egg retrievals are done in the same location and you can get parking validated if you buy something at the cafe downstairs.

The staff were always very kind and the office never felt overcrowded or hectic.

Trey was inconsistent in her communication. Sometimes great and sometimes she'd go MIA. She was kind and encouraging but not super helpful in terms of the actual medical side of things. I was given incorrect needles for the instructions I was given, she didn't know how to use a Q-cap for the menapur (she would try and pop it out instead of putting it on the vial then releasing the packaging), and a few other glitches.

During our consultation Dr. Feinman told us there was nothing you could do to affect the quality of your eggs, they are what they are and nothing will change that not even drinking and smoking! He also had a coffee mug that said his medical degree trumps your google search. I should have gone with my gut but I just wanted to get started. He was nice enough during the visits if not seemingly little annoyed if I asked questions. The end result was that there were no normal embryos. He had no intention of changing protocol. I wasn't allowed to speak to the lab. I was given no information as to their grading or what abnormalities.

If you are young and have plenty of healthy eggs you will probably be fine but his one size fits all approach is not a fit for older women or women with special circumstances.

Clomid, Follistim, Ganerelix and Menopur. I was given no insight as to how or why.

Acupuncture is 100 a visit. The IVF cycle came to around 25,000

The clinic is gorgeous! one of the reasons I picked it was that I wanted to to be in a beautiful environment while undergoing this difficult process and HRC-Pasadena is stunning. The staff is very friendly and usually respond quickly. The waiting room is nice and cozy. Some hours it is packed and others not so much so you have to learn the flow if you'd rather avoid people. They are usually on-time, we have only had to wait around extensibly once out of the 20+ times we have been there. The pharmacy they work with is exceptional as well. Some of the weaknesses are that at times it has taken a certain staff member over three days to respond to important messages with time-sensitive questions. They resolved that by assigning someone else to our care but it was a bit frustrating at the time. Another one would be that there are signs that ask people to try not to bring children in the clinic as it can be difficult for some people, but there are days where there's lots of kids. Sometimes families with 4+ children which definitely deflates the spirit. I think staying open a bit later would be helpful as well.

The Nurses and staff at the clinic are amazing. Nurse Connie has been wonderful throughout the process. We are undergoing our second round of IUI and she has supported us through and has answered every question we've had. Other staff have not been so quick to respond which was difficult at times but once Connie became my contact person everything has been smooth sailing. Doctor's schedule tend to get a bit crammed/limited, especially if he is planning to be out of town. The pharmacy they use is incredible and the office is beautiful.

Connie has been absolutely amazing throughout the entire process. She is very responsive and one of the kindest people I have met and love that she got assigned to us. She always makes me smile and helps easy the anxiety when my husband and I are there for procedures. She is so compassionate and knows exactly what to say. She has actually been the highlight of my experience at this clinic.

Dr. Nelson comes across as genuine and kind. He has wonderful bedside manner and has always answered my questions with compassion and care. He seems very confident in what he does yet he has a calming presence at the same time (doesn't seem arrogant or stuck-up). Only downside is that I haven't gotten to see him as often as I would have liked as he has been traveling. IUI #1 was done by him, but baseline and followup ultrasounds have been done by nurses in his absence. Same thing has been happening with round #2. He also doesn't answer emails personally, you have to wait for the nurse or someone else from the team to talk to him, and then they relay the message. I would prefer if it was actually a bit more of a doctor/patient direct exchange.

Make sure you write down questions and bring to consults where he will be so that you can ask the doctor directly when he is in the room rather than have to wait for others to relay messages back and forth.

It is $2100 for IUI (includes ultrasounds, sperm washing, blood work if/when needed). It was about $450 for initial blood-work for STI and genetic testing which was sent to outside lab.

Weaknesses: They seem more responsive at the start of your process (consultation/diagnostic workup/treatment planning); yet if you wait a few months for the actual procedure, they seem less responsive to questions you might have. You can be on hold for a long time early in the morning. Financial people seem to change often. I would have preferred more direct contact with the RE to ask questions when they came to mind. Strengths include having a very well trained doctor (Dr. Ghazal) with great rates of success. The cost of treatment is clearly delineated in their forms, so you are not going in blind. They have one of the best labs in the nation.

Dr. Ghazal answered every single one of my questions each time I spoke with her. She has a great bedside manner and she makes it a point to answer your questions in a very detailed manner, so that there is no confusion. She listened to my struggle, and responded in a compassionate manner. I did not feel as though she was trying to rush me out of her office.

Regarding the clinic, there seems to be people switching into new roles often within the office. When it seems as if you are going to do a procedure right away, they are very responsive to emails and other forms of communication. Yet, it seems as though if your procedure is not happening for a few months, they take longer to respond to emails (if at all).

Strengths: Dr. Ghazal is highly trained and has a lot of great experience in the field and she has the highest fertility rates in the clinic. When you ask her a question, she is straightforward, authentic, and detailed. When she shared information that I considered bad news for me, she was compassionate and did it in such a way that made me feel that there was hope for my situation. The only downside is that I did not get much contact with her and everything is communicated through her nurses and coordinators. Yet, when she did meet with you over the phone or in-person, she made you feel as though she was present with you and not trying to rush off to the next patient.

If you want a doctor who will be available by phone or text or more available, Dr. Ghazal is not the one.

Because I am an older person, with great eggs but with numerous complications with my uterus, the goal was to try to go slightly more aggressive with my medications, so that I can produce a lot more eggs for my egg retrieval, in the hopes that when the eggs are fertilized, I can get the most genetically normal embryos possible. Then I would freeze these embryos, fix the problems with my uterus, and then do a frozen embryo transfer. The goal is to be successful in maintaining a pregnancy and reducing the chances of miscarriage. I believe the drug protocol is similar for most IVF cycles, just the dosage may be different. The overall goal is to have one successful IVF cycle with great outcomes in regard to have a number of genetically normal embryos.

For one cycle of IVF, including genetic screening of any embryos, and freezing embryos, I was looking at a bill around $21,000 out of pocket. This estimate also includes the price of fertility medications for the one cycle. You can also tack on an additional $2000 to 3000 for diagnostic procedures conducted prior to treatment planning. These are all out of pocket costs.

My doctor had a strong preference for single embryo transfer, primarily because there is a higher success rate for a single embryo transfer. Also, she explained that if you place more than one embryo into the uterus, you never know whether one of those embryos will split and produce twins and triplets. So she wants to reduce the chance of multiple unexpected growing babies.

Overall very happy with the clinic. Clean, short waits, professional staff and many services offered. Prices seem in line with other clinics as well. Didn't get great results on my first attempt, but hopeful that with a tweaked protocol will improve.

Consultations go pretty quickly, with not a lot of extraneous information given. He is very friendly and professional, but doesn't spend a lot of extra time going over results or the WHY of things.

She is great at going through and explaining what to expect and what comes next, as well as answering any questions that you may have forgotten to ask the doctor. Patient and professional, and seems to really care about my success.

He is warm and friendly, but on the move. He gives you the essential information and answers any questions, but doesn't spend a lot of time explaining why he's choosing the protocol he's choosing or going over what to expect. Unless you know what to ask, I feel like it would be easy to leave without some information. The nurse that is helping me fills that role instead.

Have a list of questions ready. He is very knowledgable but gives the impression of also being quite busy, and unless you ask questions the appointment will go very quickly and you may not get all the info you want. Overall, though, I think he knows what he is doing and is very good at what he does.

Microdose lupron, follistim and menopur. I don't know WHY these were chosen, other than I think my fibroids were taken into account with the lupron. I did not respond well, however, so we're changing the protocol next time.

Medication, monitoring, and the actual retrieval costs (anesthesia, etc), as well as the cost of freezing the eggs.

Everyone is very nice. Appointments are a breeze - they either get you in early, or right on time. Surgical facilities are beautiful and the staff there is great. Just ask a lot of questions. Sometimes i felt rushed or unable to ask, or even felt like i was supposed to know things, when in reality i didn't know what was happening and why at certain times.

I definitely felt like a human - the Dr. and staff were very caring. I would have liked more explanation and details around my care.

My care coordinator was a little robotic. Nice, but not super compassionate. Not a very good communicator - i had to chase via email for answers to a lot of things that were unclear.

He is very compassionate and nice. I can't complain about him or his care. I am a very analytical person, so would have liked to understand more of the "why"s around my course of treatment -- why one protocol vs. another, and whether or not that is due to his professional philosophies for treatment or due to my specific case.

Ask questions. If you feel rushed, slow it down.

They were never explained to me. At least, the rationale behind why. I don't know what my protocol was called, but i was on: Gonal-F 350/day Menopur - 1-2 vials, depending Added something else toward the end of sims Not sure what i triggered with First round, retrieved 5 eggs. 3 fertilized. All tested abnormal. No transfer 2nd round, retrieved 3 eggs. 1 fertilized. Never grew. No transfer.

First round with meds (and some insurance coverage) was roughly $15k.

We never got to transfer, so we hadn't discussed it.

Communication is adequate. Better than Dr. Potter’s response time. They are compassionate and apologetic for Dr. Potter’s consistent tardiness. They are proficient in their roles. Sometimes communication is great and sometimes it is very poor. For example, one time I had a time sensitive question, and did not get a response until the next day. I felt that it should not have been my responsibility to follow up, but had I not, I would not have gotten the information I needed.

With every encounter I had with Dr. Potter, he was at least 1+ hour late (consultation, surgeries, personal meetings). During our initial encounter (consultation) he failed to make eye contact, introduce himself, and the facility. We had selected him anyway, because he discussed a treatment plan that I felt was custom to my situation, and with that I was impressed. At one point, I intentionally called him out for being late, and I did not receive an apology, rather a poor excuse. Despite my dissatisfaction, I still proceeded with care as I told myself, I didn’t care about bedside manner as long as I had results. I also felt that I didn’t have a choice but to proceed as I had already made an out of pocket cash payment in full.

Natalija was my care coordinator, but not a nurse. She was an ultrasound tech. She seemed skilled and knowledgeable in her role. However, I also felt she was “spread way too thin”. Her role overlapped with that of Dr. Potter. I think a lot of what should be his responsibility fell onto her lap, just simply because he didn’t have the time for it. I actually never worked with a nurse from the clinic (only surgery center) during my whole treatment there.

Strengths: intelligent, high success rates, skill Weakness: lack of compassion, lack of time, consistently late (staff members had even candidly shared this with me), poor response time, flat affect. Dr. Potter has opened a Infertility Clinic in China in the past year. As a result, I believe he is spread “way too thin”. Procedures and communication, that I believe should be done and or shared by an MD is instead done by his staff. Considering the amount of money I have paid to the clinic, I had higher expectations. For example, I had questions for Dr. Potter at one point and was told I could not communicate with him because he was in China. Another example, I had very sensitive PGS testing results, and his ultrasound tech delivered the results rather than him. Another time, I paid an additional $100 for a 15 minute meeting with him (in which he was an hour late for), regarding a treatment plan for which I had already paid $20k+ for. These instances made me feel that his primary interest was money making vs me as a patient.

He is an intelligent infertility specialist. However, do not expect that he will ever be on time, you will always wait at least an hour or more with every encounter with him. Do not expect hand-holding, or compassion. He is a bookish, matter-of-fact type. Communication in my opinion is poor.

I had a uterine septum Dr. Potter corrected prior to any egg retrievals or potential transfers, with good outcome. He initiated a insulin resistant/metformin protocol, even though my GTT yielded normal results. This was in response to me yielding a low number of eggs during the first retrieval. It did not improve the outcome for my second retrieval.

Approx $20k for 2 retrievals, transfer, labs and US $2k for hysteroscopy/septal repair Approx $8-10k for medications

N/A

This clinic has the highest pregnancy rates in Orange County. I would recommend. Ask questions and advocate for your preferred method of treatment. The doctor has great credentials and a great success rate. Nursing staff is excellent. Don’t be afraid to send emails at any time. You are not alone in feeling like you are asking silly questions and the staff never makes you feel like you are. I hope my next attempt at a frozen embryo transfer is a success. Will have an appointment to discuss what went wrong with our transfer on Friday.

The staff and technicians at the office are warm and easy to talk to. My IVF coordinator never made me feel like I was bothering her with questions

All of the nursing staff is amazing. They make you feel comfortable and supported.

For blood work and ultrasounds he was only present for 2 appointments. I can tell he is passionate about his job and truly wants to succeed in getting couples a ‘take home baby’. Communication is sometimes hard due to his first language not being English. I would have liked to be informed more about my actual results. Ex: progesterone levels, follicle count, uterine lining

Ask questions and ask them directly.

We did 2 egg retrievals in order to bank as many embryos as possible prior to PGS/PGD testing. This was suggested to keep costs down and was the right choice as our first retrieval resulted in 0 normal embryos. Second round resulted in 2. Frozen embryo transfer was a standard protocol. Lupron, progesterone, estrogen. Resulted in a BFP then a chemical pregnancy. Still waiting to review what went wrong and what could have been changed.

We did pretty much everything that could have been offered. ICSI, assisted hatching, PGS and PGD testing, and one extra procedure for our second egg retrieval to pick better sperm for ICSI. Total cost associated with services approx $40,000

This doctor will only transfer one embryo. I would have liked to have the option to transfer 2 if we felt that was the right choice for us.

The facility is very nice but extremely busy. If you have an appointment after 9am, prepare to walk into a full waiting room. I literally had nowhere to sit a few times. That said, the clinic is clean and well equipped.

Dr. Wilcox is extremely busy and it seems like he uses a similar ivf protocol for many patients. However, my egg retrieval progressed just as he had predicted without OHSS which was one of my biggest worries. While he is quick in and out, his team will definitely take time to answer questions if needed.

Nanette is great at explaining the process every step of the way. She responds quickly to emails and definitely provided a lot of peace of mind throughout. When she is out of office, her backup Ana is amazing too. They definitely go above and beyond!

Dr. Wilcox is very capable and confident and has an impressive track record. Everything he told me to expect has happened during treatment (ie number of follicles to expect, predicted date of egg retrieval, etc). I trust that he will always prescribe the right protocol for me. However, I do wish he had more time to spend with his patients. Aside from our initial consultation, each appointment has lasted no more than 10 min and then he is rushing off to the next patient. I know this doesn’t compromise the level of care I’m receiving. Whether it results in a BFP for us, we will see in a few weeks once we transfer.

Have a list of questions that you want to ask ready to go at each appt.

Birth control pills for 18 days Ultrasound/bloodwork on CD2 Begin injections on CD3 Follistim 225 + Menopur 75 from CD3-6 Follistim 225 + Menopur 150 from CD7-9 Add in Ganirelix on CD8-9 Trigger with Lupron + HCG on CD10 Egg retrieval on morning of CD12

About $3K per IUI including injectable meds About $23K for IVF cycle including meds, ICSI, and PGS testing

N/A - currently awaiting number of day 5 blasts

HRC-Encino is warm and inviting. Every time I call, I am quickly transferred to where I need to be. They’re honest about their costs. Also, they call with results on time! My only complaint is expensive parking.

Dr. Peck never wasted my time with multiple IUIs or rounds of clomid. She was honest about my chances instead of just going through the motions. Dr. Peck took the time to explain the entire situation and provide honest feedback.

Kimberly is Dr. Peck’s nurse and is amazing! She will email me back about a nervous last minute question at 10pm on a weeknight! Shanise is another nurse who is the only person to get my vein on a first try. She’s also very friendly and nice to speak to, which is very important. Currently, she is assisting with having me join a clinical study. She’s amazing at answering all my pressing questions, being open about what is needed for me to do, and flexible with her scheduling!

Dr Peck took time to ensure I received the care I needed and received the answers for the questions I asked. She was candid about our results and helpful with recommendations. She also took the time to qualify us for an IVF study, which may be helpful for us.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Dr. Peck is very sweet, but honest.

Dr. Peck originally recommended medicated cycles for anovulation. She also urged a semen sample and HSG prior to treatment. I’m so grateful that she did because I also have a blocked tube/my husband has poor morphology, motility, and DNA fragminatation. Knowing these results, she recommended IVF to save us time and money. Moreso, she recommended us to an IVF clinical trial, which will hopefully save us more money.

300/ultrasound 80/bloodwork IUI/2,100