Ratings of 1 indicate that a clinic was poorly operated.
Ratings of 10 indicate that a clinic operated very well.
Scheduling
8.8
8.8
Scheduling
Ratings of 1 mean it was difficult to schedule appointments with this clinic.
Ratings of 10 mean it was easy to schedule appointments.
Billing Department
7.8
7.8
Billing Department
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory billing department.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent billing department.
Nursing Team
9.1
9.1
Nursing Team
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory nursing team.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent nursing team.
LGBTQ+ Care
9.5
9.5
LGBTQ+ Care
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory LGBTQ+ care.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent LGBTQ+ care.
Attention to Detail
8.4
8.4
Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is on a 1 - 10 scale, and is scored based on the rate, and severity, of errors committed by the clinic according to the patients.
For example, a severe error might be failing to inform a patient of critical information, while a small error might be failing to call a patient with results.
CDC Success Rates
This is the most recent data from the CDC. The CDC cautions that it should not be used to compare doctors and clinics. This data represents the outcomes of IVF cycles when using a person's own eggs.
For more information please see our FAQs.
Where you see a “?” on the chart, a clinic has done fewer than 20 cycles in this category and age range, so the CDC says showing percentages from this small data set would be misleading and unreliable.
Every time I met with Dr. Fino she was extremely attentive and thorough. She answered all our questions thoroughly with no judgment. She also had clearly reviewed my file thoroughly and had personalized recommendations based on that. We never felt like she was in a rush when we were talking to her. I left my appointments feeling that I was receiving the best care for me.
nurse [at NYU Langone Fertility Center] told us the cheapest medications, where to get them, and to order in small increments so nothing is wasted...For one IUI, I showed up that morning (after having taken the meds and had my trigger shot) to be told by billing that my IUI had not been authorized by my insurance company...had to decide whether to cancel the IUI, or sign a waiver agreeing to pay the thousands of dollars (for a covered procedure) if the insurance company refused to pay.
How was your experience with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I felt confident in Dr. Fino's recommendations. It was clear after meeting with her and discussing my course of treatment that she had reviewed my file and her recommendations were based on what was best for me individually. She was never judgmental, and understand the emotional toll that the fertility process has on patients. Would highly recommend her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Don't be afraid to ask questions - she will take the time to answer them without judgment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Every time I met with Dr. Fino she was extremely attentive and thorough. She answered all our questions thoroughly with no judgment. She also had clearly reviewed my file thoroughly and had personalized recommendations based on that. We never felt like she was in a rush when we were talking to her. I left my appointments feeling that I was receiving the best care for me.
Describe the protocols Elizabeth Fino used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Unexplained fertility. We didn't have insurance coverage for IVF, so started out with IUIs which were covered. We were about to begin IVF when the clinics were shut down due to coronavirus, but my protocol is the following: FSH-150 & Menopur 75, Ganirelix Acetate, Ovidrel & Lupron.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Nursing staff is excellent. Compassionate, explain everything well. Since we are self-pay, our IVF nurse told us the cheapest medications, where to get them, and to order in small increments so nothing is wasted.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
All the doctors and nurses at the clinic are excellent. The biggest issue I have is that it's extremely hard to get in touch with them. Obviously with such time sensitive matters, this is extremely frustrating.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
IUI covered, but had co-pays for ultrasounds, etc. IVF costs estimated $12,650 for fresh transfer (not including meds $2000-8000, anesthesia $1050, ICSI or PGS, or initial cryopreservation $1500). $4000 for frozen embryo transfer.
Describe Elizabeth Fino's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Highly prefer eSET, but was willing to accept our decision for MET provided we understood the risks (which were well explained).
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Billing department is disorganized. I received 3 different charts with self-pay costs, and when I spoke to the billing department they didn't seem to really know which was correct. As a self-pay patient, this is a very crucial and stressful aspect. Nursing and authorization department do not communicate well. For one IUI, I showed up that morning (after having taken the meds and had my trigger shot) to be told by billing that my IUI had not been authorized by my insurance company and I had to decide whether to cancel the IUI, or sign a waiver agreeing to pay the thousands of dollars (for a covered procedure) if the insurance company refused to pay.
During my 1:1 consult I felt very connected with Dr Grifo especially because I met with him in the past and he seemed to really understand my journey. He recommended surrogacy at this point due to torturing my body for 8 years now with no results. He himself did surrogacy so I felt like I was in good hands. However once I was a patient I felt a little like a number because he was not as involved in my cycles and I mainly was in contact with whatever dr was on call.
The [NYU Langone Fertility Center] clinic seems to have an organized system for monitoring but you need to be aggressive sometimes and pay attention because they sometimes tell you to sit somewhere to wait and then forget about you. Other than that the wait isnt usually too long and everyone who I had to work with was very nice. I really liked the lab supervisor as well.
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Grifo is very realistic and does not sugar coat anything. That is what when I met with him years ago into my journey I did not proceed with him because sperm donor was not something I was ready for. However after many years of failures with other drs I returned to him because I now understood why this would be the best option. At this point he also recommended surrogacy since I had many failed transfers with normal embryos and put my body through very intense treatments. I agreed to this and felt like I was in good hands. However once I started to cycle I did not have much communication with them and everyday a different dr would call me with next steps. It felt kind of impersonal and my first retrieval was cancelled because my numbers were not getting communicated properly. That was frustrating. My second retrieval was a success but my biggest concern which I mentioned to dr Grifo several times came true and I had very bad OHSS which I had to get my abdomen drained. I feel like if dr Grifo was personally the one handling my care that would have been avoided.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
He is a really good doctor and knows a lot but he will admit a lot of this treatment just comes down to luck. He diagnosed me as being "extremely unlucky". He does not believe in supplements much as well and wont be hands on during your treatments so you need to be okay with that.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
During my 1:1 consult I felt very connected with Dr Grifo especially because I met with him in the past and he seemed to really understand my journey. He recommended surrogacy at this point due to torturing my body for 8 years now with no results. He himself did surrogacy so I felt like I was in good hands. However once I was a patient I felt a little like a number because he was not as involved in my cycles and I mainly was in contact with whatever dr was on call. Since I have been through so much I really expected him to be more involved and we even had a cycle get cancelled and converted to IUI because of that.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Since I have a history of making many eggs and am high risk for OHSS my first protocol involved low dose gonal F, menopur, and letrozole. I wanted him to copy what my last dr did with me since I did not hyperstim those cycles but he did not listen. This first cycle was too low and my eggs did not grow evenly. At the point of my cycle in which they should have increased my meds they did not and I only had 2 large follicles and many small ones which never happened to me before. We converted this to an IUI because I know I can do better than that. Second cycle he increased meds but I thought it was a little too aggressive. I was on gonal 150, menopur 75 and letrozole for 5 days. I ended up with 33 eggs and had moderate OHSS which I needed to get my abdomen drained and I was sick for a month. I wished he just copied the cycle I did with my last dr because it always resulted on around 20 eggs and I would not get OHSS like I have in the past. I listened to Dr Grifo because I trusted him and thought maybe hed know better.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
during monitoring they have a system and once or twice I was forgotten about in line and waited longer than I should. Other than that the nurses themselves were nice and I had no issues with any
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The clinic seems to have an organized system for monitoring but you need to be aggressive sometimes and pay attention because they sometimes tell you to sit somewhere to wait and then forget about you. Other than that the wait isnt usually too long and everyone who I had to work with was very nice. I really liked the lab supervisor as well.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
they have a system which seems organized but you have to be on top of it because sometimes you get overlooked
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I felt like my medication dosages/egg growth results were not shown to dr Grifo to review which ultimately lead to a cancelled cyle
Dr. Keefe is kind, warm and compassionate, and takes time to explain and answer questions in great detail. I've only seen hime twice, both times for consultation. My only negative is that I wish I would see him more throughout the process. I only saw him for initial consultations. The rest of the time you deal mainly with the nurse coordinator and other doctors and technicians...He's not the doctor to see if you want personalized, individual attention from your doctor at every stage during the IVF process. I feel very confident with the level of care that I'm receiving and his oversight over my care, but there isn't much face time with Dr. Keefe. Their practice is so highly respected and has high success rates, that it's worth it to me.
NYU is one of the leaders in IVF and has perfected the process. They know what they're doing and I highly trust them. The downside is that they've operationalized the process so much that the experience often feels like a factory. I'd love to see greater personalization and more guided interaction...I wasted 4 months trying to get someone to help me get started...the process wasn't nearly as seamless as I had hoped it would be
How was your experience with David Keefe at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Keefe is kind, warm and compassionate, and takes time to explain and answer questions in great detail. I've only seen hime twice, both times for consultation. My only negative is that I wish I would see him more throughout the process. I only saw him for initial consultations. The rest of the time you deal mainly with the nurse coordinator and other doctors and technicians.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Keefe at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
He's not the doctor to see if you want personalized, individual attention from your doctor at every stage during the IVF process. I feel very confident with the level of care that I'm receiving and his oversight over my care, but there isn't much face time with Dr. Keefe. Their practice is so highly respected and has high success rates, that it's worth it to me.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Keefe at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Keefe is extremely empathetic and passionate about what he does. He takes the time to make sure you're comfortable with the information.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
NYU is one of the leaders in IVF and has perfected the process. They know what they're doing and I highly trust them. The downside is that they've operationalized the process so much that the experience often feels like a factory. I'd love to see greater personalization and more guided interaction
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Lost appointments
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
After I confirmed with Dr. Keefe that I was ready to move forward with IVF, the process wasn't nearly as seamless as I had hoped it would be. I wasn't assigned a nurse coordinator and spent the next few months calling, asking questions trying to figure out the process. Finally I was put in touch with a nurse who put me in touch with a nurse coordinator. Now that that's happened, it's much better. But I wasted 4 months trying to get someone to help me get started.
From the consult to nonexistent follow ups from Shannon Devore after bloodwork was submitted, I did not receive a personalized experience with Shannon Devore...This was an experience where no thorough medical explanations were given after bloodwork was submitted and other critical information was not discussed by this doctor in preparation for the IUI procedure...
NYU Langone Fertility Center is a nice clean fertility clinic but I would rather go to a different clinic for a more serious and personalized experience. If you do decide to come to NYU Langone Fertility Center, please expect to not hear much information from the fertility doctor after the consultation is completed. The clinic needs to do a better job following up with patients...I did not have too much interaction with the nursing staff other than providing a urine sample and bloodwork for genetics testing...
How was your experience with Shannon DeVore at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Shannon Devore did not give any helpful advice to my husband and I as we prepared to start our first IUI procedure. As her patient, I felt she was completely distant and not very concerned about my issues. The doctor did not ask my partner and I critical fertility related questions during the virtual consult. After the initial visit, I immediately questioned whether this was the right doctor for my fertility journey. Overall, my experience was very disappointing. I have never encountered a doctor that does not take time to properly go over things before a procedure is performed (no potential risks, no medication risks for patients with certain medical conditions). After bloodwork was submitted, she did not follow up (no email, no phone call, no follow up) to carefully discuss medical results or give in depth treatment plans at the in-person visit. She also failed to acknowledge a large ovarian cyst that was present in an ultrasound she performed that she dismissed as "nothing to worry about". Shannon Devore should be less nonchalant and more responsive to her patients who are having issues with fertility. I found out she prescribed me medication that can't be taken with the presence of "ovarian cysts". This was a very disappointing discovery. You would expect the doctor to give critical information about medication before having the patient pay for Clomid and Ovidrel. I will not continue my fertility journey with Shannon Devore due to lack of information and uncaring nonexistent personalized experience before scheduling the IUI.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Shannon DeVore at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Find another fertility doctor who will give an in-depth personalized experience.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Shannon DeVore at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I had high hopes when I first started my fertility journey with a consult with Shannon Devore at NYU Langone Fertility but I immediately felt like a number due to the uncaring experience I experienced with the doctor. From the consult to nonexistent follow ups from Shannon Devore after bloodwork was submitted, I did not receive a personalized experience with Shannon Devore. I felt like a number instead of a human. This was an experience where no thorough medical explanations were given after bloodwork was submitted and other critical information was not discussed by this doctor in preparation for the IUI procedure.
Describe the protocols Shannon DeVore used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Shannon DeVore did not give specific treatment strategies other than mentioning to start with Clomid on Day 3 of your cycle. Most of the information about how to use the medication was discussed by nurses you can call at NYU Langone Fertility.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I did not have too much interaction with the nursing staff other than providing a urine sample and bloodwork for genetics testing. IUI procedure was not scheduled given the experience I had with Shannon Devore.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
NYU Langone Fertility Center is a nice clean fertility clinic but I would rather go to a different clinic for a more serious and personalized experience. If you do decide to come to NYU Langone Fertility Center, please expect to not hear much information from the fertility doctor after the consultation is completed. The clinic needs to do a better job following up with patients.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Shannon DeVore at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I am unaware of how much was spent in costs since most of it was covered by insurance.
Describe Shannon DeVore's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Not applicable
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Hodes was kind when she had to deliver bad news, but it was hard to get her on the phone. I felt I had to advocate for / educate myself on a lot of the procedures and ways to supplement fertility. ... 1st transfer- natural cycle- did not work. She suggested Receptiva, it was a very mild positive result so then she had me take Lupron, which made me feel extremely depressed and I would never want to take it again. My second transfer was a medicated cycle and was not successful. My next transfer has been put on hold for COVID-19, but we would have tried using baby asprin/blood thinners/mild steroids.
When I wanted to speak to a doctor [at NYU] about COVID-19 instead of calling a nurse copied and pasted a NY Times article that was not relevant. ... Some of the nurses were amazing- kind and informative. Others seemed to have no idea what I was talking about, and one even tried to tell me I didn't know what kind of cycle I was having! Really hit or miss depending on who you get
How was your experience with Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Hodes was kind when she had to deliver bad news, but it was hard to get her on the phone. I felt I had to advocate for / educate myself on a lot of the procedures and ways to supplement fertility.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Be prepared that you won't receive a lot of attention.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
It was very difficult to get a hold of Dr. Hodes. Most often, I would get a call from one of the nurses instead. Due to the number of patients they deal with it's very hard to find time.
Describe the protocols Brooke Hodes-Wertz used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
1st transfer- natural cycle- did not work. She suggested Receptiva, it was a very mild positive result so then she had me take Lupron, which made me feel extremely depressed and I would never want to take it again. My second transfer was a medicated cycle and was not successful. My next transfer has been put on hold for COVID-19, but we would have tried using baby asprin/blood thinners/mild steroids.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Some of the nurses were amazing- kind and informative. Others seemed to have no idea what I was talking about, and one even tried to tell me I didn't know what kind of cycle I was having! Really hit or miss depending on who you get.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The clinic is usually clean. They are usually organized, except during the busy times were things can get backed up. New patients coming for morning monitoring should try to arrive at 7am or even a bit before if possible. Once you get to 8am things start to get busy and there can be some bottlenecking.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I always took a cab so I would arrive by 7am on the dot in order to not have to wait so long that I would be late to work.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I have requested callbacks that I never received. When I started a medicated FET cycle I called the clinic to discuss my prescriptions/insurance and a nurse insisted I was doing a natural cycle and did not need the Rx (I did). When I wanted to speak to a doctor about COVID-19 instead of calling a nurse copied and pasted a NY Times article that was not relevant.
Dr. Hodes was not overly gushy, but I felt like she cared about my prognosis. She answered questions when I had them, and made sure to follow up if something was awry...I rarely saw her, but she seemed to see my progress regardless if I was there or not...My first IUI cycle was with Clomid, but my lining was thin by the time of the procedure and it resulted in a chemical pregnancy. The next IUI cycle she changed the medication to Letrozole, and the lining was better
Each individual [NYU Langone Fertility Center] (nurses and coordinators) was nice, but it was often not clear to me who to reach out to about what. From my perspective as a patient, care was not coordinated very well...The bare minimum a self-pay IVF cycle with genetic testing would be $18,815, not including medication...But a huge, HUGE down side of this organization is the billing department. I had insurance for my IUIs, and my first IVF cycle (well, 1.5 IVF cycle) I was self-pay. The clinic kept billing my insurance with incorrect codes
How was your experience with Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I rarely saw her, but she seemed to see my progress regardless if I was there or not. I had a situation once where a less experienced doctor was concerned about something she saw, but Dr. Hodes called me and explained what had happened. When I saw her she was realistic, but sort of optimistic, too.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I have no special advice for a patient of Dr. Hodes specifically. The advice I have is for people using the clinic in general.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Hodes was not overly gushy, but I felt like she cared about my prognosis. She answered questions when I had them, and made sure to follow up if something was awry.
Describe the protocols Brooke Hodes-Wertz used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
My first IUI cycle was with Clomid, but my lining was thin by the time of the procedure and it resulted in a chemical pregnancy. The next IUI cycle she changed the medication to Letrozole, and the lining was better. The third and final IUI cycle was the same as the second, then we switched to IVF. I started on the standard 300 Gonal F and 150 Menopur, but after a week the cycle was cancelled because I didn't have many follicles developing. The next cycle (which we started on my next period) was changed to include Clomid. I got two eggs retrieved in that cycle, and one fertilized but it was aneuploid. I took two months off and did another IVF cycle with the addition of Leuprolide. That retrieval resulted in six eggs, but none of the embryos developed enough to get tested. Dr. Hodes then recommended using an egg donor, but we decided against it.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Jean-Anne)
Each individual (nurses and coordinators) was nice, but it was often not clear to me who to reach out to about what. From my perspective as a patient, care was not coordinated very well.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
A strength of this clinic is its size and ability to see a lot of patients. I usually didn't wait long for appointments (though I usually went very early). But a huge, HUGE down side of this organization is the billing department. I had insurance for my IUIs, and my first IVF cycle (well, 1.5 IVF cycle) I was self-pay. The clinic kept billing my insurance with incorrect codes, and to this day (April 2021) I apparently have an outstanding denied EOB pending review from my July 2020 IUI. It's ridiculous that it hasn't been settled yet, and I suspect that it is because of the clinic's billing department not filing corrections in a timely way. I so desperately want to be done with the clinic, but trying to settle all these bills has become a nightmare. Not to mention the fact that a few times I have had to remind the billing staff of payments I made and treatments I got. Sometimes money disappears from the credit I have there, and there is no explanation until I ask for one. I like to hope it's just disorganized and not sketchy...
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The bare minimum a self-pay IVF cycle with genetic testing would be $18,815, not including medication. This includes the appointments, the procedures themselves, anesthesia, and embryo preservation until testing could be done. Plus the genetic test was $325 per embryo to an outside lab. My medications were almost $10,000 over 2.5 IVF cycles.
I appreciate how Dr Licciardi was blunt, straightforward and I liked his bedside manner. One time during treatment he called me at home to see how I was doing. But I only saw him once in person apart from the initial consultation (he just happened to be attending one day during monitoring)...Once I began treatment, it was as though he completely checked out. None of my doses were adjusted even though I was not responding and he wasn’t reachable when a nurse called me to cancel my cycle right before retrieval day.
The NYU FC nurses are great, there are a lot of them with varying levels of experience but the senior nurses are extremely knowledgeable, very responsive...Given their volume, they operate like a well-oiled machine...I had to postpone my cycle by a month because their orientation class was fully booked. I changed coordinators and this didn’t happen again...I was informed of my cancelled cycle via voice mail from a nurse the day before my scheduled retrieval. I called back 3 min later but could not reach anyone, they had closed early for the day.
How was your experience with Frederick Licciardi at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I would recommend Dr Licciardi to someone with a simple case. For someone with a more complex case or poorer prognosis, needing more customized care, I would NOT recommend him at all. I changed doctors after my cancelled retrieval and I am extremely happy I did so.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Frederick Licciardi at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Be ready to advocate for yourself and do not expect to be guided at all. Ask a thousand questions if you do get the chance to speak with him (different protocols, what could they adjust, what levels are they looking for and on what basis will they adjust doses) - don’t expect any of this information to be volunteered as you may never actually see Dr L in person again after your first visit. He doesn’t always answer calls, but he DOES respond to emails.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Frederick Licciardi at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I appreciate how Dr Licciardi was blunt, straightforward and I liked his bedside manner. One time during treatment he called me at home to see how I was doing. But I only saw him once in person apart from the initial consultation (he just happened to be attending one day during monitoring), and I felt like I got conflicting information and levels of care from different doctors and fellows over the course of each cycle. Once I began treatment, it was as though he completely checked out. None of my doses were adjusted even though I was not responding and he wasn’t reachable when a nurse called me to cancel my cycle right before retrieval day.
Describe the protocols Frederick Licciardi used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
IUI cycle - Letrozole (one follicle, no pregnancy)
IVF cycle - “mild” dose antagonist protocol with estrogen prime
- protocol: estrogen patch + ganirelix prime; 150 iu follistim + clomid, ganirelix (17 days of stims), ovidrel trigger
- result: cancelled cycle, recruited one follicle, still intended to retrieve (DOR, poor prognosis) but ovulated after trigger / shortly before retrieval
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Mary Hartpence)
The NYU FC nurses are great, there are a lot of them with varying levels of experience but the senior nurses are extremely knowledgeable, very responsive (once I could not reach my nurse because she was in the OR but they share files and my problem was solved by another nurse right away). Given their volume, they operate like a well-oiled machine.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Strengths: organized, high volume, solid nursing staff, once you learn to navigate the clinic they are very responsive, good for cookie-cutter cases
Weaknesses: you’ll never see your doctor, you’ll get conflicting information from attending a and fellows (several doctors openly questioned my protocol), you will NOT receive personalized care. Also because they are so big, there’s not a lot of flexibility around scheduling (need to check a lot of boxes, little leeway). For me this didn’t work - my ovarian reserve is very low and my antral count varies month to month. I need to optimize my cycles around my body and not the clinic’s calendar, so switched to a smaller clinic with better results.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Frederick Licciardi at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
IUI and IVF were covered by insurance, meds were out of pocket (~$5000), biopsy for PGS was ~$4,600 out of pocket.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
1) When scheduling my first IVF cycle, miscommunication between my doctor and coordinator meant that I never actually got on the official calendar. I had to postpone my cycle by a month because their orientation class was fully booked. I changed coordinators and this didn’t happen again.
2) I was informed of my cancelled cycle via voice mail from a nurse the day before my scheduled retrieval. I called back 3 min later but could not reach anyone, they had closed early for the day. It took me several hours to reach anyone and still never received a medical explanation for why my estrogen dropped right before the retrieval.
3) I paid upfront for PGS testing (biopsy) but retrieved zero eggs. I have spent months trying to get that cost refunded since there were no embryos to biopsy. I have still not gotten an answer from the billing dept.
Dr. Hodes is blunt but warm. She did seem to be quite rushed each time my partner and I met with her and I ended up scheduling a second consultation with her because I left my first appointment feeling overwhelmed and confused.... I have PCOS and do not ovulate on my own. Dr. Hodes started our first cycle with timed intercourse and a low dose of Letrozole. I did not respond to the Letrozole at all (even when the dosage was raised) or to Clomid during out next cycle.
NYU is a giant, well-oiled machine and it's hard not to feel like a number. That said, their lab is excellent and success rates for IVF are slightly higher here than at other clinics. I would recommend going to the location on West 52nd street as much as possible and staying away from the 1st Avenue location when you can. If you have any kind of insurance coverage it's best to read all of the billing paperwork thoroughly and keep copies of everything.
How was your experience with Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Hodes is blunt but warm. She did seem to be quite rushed each time my partner and I met with her and I ended up scheduling a second consultation with her because I left my first appointment feeling overwhelmed and confused.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I would do some baseline research before attending your first appointment and come ready with a list of detailed questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
While most of my time was spent with the nursing staff, I felt that Dr. Hodes made time to answer all of my questions -- including setting up a second consultation to make sure I was totally comfortable while deciding between IUI and IVF.
Describe the protocols Brooke Hodes-Wertz used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I have PCOS and do not ovulate on my own. Dr. Hodes started our first cycle with timed intercourse and a low dose of Letrozole. I did not respond to the Letrozole at all (even when the dosage was raised) or to Clomid during out next cycle. At that point, Dr. Hodes recommend my partner and I move straight to IVF. I was hesitant about this choice for many reasons and after meeting with Dr. Hodes for another consultation, she agreed to let us try IUI with a very low dose of Gonal-F injectables. (Dr. Hodes kept me at a low dose due to concerns about OHSS.) I responded well to the Gonal-F and did not over produce. We completed one IUI but unfortunately the cycle was not successful. My partner and I have decided to begin IVF next month rather than trying another IUI.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The entire nursing staff at NYU is well-informed, compassionate, and efficient. They reassured me and answered all of my questions. I had many issues with my insurance coverage and offered me many tips on the best ways to save on things like lab work and medication coverage. My only complaint is that it is very difficult to get anyone on the phone during business hours.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
NYU is a giant, well-oiled machine and it's hard not to feel like a number. That said, their lab is excellent and success rates for IVF are slightly higher here than at other clinics. I would recommend going to the location on West 52nd street as much as possible and staying away from the 1st Avenue location when you can. If you have any kind of insurance coverage it's best to read all of the billing paperwork thoroughly and keep copies of everything. I was incorrectly told that I did not have coverage hit up for $500 per visit by the head of billing even when I explained otherwise. This person told me my claims had been denied and that I didn't understand my own coverage . I found out later that she was not filing any of out claims with insurance. Eventually, I was able to get my insurance provider to send her an email explicitly stating that I was covered and my money was refunded. I want to assume that this issue was not a reflection of the institution as a whole but I did get the sense the NYU tries to make its patients pay out of pocket as much as possible.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My insurance covered my appointments until I received an official diagnosis of infertility. Blood work and ultrasound visits (which happen roughly 2 times a week) are $500 and out IUI was close to $4,500 including medications, monitoring, and the actual procedure
Describe Brooke Hodes-Wertz's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
n/a
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The nurses failed to give me information regarding a specific drug protocol via phone despite numerous attempts by me to get in touch. Eventually we were able to remedy the issue.
During the 3 cycles [with Dr. Hodes], only once was the treatment adjusted when i had poor response to the fertility drugs. i showed better results then. Not further tests were done to understand if there was another condition other than the obvious factor of age. Later, found by another doctor on the first visit, it was discovered i had a benign tumor on the pituitary gland that was causing lots of issues. this was discovered by simply checking my prolactin levels. I am told by other doctors this should have been checked.
from the computer check in, to the check ups done by whichever doctor in practice available that day [at NYU], you will begin to understand that if your case is slightly out of the norm and needs a bit of one on one, that you must go to another clinic...Most of them [nurses] are nice and warm but the issue here is that there is nobody really following your case, nor they have the time.
How was your experience with Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Doctor Brooke is warm and i believe a great physician but i think the NYU set up is not conducive to spending time with any of their patients. Communication is hard since you have to go through a portal or an email. Answers most always come via a nurse and that nurse will be a different person every time. This combined with perhaps a complex case, makes a recipe for a lot of confusion.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Do tons of research and have a lot of questions prepared. I would suggest for anybody to visit an endocrinologist first prior to starting any fertility treatments. I would also suggest to ask if there will be a lead nurse on your case.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
During the 3 cycles, only once was the treatment adjusted when i had poor response to the fertility drugs. i showed better results then. Not further tests were done to understand if there was another condition other than the obvious factor of age. Later, found by another doctor on the first visit, it was discovered i had a benign tumor on the pituitary gland that was causing lots of issues. this was discovered by simply checking my prolactin levels. I am told by other doctors this should have been checked.
Describe the protocols Brooke Hodes-Wertz used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
the 3 rounds went pretty much the same. Gonal F + Menapure was always on the list with the same dosage indicated. the one time i showed better results was when Lupron was added for few days.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
During your cycles at NYU you will see a slew amount of nurses. Most of them are nice and warm but the issue here is that there is nobody really following your case, nor they have the time. for example:
1) i asked via email what to do with my leftover lupron? and why i had an unused medication called vivelle and what were those for? to that i was left a voicemail that said lupron expires in 30 days.
2) i was told once by one nurse during a cycle, i am confused by your protocol not sure what to do.
3) during the beginning of one of my IVF i realized i had a lot of medication left over from cancelled cycle. i requested that the nurse only provides a prescription for what i needed. but again since nobody is really following your chart she said she could not do that and would leave me on my voice mail the amount she requested to the pharmacy so i can cross reference with my inventory. Then, i called the pharmacy myself to reduce the count of each medication. it is important to call out that fertility medications like Menapure or Gonal can quickly add up to a bill of 5k to 10k depending of the amount. so for me it was really stressful and careless to have gone about it in this manner.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
NYU fertility is a renowned for their in-vitro success rates. However, from the computer check in, to the check ups done by whichever doctor in practice available that day, you will begin to understand that if your case is slightly out of the norm and needs a bit of one on one, that you must go to another clinic.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Lost results
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
we are not entirely sure if genetic testing results for my partner were lost or simply never performed. we only found this out when we tried obtaining them to move on to another clinic.
I was diagnosed with a full thickness intramural fibroid that was pushing into the uterine cavity, preventing me from conceiving. Dr. Fino initially recommended that she remove the portion of the fibroid pushing into the cavity via a hysterscopic myomectomy. After my first surgery with her, she suggested we go back in and clean the cavity one more time ... Dr. Fino's bedside manner is lukewarm and she's pretty much, in and out. She exhibits no real compassion and, I feel as though, she is money hungry. ...
Be prepared to meet other doctors, other than your own, throughout your visits. The clinic [NYU] is run like a factory, as most fertility clinics are, so don't be alarmed. The office opens pretty early which is nice for working individuals. ... I would have appreciated her [Dr. Fino] referring me to someone who knew how to properly manage and remove intramural fibroids; instead of performing procedures that put my uterus at risk for scaring.
How was your experience with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I was diagnosed with a full thickness intramural fibroid that was pushing into the uterine cavity, preventing me from conceiving. Dr. Fino initially recommended that she remove the portion of the fibroid pushing into the cavity via a hysterscopic myomectomy. After my first surgery with her, she suggested we go back in and clean the cavity one more time before proceeding with IVF. I agreed. However, I should have followed my gut. The remaining fibroid continued to be a problem and Dr. Fino continued to suggest 2-3 more hysterscopic myomectomies. In this day and age, women successfully have lap procedures to remove fibroids before conceiving. I do not think that Dr. Fino had my best interest at heart. I sought a second opinion with a fibroid specialist who removed the remaining fibroid via robotic myomectomy. I healed well, transferred my care to RMA and am now 9 weeks pregnant after a successful IVF cycle. I am so happy that I listened to my gut. I would have appreciated her referring me to someone who knew how to properly manage and remove intramural fibroids; instead of performing procedures that put my uterus at risk for scaring. She is money hungry and that's the bottom line.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Listen to your gut
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Fino's bedside manner is lukewarm and she's pretty much, in and out. She exhibits no real compassion and, I feel as though, she is money hungry.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Be prepared to meet other doctors, other than your own, throughout your visits. The clinic is run like a factory, as most fertility clinics are, so don't be alarmed.
The office opens pretty early which is nice for working individuals.
Perhaps upon further tries it would become a more tailored, personal process [with Dr. Grifo] but we won't try there again - felt factory-like...In person the conversations were frank and direct. Upon failure of the procedure my husband and I asked to revisit what went wrong / what could be done differently. During that visit it felt like he was reviewing the details for the very first time and hadn't prepared for the discussion - like the center was indeed a factory without much tailoring or specific patient focus or analysis.
They won't transfer multiple [embryos] - against policy [at NYU]...despite having to "pay upfront" . . . I'm still getting bills a year later . .. . all in probably $40k with medicines...Very busy with lots of people coming in and out; nevertheless relatively well organized and answers were fairly timely. DId have a couple of issues with assigned nurse not being very communicative. Felt old/tired in terms of layout and cleanliness and technology...
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Our takeaway was that had ICSI been performed at the outset we would have had a successful experience. We were told NYU waits 24 hours to determine whether it's necessary "to save costs" - at $40k / IVF pop I'm pretty much all in already . . . trying to do everything possible to achieve a successful outcome and wish I'd been educated further upfront and been allowed to make my own cost/benefit analysis. Instead, we were left with "try again and go ahead and do ICSI upfront, sure" or "go somewhere else" or "give up" - not ideal choices but then again nothing about this process is ideal. Punchline - I liked Dr. Grifo but didn't think he "dug in" the first round to maximize its success so couldn't recommend him to anyone. Perhaps upon further tries it would become a more tailored, personal process but we won't try there again - felt factory-like.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Ask him if he does his best the first try to maximize results or does a one-size-fits-all approach the first time assuming you'll have to do multiple rounds and at that point he starts to focus on tailoring approaches.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
In person the conversations were frank and direct.
Upon failure of the procedure my husband and I asked to revisit what went wrong / what could be done differently. During that visit it felt like he was reviewing the details for the very first time and hadn't prepared for the discussion - like the center was indeed a factory without much tailoring or specific patient focus or analysis.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Very busy with lots of people coming in and out; nevertheless relatively well organized and answers were fairly timely. DId have a couple of issues with assigned nurse not being very communicative.
Felt old/tired in terms of layout and cleanliness and technology.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
despite having to "pay upfront" . . . I'm still getting bills a year later . .. . all in probably $40k with medicines
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I also somewhat felt like a lot of her [Dr. Hodes-Wertz] recommendations were a shot in the dark guess rather than specific to me and my needs. She also hasn't followed up with me in months...From day one she wanted me to do IVF. However after my persistence, She put me on clomid for an IUI and it sped up my cycle too quickly and I missed the iui opportunity...She's very quick and always feels like she's in a hurry during appointments.
[NYU] There are many nurses and they all seem somewhat confused and overworked. The issue is their phone system. You can't call anyone directly. You have to always leave a message and they call you back. I really dislike this...Once they forgot to call in my trigger shot prescription and it arrived late....Biggest issue is you can't get anyone on the phone...I felt like just a number in all honesty...
How was your experience with Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I felt like she had hesitation when I asked if any of the fertility treatments were linked to causing cancer. Once she told me no, other times she would say "well you wouldn't want to do 10 cycles"! And it left me feeling very uneasy and unclear. I also somewhat felt like a lot of her recommendations were a shot in the dark guess rather than specific to me and my needs. She also hasn't followed up with me in months. I feel like she only wants to push IVF because it's most profitable for her. Another reason why I felt like just a number in all honesty.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Ask questions and demand clear answers. She has a way of talking in circles. She wants to tell you what she wants to tell you. Not necessarily what you want to know.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I feel like a number because she doesn't call me to check in and see how I'm doing. She's very quick and always feels like she's in a hurry during appointments.
Describe the protocols Brooke Hodes-Wertz used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
From day one she wanted me to do IVF. However after my persistence, She put me on clomid for an IUI and it sped up my cycle too quickly and I missed the iui opportunity (because I ovulated on like day 5!). So we lost 2 months because of this. Then she switched me to letrizole which made my cycle a normal 30 days but still no luck with the iui.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
There are many nurses and they all seem somewhat confused and overworked. The issue is their phone system. You can't call anyone directly. You have to always leave a message and they call you back. I really dislike this.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Biggest issue is you can't get anyone on the phone. They have an answering service where you leave a message and they call you back at their leisure and what's convenient for them. I'm sorry, but for the money they make they could hire an actual receptionist that works for the doctor.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Hodes-Wertz at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Co pay only at this time. Insurance covered everything else.
Describe Brooke Hodes-Wertz's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
She is pushy for just implanting 1 embryo at a time. She herself has twins (from doing IVF) so I can only assume it's because she wants the potential for more money. However I was told I would have final say and could implant a max of 2 embryos.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Once they forgot to call in my trigger shot prescription and it arrived late.
Dr Fino is wonderful and has great bedside manner and explains things very clearly. She made me very comfortable... No guarantees you would see her for follow-up visits due to the structure of the clinic which involves seeing any IVF doctor who is doing monitoring or procedures on the day you need to come in....Warm bedside manner. Takes her time during initial consultation. Difficult to get a hold of in between visits....here was some difficulty around communication in terms of whether I needed additional pre-conception testing,
I found the office [NYU - 1st Ave] itself to be very impersonal, difficult to connect with the same person, difficult to navigate with long hold times and often having to talk to the answering service. I also found the group orientation very impersonal and also not as private as I would like ...there are no guarantees of which doctor will see you for appointments which was not a good fit for me...Nurses were kind and helpful, but I did not like not having a point person/primary nurse
How was your experience with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Warm bedside manner. Takes her time during initial consultation. Difficult to get a hold of in between visits. No guarantees you would see her for follow-up visits due to the structure of the clinic which involves seeing any IVF doctor who is doing monitoring or procedures on the day you need to come in.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
She is a wonderful doctor, and I would have been happy to work with her, but at NYU there are no guarantees of which doctor will see you for appointments which was not a good fit for me.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Fino is wonderful and has great bedside manner and explains things very clearly. She made me very comfortable, and I planned to continue to work with her. However, I found the office itself to be very impersonal, difficult to connect with the same person, difficult to navigate with long hold times and often having to talk to the answering service. I also found the group orientation very impersonal and also not as private as I would like which is why I switched clinics.
Describe the protocols Elizabeth Fino used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I had a cycle of timed intercourse during which I took Ovidrel as trigger shot and then took Progesterone for two weeks after, but not successful.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Nurses were kind and helpful, but I did not like not having a point person/primary nurse
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Nice facility. Compassionate staff but can feel a bit like a factory with many many patients and fairly impersonal process. Monitoring hours are 7-9 am, and if you arrive close to 9 am it could take a very long time. May see a different doctor at every visit.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
minimal co-pays
Describe Elizabeth Fino's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
NYU recommends eSET
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
There was some difficulty around communication in terms of whether I needed additional pre-conception testing, and it was difficult to get a clear answer directly from my doctor and this delayed my cycle but only by a few days
I think Dr. Fino is very kind and explains all of your options well. However, in my 9 months of treatment, I only saw her twice. She does seem very busy nonetheless so your time with her is limited...was on 9 cycles of Letrozole with no changes in treatment over the course of that time... Doctor is difficult to get ahold of by phone...Dr. Fino is very nice and has good bedside manner...when I had phone appointments with Dr. Fino, she was always at least 45 minutes late...
[NYU] Strengths - they have experience and see a high volume of patients so probably know each and every possible case or explanation. Weaknesses - very little doctor content, feels like a factory, nurses and billing are impossible to get on the phone. You will call 4 times, and every time they will say you will hear a response in by end of day, and you do not. It gets extremely frustrating on top of everything else that goes along with this process.
How was your experience with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I think Dr. Fino is very kind and explains all of your options well. However, in my 9 months of treatment, I only saw her twice. She does seem very busy nonetheless so your time with her is limited.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Lower expectations of doctor facetime/contact. Doctor is difficult to get ahold of by phone.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Fino is very nice and has good bedside manner.
Describe the protocols Elizabeth Fino used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I was on 9 cycles of Letrozole with no changes in treatment over the course of that time. In addition, I had one surgery to remove a polyp that she thought might improve my chances.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Nursing staff are better in person. It's impossible to get them on the phone. Much better off stalking them in person.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Strengths - they have experience and see a high volume of patients so probably know each and every possible case or explanation. Weaknesses - very little doctor content, feels like a factory, nurses and billing are impossible to get on the phone. You will call 4 times, and every time they will say you will hear a response in by end of day, and you do not. It gets extremely frustrating on top of everything else that goes along with this process.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
IUI cycles top to bottom are about $1500-2000 per month depending on the monitoring costs. As I move onto frozen transfer IVF, it is estimated it would cost about $18k top to bottom.
Describe Elizabeth Fino's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
N/A
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I had many issues that arose where I needed to speak to nurses, or billing, or records, or Dr. Fino's assistant, and they just do not return your phone calls at all. It often requires 4+ messages before someone will call you back. It becomes very frustrating. In addition, when I had phone appointments with Dr. Fino, she was always at least 45 minutes late.
Dr. Griffo barely reviewed my file before meeting with me. He and his staff [at NY] talked about numbers and procedures like I was a machine...My husband and I went to Dr. Grifo for an initial consultation...He then proceeded to show me to a room and asked me to put on a robe so that he would examine me. Not understanding at all why this would be part of an initial consultation, and even though I asked him repeatedly about it, in an effort to do everything I could to have a baby, I ended up submitting myself to an ultrasound and a swab. I was confused, felt completely taken advantage of, and left that place feeling like a machine
All the staff in that office [NYU Langone] treated us like we were machines. They gave us tons of papers with information, and they kept mentioning dates and enumerate steps of procedures in the most impersonal way I can possibly describe....It was clean. But being there felt very impersonal, and all the staff were pretty bad communicators. We were guided to at least 4 different desks, where different nurses and admin staff talked to us about different parts of the procedures, and none of them seemed to care about or even realize that I was so overwhelmed I was about to break down in tears.
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
My husband and I went to Dr. Grifo for an initial consultation. He spoke to us for about an hour without focusing on our case - he just kept referring to statistics, graphs, and numbers. We told him that we had a fertility doctor who had already done all the standard tests on us, but that we had decided to also meet with him to be confident that we were comfortable with our decision. We couldn't have been clearer that we were there to gather information. He then proceeded to show me to a room and asked me to put on a robe so that he would examine me. Not understanding at all why this would be part of an initial consultation, and even though I asked him repeatedly about it, in an effort to do everything I could to have a baby, I ended up submitting myself to an ultrasound and a swab. I was confused, felt completely taken advantage of, and left that place feeling like a machine. A few weeks later, I received a bill, as my insurance was not covering the tests he did on me that day, something I have no doubt he knew. So I ended up having to pay for those completely unnecessary tests that I had never asked for.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Do NOT chose him as your doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Griffo barely reviewed my file before meeting with me. He and his staff talked about numbers and procedures like I was a machine. I have met with other doctors, this was my worst experience.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
All the staff in that office treated us like we were machines. They gave us tons of papers with information, and they kept mentioning dates and enumerate steps of procedures in the most impersonal way I can possibly describe.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
It was clean. But being there felt very impersonal, and all the staff were pretty bad communicators. We were guided to at least 4 different desks, where different nurses and admin staff talked to us about different parts of the procedures, and none of them seemed to care about or even realize that I was so overwhelmed I was about to break down in tears. They have no good internal processes, and it ends up being quite upsetting to just even be there.
Dr. Licciardi was great about calling me back when I requested a phone call, but he didn't always seem to know who I was or where I was or in what kind of cycle...He is very honest and up-front. Be in touch with him a lot if you want actual feedback re your protocol... He will not oversee your actual case but if you want him to check something, he will. I think in all of our cycles I only saw him in the ultrasound room once during morning monitoring periods.
The staff at the clinic [NYU] are friendly and upbeat and are generally good about being efficient. They are great about calling roughly when they say they will. Not as much personal attention as I would like...I did have a few things go not-so-smoothly, like being told to take the wrong dose of medication or given the wrong instructions post-procedure...Be prepared to show up closer to 6:45 a.m. if you want to get in and out of monitoring fast.
How was your experience with Frederick Licciardi at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I think Dr. Licciardi is a very caring doctor and has a lot of patients and I appreciated his attention during our appointments but wish I had called him more often during actual treatments to see how he would have responded. As I wrote earlier, he does always call back within a reasonable amount of time but doesn't always seem to know why I would be calling and he would answer questions that I think are significant pretty quickly, so that I wondered if he was considering all of my own unique information or just answering generally what he would tell a patient in a similar situation.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Frederick Licciardi at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
He is very honest and up-front. Be in touch with him a lot if you want actual feedback re your protocol. Don't rely only on the nurses. He will not oversee your actual case but if you want him to check something, he will. I think in all of our cycles I only saw him in the ultrasound room once during morning monitoring periods.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Frederick Licciardi at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Licciardi was great about calling me back when I requested a phone call, but he didn't always seem to know who I was or where I was or in what kind of cycle. As a result, I think I was addressing one concern while he was talking about something else, that I didn't even know related to me. When we had actual appointments, he was attentive at those times. Once, I ran into him on my way out after an IUI under his care/protocol, and he didn't wish me good luck or even smile; I thought this was a little odd, but then realized he was probably very busy and/or preoccupied.
Describe the protocols Frederick Licciardi used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
For the egg freezing/retrieval I think he went to highest dose on everything because of my age and other health issues. I was at first freezing eggs as a single woman (with my first doctor, not Licciardi) then embryos with partner for future use (with Licciardi) and eventually thawed the eggs I'd frozen with another doctor (now working with Licciardi) to make those into embryos and did 2 cycles of FET using the eggs from my youngest age. He had me on progesterone shots for one FET cycle, with estradiol pills, even though my cycle is very regular; I was never sure why. And I was on progesterone suppositories for the second FET cycle, no estradiol. I don't remember the egg freezing exactly as it was a few years ago but it was some combination of Gonal-F and Follistim and ovidrel. I know I didn't do the medication that you have to mix together at home when i did the cycle for freezing with him. I'm not really sure of his rationale for the egg freezing -- I guess it's the usual protocol he starts with then adjusts if it doesn't work? For the FET I also didn't know why we were using estradiol when estrogen always normal and I ovulate on my own. Second cycle of FET we tried suppositories because of the pain at my injection site. Also would only transfer one embryo at a time because he said was big risk in having multiples and did NOT recommend PGD or any other biopsy pre implantation. I think he said because egg quality was good. I did have an IUI with letrozole days 3-7 (was supposed to be days 5-9 but there was a miscommunication re what day my period actually started). Also used trigger shot in the morning about 27 hours before IUI. I got pregnant but miscarried around 9 weeks (I had been transferred to OB after heartbeat.) Went back for another IUI two months after miscarriage; not successful.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Very hit or miss. Some excellent nurses. Some not so excellent nurses. It seems in the five years that I've been a patient at NYU that things have gotten more like a factory and there is just a huge volume of patients, more than there was when I was first there. For the most part, everyone is cheerful and upbeat, but they don't all have the same level of experience and I was given misinformation at least once. Also came away from blood taking very bruised once or twice. Had to ice and it wasn't when I was having daily blood tests. On the plus side, if you do get to know one of the nurses, sometimes you can get that person's direct line if you want their opinion. Nurse's take of picture was sometimes different than my doctor's so it was confusing at times.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The staff at the clinic are friendly and upbeat and are generally good about being efficient. They are great about calling roughly when they say they will. Not as much personal attention as I would like because I have multiple health issues. If you are considering IUI, there is one nurse who i think is much better at it than the others but that might just be a personal preference. Be prepared to show up closer to 6:45 a.m. if you want to get in and out of monitoring fast. If you come later, definitely longer waits, especially if you need an ultrasound, too. Definitely be proactive and make sure to communicate with your doctor as much as you are comfortable doing. You must be proactive. I have not been to other clinics so I don't know how this one compares.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
It went relatively smoothly when I was able to be there by 6:45 a.m. Hours don't start till 7 a.m. but like everything in NYC, people get there early and start to line up. When I really needed some sleep and went in a little later, different story. Also, the nurses would ask me for my allergies and what medications I was taking each time even though it was in the computer. I started carrying a list. I think all they cared about was latex but if you have a long list of allergies that you yourself can't remember, it's frustrating to have to recite it every other day. Then sometimes the doctor would make a change of protocol and I wouldn't know why or know that I needed to have my partner there with me for consent forms. It sometimes went flawlessly, other times, not at all so.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Frederick Licciardi at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
First round, years ago, all out of pocket and nearly $20,000 for an egg retrieval and embryo creation (for freezing). Then the clinic went in network and my 2 FET's were covered by insurance but I reached my lifetime maximum fertility benefit with the 2 FET cycles and everything is out of pocket. I haven't gotten the bill for the IUI but looks as if it will cost a couple thousand because of all the morning monitoring. (I never get the home ovulation test kits to work right for me so I chose to have monitoring done at the clinic and I required a lot during the cycle post-miscarriage.)
Describe Frederick Licciardi's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
For me, he definitely was set on single embryo transfer and would not even discuss allowing me to have more than one embryo transferred. He would not budge.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I did have a few things go not-so-smoothly, like being told to take the wrong dose of medication or given the wrong instructions post-procedure (while I could hear what other patients were being told). When I was given wrong instructions for medications, it meant I had to scramble on a weekend to get extra medications. In one case, re being given instructions post-procedure, I asked the nurse if the instructions she was giving to others applied to me and she said yes, of course. And then gave me instructions but I was otherwise going to have left without those unwritten instructions. I hope since standard they will start writing them down for everyone. This was for an FET. At another FET I was asked to have half-full bladder on arrival; I then had a 1.75 hour wait for procedure (the FET was very late, long after my appointment time), so a nurse told me to empty my bladder when I felt I had to pee. I emptied partially. Then she told me to completely empty bladder. So I did. Then the doctor was ready to do the transfer and couldn't believe I had voided. Big fail, if you ask me. Then as for the IUIs, on the 2nd, I was in so much pain during the procedure and she did it so slowly that I wondered if she knew what she was doing. And in the case when I was actually pregnant, I had a nurse tell me that the beta was super low, barely a positive; but then the doctor told me it was actually a very good number. The nurse performing the IUI that was successful was very good and I would love it if I could always have her perform them.
Dr. Grifo may come off as cold and standoffish; however, you should not be afraid to ask any questions. I would encourage to ask as many questions as possible and pick his very knowledgeable brain. Be your own advocate!...Dr. Grifo is very straight forward and says it like it is. He is very into his statistics and its all about the numbers. He provides you with the different options for you to make the decision. To me he basically admitted that he has no idea why I am not conceiving and said its a luck game. He even said "If you tried naturally for 5 years you would probably get pregnant". He said if I want to rush he would do IVF(which is costly) but then also suggested I try 3 letrizole IUI cycle after having 3 failed clomid IUI cycles. With Dr. Grifo I tried 1 letrizole cycle which unfortunately failed. I suggested to try an injectable IUI cycle as I wanted to try something new; however, he did not agree with that and said that he would want to do IVF instead of injectables. I did not understand from him or his nurses why it is a problem to try injectables before IVF. Also I have an autoimmune
My experience at NYU was pleasant. Wait times were not long and the clinic was not super crowded. The nurses have a good eye as they were able to catch things my previous RE didn't catch. They are all very patient even when I called many times...The nurses and other staff are very caring and patient. They return phone calls and emails promptly. When I needed a copy of my records emailed to me they had it done very quickly.
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo is very straight forward and says it like it is. He is very into his statistics and its all about the numbers. He provides you with the different options for you to make the decision. To me he basically admitted that he has no idea why I am not conceiving and said its a luck game. He even said "If you tried naturally for 5 years you would probably get pregnant". He said if I want to rush he would do IVF(which is costly) but then also suggested I try 3 letrizole IUI cycle after having 3 failed clomid IUI cycles. With Dr. Grifo I tried 1 letrizole cycle which unfortunately failed. I suggested to try an injectable IUI cycle as I wanted to try something new; however, he did not agree with that and said that he would want to do IVF instead of injectables. I did not understand from him or his nurses why it is a problem to try injectables before IVF. Also I have an autoimmune condition; however, he does not believe it affects my infertility; however, he was open to me being on certain medications such as blood thinners if needed during a cycle. But they would have to be prescribed by another Dr. such as hematologist, rheumatologist , RI. Right now I put a hold on treatment as i am moving apartments, i am looking into a Dr. who will try an injectable IUI
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo may come off as cold and standoffish; however, you should not be afraid to ask any questions. I would encourage to ask as many questions as possible and pick his very knowledgeable brain. Be your own advocate!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
It is a smaller clinic less doctors. The nurses really care and return phone calls/ and emails Promptly
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I did 1 Letrizole IUI cycle with ovadril, I produced 2 follicles 1 large the other smaller. Unfortunately it resulted in a negative pregnancy test. He used Letrizole to try something different because I had 3 failed clomid IUI. He also re-tested my platelet count because they appeared to be slightly below the norm. I was very happy they caught the low platelet count because when I was at RMA they missed it. His nurses were reviewing my records from RMA and noticed this low platelet count. I went to a hematologist and turned out to be the platelets were not such a big issue.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Carole and Andrea )
The nurses and other staff are very caring and patient. They return phone calls and emails promptly. When I needed a copy of my records emailed to me they had it done very quickly.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My experience at NYU was pleasant. Wait times were not long and the clinic was not super crowded. The nurses have a good eye as they were able to catch things my previous RE didn't catch. They are all very patient even when I called many times.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My IUI was covered by insurance; however, I had to pay for the Ovardril approximately $75 and ultra sounds were applied to my deductible which was about a total of $198
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I did not do embryo transfers but in my initial consult Dr. Grifo strongly disagrees with transferring more than one embryo.
When I actually talked to Dr.Fino she was great on the phone and respected my approach to getting pregnant...As a patient I met her once- after that I was thrown into the NYU system. I can't really rate her as I was her patient because I hardly ever dealt with her at all- when I would finally be able to pin her down on the phone I had good clear candid conversations with her- I think she was clear and understood my perspective and honored that- but I did not get any sort of follow up from her and no human communication- even when I got pregnant-
I thought that the clinic [NYU] felt like a total factory...you will not have a personal relationship with your doctor- it is a big place and you will be thrown into the system- you will deal with a different person each time that you go in...I had some doctors who were cold and not helpful and did not explain things to me and made me feel dumb about questions or scheduling etc...the phone system sucked, it took me weeks to schedule a phone appointment.
How was your experience with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
As a patient I met her once- after that I was thrown into the NYU system. I can't really rate her as I was her patient because I hardly ever dealt with her at all- when I would finally be able to pin her down on the phone I had good clear candid conversations with her- I think she was clear and understood my perspective and honored that- but I did not get any sort of follow up from her and no human communication- even when I got pregnant-
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Be extremely persistent in regards to communication- she will not follow up it is really on you to make extra phone calls and demand calls back and time to talk to her about issues you may have
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
When I actually talked to Dr.Fino she was great on the phone and respected my approach to getting pregnant. That said it was difficult to reach her, the phone system sucked, it took me weeks to schedule a phone appointment. And it felt like a system that was not humanly compassionate.
Describe the protocols Elizabeth Fino used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I only wanted to use IUI as my insurance would not cover anything else- so she helped facilitate that and believed that there were quite a few options with in the IUI cycle that may work for me- so if Clomid wasn't working we could go down a different road in the IUI system. I felt this was really helpful and I really appreciated that she did not push IVF which I was opposed to
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Carol)
I dont remember who was who- but the people taking blood where nice- main nurse that I worked with was super responsible in returning phone calls and calling in results-
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I thought that the clinic felt like a total factory- I think that if you want to go in and get IVF then thats what they do- thats what they are comfortable doing. That said you will not have a personal relationship with your doctor- it is a big place and you will be thrown into the system- you will deal with a different person each time that you go in- if your ok with that then you should go for it- that sort of attitude was not for me- I had some doctors who were cold and not helpful and did not explain things to me and made me feel dumb about questions or scheduling etc. My actual doctor on the other hand was great when I could arrange a time to meet wither her ( they did not encourage in person but rather phone calls) I was never able to email her directly only thru her assistant which I found insulting and found that other friends of mine did not have that experience at other clinics. Their phone system was bonkers and it was rare to have a person at the clinic pick up the phone instead you have to go thru this long phone system and call center to leave a message- then when they would finally leave a message it would be from a non working number that you could not call back and then would have to call the service again and wait another 3 hours-
Describe the costs associated with your care under Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Dr. Berkeley is a fantastic physician, but NYU's program is simply awful. After a failed cycle, we were told our only hope was a donor egg cycle. It took 1 year and 4 months before we heard from the donor program. By that time, we had switched clinics...We really like Dr. Berkeley (he's knowledgeable, and has a great bedside manner) but the staff at NYU is a disaster. Before every appointment we had to check into billing before being seen. We felt as if we were treated like cattle at every appointment...
There is no question that NYU is a busy practice, but their focus is on billing patients (you check into billing before you are seen every single time you go to the office), not on patient care. The nurse didn't call in my prescriptions before my cycle. I had one physician whose name I can't remember who was counting my follicles during my first and only stim cycle. It was a disaster. While she read my ultrasound results, I asked innocently, "Is that bad?" and she answered flippantly, "Well, it's not good."...
How was your experience with Alan Berkeley at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Again, Dr. Berkeley is a fantastic physician, but NYU's program is simply awful. After a failed cycle, we were told our only hope was a donor egg cycle. It took 1 year and 4 months before we heard from the donor program. By that time, we had switched clinics.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alan Berkeley at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
We really like Dr. Berkeley (he's knowledgeable, and has a great bedside manner) but the staff at NYU is a disaster. Before every appointment we had to check into billing before being seen. We felt as if we were treated like cattle at every appointment.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Shelley Lee)
Once it became clear that I would not be able to conceive on my own, we were transferred to the donor egg program. We never spoke to Autumn Arroyo, who we were told was the donor egg program coordinator. Instead, we had a meeting with a psychologist, Shelley Lee. During our mandatory meeting, Dr. Lee repeatedly mispronounced my family's country of origin. She said, given my ethnic heritage it would take at least 6 months to find a donor for me. We waited 6 months, and didn't hear from NYU's program. After waiting 8 months, I made an appointment with another fertility clinic. I finally heard from Dr. Lee 1 year and 4 months after our appointment. During that time period, I became pregnant on my own, had a miscarriage, and found another donor at much more organized and caring program. (They even found a donor who shared my Caribbean heritage.) My new team displayed a kindness, and sympathy that I didn't receive under NYU's care. 1 year and 4 months when you are desperately trying to conceive is inexcusably long. Fortunately, I found another clinic that treated me as an individual and not a case file.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
There is no question that NYU is a busy practice, but their focus is on billing patients (you check into billing before you are seen every single time you go to the office), not on patient care. The nurse didn't call in my prescriptions before my cycle. I had one physician whose name I can't remember who was counting my follicles during my first and only stim cycle. It was a disaster. While she read my ultrasound results, I asked innocently, "Is that bad?" and she answered flippantly, "Well, it's not good." As well, it took over 1 year and 4 months to hear back from the donor egg program. Although I really liked my physician, you rarely see or speak to your main physician. This is common with most fertility practices. What is not common? NYU's lack of basic patient care.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
NYU's nurses failed to call in my prescriptions, and failed to follow up with lab results. Their donor program failed to contact me for over 1 year and 4 months. The donor program also had no understanding of my ethnic heritage, and made no attempt to learn. Some of the doctors were curt and flippant. I never felt as if I were a patient. More often than not I felt as if I were an inconvenience.
Dr Noyes was on target, predicting that she would be able to get over 20 eggs in a cycle and they retrieved 27 eggs. She was very practical and helpful in determining how to proceed when I decided to conceive. She is a good diagnostician. She is also blunt, funny and a little wacky. But if you are struggling and need a bit of hand hand holding, I am not sure Dr. Noyes is the doctor for you....She is skilled doctor and knows her stuff. But do not expect a warm and fuzzy doctor.
The nursing staff [at NYU - 1st Ave] was good and was responsive to calls...The clinicians have a lot of experience and know their stuff. But if you are looking for a place where you receive emotional support, this may not be the place for you. I did not need it as I had no issues. I froze my eggs.... I will say that Dr Noyes assistant, Jarlin, is really nice and caring... For one IFV cycle, one icsi and one implementation cost me about $22,000. In addition, I paid another $3,000 for PGS testing.
How was your experience with Nicole Noyes at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Noyes is a competent doctor and is a good diagnostician. She was on target with her predictions. Her demeanor is not for everyone. She is blunt and some people take offense at her bluntness. I appreciated it and had no fertility issues (I froze and when I was ready I conceived) so it worked for me. But I am not sure if I were looking for hand holding that she would be the first doctor to whom I would go.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicole Noyes at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
She is skilled doctor and knows her stuff. But do not expect a warm and fuzzy doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicole Noyes at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I was very lucky and had a successful egg cycle and transfer. Dr Noyes was on target, predicting that she would be able to get over 20 eggs in a cycle and they retrieved 27 eggs. She was very practical and helpful in determining how to proceed when I decided to conceive. She is a good diagnostician. She is also blunt, funny and a little wacky. But if you are struggling and need a bit of hand hand holding, I am not sure Dr. Noyes is the doctor for you.
Describe the protocols Nicole Noyes used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I had one cycle and folistom was the primary medicine used. My trigger shot was changed at the end to Lupron to avoid overstimulation.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The nursing staff was good and was responsive to calls.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The clinicians have a lot of experience and know their stuff. But if you are looking for a place where you receive emotional support, this may not be the place for you. I did not need it as I had no issues. I froze my eggs. I had twenty seven eggs in one cycle. When I wanted to get pregnant, I was successful on the first try. I will say that Dr Noyes assistant, Jarlin, is really nice and caring.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
You had to go in between 7-9;00 am in the morning. I suppose if I had an issue, I could have asked for a special appointment. But I did not have occasion to.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicole Noyes at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My exams before the egg freezing cycle and before I decided to get pregnant were covered as were my visits after I became pregnant. My medications for the freezing cycle and for pregnancy were covered. The rest was not. For one
IFV cycle, one icsi and one implementation cost me about $22,000. In addition, I paid another $3,000 for PGS testing.
Describe Nicole Noyes's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I think my doctor's approach was dead on. She recommended PGS and after the results, she recommended a single embryo transfer. Given the problems, I have seen with twins, particularly with older women-I would highly recommend this approach.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Lost results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I met Dr. Berkeley at my consult when he "became" my doctor. But I never saw him again or heard from him again throughout my cycle....I thought he was professional the one (!) time I got to meet him (at my consult). I was taken aback by the fact I did not hear from him again until after my missed miscarriage/D&C at 6 weeks. My tissue from the D&C had been tested, and it was triploidy, which he explained to me over the phone.
NYU is affiliated with a teaching hospital and presumably has a commensurate lab, so that provides comfort. But it is impersonal. Impersonal is ok for the dentist's office, but not a fertility clinic...I mostly dealt with Carol or Andrea and wasn't assigned a specific nurse. At NYU, nurses are really the only point people available to patients on a predictable basis. All calls are returned by a nurse (not a doctor), and in fact, a nurse did my actual IUI.
How was your experience with Alan Berkeley at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Berkeley clearly has good credentials and a prestigious post at a well-known university fertility clinic. I thought he was professional the one (!) time I got to meet him (at my consult). I was taken aback by the fact I did not hear from him again until after my missed miscarriage/D&C at 6 weeks. My tissue from the D&C had been tested, and it was triploidy, which he explained to me over the phone. I advised him that Dr. Noyes, who had seen me during this very brief pregnancy mentioned during a monitoring appointment (as it began to become clearer that this was a missed miscarriage) that I had a uterine fibroid and had been incredulous as to why no one had pointed this out to me before. While my fibroid didn't cause the triploidy, of course (which he pointed out), I felt that missing such a thing at my initial consult the month before (which included an initial ultrasound) was pretty inexcusable.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alan Berkeley at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
If you choose to go this route, find a way to beat the system so you can speak to the Dr himself, instead of dealing only with the "doctor of the day" or nurses.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alan Berkeley at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
NYU's clinic is crowded. I met Dr. Berkeley at my consult when he "became" my doctor. But I never saw him again or heard from him again throughout my cycle.
Describe the protocols Alan Berkeley used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Dr. Berkeley put me on Clomid after doing comprehensive bloodwork (which included genetic testing). I then triggered with Ovidrel and had an IUI. At 6 weeks, I was diagnosed with a missed miscarriage and had a D&C with embryo testing at the clinic.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I mostly dealt with Carol or Andrea and wasn't assigned a specific nurse. At NYU, nurses are really the only point people available to patients on a predictable basis. All calls are returned by a nurse (not a doctor), and in fact, a nurse did my actual IUI. The nurses were generally pleasant but when my short-lived pregnancy turned out not to be viable, I thought they could have done better. The nurse who called me to inform me that my HCG levels were declining was a nurse I had never met or spoken to before, and she let me know via voicemail about my declining HCG level and that I should come back on in several days for bloodwork and an ultrasound. I reached out to Evelyn Arroyo (I think she's Dr. Berkeley's assistant) about this (which required me to go behind the system a bit) and said I'd like to speak to a doctor about this - particularly Dr. Fino since she has seen me for the past 2 times. I did not receive a call back from either Dr. Fino or Dr. Berkeley.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
NYU is affiliated with a teaching hospital and presumably has a commensurate lab, so that provides comfort. But it is impersonal. Impersonal is ok for the dentist's office, but not a fertility clinic. I wound up leaving to go to a smaller, more personalized clinic where my treatment felt more tailored and where I had a name.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alan Berkeley at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My IUI protocol and treatment were covered under insurance. I had copays.
Describe Alan Berkeley's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
No experience with Dr. Berkeley on this
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Goldman did not call after my second retrieval to inform me or explain why 6 of the eggs were not retrieved...She also should have told me about the egg donor option given that my time for egg retrieval was limited due to cancer treatment. Finally, I underwent a painful procedure because she misdiagnosed a polyp. She did not tell me the procedure would be painful nor did she tell me risk of misdiagnosis...
Staff [at NYU] other than nurses were not very kind or compassionate and made my partner feel uncomfortable. They made me feel like a number rather than a person. The billing staff were particularly rude and not helpful...The nursing staff was thoughtful and compassionate and tried to help me find discount medications due to my cancer status...[Monitoring Appointments] It felt like a cattlecall most times.
How was your experience with Kara Goldman at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Goldman should have told me more about the painful procedure to diagnose a polyp and what it entailed given my sexual abuse history. She also should have told me about the egg donor option given that my time for egg retrieval was limited due to cancer treatment. Finally, I lost four eggs due to attrition because she did not time the retrieval properly.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kara Goldman at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
She should be more concerned about their well being rather than having them pay for costly treatments that may not be helpful. She should also be more candid about the risks and benefits of all procedures and provide all options at the outset. Finally, if she is not going to perform retrievals she should ensure the staff doing so are well trained and highly qualified.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kara Goldman at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Goldman did not call after my second retrieval to inform me or explain why 6 of the eggs were not retrieved. She also did not provide me with all relevant information during either of my two cycles. Finally, I underwent a painful procedure because she misdiagnosed a polyp. She did not tell me the procedure would be painful nor did she tell me risk of misdiagnosis
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The nursing staff was thoughtful and compassionate and tried to help me find discount medications due to my cancer status
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Staff other than nurses were not very kind or compassionate and made my partner feel uncomfortable. They made me feel like a number rather than a person. The billing staff were particularly rude and not helpful.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
It felt like a cattlecall most times.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Failed to call with results
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Dr Alan is very knowledgeable and he does try to get as much of your background history as possible. He does follow up on you if you call or if you have a question. I would say the weakness is that he follows a protocol and doesn't feel that he ajusts the same to the patience needs... I was never offered some kind of comfort by the nurses. The doctor was very to the point but a bit cold in my opinion. And has you know all woman that are passing thru a treatment have to be almost warriors not only physically but physiologically.
I felt that I was only one more woman trying to get pregnant [at NYU]. It almost felt like a factory, we all seam to be following the same treatments and schedule. I was never offered some kind of comfort by the nurses. The doctor was very to the point but a bit cold in my opinion. And has you know all woman that are passing thru a treatment have to be almost warriors not only physically but physiologically.
How was your experience with Alan Berkeley at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Alan is very knowledgeable and he does try to get as much of your background history as possible. He does follow up on you if you call or if you have a question.
I would say the weakness is that he follows a protocol and doesn't feel that he ajusts the same to the patience needs
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alan Berkeley at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
make as many questions as you can so that you get all explain. Try to think of those before hand. Ask for psychological support if you need
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alan Berkeley at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I felt that I was only one more woman trying to get pregnant. It almost felt like a factory, we all seam to be following the same treatments and schedule. I was never offered some kind of comfort by the nurses. The doctor was very to the point but a bit cold in my opinion. And has you know all woman that are passing thru a treatment have to be almost warriors not only physically but physiologically.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
They are knowledgeable but quite cold in my option. Felt like I was one more number....
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Good space. In my option a bit bad located. Check in is easy. I wish they had mychart active or a patience portal.
Very friendly and informative. He [Dr. Keefe] told me a lot about himself and his history. You can ask him questions but he will end the meeting after a few. He always run late and always has a student with him for training purposes. He doesn't offer much advice jn terms of things to do to help the process - vitamins, diet, exercise, etc. which would be more helpful.... Morning monitoring [NYU] typically takes about an hour with ultrasound due to wait times. The system seems kind of random after you check in though I'm sure there's a method to their madness.
Morning monitoring [NYU] typically takes about an hour with ultrasound due to wait times. The system seems kind of random after you check in though I'm sure there's a method to their madness. There is a process for follow-up calls, and they have never not provided instructions when expected. What would be helpful is if they provided you with a follicle count and size for each visit, in writing.... He told me a lot about himself and his history. You can ask him questions but he will end the meeting after a few. He always run late and always has a student with him for training purposes.
How was your experience with David Keefe at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Very friendly and informative. He told me a lot about himself and his history. You can ask him questions but he will end the meeting after a few. He always run late and always has a student with him for training purposes. He doesn't offer much advice jn terms of things to do to help the process - vitamins, diet, exercise, etc. which would be more helpful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Keefe at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Ask questions you have. If you ade asking for advice, he will offer you his opinion of things which is helpful.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Morning monitoring typically takes about an hour with ultrasound due to wait times. The system seems kind of random after you check in though I'm sure there's a method to their madness. There is a process for follow-up calls, and they have never not provided instructions when expected. What would be helpful is if they provided you with a follicle count and size for each visit, in writing.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I would have liked to have more communication with her [Dr. Elizabeth Fino], but overall the experience was good. She is right in the middle when it comes to giving information in a soft manner vs. a cold manner. We communicated the most when I was deciding to do IVF.... It was a very busy clinic and I liked the “in and out” aspect, but I can see how many patients would not. I also rarely saw Dr. Fino
It [NYU-1st Ave] was a very busy clinic and I liked the “in and out” aspect, but I can see how many patients would not. I also rarely saw Dr. Fino... it was a bit like “herding cattle” as it’s extreme busy and I never saw the same women in the clinic. That said, I never waited very long and everything was very professional.... 12,500 for treatment. 9,000 for drugs and pgs testing was 3,600
How was your experience with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I would have liked to have more communication with her, but overall the experience was good. She is right in the middle when it comes to giving information in a soft manner vs. a cold manner. We communicated the most when I was deciding to do IVF.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Do your homework and breath a lot.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
It was a very busy clinic and I liked the “in and out” aspect, but I can see how many patients would not. I also rarely saw Dr. Fino
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Lavina )
Even though the clinic was super busy, she remembered me and called a lot.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I really do not have a comparison because this is the only clinic that I’ve gone to, but it was a bit like “herding cattle” as it’s extreme busy and I never saw the same women in the clinic. That said, I never waited very long and everything was very professional.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Elizabeth Fino at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
12,500 for treatment. 9,000 for drugs and pgs testing was 3,600
