Johns Hopkins Medical Institute
Available Resources
Genetic counseling
Acupuncture
Mental health counseling
Nutrition counseling
Administration of shots
Coordinating at-home nursing
Selling medication
Providing backup medication
Baltimore
10753 Falls Road
Baltimore, MD 21093
410-583-2753
28 assessments
5
Age
44 - 47
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI, 12 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
5
The financial coordinators at [Johns Hopkins Medical Institute] had quite a bit of difficulty determining insurance coverage for procedures initially and have been difficult to communicate with. More recently there have been improvements in that area which I am glad to see...All sonographic monitoring was completed during early morning hours only and between the volume of patients waiting for labs and providers it ends up being lots of time waiting in a full waiting room with rushed providers by the time you finally get into the rooms. Most of the time this did not impact the care received, just made it feel less personal
+ Read more
Age
44 - 47
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European, Latino
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 12 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
5
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
The clinic has an excellent group of very skilled providers that are able to utilize the latest evidence based medicine and resources with an on site andrology lab and embryologists. Phlebotomy is also all done on site.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
During direct consultations with Mindy my husband and I felt very confident and treated like a human, however, although we have done many procedures over several years I'm not sure she would be able to pick me out of a crowd. She is professional yet not very personable at times.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Nursing staff are the primary communicators and teachers of the process and although they are very good at their job it seems they are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of patients in the clinic. For the most part they are very responsive to calls and will follow up if needed
What specific things went wrong at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
How was your experience with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Mindy is a very knowledgeable and competent provider. She is responsive to emails and phone calls, however, she never felt like she took the time to explain to us the chance of success for each procedure leading to over utilization of our limited insurance funds for IUI before moving to IVF although our chance of success was very low. This led to some frustration. Once IVF was initiated she led us to believe that we had an excellent chance of success although other providers in the clinic questioned why we were still trying with our own eggs. After 12 retrievals, a miscarriage, and failed transfers, we have independently decided to pursue donor eggs for our next round and although we are confident Mindy will do right by us and our donor, we wish the communication had been clearer throughout the process so we could have come to this conclusion a large amount of time and finances and emotional distress ago. Over time we have had frank discussions about our concerns and Mindy does indeed step up to the plate and do right by her patients in the end, its just frustrating at times that we felt left in the dark about our chance of success and our need to pursue other options.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Ensure that you ask a lot of questions and that all of them are clearly answered to your satisfaction. Don't expect that you will be told important information, you must ask if you want to know!!!!
Describe the protocols Mindy Christianson used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
Initially the treatment approach was to use high dose injectables to maximize eggs retrieved, however, I was having eggs that looked great, fertilized well and progressed to day 3 with no difficulty at all then none would make it to day 5. Eventually after several retrievals with similar results we began to back day 3 embryos with back to back monthly retrievals for a year resulting in over 20 frozen embryos. Once we thawed them and allowed some to go to day 5 we continued to have the same issues so a day 3 transfer with four great quality embryos was decided upon but ended up in a negative. We then thawed the rest and did PGS on the ones that made it to day 5 but none were viable. Now we have chosen to pursue donor eggs.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
All sonographic monitoring was completed during early morning hours only and between the volume of patients waiting for labs and providers it ends up being lots of time waiting in a full waiting room with rushed providers by the time you finally get into the rooms. Most of the time this did not impact the care received, just made it feel less personal
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Fortunately I have been covered by insurance for most of my expenses. However there was a lapse in coverage when I switched from my insurance to my husbands for which I found the communication and costs prohibitive
Describe Mindy Christianson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Mindy prefers single embryo transfer with a day 5 embryo in most cases but is open and agreeable to transfer more than one if the case has a specific reason to do so
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3
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
6 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
3
They [staff at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute] frequently miscommunicate and seem disorganized overall. I honestly would have switched clinics if it wasn't the only one I could go to for my insurance...not gotten clear answers from the nurses and then need them to contact the doctors again to clarify things (perhaps not the nurses faults though)...Didn't call in prescriptions in a timely manner to the specialty pharmacy once.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
3
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
The clinic to me seems very disorganized. They don't have any set protocols (some doctors prescribe letrozole and some say "it's not FDA approved") and literally say "well that seems like a difference of opinion or I don't think there's any basis in science to doing that but I guess it's a difference of opinion". They frequently miscommunicate and seem disorganized overall. I honestly would have switched clinics if it wasn't the only one I could go to for my insurance.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr Cross made me feel like a human by always asking if I was being treated fairly and if people were sensitive to the fact that we were an LGBT couple. I told her about a few instances where people said insensitive things and she said she gave those doctors feedback about it.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Not always clear in what they were communicating or the reason why. One nurse called to tell me that I couldn't do IUI for that month based on my blood work because it showed I had already ovulated. A doctor called a few hours later and said that I could do IUI the next day because I was in the process of ovulating. That was pretty upsetting. I have also not gotten clear answers from the nurses and then need them to contact the doctors again to clarify things (perhaps not the nurses faults though).
What specific things went wrong at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr Cross is very thoughtful and kind and has great bedside manner. She explained everything thoroughly and answers my emails promptly when I have additional questions. There seems to be a "difference of opinion" between many doctors at this clinic so it's hard to know who is "right" at times but perhaps it's more an art than a science?!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Have a list of questions ready because she will answer anything you have thought of
Describe the protocols Chantel Ianthe Cross used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
Clomid 50mg x 3 for IUI with frozen donor sperm. Clomid 100mg x 1. Trigger shots if I wasn't ovulating on my own (usually wasn't) with a follicle check ultrasound on day ten. Progesterone suppositories on day two after IUI
Describe the costs associated with your care under Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Unsure of costs because we are still in it.
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5
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Other, Unexplained
5
When preparing for our IUI [at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute], I had conversations and very specific instructions from my primary doctor in this clinic. When I called to inform the nursing staff of my cycle, the nurse was rude and basically told me that I was mistaken and that none of what I had been told was actually going to happen. I had to escalate to the doctor as well as the nurse manager of the practice. In the end, I was correct and the cycle was done as I had originally been told but the extreme unprofessionalism and conflicting statements made me lose confidence in this clinic as a whole.
+ Read more
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Other, Unexplained
5
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Strengths: They usually run on time with appointments (not morning ultrasounds because these are first come first served). The patient portal email system is easy to navigate and read in a timely manner. The nursing support staff (medical assistants) are very pleasant and professional.
Weaknesses: Feels extremely impersonal and you don't feel like you are treated like an individual but rather just another person to put on their protocols. Extreme variations in practice between all of the physicians. Lack of bedside manner and tend to give bare minimum information without prompting.
Things to know: Be your own advocate and do your own research. Get a second opinion if you are able.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
This is my only point of reference as I have not been to any other clinics but it it quite impersonal. While you have a primary physician that oversees your care, you see many different doctors and even had a completely different doctor perform my egg retrieval. The morning ultrasound appointments, while efficient, make you feel like you are being herded like cattle and there is little to no bedside manner during those visits. I have found that you really need to do your own research and be your own advocate. There is no hand-holding so if you are looking for a doctor to really spend time with you and make you feel that they care about you as a person, this is certainly not the clinic to provide that.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff is professional but they are right in line with the lack of bedside manner or support that I would expect from a specialty clinic. They obviously have a lot of patients and probably deal with the same protocols and questions from hormonal women every day but they are not super pleasant and only provide the bare minimum of information unless you press them. I also had an extremely unpleasant interaction with one of the nurses over the phone that I took it to the nurse manager of the office since she was completely unprofessional, rude and actually WRONG about the information she was giving me. The support staff (medical assistants) are probably the nicest of all of their employees.
What specific things went wrong at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Christianson is pleasant and is great at working with their online messaging portal to answer emails promptly. Again I feel like I needed to really push for more information as I am a medical professional and want actual explanations as to what we are doing and why. One of my major concerns that I was originally referred for was not really addressed in a timely manner. I also did not like that while she is my primary doctor in this practice that she did not perform my egg retrieval or my upcoming frozen embryo transfer. More consistency with seeing your actual doctor is preferred.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE. You will not get any hand holding and very little explanations unless you demand them. Most appointments are very short so have a list of your questions ready otherwise you'll be rushed out of the office very quickly and will forget to ask them. Don't be afraid to do your own research. Utilize the patient portal to send emails and questions directly to the doctor. She is very good at responding to these in a timely manner.
Describe the protocols Mindy Christianson used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
We started the whole process with hormone testing, HSG, saline ultrasound and semen analysis. We attempted timed intercourse with Letrazole and a trigger injection but it was unsuccessful. We did one IUI using Clomid and a trigger injection which was also unsuccessful. Due to my age we then went on to IVF. Stimulated with Menopur, Gonal-F and cetrotide for the egg retrieval. Only ended up with 2 blast embryos which we did PGS screening on and are frozen awaiting frozen embryo transfer. Currently on Estrogen patches, Progestone in oil injections, antibiotics/steroids in prep for transfer.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
They do monitoring ultrasounds every day (7 days per week) from 7am-8:30am. They are done on a first come, first served basis. There is usually a line forming outside of the clinic before it even opens as early as 6:15am. You see a different doctor almost every time and there is no small talk. They just want your ultrasound done and to get you out of there.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
IUI x1, IVF retrieval x1, FET x1 - approx. $25k
Describe Mindy Christianson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Dr. Christianson with a big proponent of eSET. Since our embryos were at blast stage as well as PGS screened as normal, she feels that only transferring one at a time is ideal. She did say that ultimately the decision is ours though.
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8
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
8
Johns Hopkins Reproductive Endocrinology has been a great place for my husband and I to receive fertility treatment. The office is extremely organized and able to get me into appointments in a timely manner. The nurses line also produces good responses. I always receive a call back by the end of the day, and earlier if it’s more urgent. ... Using insurance for some meds and paying cash for others has required some coordination on their [nurses] part. They have been patient and understanding.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
—
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
8
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Johns Hopkins Reproductive Endocrinology has been a great place for my husband and I to receive fertility treatment. The office is extremely organized and able to get me into appointments in a timely manner. The nurses line also produces good responses. I always receive a call back by the end of the day, and earlier if it’s more urgent.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr Cross spent time explaining things to us in detail, especially my husband. She never made us feel rushed or insignificant. During my first miscarriage she was extremely sensitive to my needs.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses have been great at answering all my questions regarding medications. Using insurance for some meds and paying cash for others has required some coordination on their part. They have been patient and understanding.
How was your experience with Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr Cross was a great doctor to be assigned to when I called for an appointment. As a medical professional myself, I needed someone who was transparent and honest with my about what to expect as far as treatment and potentional outcomes. She is patient, kind and compassionate. Dr Cross was extremely sensitive during my miscarriage after my first IUI. When I had to go in for an ultrasound she was unable to be present but she specifically asked for another doctor to do my exam, knowing the kind of bedside manner I needed at that moment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Come prepared with questions, make a list before your appointment. As with any big doctor appointment, your mind sometimes goes blank when you are in the room. Dr Cross spends ample time answering questions and explaining the plan during every appointment.
Describe the protocols Chantel Ianthe Cross used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
Because of my diagnosis of PCOS, we decided to use letrozole over clomid for my IUI cycles. Research has shown the letrozole is more successful in PCOS patients. With my husband also having male factor infertility, she was conscientious of us needing IUI rather than timed intercourse. She carefully looked at his semen analysis and helped us feel comfortable in that decision.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
I found the costs pretty spot on. My insurance covers 90% after I reached my deductible.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
8
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
6 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
8
It is nice that the [Johns Hopkins] Greenspring Station location has the clinic, bloodwork lab, ART lab and pharmacy all on one campus. I felt that this helped to streamline my visits a bit more. I appreciated that the clinic got back to me quickly with bloodwork results as well....The nursing staff were always available to answer questions. My only qualm is that they didn't check in with me after IUIs unless I called them with a positive HCG test results.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Graphic Designer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
6 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
8
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
It is nice that the Greenspring Station location has the clinic, bloodwork lab, ART lab and pharmacy all on one campus. I felt that this helped to streamline my visits a bit more. I appreciated that the clinic got back to me quickly with bloodwork results as well.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Unlike other fertility doctors, Dr. Garcia treated me with respect and was not demeaning towards me concerning my weight.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff were always available to answer questions. My only qualm is that they didn't check in with me after IUIs unless I called them with a positive HCG test results.
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Garcia is knowledgeable but sometimes speaks quickly so I have to check in to make sure I understand along the way. He always listens to me concerns but sometimes what seems concerning to me is more normal to him. I suppose this is probably due to him dealing with many patients older than me or who have already persued IVF. As a plus sized woman, I had to visit 3 different clinics before I finally found one that talked to me like a person rather than act immediately dismissive based on my size alone despite the main fertility concern being MFI.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
I wish I had met with him first before having to deal with rude doctors or doctors that left me crying by the time I left their office. It would have saved so much heartache and I would have been further along in my progress than I am now.
Describe the protocols Jairo Garcia used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
Prior to my first IUI, Dr. Garcia had me do an HSG test to make sure my tubes were clear. During my first IUI, he had me use Crinone after the procedure but I had an adverse reaction to it, he was open to me using PIO for my other 5 IUIs. He had his staff make sure I had mature follicles before attempting IUI. Before each IUI, I had to take Ovidrel since I was not ovulating without it depite having mature follicles. We later found out I had pelvis adhesions imparing one of my ovaries. Unfortunately it was the ovary that had follicles the first 4 IUIs. None of those IUIs would have ever worked due to that but there was no way of knowing short of exploratory surgery. The 5th IUI had 2 mature follicles that resulted in a pregnancy but ended early. The 6th IUI had 1 mature follicle and did not work for me. Right now I am taking a financial and mental health break from fertility treatment but I plan to return for egg retrieval and IVF this year.
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3
Age
31
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
6 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Male Factor
3
The clinic [Johns Hopkins] is clean but a bit crowded. They have an on site financial counselor there to explain how you can borrow money for treatments. THey have ultrasound stuff and a place to draw blood in the building which is convenient, but you have to go somewhere else and make an appointment for sperm analysis ... They didn't call with results,
+ Read more
Age
31
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Male Factor
3
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
The clinic is clean but a bit crowded. They have an on site financial counselor there to explain how you can borrow money for treatments. THey have ultrasound stuff and a place to draw blood in the building which is convenient, but you have to go somewhere else and make an appointment for sperm analysis - if you live far away this can be a pain in the behind.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
It all seemed very clinical, he did not want to know about what we wanted to do with treatments, he told us what he would and would not try. He pushed for IVF and only IVF and then sent us to the financial people. He would not talk about other options or even ask how we felt about IVF.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses seemed nice and efficient - the followed the doctors orders but didn't really talk to me much.
What specific things went wrong at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
- Failed to call with results
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
He was soft spoken but firm and very much pushed for IVF without asking our opinion or thoughts on the matter. He was also very negative about my husbands sperm count and the pregnancy risks because I am overweight. His examination was thorough though - the last place the nurses did all of that. I felt like a paycheck rather than a person
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Do your research before you go, know your options and speak up - I wish I spoke up more.
Describe the protocols Jairo Garcia used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
His only recommended treatment was that we start IVF and if we didn't have the money we were told to take out a loan. As a result, I left in tears and am hoping to see a different doctor when we have saved the money for treatments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
My insurance covered what we did do. IVF normally runs around $20,000 a cycle there but they do offer bundle plans and such.
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10
Age
34
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IVF, 8 Egg Freezing, 8 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
Monitoring [at Johns Hopkins] was a sign-in processes during monitoring hours on a first-come first-serve basis. Lab work was done in another office two floors down, which also required signing in. I was usually there at least 45 min between the two sign in sheets. ... The financial office was very good about submitting things to insurance. They were responsive and always responded to emails. ...Costs for fertility treatment are broken down and itemized ... it also helps getting some pieces get covered by insurance even if they wouldn't otherwise. ... They [nurses] follow up, always answer calls, and are reliable. ...
+ Read more
Age
34
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish, Middle Eastern
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF, 8 Egg Freezing, 8 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
At first glance the office may seem outdated and slightly dated. Don't let that fool you! The office has excellent doctors, caring staff, and progressive technology. One of the things I didn't like about the IVF protocol is that you had to sign in for ultrasound, then sign in (on a separate floor) in the lab for blood work. It took managing two separate sign up sheets and made monitoring appointments last very long. Once you get the hang of it you understand the juggle but before I did, it was a challenge.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
My experience with Dr. Cross was vastly different than previous experiences at another clinic. Dr. Cross is always available to answer questions, explain treatment, or go through anything I don't understand. There are no hoops to jump through to connect with the staff. Her bedside manner is warm and professional at the same time. It truly feels as though she is invested in our success.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff at Johns Hopkins Fertility are professionals. They work hard to answer questions at any time and make sure you have all the information you need. They follow up, always answer calls, and are reliable.
How was your experience with Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Cross has a professional and warm bedside manner. It truly feels as though she is invested in our success. Very good at responding to calls and emails, always takes the time to explain procedures or her reasoning for next steps. Dr. Cross is open minded, experienced, and well educated - her recommendations come with explanations for why she believes one method would work over another and open to change course or try something new. Her positive energy and commitment to success has helped me keep my spirits up on more than one occasion after loss.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
While it's necessary to be an advocate for yourself and understand your own treatment, I felt secure in trusting Dr. Cross and her advice.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Monitoring was a sign-in processes during monitoring hours on a first-come first-serve basis. Lab work was done in another office two floors down, which also required signing in. I was usually there at least 45 min between the two sign in sheets. The good thing was that they didn't require daily monitoring until it was absolutely necessary.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
The financial office was very good about submitting things to insurance. They were responsive and always responded to emails. Costs for fertility treatment are broken down and itemized - this helps see what the cost is for each portion of the treatment but it also helps getting some pieces get covered by insurance even if they wouldn't otherwise.
Describe Chantel Ianthe Cross's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
My doctor is a big advocate for patient safety and we were advised that transferring more than one embryo may put mom and babies at risk. I fully understand and agree that risking a nicu stay or mother safety is not worth the risk. My doctor educated us on both paths and ultimately left the choice to us.
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9
Age
42
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
9
This clinic [Johns Hopkins] is highly knowledgeable in areas of infertility. The clinic is clean and the staff is organized and available to patients at all hours. Weakness is lack of time for extremely personalized care due to the number of patients...The clinic operation is the weakness. Which is less to do with doctor and more to do with management. Communication across the clinic is a weakness. You kind of have to be an advocate for yourself regarding your own healthcare
+ Read more
Age
42
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
9
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
This clinic is highly knowledgeable in areas of infertility. The clinic is clean and the staff is organized and available to patients at all hours. Weakness is lack of time for extremely personalized care due to the number of patients
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Limited amount of time the doctor is able to see each patient and the amount of women using the clinic services.
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr Jairo’s education is definitely a strength. The clinic operation is the weakness. Which is less to do with doctor and more to do with management. Communication across the clinic is a weakness. You kind of have to be an advocate for yourself regarding your own healthcare but that is the way the healthcare industry operates as a whole.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Be your own advocate. Know what is going on with your body and don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions as this is a large investment and undertaking.
Describe the protocols Jairo Garcia used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
Due to the fact that I have endometriosis and my having had surgery in 2015 to remove my left tube and ovary we knew there was a huge chance we would have to use donor eggs. However we tried to perform an egg retrieval using my remaining ovary but the endometriosis returned in the right ovary and in my pelvic cavity due to the stims so I had a subsequent surgery July 25th 2018 to remove my remaining right ovary and tube, and endometriosis from the pelvic cavity. However my uterus is fine and has no endometrisis with in. We meet with our doctor on September 17th 2018 to move forward with the process for donor egg transfer.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
My insurance paid for much of the services. Donor eggs however cost $15,000.00 and the storage for one year cost $500.00.
Describe Jairo Garcia's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
our doctor prefers a single embryo transfer for donor egg transfers.
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9
Age
29 - 31
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
9
Strengths [for Johns Hopkins] would be the great doctors and nurses. I also really like that I can see all the visit notes online in my mychart. ... We are a same sex couple so there were a couple mixups between who was retrieving and who was transferring early on, but she was quick to make the changes when we called. She is a great nurse that has been very nice and accommodating.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 31
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, East Asian, Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
9
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Strengths would be the great doctors and nurses. I also really like that I can see all the visit notes online in my mychart.
Weakness would be the cost associated with IVF is high. I had med students in a few of my appointments and you would think this should drive the cost of care down some since they’re using the clinic as a classroom.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Christianson is really nice and makes the process go by as easy as possible.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute. (Assigned nurse: Jennifer Style)
We are a same sex couple so there were a couple mixups between who was retrieving and who was transferring early on, but she was quick to make the changes when we called. She is a great nurse that has been very nice and accommodating.
How was your experience with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Christianson is great. She is kind and genuine. We had her as our doctor for IUI two years ago (successful after 3attempts) and are going back to her now for RIVF. She understands our goals and gets us in for appointments on our time rather than forcing us on a certain schedule. She communicates very well through their online database as well.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
I would say this for any doctor, but know your goals going in so the doctor is able to tailor their plans to your goals. For RIVF, be clear on which partner is doing what, we had a couple mixups, but Dr. Christianson's assigned nurse has been quick to check with Dr. Christianson and make the necessary changes.
Describe the protocols Mindy Christianson used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
For IUI, my wife was young (25) and didn't have an fertility issues, so Dr. Christianson only had her do the trigger shots. After the 3rd IUI she was successful.
For RIVF, after telling Dr. Christianson that our goal is to have one child from this process, she was quick to note the proper treatment strategies, minimizing medications, to ensure we don't have a bunch of leftover embryos. We plan to retrieve and transfer in the summer.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Approximately per cycle OOP costs not including medicine:
$11,000 for IVF
$5400 for frozen embryo transfer
$2400 for IUI
Describe Mindy Christianson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
She recommended single embryo transfer because we are relatively young with no fertility issues. We would've went this route either way since we do not want to risk having multiples.
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9
Age
26 - 27
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS
9
As a new patient you should know that this [Johns Hopkins] is a group practice. This means that when you go for monitoring you may meet with whatever doctor is scheduled that morning. I liked that they did monitoring in the morning because I didn't need to miss time from work....They would go in a first come first served fashion....the ivf cycle was about 10K and the FET cycles are about 5600. Freezing of embryos was $600 and thawing was $250 per cycle.
+ Read more
Age
26 - 27
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS
9
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
As a new patient you should know that this is a group practice. This means that when you go for monitoring you may meet with whatever doctor is scheduled that morning. I liked that they did monitoring in the morning because I didn't need to miss time from work. Also the changing of doctors during clinics can be a good thing because you become comfortable with all of the doctors and they may be the one completing your transfer or retrieval so its good to at least be familiar with them. Sometimes I do feel that they may not remember me personally but I dont take it personal since they see so many people in the mornings for monitoring.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
It is easy to feel like a number because it is a group practice and you may see a different doctor each time you go in for monitoring. However, Dr. Christianson is very responsive on the online portal and responds to all of my questions no matter how many I need to ask. She also makes it a point to call personally when trying to adjust a plan or testing etc.
How was your experience with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
As a patient I feel like she is doing everything in her power to help us conceive. When my first ivf cycle failed we changed the protocol by adding an endometrial scratch. She also did further testing. The second cycle also failed and we are in the process of completing a more aggressive protocol and testing before moving forward. I do wish that all of the testing would have been completed at the beginning so that we could have known more of what to expect. I think that at this point it really is a puzzle because all of the tests show that it should have worked by now. I do feel that she is being diligent about trying to troubleshoot where we can.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Be your own advocate. She is definitely going to give you the best care but if you have a test or supplement that you would like to know about, she will take the time to tell you the pros and cons of it. She will also thoroughly explain every step so be ready to take notes. *smile* But seriously, if you want to know something, don't be afraid to ask. She is very open to the steps that you feel comfortable with taking. For instance because of my age they would only usually transfer one embryo but she let me decide how many I wanted to transfer. After my first failed cycle she asked if I would be comfortable with two being transferred and ultimately let me make the finally decision.
Describe the protocols Mindy Christianson used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
Cycle 1: Stimulation- gonal f and menopur with cetrotide. I ended up being high risk for OHSS so she decided to do a freeze all cycle. I had about 30 follicles and retrieved 15 mature eggs.
FET-after my period started I was able to do a frozen embryo transfer. We decided to do 1 embryo because of my age and the likelihood that it would be successful. I used estrogen patches for 14 day, crinone for 5 days (there was a progesterone in oil shortage at the time), medrol and doxycycline (those are standard at the practice before a transfer). That cycle resulted in a negative pregnancy test.
FET2- When my period started from the last failed cycle, I took birth control because the clinic was closed for the holidays. When they reopened I went in for a saline ultrasound to check for polyps and an endometrial scratch. I stopped the birth control then started the estrogen 2 days after. I began the progesterone in oil on day 14 of my cycle and had a transfer of 2 embryos 5 days later. That cycle also resulted in a negative test.
Now: We are in the process of developing the protocol for my next transfer. I will complete an ERA to make sure that we are transferring at the right time. Then I will wait for my period to come. Once that ends, I will have a hysteroscopy to ensure that nothing was overlooked in the saline ultrasound. I will also be completing an immune protocol for the next cycle which will include a higher steroid dose and lovenox.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
For monitoring the clinic opens at 630, the lab opens at 6 am. Usually your lab tests for the cycle are already in the online portal so I would arrive early, go get blood work done, then go upstairs and sign in to be seen. They would go in a first come first served fashion. If the list was already long when I arrived, I would sign in, then go for my blood work and come back.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
the ivf cycle was about 10K and the FET cycles are about 5600. Freezing of embryos was $600 and thawing was $250 per cycle.
Describe Mindy Christianson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
I was advised to transfer one embryo initially because of my age. The second cycle she suggested we do 2 and I agreed.
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10
Age
26 - 27
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS
10
This clinic [Johns Hopkins] is so well run. Nurses, receptionists, doctors all very welcoming. They have a variety of hours and open clinic for ultrasounds in the AM. They make themselves very available. Scheduling is easy and they also use an oneline portal which is awesome...The nurses are AMAZING. So kind, so gentle so fun....Waiting area is nice and coffee is downstairs whixh is awesome for early morning appointments.
+ Read more
Age
26 - 27
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
This clinic is so well run. Nurses, receptionists, doctors all very welcoming. They have a variety of hours and open clinic for ultrasounds in the AM. They make themselves very available. Scheduling is easy and they also use an oneline portal which is awesome
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
She is so incredibly compassionate. Dr Christianson also remembered personal conversations we had, made me feel my emotions and feeling were valid and listened to and answered every single question I had
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses are AMAZING. So kind, so gentle so fun. They celebrated my pregnancy
How was your experience with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr Christianson was everything we needed in a doctor. So kind and compssionate, explained everything, answered all questions, joked when appropriate, listened to my cry, comforted me, checked up on me personally through phone call and email. She adjusted our course of treatment as necessary, explained risks, and gave me great medically sound advise. I have recommended her to every single person I know going through fertility treatments. We wouls not have out miracle baby without her help
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Listen to her, trust her, you are in amazing hands
Describe the protocols Mindy Christianson used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
We tried letrozole to help me ovulate until we learnwd we had male factor infertility as well.
We then did 1 round of IUI with letrozole which did not result in pregnancy.
Because I am annovatory and my husband had low count she agreed to move forward with IVF.
We used follistim and menupur first round and got three eggs but non were mature enough due to a weird hormone dip I had.
Second round we did follistim and ganarelix. We froze one embryo.
Last roubd we dis the same protocol and got 14 eggs, 9 of which fertilized.
We transferred 2 frozen embryos while I used progesterone and estrogen and both emplanted.
I miscarried 1 baby at 9 weeks and now have a healthy baby boy
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
You sign in in the morning. They fall your name and bring uou bwck. Waiting area is nice and coffee is downstairs whixh is awesome for early morning appointments. Everyone is so friendly and the wait isnt long if you get there early. The lab is downstairs too which is so easy
Describe Mindy Christianson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
She made sure we knew the risks of transferring two embryos but allowed us to make the choice of imppanting two
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10
Age
35 - 38
Treated
2014 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
11 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Endometriosis, Tubal Blockage
10
The morning scan system [at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute] is painful. I usually arrive there at 6am in order to be first in line. By 645 there are usually at least 15 people in line. The clinic opens at 7. If you are one of the first 2-3 people, you can be in and out quickly. If not, it can take well over an hour to be seen- then you have to go for labs downstairs. If I arrive at 6 am and am first in line, I am usually only one hour late to work (supposed to be there at 7am). It's exhausting though. The insurance/financial folks have been truly excellent. Dr Garcia's office coordinator (Melony) has been helpful- she fbelped me with my FMLA forms and was able to schedule procedures quickly when I needed them. I would have liked for someone to speak with me about counseling. When I asked about it, I was first given the contact of someone no longer practicing. Then it was suggested I go to a free support group- but the doctor running it wasn't offering them any longer. I found some resources in my own instead.
+ Read more
Age
35 - 38
Treated
2014 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
11 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Endometriosis, Tubal Blockage
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
The morning scan system is painful. I usually arrive there at 6am in order to be first in line. By 645 there are usually at least 15 people in line. The clinic opens at 7. If you are one of the first 2-3 people, you can be in and out quickly. If not, it can take well over an hour to be seen- then you have to go for labs downstairs. If I arrive at 6 am and am first in line, I am usually only one hour late to work (supposed to be there at 7am). It's exhausting though. The insurance/financial folks have been truly excellent. Dr Garcia's office coordinator (Melony) has been helpful- she fbelped me with my FMLA forms and was able to schedule procedures quickly when I needed them. I would have liked for someone to speak with me about counseling. When I asked about it, I was first given the contact of someone no longer practicing. Then it was suggested I go to a free support group- but the doctor running it wasn't offering them any longer. I found some resources in my own instead.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
I know that Dr Garcia does truly care about me, but at times I have felt like he was rushing. This was moreso in the beginning. Now that we've been through an awful lot together, I feel that our questions are answered with more patience. He has always been excellent about responding to emails, although I have kept those to a minimum out of respect for his very busy schedule.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Good about returning phone calls same day. Would have been good to learn some tips about how to maximize insurance benefit. I used $12k of my $30k lifetime benefit on meds that would have cost me less than $6k out of pocket (it would have been smarter for me to pay oop for the meds and save the $12k of insurance coverage). The nurses were aware of this but no one warned me. They do a 2 hour mandatory IVF class which was informative. I am a nurse so some of it was redundant to me but I was glad my husband could go and learn about it. The nurses on a whole are excellent. On a few occasions I have felt like they were very rushed but usually they are great.
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr Garcia has been very open to listening to what our preferences have been all along. He offers suggestions about treatment or procedures and then let's the patient decide. He doesn't push us one way or another. I believe he doesn't push donor eggs as a first option, which I have heard from other clinics. I never get the feeling that he is concerned with his clinic's annual statistics. They take patients that have failed elsewhere. He has taken my thoughts and suggestions into account. I had 4 IUI (the most he will do before IVF). The last one was positive but ended in a miscarriage. Dr Garcia performed my d&c. We did another five IUI hoping for a positive. After those we moved to IVF but I had some false starts and my meds needed to be tweaked. Unfortunately that took some time and in the end the IVF failed. He had offered a laproscopy after IUI and prior to ivf but at that time I wasn't interested. After our failed IVF I was almost out of insurance money for treatments. So we did the laproscopy and Dr Garcia found. Oth Fallopian tubes blocked. He opened one up and got rid of lots of adhesions as well. We went back to IUI- and had success the second month. Unfortunately that also ended in a miscarriage and again Dr Garcia performed my d&c. I am currently waiting for the genetic analysis of the conception tissue in order to determine our next step.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Understand the he does truly care, he has a HUGE amount of expertise and experience. Sometimes he is not he best communicator, go in with questions written so you can ask them all.
Describe the protocols Jairo Garcia used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
First we started stims (gonal f and menopur) immediately after a failed IUI. I didn't make many follicles which we were all surprised by (I respond well to Clomid). He stopped the cycle and I was to use ganerelix prior to my next period. Unfortunately it came early and I only got a few doses in, and that wasn't enough suppression. Next time we got enough doses of the ganerelix prior to my period starting and were able to make it to retrieval. I didn't produce many eggs. Next time we will add Clomid three times a day on cd2-5. It's frustrating to think that cheap old Clomid could have helped us in the last ivf cycle. It's so inexpensive and with two previous false starts I wish that we had done it in our full IVf cycle last year.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
See previous comments. This is not an ideal system.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Using insurance through my employer. I have received 11 IUI, one full ivf, and two false start ivf for about $30k. We paid about $3k or so for some IVF meds due to the false starts.
Describe Jairo Garcia's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
We were comfortable with multiple embryo transfer. No real comment here.
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10
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS, Other
10
The nursing staff [at Johns Hopkins] are extremely efficient and reliable. I've had every question or request attended to promptly. The IVF classes taught by the nurses are so helpful...An IVF cycle not including medication costs about $11,000. A frozen embryo transfer is about half the cost of a full cycle. ..Ultrasounds and labs are done every day on a first come, first serve basis from 6:30-8:30 am...The clinic moves through a large group of patients very efficiently yet you still feel like you are getting the individual attention you need.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Native American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS, Other
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
The clinic is run very efficiently. All of the staff have been fantastic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Zacur clearly cares about his patients and goes out of his way to be available to his patients instead of letting the on-call/covering doctor in the practice handle things whenever possible. I suffered a miscarriage while under his care and the level of compassion he showed was amazing.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff are extremely efficient and reliable. I've had every question or request attended to promptly. The IVF classes taught by the nurses are so helpful.
How was your experience with Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Zacur is outstanding. I completely trust him with my care and have complete confidence in his abilities. He is kind and compassionate but also very honest when necessary. He takes the time to make sure I understand and am comfortable with the treatment plan. Even though he is an older doctor with many years of experience, he is knowledgeable about most current research and standards of practice.
Describe the protocols Howard Zacur used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
I was diagnosed with a unicornuate uterus which limited my treatment options to only IVF. Dr. Zacur stressed the importance of reducing the risk of multiples and strongly recommended transferring only one embryo. I was on follistim, cetrotide and ovidrel. We did a retrieval and froze all embryos and did a frozen transfer later. Dr. Zacur recommends frozen over fresh transfers to his patients because he feels there is a better chance of success especially when your body has a chance to recover from stims and retrieval. I became pregnant after my first and only transfer but miscarried at 7 weeks. I am currently doing stims for another retrieval, we are planning to freeze all again and transfer an embryo in a later cycle.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Ultrasounds and labs are done every day on a first come, first serve basis from 6:30-8:30 am. This has worked great for my schedule. The clinic moves through a large group of patients very efficiently yet you still feel like you are getting the individual attention you need. The nurses call you a few hours later after your lab results are in to update you on the plan/medication doses/next step.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
An IVF cycle not including medication costs about $11,000. A frozen embryo transfer is about half the cost of a full cycle. I am fortunate enough to have insurance coverage for fertility so I'm only paying co pays at this point.
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10
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage, Other
10
The nursing staff [at Johns Hopkins] has been absolutely incredible. Each one of them has been understanding, sweet, showed compassion, were patient, answered any questions I had and were very reassuring. They always called me back to make sure I knew what the next step was and made sure I was on track... If you work or do not live nearby, the appointments could be tricky to keep. The waiting room is always packed with patients waiting to get ultrasounds. If you're not there early enough, be prepared to wait over an hour...
+ Read more
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage, Other
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Probably the only weakness this clinic has is that they get super busy. If you work or do not live nearby, the appointments could be tricky to keep. The waiting room is always packed with patients waiting to get ultrasounds. If you're not there early enough, be prepared to wait over an hour.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Garcia always answered my questions and was always attentive. He has a thick accent but still explained things well and repeated himself if I asked for clarification. He was very apologetic when I would get a negative pregnancy test.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff has been absolutely incredible. Each one of them has been understanding, sweet, showed compassion, were patient, answered any questions I had and were very reassuring. They always called me back to make sure I knew what the next step was and made sure I was on track.
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
It's easy to get frustrated with a doctor due to fertility. He can only assist you in increasing your chances. He can't cure every fertility issue. Every body works differently and each doctor has to use their expertise to help you conceive. With that in mind, I can't blame my doctor for how my body works. Dr. Garcia is very knowledgeable and I trust his experience and treatment. We've already established what is wrong with me and we are now working to increase my chances. I've been very happy with my experience so far even though I am not pregnant yet. His accent makes it difficult to understand but he takes the time to make sure I understand him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Probably the hardest advice any fertility patient could hear but to have patience and understanding that English is not his first language. Despite the language barrier, he is very knowledgeable and experienced.
Describe the protocols Jairo Garcia used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
I started seeing Dr. Garcia because my husband and I were having trouble trying to conceive after 6 months of trying on our own. I had a feeling it was because I had spotting for a week before my menses began. The first test I received was a biopsy to confirm that I had low progesterone. We tried a few cycles of Femara and timed intercourse. I took 2 Femara tablets from day 2-6 of my cycle. When that did not work, we moved on to three cycles of IUI with Femara. A couple of times I needed a booster shot to force ovulation. The IUIs were not successful and I decided to have an HSG test done. It showed that one tube had some resistance (probably due to a mucous plug) but was now open. The left tube had no dye going through. I then decided to get a laparoscopy done. They found a rare congenital defect hanging over my tube which was pinching it closed. The defect was removed and my tube was open after that. My tubes are now both open but I still have low progesterone. I am now on my 4th IUI. I just finished my Femara medication and will be going in for an ultrasound next week and then will try another IUI. If that does not work, we will try one more IUI before moving on to IVF.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
My insurance pretty much covered everything. The only thing insurance did not cover was going in to receive my diagnosis. All the medications and procedures were covered and I paid $30 copays for most of it. My most expensive procedure so far was my laparoscopy that cost $1400 but I only was responsible for paying $30.
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10
Age
33 - 39
Treated
2010 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 9 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
10
Dr. Garcia has a very kind bedside manner. He listens to concerns, and considers them even if he ultimately disagrees with a change...The financial staff [at Johns Hopkins Fertility] is awesome and helps you navigate the horrible expense and insurance hoops. The nurses are great, but will not generally be flexible with your treatment and or blood draw dates. The morning clinic times work well for working ladies and the earlier you can get there the better. (There's usually a line before they open).
+ Read more
Age
33 - 39
Treated
2010 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, South Asian
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Accountant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 9 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
The financial staff is awesome and helps you navigate the horrible expense and insurance hoops.
The nurses are great, but will not generally be flexible with your treatment and or blood draw dates.
The morning clinic times work well for working ladies and the earlier you can get there the better. (There's usually a line before they open).
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Garcia has a very kind bedside manner. He listens to concerns, and considers them even if he ultimately disagrees with a change. He also was willing to try different protocols and adjust the protocol when not working well. In addition, he never discouraged us from trying with my own eggs.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Most nursing staff were great and very compassionate. There was some miscommunication of information with one of my cycles (for my 2nd). The nurses are not in charge of cycles or changes, however, and if you want something changed, you need to talk to your doctor!
What specific things went wrong at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Garcia is very experienced and willing to try out of the box protocols. He is willing to take on older patients and still allows them to try IVF with their own eggs (multiple times) without refusing to cycle. His bed manner is kind. He can be a little distant when dealing with very emotional times (for instance he seems interested in looking forward rather than backward at losses or failure), but in general is very kind and patient with his patients.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
He comes with tons of knowledge and hands on experience. He generally wants you to succeed and will be flexible if something isn't working.
Describe the protocols Jairo Garcia used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
We tried once cycle with birth control suppression and then antagonist cycle- this resulted in no growth and canceled cycle. We then did antagonist cycles without prior literal phase suppression and also with antagonist literal phase suppression- both of these yielded eggs that were viable- the ones without suppression had more variability.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Clinics started at 7:00. There was usually a line waiting for the nurse to open the door by that time. Blood draws opened at 6:30a, but were a mix of patients so wait was sometimes long.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Primarily Covered under insurance - 20% copay and standard prescription drug coverage applied to meds (except PGS testing and biopsy- which was OOP).
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
24 - 31
Treated
2009 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing, IVF, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Other
10
[The staff at Johns Hopkins Fertility was] more flexible on protocols and who they accept as patients. not as much organization or policies/procedures as larger clinics. since part of hospital billing insurance seemed to cover more than might at stand alone clinic. lab is in building and has early morning hours as does clinic. [The nursing staff was] not extremely organized or the best at communicating. You have to be organized for yourself. They rarely answer the phone but can be paged for emergencies or leave a message and they'll get back to you by the end of the day. I went to this clinic more for dr kolp than the nurses.
+ Read more
Age
24 - 31
Treated
2009 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
East Asian, Prefer not to answer
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing, IVF, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Other
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
more flexible on protocols and who they accept as patients. not as much organization or policies/procedures as larger clinics. since part of hospital billing insurance seemed to cover more than might at stand alone clinic. lab is in building and has early morning hours as does clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lisa Kolp at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
During gyn surgery with her, she rubbed my hair as I fell asleep. She was interested in my success personally. And we still communicate by email a year after successful treatment
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
not extremely organized or the best at communicating. You have to be organized for yourself. They rarely answer the phone but can be paged for emergencies or leave a message and they'll get back to you by the end of the day. I went to this clinic more for dr kolp than the nurses.
What specific things went wrong at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
- Failed to call with results
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Lisa Kolp at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
She is pretty blunt and honest but also laid back and willing to listen to what you want. I didn't feel like we had a specific office wide protocol or process to follow like other major clinics have. And no board to really answer to. She was willing to try things maybe other doctors wouldn't want to risk.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lisa Kolp at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
She takes MONTHS to get an appointment, but we instantly started our cycle with her after our initial consult, so things moved relatively fast after that.
Describe the protocols Lisa Kolp used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
She couldn't locate my ovaries via vaginal ultrasound, so she wasn't sure about my AFC or if a retrieval would be possible. She did a test cycle of clomid to see how my body would respond and sure enough my ovaries plumped up and were easily accessible. With that knowledge and blood work she automatically put me on the max doses of stims (age was 28). With that I still only produced 6 follicles. 5 eggs were retrieved. all 5 fertilized and made it to 5 day blasts. She was skeptical about methods to increase egg health (acupuncture, diet, etc) but wasn't against it and allowed me to do whatever made me happy.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Early morning (I believe 6-7:30am in 2014) if you get in immediately it went quick. the later you got there the longer it took. lab opened a bit earlier so I would go there first (sometimes the wait was longer there since other patients not just infertility patients were there) then go to the clinic for monitoring.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Lisa Kolp at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
With no health insurance coverage for infertility treatments, our IVF retrieval, freeze and then transfer to gestational surrogate including all medications (I bought most from Israel) was about 12-13k. My insurance actually did cover a substantial amount, anything that was explicitly for infertility (like all of the monitoring and bloodwork) was covered.
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1
Age
40
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve
1
Disorganized. No phone support [at Johns Hopkins Fertility] at that time. Given very high expectations. Always left confused, or became confused about treatment cycle after the fact....I left utterly confused almost all the time...I never felt like anybody at the clinic knew who I was and after 4 cycles, I only saw the same doc once.
+ Read more
Age
40
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve
1
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Disorganized. No phone support at that time. Given very high expectations. Always left confused, or became confused about treatment cycle after the fact.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
I never felt like anybody at the clinic knew who I was and after 4 cycles, I only saw the same doc once.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I left utterly confused almost all the time. Like a doc or nurse would say "uh oh" and then that would scare me and make me feel uncomfortable, but I couldn't get any answers about why they said that. Impossible to get anybody on phone.
What specific things went wrong at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Garcia has a fairly thick accent, so that was an initial struggle. He told me that 85% of the women who could get pregnant on their own, with DOR, with his treatment, had success with getting pregnant. I asked him why the other docs had me jump straight to DE and he told me that they over-medicalize, which is pretty much what I wanted to hear. During the time I was waiting to see him (about 4 months, and we specifically avoided getting pregnant during that time period) and the subsequent 4 months of treatment, my AMH went from super low to negligible and my FSH went high (so pretty much full into peri-menopause--yes, it can happen that fast). He still thought the next step was IVF with my OE and genetic testing. However, bc my experience there had been so confusing and the travel time so intense, I went back to SG with the intent of doing OE IVF (which they wouldn't do with my #s). By that time, I was emotionally exhausted and we decided it was in the best interest of our family to cough up the money, and let go of the idea of me having my own genetic child.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Like any fertility story, some things work for some people. Who knows if I had kept on. My gut was telling me that I could not take the 2+ hours of travel time and disorganization of the clinic any more. It was a PT job and often I was given misinformation (like, you are ovulating 2 days into your period, when in fact, I had the very common condition of having left over cysts from previous eggs. That necessitated multiple visits in a week and should not have been that confusing). So, go with your gut and don't push yourself to the bitter edge.
Describe the protocols Jairo Garcia used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
They had me come in for an U/S on Day 2 of my cycle, if it looked good, they had me take Femara for 5 days, then check me again on Day 8 (I ovulated early), and then do the trigger shot, then sex within 24 hours. Only 2 of my 4 cycles even worked and they wouldn't let me do the trigger shot on that first cycle bc I had 4/5 eggs and they didn't want me to get pregnant with high order multiples. I didn't know any better and they didn't know me, but that was best I got during my time there and I feel it was a wasted cycle when I could have had a lucky outcome, esp considering my MC history.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Insurance paid their part of it. I had co-pays for blood draws, meds, appointments.
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10
Age
40 - 42
Treated
2012 - 2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI, 6 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
The best. Great doctors, caring staff, all the research and knowledge in one place [Johns Hopkins Fertility]. With the exception of one Fellow (doctor in training), I was always treated with the greatest care. The office was not the prettiest/newest, but is that really important?...Dr. Garcia cared about how many shots needed to be taken, so he prescribed a protocol that allowed various medications to be combined into one shot. It was a much easier protocol than what I had with Dr. Timmreck. I took 2xMenopurs, 4xBravelles for four days, then reduced the Menopur, then added the Ganirelix, then used Ovidrel. After transfer, I used Endometrin. I have a beautiful two year old.
+ Read more
Age
40 - 42
Treated
2012 - 2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 6 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
The best. Great doctors, caring staff, all the reasearch and knowledge in one place. With the exception of one Fellow (doctor in training), I was always treated with the greatest care. The office was not the prettiest/newest, but is that really important??
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
From the moment we met Dr. Garcia, he treated us with the kindest, most caring, most professional care.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
At Hopkins, every appointment is handled by a doctor. It is amazing and is very reassuring.
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
He was great! Extremely smart, knowledgable, caring and reassuring. Even when we faced difficulties, he remained informative, but positive. What was also great about choosing Dr. Garcia was that I got to meet and receive care from other highly trained physicians as well; from sought after Hopkins doctors like Dr. Lisa Kolp. I attribute my successful cycle in large part to her, because she was willing to LISTEN and made a slight modification to my meds (added some thyroid medication to my borderline hypothyroid-ish results). She told us right before transfer during our last (6th) ivf cycle that our embrio was "perfect". That, is still the codename for our baby!!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Be patient!
Describe the protocols Jairo Garcia used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
Dr. Garcia cared about how many shots needed to be taken, so he prescribed a protocol that allowed various medications to be combined into one shot. It was a much easier protocol than what I had with Dr. Timmreck. I took 2xMenopurs, 4xBravelles for four days, then reduced the Menopur, then added the Ganirelix, then used Ovidrel. After transfer, I used Endometrin. I have a beautiful two year old.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Insurance covered everything, but the copays and the medications.
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10
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2010 - 2012
Success with this Doc
48 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, 3 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
Clinic [Johns Hopkins] was really easy to navigate. The clinic made it easy for patients to do morning monitoring, and the nurses gave helpful tips, so I got into a routine with morning monitoring...nurses gave useful tips for injection...its procedures were easy to follow for morning monitoring to go smoothly. I liked seeing different doctors each time, and I thought that they worked well together. It felt less authority-driven that the doctors cooperated.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2010 - 2012
Success with this Doc
48 Eggs Frozen
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Professor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 10 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, 3 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Clinic when I used it (2010-11) was very easy to use, and its procedures were easy to follow for morning monitoring to go smoothly. I liked seeing different doctors each time, and I thought that they worked well together. It felt less authority-driven that the doctors cooperated.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lisa Kolp at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Clinic was really easy to navigate. The clinic made it easy for patients to do morning monitoring, and the nurses gave helpful tips, so I got into a routine with morning monitoring, and it was easy to do, even on days that might have been stressful like after a snow storm when I had moved away to DC. Likewise, nurses gave useful tips for injection.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Nurses were really the best. I was intimidated by the whole situation b/c I was single and not trying to conceive yet. The nurses made the whole procedure very doable, and I learned how to do the injections very well with tips that they gave, like to transfer Ganirelix from a pre-filled syringe to a regular syringe with small gauge needle because the Ganirelix needle is so dull. And indeed once I tried the Ganirelix needle, and it was terrible.
What specific things went wrong at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
How was your experience with Lisa Kolp at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
She was in touch with me by email when I was inquiring about egg freezing, and she answered all the emails herself, which was impressive given how busy her schedule must have been. The clinic operates as group model, with each doctor making decisions on the day they were on duty, and that model worked fine, so Dr Kolp did not make many decisions for me personally. I was happy with clinic and my treatment, however. I was paying out of pocket for drugs + retrieval, and she did make sure that each cycle, I got free Follistim or equivalent so that I did not have to buy all drugs out of pocket.
Describe the protocols Lisa Kolp used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
Follistim/Gonal + Menopur/Bravelle + agonist like Cetrotide/Ganirelix. I had good results. She was okay with substituting, and I could be flexible and order the cheaper alternative when ordering from abroad. I ordered the drugs from Israel and paid out of pocket.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Very easy to do morning monitoring --- they gave tips like sign in upstairs for u/s and then go downstairs for blood work, and by the time blood work finishes, it's your time for the u/s. And so it went smoothly with little waiting.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Lisa Kolp at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
My health insurance ended up covering all the imaging, blood work, and anaesthesia. I paid for egg retrievals and drugs, but under Maryland's laws, I was billed the same out of pocket as an insurance company would be billed. I do not remember exact costs, and it was years ago, but it was much less than they had quoted for me because insurance covered so much unexpectedly.
Describe Lisa Kolp's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
NA. Did not transfer embryos, just egg freezing.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
9
Age
—
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IVF, 2 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
All of the nurses [at Johns Hopkins] are excellent. They also respond to phone calls within a couple hours, even on weekends...The financial counselors are not great. I have two insurances and they keep billing the wrong one, which means I have to spend hours on the phone trying to correct this. I keep calling them to ask them to make sure to bill the correct insurance, but they never do. They say the billing is not their fault, although everyone else in the clinic tells me that they do the billing...
+ Read more
Age
—
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF, 2 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
The financial counselors are not great. I have two insurances and they keep billing the wrong one, which means I have to spend hours on the phone trying to correct this. I keep calling them to ask them to make sure to bill the correct insurance, but they never do. They say the billing is not their fault, although everyone else in the clinic tells me that they do the billing. I do not like wasting my time like this.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Garcia has a very warm bedside manner. He is very truthful about prognosis and expectations, but remains very caring. During part of my treatment I did not have insurance coverage and he worked with me to minimize expensive monitoring while still keeping things safe. He is also very quick to respond to emails.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
All of the nurses are excellent. They also respond to phone calls within a couple hours, even on weekends.
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
I would recommend Dr. Garcia to anyone. He is very caring and patient, and quick to respond to emails. He is also very up to date with the literature. In addition, all of my procedures and ultrasounds are performed by physicians, never nurses or ultrasound technicians, and I like that.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Ultrasounds start at 7 in the morning and there is usually a queue already. However, it moves pretty fast, and the medical assistants are very good at keeping things moving.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
I paid cash for my first IVF cycle which was around $12,000 including meds. I have been insured for the subsequent cycles and had to pay 20% of costs.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
The staff was friendly and helpful [at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute]...The clinic recently switched to an appointment system which was very organized...is an academic fertility center used to taking care of more complicated patients. The center is located in Lutherville, about 8 miles from the main Johns Hopkins Hospital...I had a history of poor blastocyst development and she [Dr. Christianson] recommended a protocol that included human growth hormone that made a huge difference in the number of embryos that progressed to blastocyst stage.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Johns Hopkins Fertility Center is an academic fertility center used to taking care of more complicated patients. The center is located in Lutherville, about 8 miles from the main Johns Hopkins Hospital.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Christianson took time to carefully review my case and individualize my care. She listened to me and was compassionate in her care.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The staff was friendly and helpful.
How was your experience with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Christianson was very caring and compassionate. She was very responsive to any questions I had either through the electronic portal or by telephone. She seemed dedicated in helping me achieve my pregnancy goal.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
If you have had a negative experience with another fertility doctor, I encourage you to put that aside and come with an open mind as she was very different from other fertility doctors I've encountered in that she takes time to listen.
Describe the protocols Mindy Christianson used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
I had a history of poor blastocyst development and she recommended a protocol that included human growth hormone that made a huge difference in the number of embryos that progressed to blastocyst stage.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
The clinic recently switched to an appointment system which was very organized.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
It was covered under insurance
Describe Mindy Christianson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
She counseled me on the chances of pregnancy and multiples with both eSET and double embryo transfer. She encourage eSET since I did PGT.
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5
Age
35
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
6 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
5
$12,000 per ivf cycle [at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute], not including $3-5,000 for meds...Great location inside GreenSpring Station- easy to find. Office itself is pretty blah. Minimal art on the walls with an old plug in radio under a table playing antenna fed music. Long wait time and there was no one there. No privacy for patients checking in out front...Dr Cross only recommends single embryo transfer as she feels the risk of multiples is too high and unnecessary for a patient's wellbein
+ Read more
Age
35
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
6 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
5
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Great location inside GreenSpring Station- easy to find. Office itself is pretty blah. Minimal art on the walls with an old plug in radio under a table playing antenna fed music. Long wait time and there was no one there. No privacy for patients checking in out front.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr Cross showed great empathy and could tell I was upset about what I was hearing. She made sure to reassure me several times as to "not beat myself up."
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I have yet to deal with the nurses. Dr Cross currently has a med student that has been assisting her.
How was your experience with Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Very personable and made you feel like a person. Options given with pros and cons. Ask if I had questions frequently and ensured that I understood a step of the ivf process before moving forward. She also reiterated the treatment plan when we were finishing up to guarantee that I understood.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dont be afraid to ask questions and explore every treatment option with her.
Describe the protocols Chantel Ianthe Cross used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
Still going through the start up phase of treatment
Describe the costs associated with your care under Chantel Ianthe Cross at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
$12,000 per ivf cycle, not including $3-5,000 for meds
Describe Chantel Ianthe Cross's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Dr Cross only recommends single embryo transfer as she feels the risk of multiples is too high and unnecessary for a patient's wellbeing
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7
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
7
They are a great staff [at Johns Hopkins] quick and efficient. They also always return my calls and I’ve never had a issue at anytime with my care. The staff is kind and joyful which is contagious! I also like the music in the waiting area because I’m usually balked up with nervousness so it’s a welcoming distraction.. 50 mg of clomid cycle days 2-6 uncomfortable side effects from the clomid at such as hot flashes, headaches, major bloat/gas and cramps from cd 8 till ovulation! They were uncomfortable but not unbearable and to my understanding those are pretty common effects and I was lowest dosage. I reacted great to meds peoduced 2 mature eggs one on each side and I ovulated on my own , no need for trigger shot.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
7
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
They are a great staff quick and efficient. They also always return my calls and I’ve never had a issue at anytime with my care. The staff is kind and joyful which is contagious! I also like the music in the waiting area because I’m usually balked up with nervousness so it’s a welcoming distraction
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
My experience was pretty neutral
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Quick, efficient
How was your experience with Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
He was kind and gentle bedside manner. He explained to me in detail his plan for me and I trust him. Dr Zacur was also very thorough and informative, also I felt like his regimen for me agreed perfectly to my natural cycle!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Stay positive
Describe the protocols Howard Zacur used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
50 mg of clomid cycle days 2-6 uncomfortable side effects from the clomid at such as hot flashes, headaches, major bloat/gas and cramps from cd 8 till ovulation! They were uncomfortable but not unbearable and to my understanding those are pretty common effects and I was lowest dosage. I reacted great to meds peoduced 2 mature eggs one on each side and I ovulated on my own , no need for trigger shot.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
I don’t know specifics off the top of my head but it was covered 80% by my insurance company
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7
Age
32
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
PCOS
7
They [Johns Hopkins] never called in a few prescriptions. They also over ordered tests (12 betas after a confirmed pregnancy and ultrasound) which led to a lot of extra bills...They play a lot of doctor roulette, if youblike consistent care with one doctor, they may not be the right fit....I have PTSD and had issues with the male doctors in the practice (not fully their fault, mostly my PTSD) and Dr Christianson worked her schedule so I saw her, not other doctors.
+ Read more
Age
32
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
PCOS
7
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
They play a lot of doctor roulette, if youblike consistent care with one doctor, they may not be the right fit.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
I have PTSD and had issues with the male doctors in the practice (not fully their fault, mostly my PTSD) and Dr Christianson worked her schedule so I saw her, not other doctors.
What specific things went wrong at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
How was your experience with Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
She was easy to reach, especially by email. She responded promptly, and took a direct interest in my care. Of everyone I met at JH fertility I would go to her again and again. Without her I would have transferred my care.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mindy Christianson at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
If you don't want to play doctor roulette, let her know.
Describe the protocols Mindy Christianson used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
I used a low dose injection and Clomid, as well as a trigger shot each cycle. She adjusted dose each cycle depending on egg numbers, I used injectibles and clomid with my toddler, so she used a similar protocol as I was used to with the other practice.
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4
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
7 IUI, 6 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
4
Cattle call! And waits are long [at Johns Hopkins]...I paid entirely out of pocket. The finance team tries to help, but...they're up against insurers who don't want to provide coverage. I think one cycle would be more than $10G including meds...He's [Dr. Jairo Garcia] not terribly sensitive and tends to swallow his words. I wouldn't recommend him for DOR patients - he's not the one to propose different treatment protocols, which is important for poor responders.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Race
East Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 4 Docs
Treatment
7 IUI, 6 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
4
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
He did give time for all questions, but sometimes got frustrated when I wanted to know details. The way Hopkins monitoring is set up, you feel like they're trying to herd a lot of cattle through the ultrasounds.
What specific things went wrong at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
He's not terribly sensitive and tends to swallow his words. I wouldn't recommend him for DOR patients - he's not the one to propose different treatment protocols, which is important for poor responders.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
To manage your own care and stay on top of all the details.
Describe the protocols Jairo Garcia used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
High sim with ganirelix priming.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Cattle call! And waits are long.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
I paid entirely out of pocket. The finance team tries to help, but...they're up against insurers who don't want to provide coverage. I think one cycle would be more than $10G including meds.
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8
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
6 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Other
8
Dr Garcia [of Johns Hopkins] is very nice but didn't seem as understanding as I needed nor was he willing to think outside of the box to help us. Dr Kolp has a great bedside manner and very open to talking about new and less researched ideas even if she doesn't agree that that is the way to go. [The Hopkins staff was] caring and compassionate.
+ Read more
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Other
8
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Did not always feel that info elaborated as much as I would like. Often did not get response to emails
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
caring and compassionate
How was your experience with Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr Garcia is very nice and caring but not a good communicator for me. I felt that he was not compassionate about my situation of recurrent loss. I switched from Dr Garcia to Dr Kolp at Johns Hopkins. Dr Garcia is very nice but didn't seem as understanding as I needed nor was he willing to think outside of the box to help us. Dr Kolp has a great bedside manner and very open to talking about new and less researched ideas even if she doesn't agree that that is the way to go.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jairo Garcia at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Good for some people but has to communicate in a way that works for you; not good fit for me
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8
Age
—
Treated
—
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
6 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Other
8
[Dr. Kolp is a] kind and caring doctor, very patient and understanding...I switched from Dr Garcia to Dr Kolp at Johns Hopkins. Dr Garcia is very nice but didn't seem as understanding as I needed nor was he willing to think outside of the box to help us. Dr Kolp has a great bedside manner and very open to talking about new and less researched ideas even if she doesn't agree that that is the way to go.
+ Read more
Age
—
Treated
—
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Other
8
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lisa Kolp at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr Kolp takes the time to explain things very clearly. Front office staff and nurses are friendly and seem to be rooting for good outcomes for all the patients.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
compassion
How was your experience with Lisa Kolp at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Kind and caring doctor, very patient and understanding...I switched from Dr Garcia to Dr Kolp at Johns Hopkins. Dr Garcia is very nice but didn't seem as understanding as I needed nor was he willing to think outside of the box to help us. Dr Kolp has a great bedside manner and very open to talking about new and less researched ideas even if she doesn't agree that that is the way to go.
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10
Age
42 - 43
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality
10
Honestly, every person I’ve encountered in the clinic [Johns Hopkins Medical Institute] has been nothing but caring, accommodating and helpful. They’ve gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable including rearranging my doctors schedule to fit me in for an office visit prior to my cycle...The staff was great about being upfront regarding costs before treatment...They truly believe in focusing on 1 healthy live birth. We asked about multiples and their focus really seems to be centered on safety of the baby and mother.
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Age
42 - 43
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality
10
Describe your experience with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
Come with an open mind but don’t get frustrated if you can’t get a new patient appointment immediately. There’s a little bit of a wait.
Ensure any precious medical records have made it to the office before your appointment. It helps to save you a lot of time and answering questions, submitting for testing if that has already been done before.
Write everything down! There is always so much information that is can be really overwhelming BUT the staff is amazing. They’re super responsible, responsive and attentive. So even if you forget to ask something, they’ll respond via email
Usually within 24 hours.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Dr. Zacur has an amazing bedside manner. He has always been very caring, understand and kind in his treatment. In my experience with another doctor, I felt like a number. And my specific fertility issues were addressed and a plan of attack / options were presented in a kind way.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute. (Assigned nurse: Janice )
Honestly, every person I’ve encountered in the clinic has been nothing but caring, accommodating and helpful.
They’ve gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable including rearranging my doctors schedule to fit me in for an office visit prior to my cycle.
How was your experience with Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
As I mentioned the experience with Dr. Zacur and all of the Hopkins staff was night and day when compared to our previous experience at Shady Grove.
In our first experience, Dr. Zacur clearly explained what some of the issues might be BUT explained the need to do testing before decided how to proceed. He has a wonderful bedside manner and clearly cares for his patients.
This is the type of experience I wished for when we went to our first physician who essentially ran nothing other than blood
Work and an ultrasound before determining/refusing to try IVF with us. They only gave us an option of egg donor without ever testing for other options.
It was devastating.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute?
Be honest with your questions and concerns — he will keep trying to answer your questions until you understand what’s happening in your body.
Describe the protocols Howard Zacur used in your cycles at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and their degree of success.
The strategy for us was to perform a hysteroscopy and lapeoscopy to determine whether I had any blockages. At that time, I was diagnosed with endometriosis — which was treated at time of surgery.
Unfortunately, it was determined that I have a low egg reserve making IVF very difficult.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Howard Zacur at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
My office visits were covered by insurance but most of the other expenses were out of pocket.
The staff was great about being upfront regarding costs before treatment.
Describe Howard Zacur's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.
They truly believe in focusing on 1 healthy live birth. We asked about multiples and their focus really seems to be centered on safety of the baby and mother.
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