Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Lovely is wonderful...he is so patient and takes the time to explain procedures in a way that didn't leave us feeling patronized. I was able to email her and she always patiently responded...It doesn't matter if you know nothing about fertility or you are an expert, she will meet you on your level

I had many interactions with nursing staff [at Northern California Fertility Medical Center] and all but one was kind and compassionate. NCFMC runs like a well oiled machine. I was nervous at first about falling through the crack or mistakes, but I never had one...taught me how to mix medication and administer injections. Occasionally the phone lines would be quite busy but the receptionists were always professional when they answered the phone. I was always seen quickly and efficiently

How was your experience with Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Lovely is wonderful. She has the best bedside manner of any doctor I've worked with. She is so patient and takes the time to explain procedures in a way that didn't leave us feeling patronized. I was able to email her and she always patiently responded to my neurotic questions.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Lovely is wonderful. It doesn't matter if you know nothing about fertility or you are an expert, she will meet you on your level.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I felt like a human because a nurse contacted at each step to explain what would come next. I was contacted following blood work and the staff was compassionate with bad news. The clinic allowed me to complete my cycle that was in process in spite of Covid.

Describe the protocols Laurie Lovely used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

I did 3 rounds of Clomid. Each round was accompanied with estrogen 2mg to build up the uterine lining and improve cervical mucous. A trigger shot of 5000mg of HCG ensured ovulation. 2500mg of HCG followed 2 days after ovulation and 4 days after ovulation. At the same time I utilized progesterone/estrogen suppositories. The first cycle was with 100mg of Clomid and produced 1 egg. The second cycle was with 150mg of Clomid and produced 1 egg. My third cycle was with 150mg of Clomid and produced 2 eggs. The last cycle ended with a chemical pregnancy.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I had many interactions with nursing staff and all but one was kind and compassionate. NCFMC runs like a well oiled machine. I was nervous at first about falling through the crack or mistakes, but I never had one.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

NCFMC runs like a well oiled machine. After each visit my checklist was updated. Nurses took the time to answer my questions. They taught me how to mix medication and administer injections. Occasionally the phone lines would be quite busy but the receptionists were always professional when they answered the phone. I was always seen quickly and efficiently.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The diagnostics were largely covered by insurance. All told for 3 cycles of medication and monitoring was $1800. Office visits/ultrasounds were $350.

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I worked with a single nurse who was rather rude and condescending. During the two previous cycles I was allowed to preschedule my ovulation ultrasound due to my chaotic schedule. However, this particular nurse would not causing me to juggle my schedule at the last minute. Furthermore, when everyone says to have intercourse every 48 hours she informed us to have sex every 36 hours among other misinformation. Fortunately this was my third cycle and I knew what to do. This was the cycle that ended with a chemical pregnancy, the only cycle to produce any positive results.

Doctor

Laurie Lovely

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie Lovely Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful

Age 35 - 36

2 Fertility Medications

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Unexplained

European

Native American

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Laurie Lovely Northern California Fertility Medical Center

I felt understood by Dr. Lovely, and she showed compassion and comfort when things weren’t going so well with the process...[she] saw me after a history of recurrent miscarriages of unknown origin. She performed the HSG...I did not feel pressured to go in any certain direction of treatment...She showed concern for me when she noticed a shift in my mood from appointment to appointment

the clinic [Northern California Fertility Medical Center - Roseville] runs smoothly, and everyone is courteous...you may feel like you’re being called out of order and possibly waiting longer than other patients, but different exams and treatments are done differently and with different teams of people...I don’t think I ever saw the same nurse twice, but have always felt respected and treated well...The clinic does work with your PCP and insurance to lessen costs by utilizing their labs and allowing certain exams to be run through them

How was your experience with Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

My first visit with Dr. Lovely wasn’t under the best of circumstances. I felt my first consult appointment at the clinic had made me uncertain of moving forward with treatment, and when I met Dr. Lovely she was performing a very uncomfortable exam, the HSG. I had just worked the night shift the night before so I was tired as well. Dr. Lovely came in and immediately put me and my concerns at ease. She was warm and friendly and even made me laugh during an extremely uncomfortable situation. She made me hopeful and feel positive about proceeding with treatment. Every other appointment I’ve had with her I’ve felt just as valued. She showed concern for me when she noticed a shift in my mood from appointment to appointment, and she always left me feeling good by the end. She has always been honest, yet caring and considerate. She has always given me an explanation for all of my options, and she explained things when I asked for clarification. I have never felt rushed during appointments or like she needed to hurry up to the next patient. Most importantly I have felt heard and respected like she has my best interest at heart as a person as well as a patient. Infertility is a difficult journey, and having a healthcare provider like Dr. Lovely that can inspire hope and make this process less painful, is extremely important to patients like me.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Ask for Dr. Lovely, you won’t be sorry!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I felt understood by Dr. Lovely, and she showed compassion and comfort when things weren’t going so well with the process. I felt that my opinion was valued, I felt heard, and I did not feel pressured to go in any certain direction of treatment.

Describe the protocols Laurie Lovely used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

Dr. Lovely saw me after a history of recurrent miscarriages of unknown origin. She performed the HSG, or Hysterosalpingography exam. The only thing found from testing that could potentially be a factor in my infertility is a diminished egg reserve. My treatments started off with daily low dose aspirin and progesterone timed after ovulation which was tracked with home tests. The next step for my treatment was to do timed intercourse with cyclically timed clomid for 7 days and then estrogen for 7 days with at home monitoring for ovulation. I would then get an ultrasound to determine follicle size and amount as well as the readiness of the uterine lining. If everything looked good, they gave me a trigger shot, which was then followed up with another one 3 days later and one more again 3 days later. I was then to start progesterone timed after ovulation. And continued until a negative blood hcg test for pregnancy. Since none of these seem to be working and I’m older than 35 now and worried about my egg reserve, we discussed moving forward with IVF, which has been put on hold due to the Covid situation.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I don’t think I ever saw the same nurse twice, but have always felt respected and treated well by the nursing staff.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I think the clinic runs smoothly, and everyone is courteous. It is important for patients to understand that everyone is there for different reasons so you may feel like you’re being called out of order and possibly waiting longer than other patients, but different exams and treatments are done differently and with different teams of people. Also, you may emotionally respond differently than you expect to during appointments and exams, and that’s ok.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I’m lucky enough to have insurance that covers half of all costs up to a certain point, and my copays have ranged from $50-$200 based on the exam or appointment. The clinic does work with your PCP and insurance to lessen costs by utilizing their labs and allowing certain exams to be run through them as well.

Doctor

Laurie Lovely

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie Lovely Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful

Age 30 - 31

4 IUI

Male Factor

Other

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

1st of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Stephens is very likable, we got to know her month after month coming in for treatments...asked us details about personal things we had shared in prior visits...always answered my emails so kindly and I have a lot of questions...never seemed annoyed by my questions. As a patient of hers I felt cared for and heard...After 6 months and 4 rounds of IUI, we re-assessed and moved on to IVF planning.

Great clinic [Northern California Fertility Medical Center] overall, kind staff, good doctors. Be prepared from the beginning to not see YOUR assigned doctor every time...things were resolved VERY quickly once they were made aware of any mistakes...prescription had been placed with the wrong pharmacy (not even their fault, my miscommunication of locations) and the doctor called from his personal cell phone and called into the correct pharmacy that night!

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Stephens is very likable, we got to know her month after month coming in for treatments. She always wished us the best of luck. She asked us details about personal things we had shared in prior visits. She always answered my emails so kindly and I have a lot of questions. She never seemed annoyed by my questions. As a patient of hers I felt cared for and heard.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I would recommend you ask her for her honest feedback and thoughts versus hopeful feedback. This may have just been our case, but I think I would have done less rounds of IUI and jumped into IVF sooner, although when consulting with friends who are OBGYN's, they agreed with her mode of Tx planning.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Stephens remembered details about our personal lives that we shared, checked in to see if it was hard to meet appointments with her because of work engagements. She was always smiling and remained hopeful while also delivering the most accurate expectations on our case.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We started with a conservative approach out of wanting to see what my body could do on its own as far as follicle growth and egg health and reduce the odds of multiples. We had established a plan for two cycles of natural IUI followed by additional medications for rounds 3 and 4 of IUI to help with follicle growth and possible number of eggs. The plan was to re-assess after 4 rounds and go for IVF if applicable. Looking back, I would have added follicle stimulating drugs on earlier rounds. One round we missed ovulation entirely which was such a dissappointment. Some rounds I had to take additional drugs such as estradiol in order to help with lining because my lining wasnt thick enough. Each month brought different timing and medical challenges but Dr Stephens did what she could to help the cycle be completed. After 6 months and 4 rounds of IUI, we re-assessed and moved on to IVF planning. I started birth control, and then COVID happened and my cycle was stopped just weeks before injectables and then egg retrieval. We are currently on pause until the clinic opens back up.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Nursing staff was overall kind, I did do more of the talking and asking questions to engage in personal dialogue but overall they were encouraging and of course we felt their hopefulness that our cycles would work.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Great clinic overall, kind staff, good doctors. Be prepared from the beginning to not see YOUR assigned doctor every time you come in, which makes sense, I was just surprised at first but I got used to it. Advocate for your specific care and case, ask lots of questions, they will work hard for you but dont be afraid to ask.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Each round of IUI was roughly $900-1300 depending on number of ultrasound visits and rounds of IUI. Medications were additional costs to the pharmacy.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

None

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The things that went wrong seem like routine and normal things to go wrong due to the nature of a fast-moving clinic with lots of patients and cases to manage. I just continued to call and things were resolved VERY quickly once they were made aware of any mistakes that were made. Even once I received a call late at night from one of the doctors because my prescription had been placed with the wrong pharmacy (not even their fault, my miscommunication of locations) and the doctor called from his personal cell phone and called into the correct pharmacy that night!

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019 - 2020, Successful

Age 33 - 34

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Other

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

When Dr Stephens wasn't sure how to move forward with the diagnosis of my scar defect she took a week to get back to me she did research and even gave me the option to go to another surgergen who could do the repair laproscopicly which she wasn't comfortable doing. I went with her and had the surgery done a different way. She was honest about the expected outcome from surgery. When I did get pregnant again after surgery I was no longer a patient but when I couldn't get into my OB she had me come in early because she wanted me seen. It was good because I ended up having a tubal ectopic and she managed that honestly and with compassion

Every nurse [at Northern California Fertility Medical Center] I spoke to was so compassionate wit my ectopic situation, when I called with a million questions they always listened and made sure to let me know they understood how I was feeling...I really haven't had any issues with this clinic. They tried to charge me once when they were not supposed to but it was quickly resolved. I have always felt important and never felt like I was a burden.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Don't hesitate, go see her. She really cares about her work and her patients.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

My OB didn't take my concerns about my c section scar defect and history of c section scar ectopic seriously. Dr Stephens listened to me did research and really took the time to understand this rare issue I was experiencing and didn't make me feel like I was over reacting.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

I have not done cycle treatments as my issue is more linked to miscariages and ectopics

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Every nurse I spoke to was so compassionate wit my ectopic situation, when I called with a million questions they always listened and made sure to let me know they understood how I was feeling.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I really haven't had any issues with this clinic. They tried to charge me once when they were not supposed to but it was quickly resolved. I have always felt important and never felt like I was a burden.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I was diagnosed with a scar defect and multiple misscariages and an ectopic it was all covered by insurance so I don't have a lot of the financial information.

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2020, Successful

Age 34

East Asian

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Laurie Lovely Northern California Fertility Medical Center

[Dr. Laurie Lovely] She went through each phase that we would go through along the way. She asked us if we had any questions and was able to answer everything we threw at her. She was kind and compassionate. She was patient and we did not feel rushed out. She gave us the pros and cons to IUI and IVF and helped us make the right decision for us...

From the moment you walk in [Northern Cal Fertility Medical Center], the receptionist is friendly and they don't make you feel uncomfortable at all. They truly have an amazing team down there. I email my care coordinator and nurse questions all the time and they always get back to within a couple hours if not sooner...The whole IVF treatment w/medication would be around $23k. That was not including all our blood work, genetic testing and my husbands SA test.

How was your experience with Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Lovely was the second doctor that we saw at the clinic. She was welcoming and very knowledgeable. She went through each phase that we would go through along the way. She asked us if we had any questions and was able to answer everything we threw at her. She was kind and compassionate. She was patient and we did not feel rushed out. She gave us the pros and cons to IUI and IVF and helped us make the right decision for us.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Bring a note pad and pen. There's so much information that they go over with you. Dr. Lovely is helpful and will be able to answer all your questions.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Lovely made us feel comfortable from the very first minute we met her. She started with how infertility affects people. She then went into how IVF and IUI procedures work. She was very knowledgeable and really took her time with us. She did not rush through anything and she asked us if we had any questions along the way. She told stories and made it feel like we weren't alone in the process. Dr. Lovely was kind and you could tell that her heart is with her patients.

Describe the protocols Laurie Lovely used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

Dr. Lovely had this book ( that's what I call it) and it laid out the full IVF treatment and what each phase looked like. She also gave us stats on successful birth and non-successful birth rates. Dr. Lovely then completed an ultrasound on me. She was looking for my uterus and she looked at all m follicles.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Brianna )

I love the staff and NCFC. From the moment you walk in, the receptionist is friendly and they don't make you feel uncomfortable at all. They truly have an amazing team down there. I email my care coordinator and nurse questions all the time and they always get back to within a couple hours if not sooner. They are patient and are able to answer all my questions for me.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I love Northern Calif Fertility Clinic. They are king and everyone you come in contact with is friendly and welcoming. The clinic is a bit quite when you walk in but other than that, it still has a nice warm feeling.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The whole IVF treatment w/medication would be around $23k. That was not including all our blood work, genetic testing and my husbands SA test.

Describe Laurie Lovely's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Dr. Lovely talked to us about single and multiple embryo transfers. She told us the pros and con's.

Doctor

Laurie Lovely

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie Lovely Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful

Age 32 - 33

1 IVF

Poor Egg Quality

European

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Although we did not see it work with Dr. Murray each time, when we did see him he made us feel comfortable. He answered questions quickly and always had a consistent plan. He was very knowledgeable and honest with our situation...I was told I didn’t need to have the “ink test” for my tubes, because we were moving straight to IVF. After all was clear, we began with birth control, went onto shots & egg retrieval, rest month, and then the transfer

Everyone is so friendly & knowledgeable in this clinic [Northern California Fertility Medical Center]. They are very on top of everything, and are always so organized. I am staying with this clinic for my next cycle. The only “weakness” I would say, is that it’s hard to get into contact with the financial department. You hear from them much more through email, rather than in person or over the phone...In total, our cost was about 25,000. That was with insurance.

How was your experience with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Although we did not see it work with Dr Murray each time, when we did see him he made us feel comfortable. He answered questions quickly and always had a consistent plan. He was very knowledgeable and honest with our situation.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Make sure you ask all questions you want answered, even if you may feel like it’s a “dumb question”. Dr Murray is happy to answer all and any questions you have.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Murray made us feel like he actually cared, and was always accepting of any concern or question we had.

Describe the protocols Michael Murray used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

When we first started Dr Murray had us do a number of blood tests & a water sonogram, to make sure there weren’t any fertility issues we had missed. I was told I didn’t need to have the “ink test” for my tubes, because we were moving straight to IVF. After all was clear, we began with birth control, went onto shots & egg retrieval, rest month, and then the transfer. After 2 losses prior to IVF, it was suggested we have our eggs genetically tested. Our transfer failed. We are now waiting to start a new cycle. This time we have a new plan.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I think that everyone has different preferences when it comes to nurses/doctors. Our nurse was very capable, helpful, and organized. I just needed someone who was more empathetic, and nurturing for me personally.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Everyone is so friendly & knowledgeable in this clinic. They are very on top of everything, and are always so organized. I am staying with this clinic for my next cycle. The only “weakness” I would say, is that it’s hard to get into contact with the financial department. You hear from them much more through email, rather than in person or over the phone.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

In total, our cost was about 25,000. That was with insurance.

Describe Michael Murray's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Dr Murray said that they transfer one, in order to have the safest outcome.

Doctor

Michael Murray

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 27 - 28

PCOS

Tubal Blockage

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

When I went in for an ultrasound to check on a cyst, [Dr. Murray] discussed my options and made adjustments to planned treatment to fit my needs... so kind and intuitive...stopped and checked in with how I was feeling just seconds after beginning to feel overwhelmed...We have felt confident with every decision made with Dr. Murray...explained everything in a way that my husband and I left without any questions.

[Nurses] responded to every email quickly, with kindness and compassion. If they didn't have the answer, they worked with their staff to find it quickly...NCFMC still worked to find the cheapest options possible for us including purchasing an IVF/FET package from an outside financing agency...made paying as painless as possible. Not once have we felt nickled and dimed for their time.

How was your experience with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Murray did an amazing job explaining all options and their success possibility for us. He explained everything in a way that my husband and I left without any questions. When I went in for an ultrasound to check on a cyst, he discussed my options and made adjustments to planned treatment to fit my needs. We have felt confident with every decision made with Dr. Murray

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Be honest and transparent, and come with questions! Dr. Murray did a great job explaining everything to my husband, who struggled with understanding the female body and how different procedures worked. Dr. Murray was able to answer every question we had and knew all of our options and next steps by the time we left our first consult.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Murray is so kind and intuitive. When discussing the removal of a cyst, he stopped and checked in with how I was feeling just seconds after beginning to feel overwhelmed.

Describe the protocols Michael Murray used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We will be doing an antagonist IVF cycle once clinics open after COVID-19. I have PCOS and blocked tubes from a childhood surgery.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Natalie)

Natalie and Kristina are AMAZING! Both women responded to every email quickly, with kindness and compassion. If they didn't have the answer, they worked with their staff to find it quickly. We were days from our injection and IVF 101 appointment with Natalie when COVID-19 caused all new cycles to stop. She was so incredibly empathetic and answered all questions. I look forward to expanding our family with their help.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

It is difficult to find any weaknesses with NCFMC. The financial coordinators were amazing in explaining all options in financing and coordinating with us. We left their office every time knowing the door was wide open for questions. My biggest piece of advice is to ask all the questions. NCFMC will answer them and help guide you in the best direction.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Our complete IVF cycle, worst case scenario, will be about 25 thousand. We were very fortunate to be able to pay out of pocket for IVF and testing. NCFMC still worked to find the cheapest options possible for us including purchasing an IVF/FET package from an outside financing agency. NCFMC made paying as painless as possible. Not once have we felt nickled and dimed for their time.

Describe Michael Murray's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Dr. Murray encouraged the use of eSET, which we had already planned on.

Doctor

Michael Murray

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 40 - 41

5 IUI

2 IVF

1 Embryo Freezing

Donor Sperm

Male Factor

Poor Egg Quality

European

East Asian

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Stephens is very straight-forward, which we appreciate. Whenever we met with her (whether in-person, or phone consult), she would go over our charts and review current standings...She would answer without prejudice and with her honest opinion. She was intelligent and non-judgmental, which made it easier to ask questions about alternative treatment or wellness options. My only concern would be, I don't know if she was talking about only-her experience, or all of the experience from the clinic. There are several doctors and quite a number of patients, I would prefer to know that they collectively reviewed charts (since you see all the Doctors, eventually, anyway) and that your primary Dr gave you recommendations based off of their collective experience & input. Typically, more knowledge and more experience would get you better treatment, theoretically.

She [nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center] was extremely patient while teaching the dosage and how to best give injections. You'll always get her voicemail, if you call the clinic, but she answers/returns phone calls and e-mails in the same day...For the clinic, the meds, consultations, etc.; the IUI rounds were about $3,000 each and the IVF (extraction-only) were about $15,000 each...You'll rarely see your personal Dr (although they are available via e-mail) and scheduling appointments with your personal Doctor is 3-4 weeks out. Good to know: NCFMC has several Doctors on staff, who have their own patients and they have a "duty" type of schedule. So they rotate, when they see their personal patients, when they are in the exam room, when they have to work the

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

What I appreciated most about Dr. Stephens was the ability to talk candidly with her, about our predicament, what I've researched versus what she's worked with (or seen work). She would answer without prejudice and with her honest opinion. She was intelligent and non-judgmental, which made it easier to ask questions about alternative treatment or wellness options. My only concern would be, I don't know if she was talking about only-her experience, or all of the experience from the clinic. There are several doctors and quite a number of patients, I would prefer to know that they collectively reviewed charts (since you see all the Doctors, eventually, anyway) and that your primary Dr gave you recommendations based off of their collective experience & input. Typically, more knowledge and more experience would get you better treatment, theoretically.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Don't be afraid to be inquisitive, ask questions, and understand your case. Dr Stephens is nice and will take the time to answer your questions, but she's also not going to try to inundate you with information you may not understand or care about. She will tell you about your situation and give you her recommendations, then leave space for you to talk and ask questions. Also, be prepared to see other Doctors during your clinic appointments, you're only guaranteed to see Dr Stephens during your one-on-one appointments with her.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens is very straight-forward, which we appreciate. Whenever we met with her (whether in-person, or phone consult), she would go over our charts and review current standings. We always had a list of questions regarding our status, her experience and expectations from similar cases, possible options, and personnel + professional opinions. She answered all of our questions, remaining realistic and positive, without being overly optimistic. She would also discuss her recommended treatments and ensured we understood and were okay proceeding with her ideas, or if we wanted to something else.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

With a history of on-going birth control (Depo Provera or IUD), no past pregnancy, no other underlying issues (other than age >35) on the female side, proceeded with IUI using donor sperm. Started treatment with Clomid, with the first three IUIs varying from 2 follicles to 4 follicles. Upped the medication on rounds 4-6 to include Gonal-F, which increased the follicle count to 3-6 follicles on various attempts. Still no resulting pregnancy. When we started IVF, I was put on birth control pills to "regulate" the period, as well as Gonal-F, Ganirelix, and Menopur. This had less than stellar results, which was four follicles, four eggs, three possible embryos, but none were viable that lasted past day 5. The next round of IVF the medication eliminated the b/c pills, added estrogen patches, and increased the Gonal-F daily dosage amount. Ganirelix and Menopur dosage remained the same. This was exponentially better, resulting in nine follicles, 14 eggs, seven embryos, 2 possible embryos (were good as of day 5), but returned from the genetics lab as known defective.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney)

Courtney was fantastic! She was extremely patient while teaching the dosage and how to best give injections. You'll always get her voicemail, if you call the clinic, but she answers/returns phone calls and e-mails in the same day. She'll work extra hard with the pharmacy to get the medication you need, when you need it, and if you need an extra prescription/authorization written to get approval from the insurance, she'll work with them too. SHE will be your best friend, confidante, and mentor while using NFCMC. For the rest of the Nursing staff, they're nice & polite. The moment after you remember you need to empty your bladder before the ultrasound, and use the restroom in the lobby, is when they'll finally call your name. Every.time. Some of the phlebotomist are better than others, you'll either leave the chair with a smile, laugh, or a bruise. Overall, they've got a very good routine and you'll rarely wait more than 10 minutes in the lobby for your appointment. (Which is great when you're trying to fit your appointments in during your lunch break.)

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Strengths: The office staff have a smooth routine down in the office, friendliness of the staff, tons of experience from several doctors and lots of patients, you'll get to know all of the doctors at NCFMC (they're all personable, so you can ask them questions after/ during your exam). Weaknesses: the exam rooms are rather tight, so there's not a lot of room for your personal items or your partner. They recently moved their Roseville office into Sacramento. You'll rarely see your personal Dr (although they are available via e-mail) and scheduling appointments with your personal Doctor is 3-4 weeks out. Good to know: NCFMC has several Doctors on staff, who have their own patients and they have a "duty" type of schedule. So they rotate, when they see their personal patients, when they are in the exam room, when they have to work the weekends/ holidays, etc. As such, you'll get to know all/most of the Doctors at NCFMC during the ultrasound visits. However, You won't see your assigned Doctor unless you schedule a one-on-one appointment, or its your lucky day when they're the one to walk into your exam room.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The clinic cost were not covered by our insurance, but some of the medications were. For the clinic, the meds, consultations, etc.; the IUI rounds were about $3,000 each and the IVF (extraction-only) were about $15,000 each.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

N/A - did not have embryos to transfer. :-(

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018 - 2019, Unsuccessful

Age 36 - 37

1 IVF

Male Factor

Uterine Fibroids

Black or African-American

Income $50K - $99K

Operations

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Manuel Doblado Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Doblado, understood my concerns about wanting to protect the integrity of conception I was looking for. I did not want to know genders or test for it. While in retrospect I was a little more naive than I thought he still allowed me to make the decisions and supported me...For my transfer I was prescribed Zithromax 250mg, Letrozole 2.5mg, and Ovidrel 250mg/0.5 ml. I ovulated on my own each month so Dr. Doblado wanted to keep my protocol what he called natural

There is always a lot of traffic in office. Patients coming and going. The [Northern California Fertility Medical Center] staff is wonderful, very friendly, very clean and organized. My favorite experience was my egg retrieval the doctors were funny and upbeat. My least favorite experience was after our failed transfer we came in for a consultation to take about what possibly went wrong and the nurse that drew my blood greeted me with a very loud "I'm so sorry"

How was your experience with Manuel Doblado at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr.Doblado, was wonderful as far as communicating what he felt was the best treatment for my husband and I. I wish I had spent more time working directly with him to help understand more clearly what to expect throughout the entire process. While Dr.Doblado did not preform my transfer or egg retrieval one of the other clinic doctors did he was my treating provider and did preform my saline sonogram and another procedure to look for inner uterine fibroids. Dr.Doblado has remained encouraging even though we did not get a positive test from our transferred 6AA embryo.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Manuel Doblado at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I would encourage new patients to really ask the necessary questions about fertility treatments going into the process. I think there was some assumption that we had dome some research about the process of IVF during our consultation. We had not, so post our first and as of right now only cycle we were left feeling like we did everything but we did not get pregnant. Dr. Doblado is very open, candid, and patient, but the process is worth more time spent going over questions and answers.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Manuel Doblado at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Describe the protocols Manuel Doblado used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

While I am nut sure about the exact protocol I was on, but I know that I was prescribed for my retrieval estradiol 0.15-0.03mg tablet, Menopur 75 units injectable, and Gonal-ref Pen 450 units. once the retrieval was completed I rested off medications a cycle to prepare for transfer. For my transfer I was prescribed Zithromax 250mg, Letrozole 2.5mg, and Ovidrel 250mg/0.5 ml. I ovulated on my own each month so Dr. Doblado wanted to keep my protocol what he called natural. I had no side effects to any of the medications.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Jamie F.)

Jamie, was awesome. She always made me feel comfortable and was realistic with me about the odds of conceptions when I was panic throughout the process. I would have loved a follow-up call after we were told the transfer was unsuccessful but that may be part of the healing process to allow the patient to reach out when ready. It has been a year and I have not heard anything.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

There is always a lot of traffic in office. Patients coming and going. The staff is wonderful, very friendly, very clean and organized. My favorite experience was my egg retrieval the doctors were funny and upbeat. My least favorite experience was after our failed transfer we came in for a consultation to take about what possibly went wrong and the nurse that drew my blood greeted me with a very loud "I'm so sorry". I know her heart was in the right place it was just uncomfortable because everyone then turned and looked at me.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Manuel Doblado at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I had partial insurance cost for some of my treatment up to $6,000 life time max which we exhausted. We paid out of pocket about $8,500 in addition on treatments and medications for everything from retrieval to transfer. When we transfer again we will be looking at another $5,000 out of pocket.

Describe Manuel Doblado's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Dr, Doblado and I differed on our opinion of the embryo transfer. I have fibroids on the outside of my uterus but none on the inside. I have had a prior myomectomy to remove some so Dr. Doblado had concerns of the weight of two babies on my uterus if both embryo implanted. I wanted to give myself better odds by implanting two. We only implanted one embryo because it was so highly graded , but I still wish we had implanted two.

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Failed to consider drug intolerance

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I feel like the dosage of valium provided for my water sonogram was not enough. That was the worst pain I have ever endured.

Doctor

Manuel Doblado

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Manuel Doblado Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019, Unsuccessful

Age 32

2 IUI

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

I feel like a human because he calls us by name sits down with us and looks us in the eye. ... He was very good at explaining the process and what is going on in terms we understand. He gives us all the information to make educated decisions and I never feel pressured. ... It’s refreshing to feel listened to and supported in this very vulnerable time. I never feel rushed while in appointments with him. I truly believe he puts the best interest of his patients first. I recommend him any chance I get!

The front office [NCFMC] is so cheerful and helpful. All the medical assistance are friendly and caring. They move quickly and provide good feedback, they always go the extra mile. ... She [nurse] answers back promptly, but I don’t feel like her communication style is right for me. I never leave feeling care for as a person. ... I feel like the answer all questions and if they don’t have the answer they find someone that does.

How was your experience with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

He was very good at explaining the process and what is going on in terms we understand. He gives us all the information to make educated decisions and I never feel pressured. He answers all questions timely and supportively, no matter how many times I ask. He has great bedside manner and I feel that he really cares about us as people. It’s refreshing to feel listened to and supported in this very vulnerable time. I never feel rushed while in appointments with him. I truly believe he puts the best interest of his patients first. I recommend him any chance I get!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Ask questions he has the answers and the knowledge to explain it until you feel comfortable. He is truly is a great educator.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I feel like a human because he calls us by name sits down with us and looks us in the eye. When he tells us about the next steps he explains why he is doing it for us this way and why he has adjusted it from our pervious tries. He set up phone appointment because we live 2 hours away and always tries to make it easier on us. He also asks us about our lives and self’s outside of just talking about fertility issues. He is a gem.

Describe the protocols Michael Murray used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We started will a time intercourse and medication cycle because we could not make it down to Roseville when we needed too. Instead of wasting a month we picked to do this. Then we went to IUI with injection medication and oral medication due to my low egg count. After the first unsuccessful he didn’t hesitate to up the medication for the next round of IUI to try and get more follicles. Now we are moving forward with IVF due to the unsuccessful IUI and my low egg count. We have decide to be aggressive with the hormones to get the most follicles as possible.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney)

She answers back promptly, but I don’t feel like her communication style is right for me. I never leave feeling care for as a person.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I feel like the answer all questions and if they don’t have the answer they find someone that does. The front office is so cheerful and helpful. All the medical assistance are friendly and caring. They move quickly and provide good feedback, they always go the extra mile.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

IUI with insemination and Medications was 2600.00 First appointment was 250.00 Cyst removal at surgery center 990.00 IVF 26-27,000.00

Describe Michael Murray's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

He wants to transfer one for safety of the baby and myself. To make sure that we don’t end up with premature babies with health problems. He also said everybody’s body is able to tolerate things different and we don’t want to put anyone at risk.

Doctor

Michael Murray

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019, Successful

Age 34

Fertility Medications

Male Factor

Unexplained

South Asian

Income $0 - $49K

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

John Gould Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Gould made my experience with male infertility feel much better. ... Dr. Gould ensured our concerns were addressed in a timely manner and followed up to check on us on frequent occasions. ... He explained that my initial semen analysis does not immediately indicate that I have male infertility issues, so he sent me in for some hormone testing to double check my hormones are working properly.

Our clinic [No Cal Fertility Medical Center] is awesome! I can’t express how much I appreciated their support and genuine care. They returned our phone calls and emails in a timely manner and ensured we get the help we needed. Their clinic is always clean and feel welcoming at every visit. ... Our patient care coordinator is awesome. She was compassionate and expressed empathy.

How was your experience with John Gould at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Gould is an excellent urologist. He made my visit very comfortable. He is very personable and ensure my wife and I were taken care of. He answered all of our questions thoroughly and guided us through the process with empathy.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Gould at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Remember to advocate for yourself throughout the fertility treatment process. Ask all the questions you want because knowledge will give you more confident to make informed decisions, especially in this emotional rollercoaster journey.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Gould at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Gould made my experience with male infertility feel much better. My wife and I didn’t expect going through any male infertility issue; however, this was the outcome. Dr. Gould ensured our concerns were addressed in a timely manner and followed up to check on us on frequent occasions. Although my consultation with Dr. Gould focused on my male infertility, he also checked on my wife’s fertility history to ensure she received the proper care.

Describe the protocols John Gould used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

Dr. Gould reviewed my initial semen analysis and went over my health history. He explained that my initial semen analysis does not immediately indicate that I have male infertility issues, so he sent me in for some hormone testing to double check my hormones are working properly. Fortunately my hormones testing came back good so he couldn’t recommend anything besides changes to personal health and diet to see if they will help improve my sperm health.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Kristina)

Our patient care coordinator is awesome. She was compassionate and expressed empathy. She answered all of our questions and didn’t stop supporting us.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Our clinic is awesome! I can’t express how much I appreciated their support and genuine care. They returned our phone calls and emails in a timely manner and ensured we get the help we needed. Their clinic is always clean and feel welcoming at every visit.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Gould at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We paid for Dr. Gould’s consultation and the hormone tests that he ordered for us. We covered all the cost out of pocket because our insurance didn’t cover fertility treatment.

Doctor

John Gould

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Gould Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018 - 2019, Successful

Age 28 - 29

Fertility Medications

Male Factor

South Asian

Income $50K - $99K

1st of 2 Docs

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

One of his weaknesses is empathy. My husband and I were pretty anxious with the process of how infertility treatment work, and I don’t believe Dr. Murray observed our concerns and worries. ... He ensured that all of our questions were answered and didn’t tried to sugar coat anything. ... Dr. Murray carefully walked us through the process and help ease the beginning steps for us.dd

My husband went to the clinic [No CA Fertility Medical Center] to provide his semen analysis and he mentioned that their semen collection rooms were clean and comfortable, so he didn’t feel awkward or nervous. I had my blood drawn at the clinic and the nurses and medical assistants were wonderful. ... The clinic was very responsive and professional. My husband and I didn’t have any problems with them during our consultations.

How was your experience with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Murray’s interaction with my husband and I were professional. His communication and timely service were his strengths. He ensured that all of our questions were answered and our infertility diagnostic results (I.e. semen analysis, HSG, blood work) were shared with us in a timely manner. One of his weaknesses is empathy. My husband and I were pretty anxious with the process of how infertility treatment work, and I don’t believe Dr. Murray observed our concerns and worries. We needed guidance but didn’t really get that from him so we conducted research on our own to ensure our decisions met our expectations.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Make sure to follow up with him if you have any questions. You have to advocate for yourself, especially when going through fertility treatment for the first time because there is no manual on what the steps are.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Murray was very professional and treated my husband and I neutrally. He ensured that all of our questions were answered and didn’t tried to sugar coat anything. He knew that we wanted clear feedback to ensure we make informed decisions so we really appreciated his professionalism. One thing that we were concerned was the process of going through fertility treatment and Dr. Murray carefully walked us through the process and help ease the beginning steps for us.

Describe the protocols Michael Murray used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

Based on our infertility diagnostic results, we were faced with male infertility. My husband had low sperm count and zero percent morphology. We had to repeat a second semen analysis to confirm the severe male infertility results. Dr. Murray offered us one option: IVF with ICSI. We wanted to see if we were candidates for IUI but unfortunately we didn’t meet the qualifications according to Dr. Murray. It was disappointing and we are currently in the state of accepting our situation. It would have been nice to see all the options prior to being offer one option only.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Kristina )

Our patient coordinator was awesome. She made us feel comfortable and did her best to ensure we have multiple options to choose from since we were paying everything out of pocket.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The clinic was very responsive and professional. My husband and I didn’t have any problems with them during our consultations. The clinic environment was welcoming and sanitary. My husband went to the clinic to provide his semen analysis and he mentioned that their semen collection rooms were clean and comfortable, so he didn’t feel awkward or nervous. I had my blood drawn at the clinic and the nurses and medical assistants were wonderful.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The clinic was transparent with their cost up front. There were no surprises. We paid everything out of pocket because our insurance didn’t cover fertility treatment. Our cost included: consultation (I.e. transvaginal ultrasound, vitals, speaking to Dr. Murray about our history), HSG, blood work, semen analysis, and consultation with urologist Dr. Gould.

Doctor

Michael Murray

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 34 - 35

1 IVF

Tubal Blockage

European

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

1st of 3 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Laurie Lovely Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Lovely doesn't come off as superior but in fact has a lovely bed side manner. ... She did offer is endometrial scratch as well as more info on genetic testing. ... I was a bit shocked to hear I'd be hopped around to different Doctors in the practice ... I am so appreciative of her thoroughness and the time she gives to her patients. ... She listen very well and also her humor does lighten the mood!

I think the staff [Northern California Fertility Med Ctr] is great! Very supportive and compassionate through and through. The answering service cant answer very many questions and calling in after hours was a pain, or on weekends. They didnt seem to be as connected. The billing department staff left ALOT to be desired. ... I wish Alyssa could be my friend in real life. I cant Express all the ways she has helped make this process doable and make me feel so much love and support. She basically rocks!

How was your experience with Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I was a bit shocked to hear I'd be hopped around to different Doctors in the practice not just exclusively seeing her. I quickly learned that she put her faith in these other great physicians and that they all work as extensions of one another. Each one seemed just as invested as she was. I am so appreciative of her thoroughness and the time she gives to her patients. She always says when in doubt please call. I never feel like I'm bothering her.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Lovely doesn't come off as superior but in fact has a lovely bed side manner. I was switched to her in the middle of my infertility journey and she put me at ease despite the circumstance of changing Doctors. She is very direct but also let's you know she is there to help and provide info, she never pushes her agenda only your own. She listen very well and also her humor does lighten the mood!

Describe the protocols Laurie Lovely used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

She did offer is endometrial scratch as well as more info on genetic testing.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Alyssa)

I wish Alyssa could be my friend in real life. I cant Express all the ways she has helped make this process doable and make me feel so much love and support. She basically rocks!

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I think the staff is great! Very supportive and compassionate through and through. The answering service cant answer very many questions and calling in after hours was a pain, or on weekends. They didnt seem to be as connected. The billing department staff left ALOT to be desired.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

My entire cycle one is between 17,250- 18,000. This includes monitoring, meds, cyro freeze for a year, retrieval and transfer.

Doctor

Laurie Lovely

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie Lovely Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019, Unknown Success

Age 38

5 IUI

2 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Stephens is my primary doctor, which I am glad to see her in consultations and if I need to talk to her on the phone. I think she is the best. I really like her overall demeanor and the ways she explains things. ... Dr. Stephens has a calm and caring personality. She is good at explaining things and listing the options and pros and cons and helping guide you to the right decisions ... she did say if I had to do it again I may need more medications next time, which was true and now with better results this time around.

Clinic [Northern California Fertility Med Ctr] is great- the whole staff has been really nice. ... One thing I wish they took was Care Credit ... My nurse Courtney and all the others have been great ... Also I work in Sacramento and clinic is in Roseville, so sometimes harder to get to appts during work hours because it is a 30 min drive there and then back. ... The only bummer is when you go to appts you see different doctors each time

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens is my primary doctor, which I am glad to see her in consultations and if I need to talk to her on the phone. I think she is the best. I really like her overall demeanor and the ways she explains things. The only bummer is when you go to appts you see different doctors each time, just luck of the draw if you get her or someone else once you actually start treatments and go to appts based on your cycle.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She is great.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens has a calm and caring personality. She is good at explaining things and listing the options and pros and cons and helping guide you to the right decisions

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

My husband and I started out slowly doing 5 IUI over a 2 year period, they recommend only 3 before moving on to IVF but supported my decision to do more. I took my awhile to warm up to idea of doing IVF and did first cycle in May of 2018. I only got 7 eggs retrieved and 1 made it to day 5 freezing, we transferred the 1 egg and didn't work out. Right now in the middles of round 2 and so far got 13 eggs retrieved, 3 made it to day 5 freeze and waiting on PGS test results to come back in next week or two. I am bummed the the first round didn't work out, but happy the second round is so far going better and hopeful for a successful pregnancy with one of those 3 frozen eggs. On the first round, my I didn't have as many follicles and they would have liked and did up my meds during the cycle but she did say if I had to do it again I may need more medications next time, which was true and now with better results this time around.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney)

My nurse Courtney and all the others have been great

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Clinic is great- the whole staff has been really nice. One thing I wish they took was Care Credit, we had that credit card for an emergency pet surgery and has low interest for paying back and would have been great if they accepted it there. Also I work in Sacramento and clinic is in Roseville, so sometimes harder to get to appts during work hours because it is a 30 min drive there and then back.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

IUI were around 500 each, with some insurance coverage and then first IVF around 5,000 with insurance coverage. Insurance had a lifetime max that I hit with first IVF so now second IVF out of pocket and going to cost around 25,000 total with ICSI, PGS and 1 FET

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I only ever wanted to do single transfers so didn't get into the approach of doing multiple.

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017 - 2019, Successful

Age 26 - 28

Other

Income $50K - $99K

1st of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

John Gould Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Any questions or concerns we had Dr Gould was always willing to sit with us or get on a phone call and talk to us an explain whatever we needed. He never hesitated to contact us back ASAP and understood the fears and concerns we were having but never made us feel like our time was not important. I didn’t feel like he rushed away when we needed to discuss a procedure or next step...

She [nurse of Northern Cal Fertility Medical Center] sat and explain how the procedure went and was so helpful with my nerves. She explained afterwords that if the second procedure didn’t go as planned that there again was options and gave hope when we left to think about possibilities...I had a difficult time getting in touch with the financial dept. a few times and need to meet again to have a more clear understanding of our costs moving forward.

How was your experience with John Gould at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

As I said before. He treated us like a person, he was always willing to help us better understand the process and what is next. He gave us hope, stating if there are issues with the first procedure there’s still options for us. He never failed to call us back or sit however long needed on a call and make sure we understood what was next or what to expect, and go over the “what if’s” he was great to work with.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Gould at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

If you have questions or concerns, express them and give him the opportunity to go over them with you.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Gould at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Describe the protocols John Gould used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

I don’t know the details of our procedures and we are still working on moving forward with our IVF process.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We have been in for two procedures with Dr. Gould both approx. a year apart. I can’t remember her name it we had the same nurse pre-op and post-op and she was amazing. She sat and explain how the procedure went and was so helpful with my nerves. She explained afterwords that if the second procedure didn’t go as planned that there again was options and gave hope when we left to think about possibilities. She went beyond her duties and made me feel so much better afterwards.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

So far we have had good experience with the Doctors a couple nurses we’ve met with. The only struggle I’ve had is better understand the approx. financial. I had a difficult time getting in touch with the financial dept. a few times and need to meet again to have a more clear understanding of our costs moving forward. Other than that I feel like we’ve had a positive experience thus far with the clinic.

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Provided conflicting information

Doctor

John Gould

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Gould Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018 - 2019, Unsuccessful

Age 39 - 40

4 IUI

Tubal Blockage

Unexplained

European

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 3 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Manuel Doblado Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Doblado is awesome. He is friendly, very informative and has a great bedside manner. I had to have a d & c for a missed miscarriage and he was so caring and made me feel safe. He is the best! He is very thorough and honest. My husband feels very comfortable with him as well. ... I have had 4 IUI’s to date. ... He is friendly, very informative ... I have had 4 IUI’s to date. I have a possible blocked right Fallopian tube.

I have only been to Northern California Fertility Clinic. We have had only good experiences and continue to work with them to get pregnant. We are very hopeful. ... They [doctors] assured me that I am not too old and treat me with so much respect. The office staff is very friendly and remember you when you check in. The office is clean, has its own labs and onsite procedures. Highly recommend!

How was your experience with Manuel Doblado at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Manuel Doblado at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

He is awesome! Have a consultation with him and you will see!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Manuel Doblado at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Doblado was very sweet and had a wonderful bedside manner. I had to have a D & C after my missed miscarriage and he made me feel so comfortable and safe.

Describe the protocols Manuel Doblado used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

I have had 4 IUI’s to date. I have a possible blocked right Fallopian tube. My husband has been tested and he is perfect. I have an 18 year old from a prior relationship. My first couple months we tried oral medications, Clomid and Letrozole. When we did IUI it was oral Letrozole with Gonal F and Ovidril. On CD 1 I had to have an ultrasound to check my uterine lining. Then start oral meds. Sub Q injections and cd 14 another ultrasound to check my uterine lining and egg count. Once my egg was >18, we did the trigger shot. IUI was scheduled for the following 2 days. I’ve gotten pregnant with 3 IUI’s, 1 miscarriage and 2 chemicals.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Kayla)

Kayla was great! Very informative and responds to calls right away. Super friendly and truly wants you to succeed.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I have only been to Northern California Fertility Clinic. We have had only good experiences and continue to work with them to get pregnant. We are very hopeful. I am 40 and have thought I am too old. Dr Doblado and Dr Lovely are great. They assured me that I am not too old and treat me with so much respect. The office staff is very friendly and remember you when you check in. The office is clean, has its own labs and onsite procedures. Highly recommend!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Manuel Doblado at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Each IUI round was close to $3,000 with medications and sperm washing, ultrasounds etc

Doctor

Manuel Doblado

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Manuel Doblado Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 24 - 25

1 IVF

Male Factor

Other

European

Income $50K - $99K

Sales Representative

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Murray is very honest but warm. He communicates well from the beginning and validates all concerns and discussed all options. I like that he involved us in every aspect of decision making and was candid when in came to understanding why things are done the way they are done. He cites specific data and really knows what he’s talking about ... Dr Murray was always honest with us but was and is hopeful and genuine.

Ncfmc is great. Easy to schedule, easy to know who your contacts are, very transparent and cozy. We knew what we would owe, our treatment options, and personalized information all along the way. We felt very comfortable here for our entire treatment ... Courtney [nurse] is great. She responds quickly and is very information driven and organized. We felt we were in good hands with her

How was your experience with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Trust him. He will give the best options for success

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Murray was always honest with us but was and is hopeful and genuine. He really cares about everyone he sees

Describe the protocols Michael Murray used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

150iu gonal f for 11 days, 75iu menopur 11 days, ganirelix 5 days, lupron +hcg trigger. Ultrasounds every other day. Aspirin and Gatorade to avoid ohss. We knew we had to do ivf so we skipped strait to that. I was a good responder so we focused on getting follicles to 18mm and avoiding ohss. 27 eggs retrieved, 26 mature, 23 fertilized, 5 day 5/6 blastocysts, PGS tested and frozen. 3 PGS normal. FET after rest month post retrieval (two menses post retrieval before FET to rebalance hormones)

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney)

Courtney is great. She responds quickly and is very information driven and organized. We felt we were in good hands with her

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We paid 8,000 for meds, 5000 with retrieval and ICSI for cycle and monitoring, and 800 for transfer. Also paid an additional 1000 for labs. Insurance covered some but not all

Describe Michael Murray's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We can only transfer one because of my uterine anomaly and the dangers to me and baby if we transferred more than one. Dr Murray explained that PGS testing gives us a great chance of successful eset

Doctor

Michael Murray

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017 - 2018, Successful

Age 31 - 32

1 IVF

Other

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Michael Murray was very intelligent, knowledgeable and blunt during my consultation and seeing him time to time through my IVF treatment. He was very informative and answered all of my questions as well as treating me with dignity, respect and charisma...My cycle got cancelled 2x before egg retrieval. I was devastated and emotional but the doctors assured me they will change my medications to try again

She [nurse of Northern California FMC] was very knowledgeable and walked me and my husband on how to do the injections and how to mix the medications. She always got back to me in a timely manner and was very compassionate...They always call back in a timely manner and are very informative. They don’t book out far. When I was running late to my appointments from time to time due to traffic, they never cancel and inform the doctor. They’re very understanding.

How was your experience with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Michael Murray was very intelligent, knowledgeable and blunt during my consultation and seeing him time to time through my IVF treatment. He was very informative and answered all of my questions as well as treating me with dignity, respect and charisma. He assured me his team of doctors will guide me through and do what’s best to reach my goals of being able to conceive.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

You can definitely trust him and his team. They’re just amazing in everything they do. They do what’s best and won’t let you down.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I was treated with respect, dignity, compassion and patience through my IVF treatment at Northern California Fertility Medical Center by Dr. Michael Murray and his team.

Describe the protocols Michael Murray used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

My cycle got cancelled 2x before egg retrieval. I was devastated and emotional but the doctors assured me they will change my medications to try again. First time it got cancelled was because I had ovulated so when they adjusted 1 of the medications it worked but when they checked my uterine lining it was thin so they had to adjust another medication and 3rd time was successful on everything to mimic my body’s hormones to carry the embryo. I was pregnant with a live birth.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney Swanson )

Courtney was awesome. She was very knowledgeable and walked me and my husband on how to do the injections and how to mix the medications. She always got back to me in a timely manner and was very compassionate.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The clinic is very organized, clean/sanitary and very friendly. There have no weaknesses at all. They always call back in a timely manner and are very informative. They don’t book out far. When I was running late to my appointments from time to time due to traffic, they never cancel and inform the doctor. They’re very understanding.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Schedule we’re done at a convenience but with certain days they do ultrasounds. I had no trouble making appointments as I also knew it was very important.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

My cost of my IVF treatment was about $25k. That included the cycle fee, medications, acupuncture and other fees I had to pay out for lab/testing.

Describe Michael Murray's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Dr. Michael Murray informed me that transferring multiple eggs to have twins was a 5% chance. He recommended a freeze transfer as their studies had showed high success rates. I opted for freeze transfer.

Doctor

Michael Murray

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

Age 40 - 41

3 IUI

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Uterine Fibroids

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Murray Was very compassionate when we didn’t get the results we hoped for. He took the time to go through and understand some other health issues that were specific to me ... I only wish I would have had him during all y checks, felt a little lost with seeing different doctors all the time ...

[Northern California Fertility Med Ctr] Strengths would definitely be the combined knowledge of all the doctors there. Weakness wise I sometimes felt lost in the shuffle and felt like I needed more specialized care at times. . ... Every appointment (check) after my consult with Dr. Murray was done by different doctors. And to be honest they had slightly different ideas on treatment or some were more conservative about going ahead with an IUI cycle. ... Kayla was a great nurse coordinator, she was very responsive to calls and questions. ...

How was your experience with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Murray was very clear with expectations and hardships we may encounter. I felt he was very knowledgeable. I only wish I would have had him during all y checks, felt a little lost with seeing different doctors all the time

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

If you have questions, call (or email) him or ask to have him call you back. I felt like I got lost in the shuffle a couple times with nurses and the other docs that were there for our checks.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Murray Was very compassionate when we didn’t get the results we hoped for. He took the time to go through and understand some other health issues that were specific to me

Describe the protocols Michael Murray used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We did mixed IUi cycles with medication and injections. My first attempt was with clomid (and gonal-f). The clomid which didn’t really work for me so I was switched to a different medication with the gonal- f. I did 4 rounds of medications, but 3 round of the IUI (IUI done 2 days in a row) as I had one round of medication where inoculated early so we could not to the IUi part. I did not become pregnant. Between my 1st and 2nd IUI attempt Dr. Murray removed a polyp from my uterus that they had discovered on the ultrasounds. I also have a chronic illness and the medications exasterbated my other illness.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Kayla)

Kayla was a great nurse coordinator, she was very responsive to calls and questions.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Strengths would definitely be the combined knowledge of all the doctors there. Weakness wise I sometimes felt lost in the shuffle and felt like I needed more specialized care at times. Every appointment (check) after my consult with Dr. Murray was done by different doctors. And to be honest they had slightly different ideas on treatment or some were more conservative about going ahead with an IUI cycle. At times it was a bit frustrating. Because of my chronic illness, I really struggled with the medications I did feel like certain aspects of my illness that could affect fertility weren’t addressed maybe as much as they should have been.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I think it was about $2600 for each IUI cycle not including the medications which was about $2000 a cycle.

Describe Michael Murray's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Dr. Murray was clear that due to my age if I did IVF I should also have the embryos genetically screened and then only one egg implanted at a time.

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Provided conflicting information
Failed to consider drug intolerance

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Mostly I just felt like I would get different and sometimes conflicting information from the different doctors. They front staff could be better about updating payment records. Every time I checked in I had to go through a couple people to show that I had already paid for a cycle.

Doctor

Michael Murray

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018, Unknown Success

Age 40

1 IVF

Poor Egg Quality

Tubal Blockage

European

Income $50K - $99K

Doctor

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

From my very fist visit with Dr. Murray, I could tell that he saw me as a person and not just the next patient on his schedule. He takes extra time to answer questions and when he had to tell me the bad news about our cancelled cycle, I felt he was experiencing the pain with us. He made sure that neither my husband or I had further questions before leaving the room. He was very honest about our chances and was forward about changing up the plan for the next cycle.

The receptionists [N. CA Fertility Med Ctr] are wonderful. All of them know us know and were there for us when we had the bad news. One time I called 2 minutes before their phones turned over, and I never felt rushed or that I was putting them out.... Nurse Courtney is FANTASTIC. She has that perfect balance of being compassionate while also being straight forward and to the point. She makes color coded sheets with the drugs on them and checks to be sure we understand each step.

How was your experience with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

For future patients of Dr. Murray, I would tell them to trust in the process and to fully trust that Dr. Murray will make the right recommendations. Also trust that he will be honest about your chances and and not inflate what he tells you just to make you feel better.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Murray was involved with both of our IVF cycles. The first time I met him was an appointment to remove the uterine balloon catheter after my hysteroscopy. He introduced himself to me and then apologized for having to hurt me on the first time we met. Removing the balloon catheters can be a bit uncomfortable. I felt right away that he really cared about me as a person and just not the next client. He also did my egg retrieval for my first cycle and unfortunately was the doc to tell me we needed to cancel my last cycle. I was crying and he was very honest yet hopeful about trying again. I feel absolutely comfortable asking him questions. I never feel rushed. I feel very thankful that I have him now looking after my next cycle.

Describe the protocols Michael Murray used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

A different doc set up my last cycle that was cancelled. This next cycle that we are starting now is the low dose Lupron cycle. My ovaries did not respond to the last cycle.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney)

Nurse Courtney is FANTASTIC. She has that perfect balance of being compassionate while also being straight forward and to the point. She makes color coded sheets with the drugs on them and checks to be sure we understand each step. She always answers my questions and is easy to get in contact with.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The receptionists are wonderful. All of them know us know and were there for us when we had the bad news. One time I called 2 minutes before their phones turned over, and I never felt rushed or that I was putting them out. Courtney, our nurse, is wonderful. I don't want to go through this now without her! Dr. Murray, Dr. Lovely, and Dr. Doblado have been great to us. The only difficulty at all was when first trying to get our initial consult. It took over a week before anyone returned our call to make our first appointment. It took longer for my husband to get an appointment to be evaluated. Once we have been patients, everything has been wonderful. I have never considered going elsewhere.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The hysteroscopy was approximately 2k, however the remainder was paid for by our insurance company. That is all the insurance covers. Nothing for IVF. Our first cycle of drugs was approx 5.5k. The second close to 8k. The first IVF cycle was approx 13K and the second was cancelled.

Describe Michael Murray's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Unfortunately, we have not reached that point yet.

Doctor

Michael Murray

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018, Unknown Success

Age 30

1 IUI

Unexplained

Other

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Stephens gave us hope after two other doctors had given us discouragement. The diagnosis of unexplained infertility can be very discouraging but she showed us multiple treatment plans and gave us hope.... My husband and I felt like Dr Stephen was very patient and listened to our questions and concerns. She even took the time to explain results from a prior surgery i had had with another surgeon.... We started with a letrozole IUI cycle. We decided to start at the least invasive treatment and then work our way up.

The clinic [NoCa Fert Med Ctr] is always very clean and well kept. They are experts at what they do! From the time I called to schedule our initial consultation I knew I had made the right decision. They were quick to get me on the schedule the receptionist was very professional and able to answer all my questions. This made me feel very comfortable right from the start. The financial coordinators really know what they are doing and are able to quickly discuss coverage with you.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She take the time to listen unlike most doctors who are watching the clock.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

My husband and I felt like Dr Stephen was very patient and listened to our questions and concerns. She even took the time to explain results from a prior surgery i had had with another surgeon.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We started with a letrozole IUI cycle. We decided to start at the least invasive treatment and then work our way up. This was what was recommended by Dr Stephens and was the best choice for my husband and I.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The nursing staff is always very professional and compassionate. They always take the time to answer questions and make you feel important.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The clinic is always very clean and well kept. They are experts at what they do! From the time I called to schedule our initial consultation I knew I had made the right decision. They were quick to get me on the schedule the receptionist was very professional and able to answer all my questions. This made me feel very comfortable right from the start. The financial coordinators really know what they are doing and are able to quickly discuss coverage with you. All of the staff are extremely knowledgeable in their profession and make you feel very comfortable. You know your in great hands at the Roseville Norhtern California Fertility Clinic.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We did a letrozole IUI cycle and are now beginning our journey with IVF. So far with IUI we have spent approx $1500 on one cylce.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We are just beginning our journey into IVF after and unsuccessful IUI.

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017 - 2018, Unknown Success

Age 38 - 39

8 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

European

Other

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Laurie Lovely Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Lovely was very upfront about expectations and when we didn't get a favorable result with PGS testing, she was helpful with deciding next steps and understanding of our emotions during a tough time.... Dr Lovely has been respectful, knowledgeable and compassionate during the whole process. She took time to answer all our questions and never made us feel like we had to rush out or that we were just another couple to go in and out of the clinic.

This clinic [Northern California Fertility Medical Center] is organized, professional and clean. They have staff to assist through everything, including finances. I met with several doctors through my treatment and was equally happy with them all. I felt like they really cared about us and want for us to succeed.... IVF cycle was $12,500 including ICSI, PGS biopsy and cryopreservation. Another approx. $4000 for medications and we also paid for PGS testing through Igenomix. I'm not sure of the price for PGS.

How was your experience with Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Lovely has been respectful, knowledgeable and compassionate during the whole process. She took time to answer all our questions and never made us feel like we had to rush out or that we were just another couple to go in and out of the clinic. I would 100% recommend her to other couples with infertility.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Bring all the questions you have, she will be happy to answer them and give advice. She also gave us lots of options for treatment, depending on factors such as age, budget, emotional expenses.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Alyssa Schnorr)

Alyssa was amazing. She had everything organized and she was also a cheerleader through the whole process. She responds to emails promptly and just overall was a huge support.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

This clinic is organized, professional and clean. They have staff to assist through everything, including finances. I met with several doctors through my treatment and was equally happy with them all. I felt like they really cared about us and want for us to succeed.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurie Lovely at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

IVF cycle was $12,500 including ICSI, PGS biopsy and cryopreservation. Another approx. $4000 for medications and we also paid for PGS testing through Igenomix. I'm not sure of the price for PGS.

Describe Laurie Lovely's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Dr Lovely advised us that single embryo transfer would be advised in our situation, due to my age and that it's safer for mother and baby to have a singleton pregnancy. She also said she had a patient that put in 2 embryos, one split, so they ended up with triplets, which is even more dangerous.

Doctor

Laurie Lovely

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie Lovely Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017 - 2018, Unknown Success

Age 36 - 37

3 IUI

1 IVF

Endometriosis

Unexplained

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Stephens is friendly, honest, trustworthy. She explains the process and procedures in terms I understand. She genuinely wants the best for her patients. She cares about her patients and does all she can to provide the best care while hoping to achieve the best outcome.... We have unexplained infertility so we started with IUI using clomid. My first round didn’t produce as many follicles as she had hoped for so the second IUI she increased my medication. After the second failed IUI, she gave me the option of doing surgery to see if there was anything else going on inside that we were unaware of.

I honestly can’t think of a weakness at this time. They are a very busy clinic [Nor CA Fert Med Ctr] but I never feel rushed. My questions are always answered and I never have to wait long. Sometimes I wish I could see Dr. Stephens a little more regularly, but I have come to know all of the other doctors and they are all just as friendly. I feel comfortable with them all, and they come into my examination room knowing where I’m at in the process and up to date. They all work very well as a team, the doctors, nurses, and staff.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I’d tell them they are in good hands.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens is a great doctor. I’m so happy we found her and the NCFMC facility. She’s always been upfront and honest and showed sympathy and understanding at all times. She explains the procedures and process in terms we can understand and feel comfortable with her.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We have unexplained infertility so we started with IUI using clomid. My first round didn’t produce as many follicles as she had hoped for so the second IUI she increased my medication. After the second failed IUI, she gave me the option of doing surgery to see if there was anything else going on inside that we were unaware of. I elected for surgery. She found slight endometriosis and a cyst. Those were removed and we tried for a third IUI. The third failed. She informed me I could try for a 4th IUI or go on to IVF. WE elected for IVF at that point. The first round of IVF did not produce as many eggs as we had hoped for. We had 11 in total. My right side didn’t respond as well as she hoped and the two embryos we had remaining Cake back abnormal. We are in the process of our second IVF. This round she has increased my meds in hopes of retrieving more eggs.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Jamie Fife)

My Nurse Jamie is great. She explains everything well, returns my calls when I have a question, gives me outlines of dates and medications and instructions. All of the staff at NCFMC is very helpful and friendly.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I honestly can’t think of a weakness at this time. They are a very busy clinic but I never feel rushed. My questions are always answered and I never have to wait long. Sometimes I wish I could see Dr. Stephens a little more regularly, but I have come to know all of the other doctors and they are all just as friendly. I feel comfortable with them all, and they come into my examination room knowing where I’m at in the process and up to date. They all work very well as a team, the doctors, nurses, and staff.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I believe the average cost for the IUI process was about $1,100. For IVF, our first round was about 18k-20k. That included all of our appointments, ultrasounds, egg retrieval, genetic testing, and ICSI.

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2014 - 2018, Unsuccessful

Age 37 - 41

5 IUI

4 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Stephens was always available to answer all questions and concerns I had. She was compassionate during difficult times.... She was available for questions regarding my cycles. I would have preferred to see her more often than other Drs in the clinic, but all doctors kept great notes so there was a good continuity of care. Each time I met with a doctor, they knew what was going on.... Ask questions, and ask to see her as much as possible.

Everyone you encounter in the office [Northern California Fertility Medical Ctr] - receptionist, finance people, nurses, drs, assistants, etc - all are very friendly and take a genuine interest in you.... Once, I had to call the clinic for results a day later than promised (when they were supposed to call me). They were surprised I didn't receive a call and apologetic. They gave me my results shortly after my call.... The nurses were not as fluid as the drs were when assisting patients that were not "assigned" to them

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She was available for questions regarding my cycles. I would have preferred to see her more often than other Drs in the clinic, but all doctors kept great notes so there was a good continuity of care. Each time I met with a doctor, they knew what was going on.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Ask questions, and ask to see her as much as possible.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Stephens was always available to answer all questions and concerns I had. She was compassionate during difficult times.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney)

Courtney was able to communicate without through email (my preferred method). This allowed almost all of our conversations to be documented and easy for me to refer back to. She was patient and throuough. Courtney's work days varied, so there would be times where she was not in the office - these times I would see a substitute nurse. The substitute nurse was not always familiar with my case, and I often had to remind them of my treatments. The nurses were not as fluid as the drs were when assisting patients that were not "assigned" to them

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I am fortunate that I have a very flexible schedule, so I can make appointment times work. I can see others having a more challenging time with scheduling if they have a more rigid schedule. Everyone you encounter in the office - receptionist, finance people, nurses, drs, assistants, etc - all are very friendly and take a genuine interest in you.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We were fortunate that we have insurance to cover a portion of our procedures. Over the last 4 years we have spent approximately $100,000 meds, procedures, etc.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

My embryos were all pgs tested, so we only transferred one at a time. Since I didn't have many "normal" embryos, I was OK with doing a single transfer - it gave me more opportunities for fet and to try to get pregnant

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Once, I had to call the clinic for results a day later than promised (when they were supposed to call me). They were surprised I didn't receive a call and apologetic. They gave me my results shortly after my call.

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018, Unknown Success

Age 31

2 IUI

PCOS

Other

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Michael Murray Northern California Fertility Medical Center

At our very first consultation Dr. Murray went through the whole process of IVF during so he personalized it to our specific case. He spent as much time with us as we needed and answered all of our questions. We left feeling excited and hopeful ....Dr. Murray has a gentle spirit and is very knowledgeable. He has great bedside manner and never once made me feel uncomfortable. He always asked if I had any questions and explained things thoroughly.

This clinic [Northern California Fertility Medical Center] is very on top of things. They were great about getting my lab results and keeping me informed on labs results as well as the treatment plan. They spent an hour with my husband and I just going through the financial aspect.... I will be assigned a nurse in the next week. All of the experience I have had with the nursing staff for blood draws and assistance with the water sonogram have been great. Everyone has been friendly and encouraging.

How was your experience with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Murray has a gentle spirit and is very knowledgeable. He has great bedside manner and never once made me feel uncomfortable. He always asked if I had any questions and explained things thoroughly.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Describe the protocols Michael Murray used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

I have not started my IVF treatments yet. Dr. Murray did a water sonogram to make sure my uterus was the right shape, blood work to check my hormones and a DNA test to make sure there isn’t any conditions I could pass along. I have now completed everything I need to do and will start my treatments my next cycle.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Waiting to see who my nurse is.)

I will be assigned a nurse in the next week. All of the experience I have had with the nursing staff for blood draws and assistance with the water sonogram have been great. Everyone has been friendly and encouraging. My care coordinator has been very thorough and answered all of my questions in a quick manner.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

This clinic is very on top of things. They were great about getting my lab results and keeping me informed on labs results as well as the treatment plan. They spent an hour with my husband and I just going through the financial aspect.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Murray at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

$16,000 is what we were estimated for the total out of pocket. Our insurance is paying 50% up until egg retrieval

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

A prescription for doxycycline was supposed to be ordered for a test I was having and the pharmacy never received it. However I have had issues with that pharmacy before, so it may have been them.

Doctor

Michael Murray

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations