[Dr. Jeffrey Nelson] was very personable and kind during treatment, but his nursing staff were chaotic, disorganized, prone to mistakes and unapologetic. At one point he gave me his personal cell number, but even then there were miscommunications and missed messages...is a very nice man who has a ton of experience...My issue is that his staff are a mess and if he hasn't seen fit to fix that, that is a severe flaw on his part. When there was a huge mistake made with my protocol, he did not take any time to explain potential effects to ease my mind. I was just left hanging, completely scared and seemingly alone.
It was around $13k for the retrieval process [at HRC]. Even if you had insurance, you had to put that amount down prior to the cycle. You would be reimbursed for anything that ended up being covered by insurance...This is a busy clinic. It is a nice looking office and very clean and comfortable...It has free parking...Justina and Chloe [nurses] both made a number errors over the course of 5 months. Justina's error caused my cycle to be cancelled because I was given instruction to take my trigger shot several days too early. She refused to apologize and argued with me that it wasn't her fault, despite the fact that I had it in writing from her. Chloe sent me another patient's surgery instructions.
How was your experience with Jeffrey Nelson at HRC Fertility?
Dr Nelson is a very nice man who has a ton of experience. He was recommended highly by two other medical professionals. My issue is that his staff are a mess and if he hasn't seen fit to fix that, that is a severe flaw on his part. When there was a huge mistake made with my protocol, he did not take any time to explain potential effects to ease my mind. I was just left hanging, completely scared and seemingly alone.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Nelson at HRC Fertility?
Triple check all instructions given. Be very proactive and over communicate. You are your only advocate.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Nelson at HRC Fertility?
Dr Nelson was very personable and kind during treatment, but his nursing staff were chaotic, disorganized, prone to mistakes and unapologetic. At one point he gave me his personal cell number, but even then there were miscommunications and missed messages.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Nelson used in your cycles at HRC Fertility and their degree of success.
My list of medications for the first cycle:
Gonal-F
Menopur
Cetrotide
Progesterone Lozenges
MethylPrednisolone
Chorionic Gonadotropin
Estradiol
Doxycycline
Aspirin
Describe your experience with your nurse at HRC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Justina)
Justina and Chloe both made a number errors over the course of 5 months. Justina's error caused my cycle to be cancelled because I was given instruction to take my trigger shot several days too early. She refused to apologize and argued with me that it wasn't her fault, despite the fact that I had it in writing from her.
Chloe sent me another patient's surgery instructions.
Describe your experience with HRC Fertility.
This is a busy clinic. It is a nice looking office and very clean and comfortable (at least for the women). It has free parking, which is a huge plus. It's in Pasadena, which is super convenient to folks on the eastside.
Cons: It sometimes felt like I was in another country. Patients bring several family members with them and they camp out with big bags of food and drinks and talking loudly on their phones. There were times when there was nowhere to sit, it was so crowded. Lots of people ignore the signage asking them not to bring children into the clinic.
Somehow, during the intake process, I was profiled and given the Chinese-speaking nurses and staff. I only saw this later when I requested all my files.
The room where the men leave their specimens is run down, poorly appointed and not very clean (it seems this is the norm for most clinics, unfortunately). My fiancé reported being treated poorly and having to overhear one of the nurses talking about her tuna salad sandwich just outside the door. A bit challenging to get in the right frame of mind while having to listen to people talk about their lunch.
Their finance office is a nightmare. It took weeks to get a refund for the balance of services not used once I decided to change clinics. I felt like they played hot potato with me, then acted like it was my fault for not being able to intuit who I needed to reach out to. Their expectation that I should be an expert in the inner workings of their clinic was mind blowing.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Nelson at HRC Fertility.
It was around $13k for the retrieval process. Even if you had insurance, you had to put that amount down prior to the cycle. You would be reimbursed for anything that ended up being covered by insurance.
Medication was separate. They recommended Freedom Pharmacy, but did not give any tips or suggestions on the best way to maximize your insurance benefit. My meds were $7k through insurance, which ate up most of my benefit. If I had paid cash, it would have cost less and left me more insurance benefit for clinic costs.
Describe Jeffrey Nelson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at HRC Fertility.
He did not discuss preferences with me
What specific things went wrong at HRC Fertility?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost paperwork
- Lost appointments
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
- Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at HRC Fertility.
The list is so long...
Wrong instructions given
Given wrong appointment date
Missed emails
Long response times to emails
Long wait times for appointments
Was sent another patient's information
Was given Chinese-speaking staff (I don't speak Chinese)
Cycle cancelled due to nurse error
Delay in replacement of medication due to nurse's error
Medical records were not provided in a prompt manner, despite repeated promises
Clinic took weeks to refund my unused balance
1
Clinic
HRC Fertility
Pasadena