Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2019, Unknown Success

2

8

Age 36

1 Fertility Medications

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Sales Representative

1st of 2 Docs

5 IUI With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr Vue knows a lot in his field , however , he doesn’t explain infertility or IVF to the best of my understanding or my husbands . It was all explained very clinically . This is all new to us . We have been dealing with infertility for 4 years and he didn’t have any real reason why I wasn’t getting pregnant . He showed very little compassion and kind of hurried through the appointment

Unfortunately the IUI never happened as planned because the department who oversaw my husbands labs failed to tell us , the day before my procedure, that they expired 3 months prior. ... If this is the hospital and department [Kaiser Permanente] you want to go to make sure to be your own advocate. Tell them your symptoms and ask lots of questions. They are very helpful when it comes to moving forward, next steps

How was your experience with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr Vue knows a lot in his field , however , he doesn’t explain infertility or IVF to the best of my understanding or my husbands . It was all explained very clinically . This is all new to us . We have been dealing with infertility for 4 years and he didn’t have any real reason why I wasn’t getting pregnant . He showed very little compassion and kind of hurried through the appointment

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Make sure you do your research on all things related to infertility/IVF. He is a very busy doctor so be sure to keep your appointments with him and ask as many questions necessary

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

He made it clear he was a very VERY busy doctor with many patients in many parts of Northern California and that a lot of his emails are handled by his MA’s

Describe the protocols Kenneth Vu used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

Dr . Vue prescribed Menopure to me with ovidril. It was my last treatment of both due to the number of times I am able to do it , with a scheduled IUI. Unfortunately the IUI never happened as planned because the department who oversaw my husbands labs failed to tell us , the day before my procedure, that they expired 3 months prior.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I have been with this particular nursing staff at Kaiser Roseville for almost 4 years .. while they show compassion, they are also very clinical .. never really offering advice or things to try(other than eating healthy and exercising)

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Kaiser is a global giant. They are busy busy 24/7. If this is the hospital and department you want to go to make sure to be your own advocate. Tell them your symptoms and ask lots of questions. They are very helpful when it comes to moving forward, next steps

Describe the costs associated with your care under Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Based on my husbands insurance, ultrasounds were only $10 and medications $10-$20 However, his insurance doesn’t cover ANYTHING for IVF :(

What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I was on my last round of menopure and had my 5th IUI scheduled as well as an injection with Ovidril. I took my Menopure/trigger shot and the next day was supposed to have my IUI and the nurse called to inform me that my husbands labs had expired in January ... they couldn’t move on with my procedure for an IUI and I lost out on that round of menopure .

2

Doctor

Kenneth Vu

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

8

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Roseville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

6

2

Age 31 - 32

2 IUI

Unexplained

European

Income $0 - $49K

1st of 2 Docs

1 IUI With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Curt Klooster Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Klooster took as much time as we needed to explain our situation and suggested treatment to us. He never rushed us or pressured us in our decision making. ... He was respectful of our desires for treatment and of our time and money. He was willing to consider our situation specifically rather than simply following the clinic's [Kaiser Permanente] standard protocols. ... I did not at all like that we saw a different doctor or nurse practitioner depending on the appointment.

The insurance billing process at this clinic [Kaiser Permanente] was a nightmare. ... It was difficult to get through to the office via phone during essential times, such as a pharmacy needing information for a prescription I was picking up prior to an appointment. We received conflicting information from the various nurse practitioners and doctors we saw ... we had a couple of months of setback due to poor communication between doctors about our treatment. ...

How was your experience with Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr Klooster was very willing to spend time with us to explain his understanding of our situation and his recommendations for treatment. He was respectful of our desires for treatment and of our time and money. He was willing to consider our situation specifically rather than simply following the clinic's standard protocols.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Be very direct about how slow or fast you would like to move through treatment options.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Klooster took as much time as we needed to explain our situation and suggested treatment to us. He never rushed us or pressured us in our decision making.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The nursing staff were friendly and kind. I saw different nurses every appointment, though, which I found challenging.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

This clinic seems to follow a pretty standard set of protocols for treatment. Unfortunately, we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility, so we do not fit a "standard" treatment, and the general course of treatment that we were suggested did not work for us. I did not at all like that we saw a different doctor or nurse practitioner depending on the appointment. I felt like our care was not consistent across the board and we had a couple of months of setback due to poor communication between doctors about our treatment.

What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Lost paperwork
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The insurance billing process at this clinic was a nightmare. I spent hours on the phone trying to figure out how much we would be paying for our appointments and treatment and never found answers. We have yet to receive bills for many of our appointments and the ones we received I had to contest for inaccuracies. It was difficult to get through to the office via phone during essential times, such as a pharmacy needing information for a prescription I was picking up prior to an appointment. We received conflicting information from the various nurse practitioners and doctors we saw, and it wasn't until we advocated for ourselves to make as many appointments with Dr. Klooster as possible, and to only listen to Dr. Klooster's treatment advice, that we found a reasonable course of treatment.

6

Doctor

Curt Klooster

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

2

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Roseville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Curt Klooster Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

10

9

Age 32 - 33

2 IUI

Endometriosis

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Curt Klooster Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Klooster was the first doctor to really listen to my problems when I was much younger before I even had a serious boyfriend or even considered having children of my own. He discovered I had two uteruses which had also been a factor in my endometriosis diagnosis at well. He then became our infertility doctor many years later and helped with two IUI's.... Dr. Klooster treated me as if I was his own daughter. He gave all options and was as open and straightforward as possible. He gave examples from his experience from what he's seen and learned. He gave his personal opinions when asked.

Kaiser handles a lot electronically which is a good thing and a bad thing depending on what you need. Unless you can reach the exact department it's hard to get immediate attention/response. They do a good job of trying to work with your schedule however some things only happen at certain times of the day which may require you to work around their schedule more often than not.... $20- $35 office visits $0 lab tests $3 - $7 medications $72.50 ultrasounds $100 IUI $17.50 sperm washing

How was your experience with Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Klooster treated me as if I was his own daughter. He gave all options and was as open and straightforward as possible. He gave examples from his experience from what he's seen and learned. He gave his personal opinions when asked. I truly felt he cares about us as family.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Always ask clarifying questions because sometimes he knows so much he thinks you know it all too and throws out lingo that might be doctor-speak instead of what a patient might better understand.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Klooster was the first doctor to really listen to my problems when I was much younger before I even had a serious boyfriend or even considered having children of my own. He discovered I had two uteruses which had also been a factor in my endometriosis diagnosis at well. He then became our infertility doctor many years later and helped with two IUI's.

Describe the protocols Curt Klooster used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

I did two IUI. The first time I did clomid and the second time I took Letrozole. I took each for the prescribed amount of time and then started the IUI's on the 17th day and the 13th day.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Very kind and understanding. Very positive and nuturing.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Kaiser handles a lot electronically which is a good thing and a bad thing depending on what you need. Unless you can reach the exact department it's hard to get immediate attention/response. They do a good job of trying to work with your schedule however some things only happen at certain times of the day which may require you to work around their schedule more often than not.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

$20- $35 office visits $0 lab tests $3 - $7 medications $72.50 ultrasounds $100 IUI $17.50 sperm washing

Describe Curt Klooster's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

For my specific case, Dr. Klooster was very pro single embryo transfer to avoid having multiples given my surgery removing one uterus. I got the impression that he thinks it's better overall for everyone though.

10

Doctor

Curt Klooster

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

9

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Roseville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Curt Klooster Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2016 - 2017, Unsuccessful

10

Age 28 - 29

1 Fertility Medications

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Native American

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 3 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Ask all the questions you want because he [Dr. Vu] is very patient and easy to talk to...We did the IUI the day after I got a positive ovulation test. At the time I was only testing for ovulation in the morning, and the Iui was done the following morning. I think the 24 hour wait was too long...Dr. Vu was to the point yet kind. He made the situation easier to handle. Of all of the IUIs I received his was the only one that wasn’t painful. I have a tilted uterus, so it is hard for the doctors to get a smooth catheter insertion.

A strength [at Kaiser Permanente] would be the amazing medical team and their expertise. A weakness would be their hours of operation and not seeing the same doctor every visit. Make sure you follow the instructions for bringing semen from home or else you will have to reschedule and it may cause you to have to skip that month...The nurses were very kind and compassionate. They made us feel comfortable and encouraged.

How was your experience with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Vu was to the point yet kind. He made the situation easier to handle. Of all of the IUIs I received his was the only one that wasn’t painful. I have a tilted uterus, so it is hard for the doctors to get a smooth catheter insertion. I let Dr. Vu know that previous doctors had trouble and he said ‘what kind of trouble?’ While inserting and then I told him and he said, ‘well, we didn’t have that kind of triuble, because I’m already done and you didn’t even know it was in’!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Ask all the questions you want because he is very patient and easy to talk to.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Mr Vu was pleasant and kind. He was even able to make light of the difficult situation we were in.

Describe the protocols Kenneth Vu used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

Dr Vu found a sizeable cyst on my ovary the first month so he recommended we do not do clomid. The second month the cyst had shrunk to a safe size and we proceeded with the clomid. We paired this with an IUI because my husband has male factor infertility as well. Test showed he has very high viscosity. My diagnosis is occasional short periods. Dr. Vu had me on the smallest dose of clomid to make sure My ovaries weren’t being stimulated much, just that the clomid would ensure my period was long enough that an egg could attach if the IUI resulted in a fertilized egg. We did the IUI the day after I got a positive ovulation test. At the time I was only testing for ovulation in the morning, and the Iui was done the following morning. I think the 24 hour wait was too long. The time that I had an IUI and clomid resulting in a healthy pregnancy I tested for ovulation in the evening and got a positive and the IUI was the following morning. There was a longer opportunity for fertilization.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The nurses were very kind and compassionate. They made us feel comfortable and encouraged.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

A strength would be the amazing medical team and their expertise. A weakness would be their hours of operation and not seeing the same doctor every visit. Make sure you follow the instructions for bringing semen from home or else you will have to reschedule and it may cause you to have to skip that month.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Total we did 3 months of IUIs and 2 months I’d clomid and the cost after insurance was less than $1500.

10

Doctor

Kenneth Vu

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Roseville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2013 - 2017, Unknown Success

8

Age 21 - 25

PCOS

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $0 - $49K

Sales Representative

3rd of 4 Docs

6 IUI With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

LGBTQ+

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Curt Klooster Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

He [Dr. Klooster] paid attention to detail, was straight to the point and didn't sugar coat, but took the time to present everything in an understanding manner. He made us feel like we were just another patient, that he sincerely wants us to be able to have a child....He was calm mannered and understanding. Took the time to asses out needs. Very thorough, and calm....he'll make sure things are done right but it won't be easy.

Communicative and willing to make adjustments. ..Everyone else, inclusive of doctors, nurses, reception, all of the staff [at Kaiser] was fantastic...They were all extremely attentive to all of our needs in office, and answered all of our question during the process via telephone....Some doctors did not listen when we stated certain tests were needed.... the largest costs we have are purchasing sperm for 1,200 for 6 cycles

How was your experience with Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

He was calm mannered and understanding. Took the time to asses out needs. Very thorough, and calm. Out of every other fertility doctor at the clinic, was the only one willing to do what I needed to help us try to start a family.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Be prepared to jump into this head first, he'll make sure things are done right but it won't be easy.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

He paid attention to detail, was straight to the point and didn't sugar coat, but took the time to present everything in an understanding manner. He made us feel like we were just another patient, that he sincerely wants us to be able to have a child.

Describe the protocols Curt Klooster used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

We used clomid up to the higher dose, no response for the first 2 cycles. The highest clomid with injectables for the 3th cycle. 4th cycle used Menipur, IUI, miscarried. 5th cycle did 2 vials, 3 vials, and 4 vials consecutively for the 5th cycle. Failed IUI. 6th cycle we did the same as above. 7th cycle, started 4 consecutive vials of Menipur, highest amount of injectables available. Failed IUI. 8th cycle they put my wife on Prednisone for 3 cycles to suppress adrenal hormones while continuing on a high dose of menipure. This is when we started seeing progress. 3 failed IUIs.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

They were all extremely attentive to all of our needs in office, and answered all of our question during the process via telephone.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Communicative and willing to make adjustments. I will say Dr. Vu was the absolute worst fertility doctor we have ever seen. After just a couple attempts he looked me and my wife in the eyes and told us to give up. The biggest jerk. He didn't understand why we're upset and had no compassion. Everyone else, inclusive of doctors, nurses, reception, all of the staff, was fantastic, EXCEPT Dr. Vu.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I have full coverage insurance, paying not too much. Maybe 2,000 after insurance kicked in and the largest costs we have are purchasing sperm for 1,200 for 6 cycles. Totaling around 10,000.

Describe Curt Klooster's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Never did any embryo transfers.

What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Lost paperwork
Failed to order appropriate test

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Some doctors did not listen when we stated certain tests were needed, when we switched doctors we were able to have progress on that.

8

Doctor

Curt Klooster

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

8

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Roseville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Curt Klooster Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2015, Unsuccessful

5

Age 39

1 IVF

European

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

2nd of 3 Docs

11 IUI With Other Docs

Donor Eggs With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Very professional and fact base. He [Dr. Vu] knows his information. Unfortunately the group has no inhouse donors and it would cost a lot to go through tests again (even after you pick one from another company and they are tested there)...I went through IVF using injectables and donor sperm. I was sent a picture of the fertilized eggs (when I showed them to another fertility doctor at a different clinic, they were surprised they used them)

Small clinic [Kaiser - Roseville] that you did have to wait a bit to see the doctors. Very friendly and helpful staff. Not an up to date waiting room but the equipment in the back looked up to date. Bring a book when you come and wait because wifi is spotty and they have a vcr to show old movie part of the time.... I also had a diabetic nurse available (I was diagnosised as prediabetic and had to get that under control). I could call and email at any time to get questions answered.

How was your experience with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Very professional and fact base. He knows his information. Unfortunately the group has no inhouse donors and it would cost a lot to go through tests again (even after you pick one from another company and they are tested there)

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Know exactly what you want

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

He told the facts but was not as personable as another doctor in that office that only did the IUIs

Describe the protocols Kenneth Vu used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

I went through IVF using injectables and donor sperm. I was sent a picture of the fertilized eggs (when I showed them to another fertility doctor at a different clinic, they were surprised they used them)

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Very friendly and helpful. I also had a diabetic nurse available (I was diagnosised as prediabetic and had to get that under control). I could call and email at any time to get questions answered.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Small clinic that you did have to wait a bit to see the doctors. Very friendly and helpful staff. Not an up to date waiting room but the equipment in the back looked up to date. Bring a book when you come and wait because wifi is spotty and they have a vcr to show old movie part of the time.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

You pay for the medicine on your own, usually through Walgreens. You pay the IVF fees before the procedure. Around $12000

Describe Kenneth Vu's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

NA

5

Doctor

Kenneth Vu

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

5

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Roseville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2017, Unknown Success

8

10

Age 25

1 IUI

Latinx

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Curt Klooster Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

She [the nurse] actually performs the IUIs and does her best to help you through each step of preparation...Phone consultation [with Dr. Klooster] based off low beta numbers was quick and too the point...He was able to reach me when everyone else was out of the clinic. He gave me the information I needed and explained the potential for an ectopic pregnancy and the risks involved. I was much better informed after the talk.

It was about 1k for a IUI cycle with letrozole [at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento]...They aren’t very thorough with IUIs, they don’t do an official count and there isn’t much monitoring through the IUI cycles. You can request to have more monitoring otherwise they will do one at the beginning only if you are taking a follicle stimulating drug...I absolutely loved my nurse! She is always kind and compassionate and takes the time out to discuss every single step and risks. She actually performs the IUIs and does her best to help you through each step of preparation.

How was your experience with Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

He was able to reach me when everyone else was out of the clinic. He gave me the information I needed and explained the potential for an ectopic pregnancy and the risks involved. I was much better informed after the talk.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Ask any questions you have.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Phone consultation based off low beta numbers was quick and too the point.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento. (Assigned nurse: Theresa Vandora Winters)

I absolutely loved my nurse! She is always kind and compassionate and takes the time out to discuss every single step and risks. She actually performs the IUIs and does her best to help you through each step of preparation.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

They aren’t very thorough with IUIs, they don’t do an official count and there isn’t much monitoring through the IUI cycles. You can request to have more monitoring otherwise they will do one at the beginning only if you are taking a follicle stimulating drug.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Curt Klooster at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

It was about 1k for a IUI cycle with letrozole.

What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I’ve had to call more than once with the results of my beta as I never got a call back like I was supposed to.

8

Doctor

Curt Klooster

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Roseville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Curt Klooster Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2019, Unknown Success

5

6

Age 31

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

2 IUI With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Vu was transparent and was kind when delivering bad news ... Dr. Vu seems knowledgeable and was compassionate. His explanation of treatment and further steps was somewhat confusing and my wife and I didn’t feel like we had a full understanding of what to expect moving forward. ... We were doing progesterone suppositories and letrazole. He only did the last 2 cycles because the previous doc very abruptly retired.

Seems like lots of turnover within the clinic [Kaiser Permanente Sacramento] and team did not explain the course of treatment aka duration (tentative treatment plan 6-12 months out). If I had to do it over again I’d be more assertive about the process ... [Nursing Staff was] Kind and compassionate and tactful ... Clinic did not take the time to explain the course/duration of treatment

How was your experience with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

It’s very early to tell because had a previous doc and he only did the last 2 cycles of treatment. Dr. Vu seems knowledgeable and was compassionate. His explanation of treatment and further steps was somewhat confusing and my wife and I didn’t feel like we had a full understanding of what to expect moving forward.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Make sure he explains the duration of treatment (6-12 months out).

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Vu was transparent and was kind when delivering bad news

Describe the protocols Kenneth Vu used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

IUI. We were doing progesterone suppositories and letrazole. He only did the last 2 cycles because the previous doc very abruptly retired.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Kind and compassionate and tactful

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Seems like lots of turnover within the clinic and team did not explain the course of treatment aka duration (tentative treatment plan 6-12 months out). If I had to do it over again I’d be more assertive about the process

Describe the costs associated with your care under Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Each IUI and appointment was 15 bucks through kaiser (we have excellent insurance)

Describe Kenneth Vu's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

N/a

What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Failed to consider drug intolerance

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Clinic did not take the time to explain the course/duration of treatment

5

Doctor

Kenneth Vu

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

6

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Roseville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2021 - 2022, Unknown Success

10

8

Age 35 - 36

1 Fertility Medications

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Endometriosis

Poor Egg Quality

Latinx

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

3rd of 3 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

1 Egg Freezing With Other Docs

1 Embryo Freezing With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Harry Hatasaka Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

He [Dr. Hatasaka] is one of the most compassionate doctors I have ever had. Listens to his patients and you never feel rushed off...He is extremely through with all of his explanations of procedures and let’s you be a part of it as much as you want...Dr. Hatasaka is very against transferring more than 1 embryo to avoid having complications of twins...He has provided many options to us and he always reassures me that we will bring home a healthy baby one of these days...

Most of the nurses [at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento] are excellent. My account got lost in the shuffle and I almost had to cancel my transfer because they forgot about my case or it got lost. They did make it up to me but my protocol was a bit off...Strengths are this clinic is very reasonably priced if you are already a Kaiser member. They do everything to help you with offsetting the costs with grants and programs that are available. Weaknesses: you don’t always see your doctor that your under. There is a lot of room for miscommunications because of that....

How was your experience with Harry Hatasaka at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Hatasaka is extremely knowledgeable with over 30 years of experience. He is one of the most compassionate doctors I have ever had. Listens to his patients and you never feel rushed off. As a patient, I have gone through a lot medical wise and he understood that aspect of my care. He is extremely through with all of his explanations of procedures and let’s you be a part of it as much as you want. Dr. Hatasaka has been a reproductive doctor for over 30 years which is a lot of time in a practice. I truly believe he will make our dreams come true in one way or another. He is as determined as we are. He has provided many options to us and he always reassures me that we will bring home a healthy baby one of these days. He truly is such a great doctor.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Harry Hatasaka at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Ask questions :) he will answer all of them for you.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Harry Hatasaka at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Very nice doctor. Explains everything well.

Describe the protocols Harry Hatasaka used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

I have not been under Dr. Hatasaka for very long. I cannot say much to the procedures he has because I only went through 1 transfer with him.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Most of the nurses are excellent. My account got lost in the shuffle and I almost had to cancel my transfer because they forgot about my case or it got lost. They did make it up to me but my protocol was a bit off.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Strengths are this clinic is very reasonably priced if you are already a Kaiser member. They do everything to help you with offsetting the costs with grants and programs that are available. Weaknesses: you don’t always see your doctor that your under. There is a lot of room for miscommunications because of that.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Harry Hatasaka at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

$4500

Describe Harry Hatasaka's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Dr. Hatasaka is very against transferring more than 1 embryo to avoid having complications of twins.

What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Lost paperwork

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

My doctor (Sara Gilbert) was on her way out of the clinic who I was under. I was already set to do a transfer and somehow I got lost in the shuffle and forgot about. I had already paid for my transfer and no one contacted me about my protocol until I called and it was almost too late. Truly think this was a reason my transfer didn’t work.

10

Doctor

Harry Hatasaka

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

8

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Harry Hatasaka Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful

0

Age 34 - 35

5 IUI

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Consultant

1st of 2 Docs

2 IUI With Other Docs

3 IVF With Other Docs

3 Embryo Freezing With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

It seemed as if Dr. Vu did not read my chart or was distracted during my IUI cycles. He was uninformed of my cervical issues and prescribed me the wrong medication during one of my cycles. It was very clear that he was too busy, which I feel was a reflection of Kaiser's protocols and not necessarily a reflection of their staff's care style.

Kaiser's Fertility Department was a rough experience. The clinic is expensive compared to other clinics. Support is limited and not personalized. Staff are overbooked and my appointments were always late. They were unorganized and continued to recommend IUI's when I should have transitioned to IVF, wasting my time and taking away from retrieving eggs while I was younger. I would not recommend them to anyone.

How was your experience with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

I was a patient of Dr. Vu's while he was preparing to retire from Kaiser. He clearly had one foot out the door. He kept recommending that I do IUI's, giving me a total of 7 medicated IUI cycles. Looking back, I wish that he would have recommended IVF much sooner because he wasted a lot of my time. He gave me the wrong medication during one cycle and I was overstimulated, causing my cycle to be canceled. He is a kind man but I felt their was a lack of care and concern.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Advocate for yourself. Do research on medications and doses before taking.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

It seemed as if Dr. Vu did not read my chart or was distracted during my IUI cycles. He was uninformed of my cervical issues and prescribed me the wrong medication during one of my cycles. It was very clear that he was too busy, which I feel was a reflection of Kaiser's protocols and not necessarily a reflection of their staff's care style.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The team is clearly exhausted from being under staffed and overscheduled. Kaiser has unrealistic expectations and rushes appointments, limiting time for questions or personal interactions. The staff are kind. During a difficult transfer one of the nurses held my hand and was very empathetic.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Kaiser's Fertility Department was a rough experience. The clinic is expensive compared to other clinics. Support is limited and not personalized. Staff are overbooked and my appointments were always late. They were unorganized and continued to recommend IUI's when I should have transitioned to IVF, wasting my time and taking away from retrieving eggs while I was younger. I would not recommend them to anyone.

What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The Doctor prescribed the wrong medication. This caused me to have 8 eggs during an IUI cycle and the cycle had to be canceled. Months later that same Doctor told me that we should have done an IVF egg retrieval instead during that cycle because I had responded well to the medication. It is upsetting to hear that kind of recommendation when it is clearly way too late.

0

Doctor

Kenneth Vu

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

0

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2020, Consult

10

Age 34

Latinx

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

2nd of 2 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sara Babcock Gilbert Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

I was having surgery to remove stage IV endometriosis...[Dr. Gilbert] also wanted to schedule a cavity examination to see if there was anything that could potentially be a barrier for implantation...if there was anything that needed to be removed, it could be done all at once so I didn’t have to go under anesthesia twice and surgery twice...assured me she was very good at what she does and made me feel at ease with the potential plan.

treated with the utmost respect and dignity throughout this process. The clinic [Kaiser Permanente Sacramento] made my husband feel very included and always asked if he had any questions...made it a point to accommodate his schedule when scheduling my egg retrieval...gave us privacy when we needed to discuss some options pertaining to our embryos...[Dr. Gilbert] Seems like a great doctor to be on my side...

How was your experience with Sara Babcock Gilbert at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Gilbert’s strength is that she is a great listener and makes sure your concerns are heard and understood. I have only met with her once because my primary fertility doc left her practice. She transferred care to Dr. Gilbert who plans on doing my FET. The experience that I had with her so far is great. She was pregnant when I had my consultation, my plan was to do a transfer 2 months after my 3rd endometriosis surgery. She was open with me that she would be on maternity leave but explained her colleague could do the transfer but she would be in charge of my protocol. She assured me she was very good at what she does and made me feel at ease with the potential plan.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sara Babcock Gilbert at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

To ask as many questions and/or concerns you have because she will listen and take what you say into account.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sara Babcock Gilbert at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Gilbert was very friendly and had great bedside manner. She explained what her plan was moving forward with a transfer and showed me my embryo grades. She asked me if I had any questions or concerns and could contact her anytime. Seems like a great doctor to be on my side.

Describe the protocols Sara Babcock Gilbert used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

I only consulted with Dr. Gilbert, but she explained to me what her protocol plan was for me. Since I was having surgery to remove stage IV endometriosis, she said i needed to be on birth control for those few weeks of healing before my protocol started so that we could keep the estrogen down. She also wanted to schedule a cavity examination to see if there was anything that could potentially be a barrier for implantation. She actually wanted to do this before my surgery so that if there was anything that needed to be removed, it could be done all at once so I didn’t have to go under anesthesia twice and surgery twice. She seems like she truly cares about her patients. I found her suggestion helpful and logical.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento. (Assigned nurse: Monica Coltharp)

We have worked with Monica from the beginning and she is amazing. My husband is a police officer and she made it a point to accommodate his schedule when scheduling my egg retrieval. She thanked him for his service and was very nice. Monica made a point to be clear on all paper work and gave us privacy when we needed to discuss some options pertaining to our embryos Incase of death. Monica was amazing.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I don’t have any weaknesses with the clinic so far. I have had an amazing experience with this clinic and all staff. I have truly felt like my husband and I have been treated with the utmost respect and dignity throughout this process. The clinic made my husband feel very included and always asked if he had any questions. I absolutely have nothing bad to say about this clinic so far.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sara Babcock Gilbert at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

$4300 was the estimate they gave me for the transfer and meds. She was open with me that depending on the medication costs, could be more or less.

Describe Sara Babcock Gilbert's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

In the clinic I attend, they only do eSET’s unless your over a certain age. Since I am only 33, she told me she would only do 1 embryo at a time.

10

Doctor

Sara Babcock Gilbert

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sara Babcock Gilbert Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful

10

8

Age 28 - 29

1 IUI

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

6 Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sara Babcock Gilbert Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Doctor Sara is very thorough with explaining all aspects of infertility. I haven’t had too much time with her. Mainly her NPs. But I am looking forward to continue under her care. I have never felt uncared for, and all my questions and concerns are always answered. ... After my consultations I was started with as many as 6 medicated cycles along with my IUI for my last medicated cycle. I conceived on my first round but sadly ended in a miscarriage.

The strength for this clinic [Kaiser Permanente] is high. I honestly have no bad experiences here. They are all so nice and I would refer anyone here. ... I always felt so loved, welcomed and cared for at this clinic. I obviously haven’t received my ultimate want yet but I know through their care I have the best odds ...

How was your experience with Sara Babcock Gilbert at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Doctor Sara is very thorough with explaining all aspects of infertility. I haven’t had too much time with her. Mainly her NPs. But I am looking forward to continue under her care. I have never felt uncared for, and all my questions and concerns are always answered.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sara Babcock Gilbert at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Realizing that Dr Sara is a human too and is trying her best to care for all her patients.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sara Babcock Gilbert at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

I always felt so loved, welcomed and cared for at this clinic. I obviously haven’t received my ultimate want yet but I know through their care I have the best odds

Describe the protocols Sara Babcock Gilbert used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

After my consultations I was started with as many as 6 medicated cycles along with my IUI for my last medicated cycle. I conceived on my first round but sadly ended in a miscarriage. As I continued on I was closely monitored through my cycles with ultra sounds along with urine and pregnancy tests before my appointments. They were cautious with medications and I know did they best they could. I am now continuing on with IVF.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento. (Assigned nurse: NP Sharma NP Cookingham )

I saw NP Sharma the most at this clinic. I truly have so many kind words for her. She was very compassionate , explained everything very well and always made me feel like a friend and not just an infertility patient. I had many questions throughout my treatments there and I always was responded to in a timely manner. I honestly enjoy seeing the many nurses and have never had a bad experience; from the front desk to MD

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The strength for this clinic is high. I honestly have no bad experiences here. They are all so nice and I would refer anyone here. Besides not getting a baby yet, and the clinic being a little far from home. I have no weaknesses to share.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sara Babcock Gilbert at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I don’t have an exact number through the years but infertility is never cheap.

10

Doctor

Sara Babcock Gilbert

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

8

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sara Babcock Gilbert Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2018 - 2019, Successful

10

Age 35 - 36

3 IUI

1 IVF

European

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Sales Representative

Only Doc Seen

Donor Sperm

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Cookingham was compassionate and warm. She genuinely cares for her patients and our feelings. I always felt like she had my best interest at heart, and she went out of her way to be supportive throughout the process and treatment...I saw no weaknesses in this very special doctor. When I saw Dr. Cookingham, I felt like I was chatting with one of my girlfriends. She always was personable and never displayed the doctor ego. She always took her time and protected my best interest. She went out of her way to check on me when I lost my mother while going through fertility treatment, and she called me when I had a miscarriage to offer condolences. I couldn't have asked for a better doctor!

I spent about $17,000 for my IVF and medications [at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento]. My IUI's were about $900 each and the medication for each IUI was about $1,000...The fertility clinic was excellent at being responsive and ensuring I knew the next steps. They also guided me to find discounts for my medications since my treatment was completely out of pocket. When I had to bring my daughter to the appts, everyone. would. acknowledge her and showed her kindness...so kind and seemed to really enjoy their jobs. I actually missed everyone when I was no longer seeing them.

How was your experience with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

I saw no weaknesses in this very special doctor. When I saw Dr. Cookingham, I felt like I was chatting with one of my girlfriends. She always was personable and never displayed the doctor ego. She always took her time and protected my best interest. She went out of her way to check on me when I lost my mother while going through fertility treatment, and she called me when I had a miscarriage to offer condolences. I couldn't have asked for a better doctor!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Trust her!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Cookingham was compassionate and warm. She genuinely cares for her patients and our feelings. I always felt like she had my best interest at heart, and she went out of her way to be supportive throughout the process and treatment.

Describe the protocols Lisa Cookingham used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

I was on menopur and another injectable to stimulate my ovaries, and progesterone for 10 weeks once pregnant, but I feel like I'm forgetting something. She was very adamant about the recommendation to just transfer one. embryo. She was. very polite about it, but she was very concerned about transferring more than one.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Everyone in the fertility department was. so kind and seemed to really enjoy their jobs. I actually missed everyone when I was no longer seeing them.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The fertility clinic was excellent at being responsive and ensuring I knew the next steps. They also guided me to find discounts for my medications since my treatment was completely out of pocket. When I had to bring my daughter to the appts, everyone. would. acknowledge her and showed her kindness.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I spent about $17,000 for my IVF and medications. My IUI's were about $900 each and the medication for each IUI was about $1,000

10

Doctor

Lisa Cookingham

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2019, Unknown Success

7

8

Age 31

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Operations

3rd of 3 Docs

8 IUI With Other Docs

IVF With Other Docs

Egg Freezing With Other Docs

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Vu is very personable, is patient with questions and spent as much time as I needed to explain the information I needed...He seemed A little overwhelmed every time I see him but went out of the way to try to put me at ease with my concerns and questions. I would recommend him, most of my interactions have been with his medical assistants and nurses though. He seems lake a very knowledgeable man with many years of experience

I was supposed to start my birth control and that I would receive my IVF calendar [from Kaiser Permanente] on the following week. I did get my calendar within a day however the calendar was for the following month and I was not informed but I needed to stop taking my birth control for three days...I wish the staff had a smaller work load of patients so they could give more focused individual care. I will note that every time I call they ended up talking to a different nurse. And when I got my prescription calendar it was not clear to me as to when to take my medications. It wasn’t communicated to me until after the fact when I was supposed to have stopped taking them. Pay very close attention to your medication calendar. It’s your responsibility to make sure you’re taking and stopping them when needed. I just figured someone would have told me.

How was your experience with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Vu is a great doctor. He seemed A little overwhelmed every time I see him but went out of the way to try to put me at ease with my concerns and questions. I would recommend him, most of my interactions have been with his medical assistants and nurses though. He seems lake a very knowledgeable man with many years of experience

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Have a list of questions that you want to ask prepared before your visit

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Vu is very personable, is patient with questions and spent as much time as I needed to explain the information I needed

Describe the protocols Kenneth Vu used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

I am in the middle of my IVF process with dr vu. We are doing a frozen embryos cycle

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I wish the staff had a smaller work load of patients so they could give more focused individual care. I will note that every time I call they ended up talking to a different nurse. And when I got my prescription calendar it was not clear to me as to when to take my medications. It wasn’t communicated to me until after the fact when I was supposed to have stopped taking them. Pay very close attention to your medication calendar. It’s your responsibility to make sure you’re taking and stopping them when needed. I just figured someone would have told me.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

It cost Over 20,000 out of pocket

What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I was supposed to start my birth control and that I would receive my IVF calendar on the following week. I did get my calendar within a day however the calendar was for the following month and I was not informed but I needed to stop taking my birth control for three days in the car at Matt. I didn’t find out that I was supposed to have a break on my birth control until I had my appointment to go over my medication schedule. She said oh, you didn’t take a break in the air birth control? I I was never told that I needed to do that. Apparently it was in very small print on the top of the calendar in acronyms.

7

Doctor

Kenneth Vu

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

8

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2019, Unknown Success

10

6

Age 30

1 Fertility Medications

Male Factor

South Asian

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Vicky Moy Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Vicky [Dr. Moy] took the time to discuss out initial test results, what they meant and our treatment options. Together, we were able to come up with a plan for our infertility treatments and I left the appointment feeling comfortable that we were in such good hands, despite how emotionally difficult this time can be. Infertility is a sensitive subject, and she was very open, direct and caring towards us...we have committed to doing IUI cycles for 3-4 cycles before moving onto IVF if necessary.

The nursing staff [at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento] were very pleasant and patient. Everyone seemed to work well together and the office ran smoothly with appointment times and getting patients in the back. The office was calm, soothing and everyone was extremely sensitive to the difficulties of infertility...The office was easy to find, kept calm and quiet, clean...the timelines seemed very realistic...So far, we have committed to doing IUI cycles for 3-4 cycles before moving onto IVF if necessary. We are doing IUI with Clomid and I am going to do 2 cycles without the trigger shot and then 2 cycles with the HCG trigger shot if necessary. We have gone in for our initial consultation, and I start my first IUI cycle in a few weeks.

How was your experience with Vicky Moy at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Vicky Moy was very personable and patient when explaining our infertility issues. Even though both my husband and I are in the medical field, we are limited understanding when it comes to infertility and the possible infertility treatments possible. Vicky took the time to discuss out initial test results, what they meant and our treatment options. Together, we were able to come up with a plan for our infertility treatments and I left the appointment feeling comfortable that we were in such good hands, despite how emotionally difficult this time can be. Infertility is a sensitive subject, and she was very open, direct and caring towards us.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vicky Moy at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Have all of your infertility testing for you and your partner done prior to your initial appointment. In addition, it's really important you and your partner are present in order to discuss your results and treatment options together. Many times, women go alone to the initial appointment but I thought having my husband there hear the information firsthand from Vicky was helpful.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vicky Moy at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Vicky sat down with both my husband and I for over an hour in her office to go over our initial fertility testing that Kaiser had order prior to our appointment. Though both my husband and I are both in the medical field, we have limited understanding of infertility and Vicky took the time to explain everything to us. She was patient with us the entire appointment, and never made us feel rushed like she had another patient waiting. She laid all the options out on the table, and gave us her medical advice, but in the end let us decide what the best options are for our family and our fertility goals. She approached the appointment like we were more than another number in her clinic, and that was very important to us when finding a doctor. In addition, after the appointment, she sent me an email detailing everything we had discussed and the steps moving forward because it can be difficult to remember everything after an information filled and emotionally filled appointment.

Describe the protocols Vicky Moy used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

So far, we have committed to doing IUI cycles for 3-4 cycles before moving onto IVF if necessary. We are doing IUI with Clomid and I am going to do 2 cycles without the trigger shot and then 2 cycles with the HCG trigger shot if necessary. We have gone in for our initial consultation, and I start my first IUI cycle in a few weeks.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The nursing staff were very pleasant and patient. Everyone seemed to work well together and the office ran smoothly with appointment times and getting patients in the back. The office was calm, soothing and everyone was extremely sensitive to the difficulties of infertility.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Overall, I would recommend this clinic to a friend because of the staff and Dr. Moy. The office was easy to find, kept calm and quiet, clean. The nursing staff were friendly and ran everything efficiently. I have not had a treatment at the office yet, but the timelines seemed very realistic. The doctor was personable, and never rushed the appointment, making you feel like you were the most important person in the room. It felt very personable, and not like you were just another number they had to get to that day. She also allows you to email her and will get back to your within 24 hours, even on the weekends to answer questions or if you have any concerns during treatment. I think the accessibility to my doctor will become more and more important as I progress through my infertility treatments.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Vicky Moy at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Infertility costs are covered 50% by our insurance, up until IVF treatment. IVF is estimated to cost $15-24,000 for the first cycle and an additional $5-6,000 a cycle thereafter. Genetic testing is extra, and additional medications are not covered.

Describe Vicky Moy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

My doctor has recommended an eSET for a singleton pregnancy because that is what is safest for the mother and baby. She prefers to do it that way, but in the end lets the couples decide what is best for their family planning.

10

Doctor

Vicky Moy

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

6

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Vicky Moy Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2017 - 2019, Successful

10

Age 25 - 27

1 IVF

Anovulation

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Latinx

Income $0 - $49K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 2 Docs

2 Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

. I always felt my opinion matered. I had forgotten to take a medication and had to have her pages at 9pm one night and she was more than happy to help me. When I wasn’t progressing on my stims like we were hoping she changed my dosage to better suite how my body was reacting. ... She always connected with me asked me how I was doing. I felt like I had a voice in my treatment and my protocol was made just for me.

Love the clinic [Kaiser Permanente] the staff is very nice. I hate the case managers phone line. I feel it is extremely difficult to get ahold of them. The office itself always answers there phone and helps as best as they can. ... The phone line is extremely hard to get a nurse the first time you call. They have you leave a voice mail and they will return your call.

How was your experience with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

She explained everything perfectly every visit. Her clinic was an hour away from me so instead of making me drive an hour for a follow up she contacted be by phone and would follow up with any lab results. I always felt my opinion matered. I had forgotten to take a medication and had to have her pages at 9pm one night and she was more than happy to help me. When I wasn’t progressing on my stims like we were hoping she changed my dosage to better suite how my body was reacting.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

You will love her!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

I always felt like a human. She always connected with me asked me how I was doing. I felt like I had a voice in my treatment and my protocol was made just for me. I felt she had my best interest. Unfortunately my son passed away after he was born and the first person to call me and offer their condolences was Dr.Cookingham. She was there for me when I was struggling the most and trying to make decisions on how to move forward with my goal to bring home a baby.

Describe the protocols Lisa Cookingham used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

We primed with birth control. I stimed for 12 days. Took Gonal F 375ui AM for 3 days then 225ui for the remaining 9. Centrotide AM days 5-12 . Menopure 3 powder vials PM day 4-12. I started Estrace AM & PM days 5-12. After egg retrieval we started PM pio infections until 10.5weeks

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento. (Assigned nurse: Laurel )

The phone line is extremely hard to get a nurse the first time you call. They have you leave a voice mail and they will return your call.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Love the clinic the staff is very nice. I hate the case managers phone line. I feel it is extremely difficult to get ahold of them. The office itself always answers there phone and helps as best as they can.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The cost for my fresh transfer with icsi plus medications was $19,000

10

Doctor

Lisa Cookingham

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2018 - 2019, Unsuccessful

5

3

Age 30 - 31

4 IUI

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Unexplained

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Accountant

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

As a patient I feel like Dr. Vu just doesn't have the time to help me/thoroughly review my case. I think he is very knowledgeable and kind. I appreciate his honesty and do think that he is an expert in his field, just suffering from physician burn out. ... I definitely feel rushed in/rushed out. I do not feel like he takes the time to review my results with me or goes into detail about the game plan. ...

Kaiser NEEDS more than one doc. The nursing staff is awesome but the clinic cannot function with one doc, which is why I am switching clinics for IVF. I think the strengths is that they are super nice, responsive, and are very compassionate. ... It is VERY hard to get an appointment ... I think they also need to do a better job with their financial coordinators and how the info is delivered to the patient. I just had someone call me and told me I needed to pay thousands of dollars asap with out much detail, which was frustrating.

How was your experience with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

As a patient I feel like Dr. Vu just doesn't have the time to help me/thoroughly review my case. I think he is very knowledgeable and kind. I appreciate his honesty and do think that he is an expert in his field, just suffering from physician burn out.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

You have to be very patient and ok with 4 word e-mail replies

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Vu is the only doc right now that Kaiser has in the Sacramento area. I definitely feel rushed in/rushed out. I do not feel like he takes the time to review my results with me or goes into detail about the game plan. Dr. Vu is very nice and very honest, I just feel like he is so overwhelmed that he doesn't have the time he needs for these appointments.

Describe the protocols Kenneth Vu used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

I decided not to pursue IVF with Dr. Vu and to go to a different clinic. Dr. Vu just did my IUI's and they were pretty simple.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The nursing staff at Kaiser is awesome, they have always been super nice and compassionate towards me. They also return calls/e-mails promptly. Just trying to get time with the doc was difficult.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Kaiser NEEDS more than one doc. The nursing staff is awesome but the clinic cannot function with one doc, which is why I am switching clinics for IVF. I think the strengths is that they are super nice, responsive, and are very compassionate. The weaknesses are that they have one one doctor. It is VERY hard to get an appointment, especially an appointment that fits well in the patient's schedule. They also have a five month waiting period for anyone that has not had an IVF consultation yet with the doctor, so I can only imagine how frustrating that is for new patients. I think they also need to do a better job with their financial coordinators and how the info is delivered to the patient. I just had someone call me and told me I needed to pay thousands of dollars asap with out much detail, which was frustrating.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I was quoted about 17k for IVF and 6-9k for meds. My IUI's and infertility treatment was covered.

What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Lost paperwork

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The clinic told me that I needed to fill out consent paperwork twice, but I had already had 3 IUI's at that point, so I had definitely already filled out the consent paperwork.

5

Doctor

Kenneth Vu

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

3

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2019, Unknown Success

10

Age 34

1 IVF

European

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Operations

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Cookingham is an excellent and knowledgeable physician. She supported her answers to my questions by referencing studies and research which gave me confidence. Several times throughout the process she would let us know what she thought our chance of success was. I felt that her care was customized to me and she would adjust plans throughout the process based on how I was responding. At the time of my egg retrieval, she decide it was best cancel the fresh embryo transfer and convert it to a freeze all cycle in order to improve our success rate.

I never had a long wait time for appointments or labs [at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento]. At the Vacaville center, IVF patients get priority at the lab and don't have to wait in line. In the Sacramento clinic, they draw your labs in the office so there was never a long wait. Everything was very smooth...I always had to leave a voicemail but they [nurses] typically get back to you within an hour or two.

How was your experience with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Cookingham is an excellent and knowledgeable physician. She supported her answers to my questions by referencing studies and research which gave me confidence. Several times throughout the process she would let us know what she thought our chance of success was. I felt that her care was customized to me and she would adjust plans throughout the process based on how I was responding. At the time of my egg retrieval, she decide it was best cancel the fresh embryo transfer and convert it to a freeze all cycle in order to improve our success rate.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Go see her! She is the best. She is knowledgeable, talented, caring, and honest, in all the right amounts.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Cookingham is the most genuinely kind and warm hearted provider I have ever encountered. She took her time explaining everything she was doing, what she was looking for, what she was seeing, and what was going to happen next. She explained her thought process every step of the way so I always felt informed and confident in the care she was providing. It was the first time in this process I felt like I could relax because I knew she was watching out for me and had my best interest at heart. I whole heartedly trust her and her opinion.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I always had to leave a voicemail but they typically get back to you within an hour or two.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I felt confident in seeking IVF care through Kaiser because their physicians see a lot of patients for IVF and therefore become very skilled in the procedure. I never had a long wait time for appointments or labs. At the Vacaville center, IVF patients get priority at the lab and don't have to wait in line. In the Sacramento clinic, they draw your labs in the office so there was never a long wait. Everything was very smooth.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

$11,300 IVF, $5,000 Meds, $3,000 Frozen embryo transfer

10

Doctor

Lisa Cookingham

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

5

0

Age 39 - 40

1 IVF

Endometriosis

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Accountant

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Vu preferred to transfer one embryo at a time but said because of my age (38 at the time), he was OK with transferring two for a fresh transfer. He educated us on the risks...The part I found challenging was when I asked questions to get a better understanding of what went wrong and to come up with a new plan of action. After our first loss I asked him to run tests on me to rule out issues with my uterus, blood work to test my hormone levels, coagulopathy labs to rule out any issues before the next transfer

The [Kaiser Permanente Sacramento] clinic is extremely organized. They sent me calendar's with the medications I would take, dosage, and prospective retrieval / FET dates. If I sent an email or left a message on their line, I would receive a response by the next day. This made planning my appointments and procedures around work a breeze. Their shortcomings were compassion and remembering that we are humans with emotions not just a patient on their list to see or call back.

How was your experience with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

There is no question that Dr. Vu is an extremely knowledgeable and competent doctor. I had zero doubt in his ability to preform surgery, retrievals or transfers. The part I found challenging was when I asked questions to get a better understanding of what went wrong and to come up with a new plan of action. After our first loss I asked him to run tests on me to rule out issues with my uterus, blood work to test my hormone levels, coagulopathy labs to rule out any issues before the next transfer. He said everything was fine and that losses happen at my age. I went through two more transfers that resulted in losses before he finally agreed to run the labs. In a perfect world, all these test would have been run prior to beginning IVF.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

If you're looking for a doctor that has compassion for your journey, who will walk alongside you through the process, Dr. Vu isn't for you. If the human component in your doctor doesn't matter to you and your case is somewhat straight forward, Dr. Vu is for you.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Vu saw several patients a day, he ran late every time I had an appointment to see him. He would dash in the room to do an ultrasound and then quickly leave to see the next patient. When I would ask him a technical question about medications, he told me to talk with a nurse. If I would ask him a question about what he thought my chances were or to address any of my fears, his responses were never comforting. He would reference my age and say that it's possible for me to get pregnant but that he couldn't guarantee anything. I wasn't looking for a guarantee, I just wanted him to acknowledge where I was in that moment. I felt questions weren't well received because of his time constraint.

Describe the protocols Kenneth Vu used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

The protocol I was on was called "The Poor Responder" protocol. He prescribed Gonal-F, Menopur, Lupron, birth control, and Ovidrel for retrieval. For FET, he prescribed birth control, Lupron(15u for 10 days, 10u for 16 days), estrace(2mg 3xday), and progesterone (1ml day, 5 days before FET)).

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Some nurses were better than others. One nurse in particular was extremely kind and compassionate. Her name is Laurel. She delivered bad news kindly and even called me to check to see if I was doing OK a couple days and week later. I worked with a two other nurses and my experience wasn't great. After my first IVF transfer, I experienced a loss. The nurse called to tell me my beta was "x" and then remained quiet on the line. I asked her what that number meant. She said "You're having a miscarriage!" It felt like a blow to the stomach and I didn't even know what to do. I asked what I should do since I'd never experienced a miscarriage before. She said nothing different, just wait for my period to come. Well, a miscarriage is not like a normal period. I had to call a friend to ask them if what I was feeling was normal. I wasn't prepared for what a beta was and I wasn't prepared for how to deal with a miscarriage. I felt no compassion about what I was going through and felt like a number.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The clinic is extremely organized. They sent me calendar's with the medications I would take, dosage, and prospective retrieval / FET dates. If I sent an email or left a message on their line, I would receive a response by the next day. This made planning my appointments and procedures around work a breeze. Their shortcomings were compassion and remembering that we are humans with emotions not just a patient on their list to see or call back.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The retrieval cost $12k, FET cost $3,200 and medications were $5k - $6k for retrieval and $1k - $2k for FET.

Describe Kenneth Vu's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Dr. Vu preferred to transfer one embryo at a time but said because of my age (38 at the time), he was OK with transferring two for a fresh transfer. He educated us on the risks.

5

Doctor

Kenneth Vu

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

0

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

10

Age 33 - 34

Tubal Blockage

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

1st of 3 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sae Sohn Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Sohn eased me into what IVF was. He took his time and was through, he made me feel he truely cared. He also used humor to help quell your nerves, always making me feel like he was trustworthy and giving it me straight. I never felt it was just about money to him. ... He was supportive, informative, and definitely gave me all my options. When I had to switch Doctors he sent me to Dr. Lovely another Dr. He trusted well. I always felt he had my interests at heart and was truely sad to see us not conceive with oral meds.

All strength and no weakness. This clinic [Kaiser Permanente Sacramento] is on the ball through and through. They are attentive, caring, return your calls promptly, scheduling services are flexible, and you are never short on information or risks. They put you 1st! ... I felt very supportive under the care of his nursing team and nurse practitioner. It was a truely warm experience during such a dark time in my life.

How was your experience with Sae Sohn at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

I did 5 rounds of clomid and 1 of femara. He was supportive, informative, and definitely gave me all my options. When I had to switch Doctors he sent me to Dr. Lovely another Dr. He trusted well. I always felt he had my interests at heart and was truely sad to see us not conceive with oral meds.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sae Sohn at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

He makes you feel so at ease, which definitely helps you swallow this bitter pill of infertility treatments

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sae Sohn at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Sohn eased me into what IVF was. He took his time and was through, he made me feel he truely cared. He also used humor to help quell your nerves, always making me feel like he was trustworthy and giving it me straight. I never felt it was just about money to him.

Describe the protocols Sae Sohn used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

I had low dose clomid my first 2 months then he increased it to 100mg. For the remaining 3 until we used femara as a last ditch effort before IVF.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento. (Assigned nurse: Sharma)

I felt very supportive under the care of his nursing team and nurse practitioner. It was a truely warm experience during such a dark time in my life.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

All strength and no weakness. This clinic is on the ball through and through. They are attentive, caring, return your calls promptly, scheduling services are flexible, and you are never short on information or risks. They put you 1st!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sae Sohn at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

My monitoring, testing, and meds came out 4,232.00. I did not accrue any further fees as Dr. Sohn referred me to another clinic.

Describe Sae Sohn's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

He had an incentive program to use just one at a time. If you chose this, you had a forgiveness clause that allowed you 2 additional transfers. If you chose multiple (2) you did not get the incentive program

10

Doctor

Sae Sohn

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sae Sohn Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2018, Successful

10

Age 32

1 Embryo Freezing

Male Factor

Income $0 - $49K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Cookingham has a lot of strengths. ... She is also does IVF for cancer patients and has a lot of knowledge in oncology. ... She has been practicing for some time and has a lot of knowledge about Endometriosis and PCOS and the best treatment plans. I have stage IV Endometriosis and my husband has low sperm count so she advised us to do ICSI right from the beginning. ... I was very scared and apprehensive about the whole thing but she truly was an angel.

My costs were laid out on the consultation [Kaiser Permanente Sacramento]. She [doctor] also suggested a program which gives a discount on IVF medications. ... We saved over $5,000 on medications which made it very affordable. She also was up front with the extra costs of ICSI from the very beginning. ... The nursing staff is amazing. They all communicate well and are very accommodating. My husband is a police officer and the nursing staff wanted to make sure our egg retrieval time coincided with his work schedule.

How was your experience with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Cookingham has a lot of strengths. She has been practicing for some time and has a lot of knowledge about Endometriosis and PCOS and the best treatment plans. I have stage IV Endometriosis and my husband has low sperm count so she advised us to do ICSI right from the beginning. We did not know my husband had low sperm count until she tested him. She went over all the blood results for both of us in the following appointment after our blood draws. She was very kind. One of the kindest doctors I have ever had. She made the IVF experience wonderful. I was very scared and apprehensive about the whole thing but she truly was an angel. She also informed me that my diagnosis of PCOS was irrelevant. She saw absolutely no signs of PCOS. I was so relieved and happy to hear that. She is also does IVF for cancer patients and has a lot of knowledge in oncology.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Trust her suggestions. She is very knowledgeable and good at what she does.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Cookingham was an amazing doctor. She throughly explained each procedure and step. She also made accomodated our egg retrieval time with an unexpected work issue my husband had. She was also very up front with the treatment options since we had issues on both sides. I appreciated her honesty yet she delivered with such kindness.

Describe the protocols Lisa Cookingham used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

My protocol was very basic and straight forward. It did not change throughout the weeks leading up to egg retrieval other than decreasing the Lupron. I did 10 iu of Lupron then decreased it when I went off birth control to 5. I did 300 ui of Gonal F daily and menopur 1 mg shots daily. I then did the trigger after about 10 days. Very basic and staifht forward since my body was responding like it should have been. She used a basic protocol to avoid OHSS and since I did not have PCOS, this is what she suggested.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento. (Assigned nurse: Monica Coltharp)

The nursing staff is amazing. They all communicate well and are very accommodating. My husband is a police officer and the nursing staff wanted to make sure our egg retrieval time coincided with his work schedule. They were very nice and I actually missed them when we were done with IVF.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I feel this clinic doesn’t really have many weaknesses other than the clinic was farther than I thought I would have to drive. To receive Dr. Cookingham’s expertise, it was well worth the traffic and distance to see her. The only downside is she is at two different clinics throughout the week. So some weeks I had to go to Vallejo and towards the end, I had to go to Sacramento. Other than that, it was a great clinic.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

My costs were laid out on the consultation. She also suggested a program which gives a discount on IVF medications. This was a Godsend. We saved over $5,000 on medications which made it very affordable. She also was up front with the extra costs of ICSI from the very beginning.

Describe Lisa Cookingham's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I am not sure what her thoughts are since we have not done a transfer yet or talked about it with her yet.

10

Doctor

Lisa Cookingham

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2018, Unknown Success

10

Age 26

Anovulation

PCOS

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Sales Representative

2nd of 2 Docs

9 Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Cookingham knew my name from the second I walked into her treatment room. She also remembered me when we went to her IVF consultation and seminar, when I had not seen her for months. She is very warm and caring.... Dr. Cookingham upped my dose from 2mg of Femera to 7.5mg of Femara and also adjusted my Menopur dosage. While under her care I produced two follicles instead of one. I have not gotten pregnant yet, but we are on the wait list to start IVF treatment with her.

Kaiser is very easy to work with and I have had an overall very great experience working with them. Scheduling can be somewhat tricky because they don't answer their phones, but if you leave a message they return your call within one business day.... I LOVE the staff at Kaiser in Sacramento. I see Nurse Anjali Sharma most often for routine visits. I love her. She cares about her patients. I have never met a medical professional I like more actually.

How was your experience with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Cookingham is wonderful. I first went to Dr. Vu and we just did not "click" how i wanted. I then saw Dr. Cookingham and I actually like her so much that my husband and I have decided to do IVF through Kaiser in Sacramento/Vacaville because I really want to work with her.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

She has a long wait list for IVF, so sign up sooner rather than later, and you can always cancel your appointment if something happens or you change your mind.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Cookingham knew my name from the second I walked into her treatment room. She also remembered me when we went to her IVF consultation and seminar, when I had not seen her for months. She is very warm and caring.

Describe the protocols Lisa Cookingham used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

Dr. Cookingham upped my dose from 2mg of Femera to 7.5mg of Femara and also adjusted my Menopur dosage. While under her care I produced two follicles instead of one. I have not gotten pregnant yet, but we are on the wait list to start IVF treatment with her.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento. (Assigned nurse: RN Anjali Sharma )

Like I stated in my previous review of Dr. Vu, I LOVE the staff at Kaiser in Sacramento. I see Nurse Anjali Sharma most often for routine visits. I love her. She cares about her patients. I have never met a medical professional I like more actually.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Kaiser is very easy to work with and I have had an overall very great experience working with them. Scheduling can be somewhat tricky because they don't answer their phones, but if you leave a message they return your call within one business day.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Nothing was covered under insurance other then diagnostic testing.

Describe Lisa Cookingham's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Dr. Cookingham prefers single embryo transfer and Kaiser does not want to do multiple embryo transfers unless you are in your mid thirties or older. They offer a program where if you meet the criteria (under 40, and has more than three quality eggs) then if you chose to implant one egg on your first fresh transfer, then if it fails they will give you two free frozen egg IVF cycles.

10

Doctor

Lisa Cookingham

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2018, Unsuccessful

4

10

Age 26

2 Fertility Medications

Anovulation

PCOS

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Sales Representative

1st of 2 Docs

7 Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Vu is very direct and blunt. I like getting all the facts, but I don’t like them delivered in a cold way. I would say he was a little cold. I also feel like because I am only 26, he really didn’t listen to my concerns or questions because, “I have lots of time and have a good response to fertility medicine”. It made me feel like he wasn’t listening to me and kind of just brushing me off. It was upsetting because although I am young, I have still been trying to have a baby for two years and it’s really hard and an emotional time.

I love Kaiser in Sacramento and I am continuing my treatment with them, but with a different Dr. They are fantastic. They are organized and really care about their patients. I think the only piece of advice I can give is that you have to be your own health advocate. I am the one that has to call and schedule my own appointments and ask for ultrasounds/blood work. They do not call you. Also you have to leave a message because they don’t answer their phones

How was your experience with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Vu is very direct and blunt. I like getting all the facts, but I don’t like them delivered in a cold way. I would say he was a little cold. I also feel like because I am only 26, he really didn’t listen to my concerns or questions because, “I have lots of time and have a good response to fertility medicine”. It made me feel like he wasn’t listening to me and kind of just brushing me off. It was upsetting because although I am young, I have still been trying to have a baby for two years and it’s really hard and an emotional time. I felt like I just didn’t connect with him personally. It is important for me to feel “connected” to my Dr. because we see them so often, and they are such a huge part of our life during TTC.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

If you want straight forward answers and no sugar coating from a Dr. who is very knowledge go to Dr. Vu.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

I think Dr. Vu was very upfront and honest. He was very blunt with me. Some people like that, some don’t. I appreciate blunt facts, however I do like some sort of warmth. He didn’t offer a lot of warmth. I can tell he is very knowledgeable and really knows his stuff, but his bedside manner turned me off from him. I stopped going to him after two cycles because I didn’t like the way he delivered things and I didn’t feel like I could ask him questions.

Describe the protocols Kenneth Vu used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

I did two cycles with Dr. Vu. The first cycle I did 2mg of Femara and five days of Menopur with a trigger shot of Ovidrel. I had one smallish/normal egg and I did ovulate but I got a big cyst on my other ovary. So I had to wait out a cycle and when I came back I wanted to up my dosage because it seemed like I just didn’t respond well. He did not agree because I am so young he said he wanted to take a conservative approach and that one egg was all I needed. I did one more cycle with the same protocol and same results minus the cyst. I ovulated both times (confirmed by ultrasound) but neither time resulted in pregnancy.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento. (Assigned nurse: RN Anjali Sharma)

I absolutely love the nurses and staff at Kaiser in Sacramento. I wasn’t a big fan of Dr. Vu, but the nurses are amazing. I couldn’t recommend them high enough.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I love Kaiser in Sacramento and I am continuing my treatment with them, but with a different Dr. They are fantastic. They are organized and really care about their patients. I think the only piece of advice I can give is that you have to be your own health advocate. I am the one that has to call and schedule my own appointments and ask for ultrasounds/blood work. They do not call you. Also you have to leave a message because they don’t answer their phones, but their response time is pretty fast. Overall it’s a wonderful clinic and I trust them, which is really important.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Everything was out of pocket. Our insurance does not cover infertility so all costs are out of pocket unfortunately.

Describe Kenneth Vu's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

I have not done that yet.

4

Doctor

Kenneth Vu

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2018, Unknown Success

8

Age 29

1 Embryo Freezing

Male Factor

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr. Vu sees a lot of patients always bouncing from one to the next. I was warned that he is very scientific about the process, “ very doctor like” and gives it to you straight, which I appreciate but others have found insensitive. All I care about is if he can get us our end result, a child.... Dr. Vu was the one that really was able to explain my husband’s infertility issues with us. We had a private consultation with Dr. Vu and he considered all of our tests and labs and let us know that IVF with ICSI were our best chance.

The nurse case managers [Kaiser Sacramento] were wonderful! They answer phone calls and emails within a few hours or by the next morning. They really take the time to explain everything and have tissues ready when needed for those emotional appointments.... The scheduling process has a long wait list sometimes for transfer or egg retrieval. It’s essentially first to pay gets a spot. So the waiting was frustrating at times. Other than that, no complaints or comments.

How was your experience with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Vu was the one that really was able to explain my husband’s infertility issues with us. We had a private consultation with Dr. Vu and he considered all of our tests and labs and let us know that IVF with ICSI were our best chance. He told us IUI would be a low success rate and he wouldn’t bother. I appreciated his honest opinion and after my husband and I doing our homework we agreed. Dr. Vu describes my husband’s low motility with a great analogy “you trying to get pregnant naturally is like a team of soccer players with no legs”. Honestly this analogy resonated with us and it all kind of clicked for us. My husband and I are both sports people so it was perfect for us. The only thing that I would say was frustrating was during my ultrasound appointments leading up to egg retrieval, he would come into the room and wiz through my appointment and then scoot out to the next patient. He is extremely busy and I know this, but a tiny bit more time would be calming and appreciated. At my egg retrieval he was obviously more present and explained everything to my husband and I. Have not had a transfer yet, but will schedule for later this year.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Ask all your questions!! We all have a ton going through this process, speak up he is friendly and will let you know the answer. It might be straightforward but he has the answers to most.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr. Vu sees a lot of patients always bouncing from one to the next. I was warned that he is very scientific about the process, “ very doctor like” and gives it to you straight, which I appreciate but others have found insensitive. All I care about is if he can get us our end result, a child. The Nurse case managers are wonderful though and really take the time to be personal and answer all of my questions. They also are able to directly get a response from Dr. Vu if I need one.

Describe the protocols Kenneth Vu used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

We were a make factor infertility case and I was already showing a high follicle count prior to beginning meds. He wanted to make sure that I progressed appropriately but also took into consideration that I was high risk for OHSS. He kept my meds at the minimum needed and adjusted accordingly. He ended up having us do a freeze all to try and avoid OHSS and give us the best chance for success. He wanted my body to have a natural menstrual cycle and get rid of all the medications prior to transfer the embryo.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento. (Assigned nurse: There was a team of Nurse Case Managers. Kathy and Laurel were the two I worked with the most.)

The nurse case managers were wonderful! They answer phone calls and emails within a few hours or by the next morning. They really take the time to explain everything and have tissues ready when needed for those emotional appointments. At my egg retrieval I was slightly anxious and ended up having an allergic reaction to a form of penicillin and my RN was so amazing and compassionate when I had to leave my husband and go to the procedure room. She held my hand until I was out under. I can not speak more highly of the nurses!!

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

The scheduling process has a long wait list sometimes for transfer or egg retrieval. It’s essentially first to pay gets a spot. So the waiting was frustrating at times. Other than that, no complaints or comments.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Kenneth Vu at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

We did IVF with ICSI totaling about $12,000. Our meds were an additional $3800 after a rebate we received from the drug company based on our income. We then later found out we needed to do frozen transfer which is an additional $1690. I have been told that if our first frozen cycle does not result in a live birth, Kaiser will cover a second frozen transfer for us.

Describe Kenneth Vu's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Dr. Vu made it clear he likes, one healthy baby and one healthy mama. I originally went in with the idea that I wanted to transfer 2, he stressed his recommendation that because I am younger and very healthy he would only transfer one at a time to avoid complications during pregnancy. I am also pre-diabetic so he especially urged one embryo transfer.

8

Doctor

Kenneth Vu

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

8

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Kenneth Vu Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

2018, Unknown Success

9

Age 38

1 Egg Freezing

Latinx

Income $50K - $99K

Business Executive

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Dr Cookingham is very personable... She has great bedside manor. Puts you at ease. She knows about the process and can answer any questions. Make you feel like she cares and knows you and your particular issues well.... The day of the procedure I was nervous but the main person to put me at ease was Dr. Cookingham. She is great and the main reason for me choosing her clinic to go with for this procedure.

They [Kaiser] were understanding of my work schedule and was able to work out the schedule of appointments perfectly.... Clean and friendly staff were there for me. Just one or two nurses were less caring than the others which may be to be expected out of the whole staff. They were the ones that went over the paperwork and how to do the injections I would have liked a little more attention on that day to feel very confident in doing the injections.

How was your experience with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

She has great bedside manor. Puts you at ease. She knows about the process and can answer any questions. Make you feel like she cares and knows you and your particular issues well. Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Don’t feel afraid to ask a lot of questions and let them know your concerns.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento?

Dr Cookingham is very personable. Some staff members hurry you at appointments because of the amount of people seen at the clinic.

Describe the protocols Lisa Cookingham used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and their degree of success.

Hormone injections. Blood tests. Appointments every few days for a few weeks. Need a few days after procedure to recover.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

Most nursing staff were very friendly and caring. Especially front desk blood retrieval waiting staff and office nurses. They were friendly and attentative. I like to ask lots of questions for clarity on especially my injection schedule and I have never done an injection before. There were one or two nurses that made me feel they could not relate to me having to do this for the first time. Down playing it and saying it’s easy is good but should meet my concerns with care.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

They were understanding of my work schedule and was able to work out the schedule of appointments perfectly. I took about 2 Weeks off during the injections and after the procedure. I did a lot of driving from the Peninsula to Sacramento for the treatment and they were very understanding of my commute. Clean and friendly staff were there for me. Just one or two nurses were less caring than the others which may be to be expected out of the whole staff. They were the ones that went over the paperwork and how to do the injections I would have liked a little more attention on that day to feel very confident in doing the injections. But I was given loads of information and resources to help me as well. The day of the procedure I was nervous but the main person to put me at ease was Dr. Cookingham. She is great and the main reason for me choosing her clinic to go with for this procedure.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Lisa Cookingham at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento.

8,000 plus 5,000 for medications.

9

Doctor

Lisa Cookingham

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

9

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Lisa Cookingham Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

4 doctors work here

CDC Success Rates

Available Resources

This clinic has 3 offices
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62 patient reviews

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Kaiser Permanente Sacramento

4 doctors work here

CDC Success Rates

Available Resources

This clinic has 3 officesVisit clinic website

62 patient reviews

Learn from top medical experts

This clinic has 3 offices
Visit clinic website