REACH

2018, Unknown Success

Age 31

1 IVF

Male Factor

PCOS

European

Latinx

Native American

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

I was so grateful that he [Dr. Whelan] was able to provide me with exact causation, through blood panels, to explain the physiological changes I had undergone since I had stopped taking my birth control... He has a great way of explaining things in such detail that you can tell he's really knowledgeable on the subject, but also isn't throwing jargon at you to make it confusing. I have had a pretty lengthy period of just getting from my first visit at REACH to the start of the stimulants for IVF, so I have seen Dr Whelan a decent amount of times, but not each visit is with him personally, which is okay because he doesn't necessarily need to be by my side for each ultrasound. Anytime we met with Dr Whelan, I never left feeling confused about our next steps.

She [nurse at REACH] always called when she said she would, always checked up when she said she would, provided great communication and assistance when needed (issue with billing)...The monitoring portion experience was really hit or miss. Sometimes I'd go in right when they'd open and have only a few people in front of me in line, and sometime's I'd go in and there'd be 25 people there

How was your experience with Joseph Whelan at REACH?

I'm so lucky that I was paired with Dr Whelan at my first visit to REACH! I honestly felt like I had done a ton of research on my PCOS condition before meeting with Dr Whelan, but he provided so much more information than I was able to find on my own online. I was so grateful that he was able to provide me with exact causation, through blood panels, to explain the physiological changes I had undergone since I had stopped taking my birth control . My regular OB wanted me to just keep trying naturally to have a baby, even after diagnosing the PCOS, but luckily I used my gut instinct and made an appointment at REACH because we found out that we also had a male infertility factor at play, and some of my hormones were so off the chart, that conceiving naturally just wouldn't have been an option. He has a great way of explaining things in such detail that you can tell he's really knowledgeable on the subject, but also isn't throwing jargon at you to make it confusing. I have had a pretty lengthy period of just getting from my first visit at REACH to the start of the stimulants for IVF, so I have seen Dr Whelan a decent amount of times, but not each visit is with him personally, which is okay because he doesn't necessarily need to be by my side for each ultrasound. Anytime we met with Dr Whelan, I never left feeling confused about our next steps.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Joseph Whelan at REACH?

He loves to talk. So make time in your schedule. Don't be rushed.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Joseph Whelan at REACH?

When you get your office time with the Doctor himself, he is very thorough with you and doesn't seemed rushed to get to his next patient. He covers everything in so much more detail than you could find online. His bedside manner is such that he doesn't seem like he's babying you too much, but will give it to you straight.

Describe the protocols Joseph Whelan used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

IVF with Frozen egg transfer and ICSI Prescribed Gonal-F (150units to start then upped to 225 for the last 3 days), Cetrotide (used 6 boxes), and HCG (20ml). Ended up with 31 eggs retrieved, 15 mature, 8 fertilized with ICSI procedure.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Two: Veronica and Melissa)

Dr Whelan had two nurses that I saw regularly, Veronica and Melissa. Veronica I saw more before we started the actual IVF procedures, as Melissa is Dr Whelan's IVF nurse. She always called when she said she would, always checked up when she said she would, provided great communication and assistance when needed (issue with billing).

Describe your experience with REACH.

Strengths - Dr Whelan, availability, location, good communication between Doctors and Nursing team Weaknesses - BILLING DEPARTMENT! If you look up any reviews online, all the negative ones are related to billing. Honestly, I'm still so confused about my standings with this company's billing department. It doesn't help that their billing department is not located here for me to just talk to someone, and my Financial Counselor was little help. The put a rush on you to pay for treatments to begin, which doesn't leave any time for your insurance company to get squared away with their existing claims. They tried to get me to overpay by almost $1000 for my services because their information on how much of my deductible I had already met was severely off. So instead they just said, just pay the "non-billable" portion and we'll get started. So I did. Then I requested an updated bill for my IVF cycle and they said, we'll just bill you at the end. I've asked twice now for the total cost so I can just pay it outright and they won't do it. They double billed me for my first visit and I paid the portion it said I owed. Then the insurance company ended up paying it and we were supposed to get a refund check, which I told them was fine if they wanted to just put it as a credit on the account, but I'm not sure that even happened. After I hear back about my first egg retrieval I'll be calling them again to get a detailed account report to explain where we stand.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at REACH.

The monitoring portion experience was really hit or miss. Sometimes I'd go in right when they'd open and have only a few people in front of me in line, and sometime's I'd go in and there'd be 25 people there. They only see people from 7-9 (sometimes I was quoted 8:30) to ensure they get same day results back (which I understand), but they should have more staff available to get people in and out. With my job, sometimes I didn't have the option to be at work past 8am, which made it difficult. My first visit I got there around 7:20 (as I thought they opened at 7:15) and didn't make it to work until 8:40am. They do things so quickly that I wish they had a little more time to be more personable about your visit. On my 13th day of stimulants,I was greeted by the same limp-wristed handshake of a PA and her standardized questions ("How are you today? I'm ____ and I'll be doing your ultrasound today. How are the medications going?"), and at that point, I just felt like crying. I didn't feel like a person but a number, and I was already stressed and uninformed about why I was not ready for my trigger shot for egg retrieval, and the fact that she didn't even pretend to remember who I was, since I had just seen her less than 24 hours before, was frustrating.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Joseph Whelan at REACH.

My insurance coverage is 90/10 after a $1500 deductible. I spent almost $1200 out of my HRA account for all of my visits before even starting the first IVF cycle. I was originally quoted around $2900 for my out of pocket portion, including a $1K non-billable piece. However, what I was quoted as my coinsurance and remaining deductible was not correct. It should have been more around $1900. At this point, instead of correcting it before making the payment to start my treatment, they told me to just pay the $1K non-billable and they'll bill the rest, so I'll just owe a balance at the end. I was encouraged to pay for my medications out of pocket versus using insurance as they'd likely jack up the price on the meds, and I only have a $15K lifetime maximum on infertility treatments. The total cost of my medications was $2400 purchased from SMP Pharmacy.

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

1. Double billed for services. Have not received refund check. 2. Asked to pay more for services based on what they found as my deductible contributions as of that date. 3. Quoted strange figures related to a negative "balance" on my account. (I think they used my payment for the Non-Billable portion of the IVF treatments to start paying bills for services).

Doctor

Joseph Whelan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015 - 2018, Successful

Age 35 - 38

3 IUI

Anovulation

PCOS

Tubal Blockage

European

Income $0 - $49K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Successful

Review of

I felt a little like a number in that I didn't really see the doctor [Dr. Lauren Johnson] very often (2 times in 6 months), they didn't ask or discuss with me before changing my treatment plan from medicated cycles to IUI, and then didn't discuss before perscribing injectable drugs... she is always compassionate, positive, and knowledgeable. She is very careful to move your treatment along in the least invasive but thorough fashion possible. She helped us conceive our son, and is currently working with us to conceive another. My only complaint is that I don't see her often in the course of treatment and scheduling a meeting with her can take awhile.

I generally like my nurse [at REACH], but when I had a chemical pregnancy I felt like she avoided speaking directly with me. Most of the time she is very excited for you when you get good results, and seems to care a great bit. My only complaint in general is that I often have to remind the nurse that I am allergic to latex and need a non latex ultrasound wand cover...A medicated cycle cost $675 I think, plus the cost of medication which added another $200 or so. IUI was about $1200 with about $600 in medication. There's also bloodwork that may be covered by insurance and the cost of HSG test which was covered by our insurance.

How was your experience with Lauren Johnson at REACH?

I love doctor Johnson, she is always compassionate, positive, and knowledgeable. She is very careful to move your treatment along in the least invasive but thorough fashion possible. She helped us conceive our son, and is currently working with us to conceive another. My only complaint is that I don't see her often in the course of treatment and scheduling a meeting with her can take awhile.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lauren Johnson at REACH?

Schedule ahead of time if you need a consultation! She's very busy!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lauren Johnson at REACH?

I felt like a human in that my nurse and doctor took the time to always ask how I am, they always took the time to explain everything and make sure I understood what was happening. I felt a little like a number in that I didn't really see the doctor very often (2 times in 6 months), they didn't ask or discuss with me before changing my treatment plan from medicated cycles to IUI, and then didn't discuss before perscribing injectable drugs. Also, when I had my chemical pregnancy, my nurse (who always called to relay info and make appts) basically refused to call me back to answer questions and would only answer through email as if she was afraid to interact with an emotional woman (even though I didn't act emotional) Also, the practice has switched from having doctors do monitoring ultrasounds to having PAs do it, and they are fairly cold. They don't share as much about what your ultrasound looks like as the doctors.

Describe the protocols Lauren Johnson used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

Our over all strategy for treatment was to be as minimal as possible because my partner and I are not high income. We did several medicated and monitored cycles with letrozole and clomid (during different cycles) we also used an ovidrel shot for each of those. When they didn't work we moved up to IUI with Clomid and Ovidrel. Our first try did not work, nor the second. Our third was cancelled because I only developed an egg on a blocked tube, but I actually got pregnant that cycle! This time around I tried 4 medicated cycles, then we moved up to IUI with letrozole, Gonal F, and Ovidrel. The first was a fail, the second we added progesterone and a higher dose of Gonal F. It resulted in a chemical pregnancy. We took a month off after, and are planning to do one more IUI before moving on to IVF because of my age.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Becky)

I generally like my nurse, but when I had a chemical pregnancy I felt like she avoided speaking directly with me. Most of the time she is very excited for you when you get good results, and seems to care a great bit. My only complaint in general is that I often have to remind the nurse that I am allergic to latex and need a non latex ultrasound wand cover.

Describe your experience with REACH.

This clinic is generally very good, they are compassionate, thorough, and will keep your best interest in mind with everything they do, but they could use some changes in the financial department in how they take payment there's difficulty in getting in touch with the financial counselor and they could be more up-front with their prices.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Lauren Johnson at REACH.

We were completely out of pocket with cost. A medicated cycle cost $675 I think, plus the cost of medication which added another $200 or so. IUI was about $1200 with about $600 in medication. There's also bloodwork that may be covered by insurance and the cost of HSG test which was covered by our insurance.

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Failed to inform you of changes in protocol

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

My doctor would change protocol without discussing it first. Medicated cycles are significantly cheaper than IUI, and we would have liked more warning about needing to scratch together payment.

Doctor

Lauren Johnson

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016 - 2018, Unsuccessful

Age 29 - 31

6 IUI

Male Factor

PCOS

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Strengths would be that they are up to date with research and their fertility treatments. They have a higher success rate as well. Weaknesses would be that your RE doesn’t usually perform your fertility treatments which is frustrating.... I feel the two nurses I had at REACH is what made my experience pleasant. They were caring and attentive. They cheered me on and rooted for me as we went through each IUI. They embraced me with a hug which made me feel like they truly cared about me. They were really good about providing me all the right imformation.

How was your experience with Lauren Johnson at REACH?

My experience overall with Dr. Johnson has been good. I wish that she had performed all my IUI’s but only did 1 out of the 6. She was good at explaining the treatments but I really felt like she was not good at maneuvering through every Tilly treatment and that is not going according to textbook. I had polyps growing in my uterus that they were monitoring during the first 3 IUI’s and I think a lot fell through the cracks because it took 3 IUI’s to determine if the polyps were growing or not. I feel like we wasted those 3 IUI’s. She also didn’t mention anything about an injectable IUI till we had done 5 IUI’s and were discussing with her about moving forward with IVF. I feel like some things fell through the cracks because she wasn’t there performing all my IUI’s. I see now how important that was to me. I think things would have been caught and resolved a lot sooner. She is very thorough when it comes to explaining all that the fertility treatments will entail. I would t say that she’s compassionate but more to the point. Very type A personality. During one of our appointments we had to wait for 2 hours because someone misscheduled our appointment with her to discuss IVF. They kept giving us he run around for 2 hours saying that she’s almost ready for us but they were just stalling us. I feel like that was more fault on the clinic and not the Dr. but it would’ve been nice for her to offer to not have us pay for our appointment since we had to wait so long.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lauren Johnson at REACH?

Do your research before going to see any RE because I feel once you know what the fertility treatments are all about then you can ask the right questions. I feel like I went in not knowing much and wish I did so that I could ask more targeted questions.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lauren Johnson at REACH?

I feel like I fall somewhere in between here. I don’t feel like Dr. Johnson treated me like a number but the clinic does. The front desk staff are not friendly but I’ve had wonderful, caring nurses that took great care of me. When I first started at this clinic I thought that Dr. Johnson would perform all my fertility treatments but that was not the case. Out of the six IUI’s we did she only performed one of them.

Describe the protocols Lauren Johnson used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

For the first 5 IUI’s we did the following protocol: clomid (only for the 1st IUI because both my husband and I had horrible dry eyes from it — they switched me to letrozole and my husband to anastrozole. I haven’t noticed any severe symptoms on these medications.) We both came into the clinic for bloodwork and I did an internal ultrasound. I came back into the clinic 2 more times for bloodwork and internal ultrasound before the actual IUI procedure. I would take the letrozole for 5 days and then do an ovidrel injection (trigger shot) 2 days before the IUI. They would call and tell me based on my bloodwork and ultrasound when I would need to come in for the IUI. For our last fertility treatment we did an injectable IUI. It’s like a regular IUI but with more injections. We had very similar monitoring but I had to keep coming back every other day for them to monitor my follicles because they were growing a little slower. They originally said that I would have 4 injections total but did 7 total because my follicles were growing slowly. I did 6 gonal-f infections at 50mg each and one ovidrel injection. All my IUI’s were unsuccessful.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Becky and Salina)

I feel the two nurses I had at REACH is what made my experience pleasant. They were caring and attentive. They cheered me on and rooted for me as we went through each IUI. They embraced me with a hug which made me feel like they truly cared about me. They were really good about providing me all the right imformation.

Describe your experience with REACH.

Strengths would be that they are up to date with research and their fertility treatments. They have a higher success rate as well. Weaknesses would be that your RE doesn’t usually perform your fertility treatments which is frustrating especially if they find things that are wrong and not going according to their regular protocol.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Lauren Johnson at REACH.

IUI — $1000 Ovidrel — $100 Letrozole — $10 or under Gonal-f — $300-400

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost appointments
Failed to consider drug intolerance

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

The biggest thing is when we had a scheduled appointment with Dr. Johnson to discuss IVF they gave us the runaround for two hours while we waited. We would ask them every 20 minutes or so and they kept telling us that she’s almost ready for us and they kept doing that for two hours. They also never told us reactions that I could have with certain medications and both my husband and I reacted negatively with Clomid.

Doctor

Lauren Johnson

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017 - 2018, Unknown Success

Age 26 - 27

2 IUI

Male Factor

European

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

1st of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Dr. Johnson was very straight-forward and efficient when it came to our treatment, but she never made it feel like it was because she has more things to do. Rather, she wanted to make sure our time was used wisely and wanted to make us as comfortable as possible.... Dr. Johnson sets the treatment course and monitors progress, but a nurse actually completed the insemination.... Dr. Johnson has incredible bedside manner. She is warm and welcoming and you can tell she truly cares about her patients and gets to know them very well.

REACH is definitely the most known clinic in our area, and there is a reason. Their team of doctors, nurses and staff are incredibly caring and compassionate. They are efficient and honest, and make you feel good about the choices you make and your treatment options. If you don't have the money to start treatment, they do not pressure or make you feel bad.... The nurses always called when they said they would and have always responded to my messages and questions when I had them.

How was your experience with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Dr. Johnson has always been very caring and honest with us. I think that a lot of times, doctors at this clinic are a bit more hands off with the IUI process, not for a lack of caring, but because it is not as costly, nor is it as complicated/complex. Dr. Johnson sets the treatment course and monitors progress, but a nurse actually completed the insemination. However, since we have been having conversations and getting prepared for the IVF process, if she was not present at my ultrasounds, then it was another doctor who completed the appointment. = Dr. Johnson has incredible bedside manner. She is warm and welcoming and you can tell she truly cares about her patients and gets to know them very well. Our personalities are very similar and it really helps us click with her in the patient/doctor relationship.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Sometimes she can move a little fast when describing things, but it is because she is trying to be efficient with time and not rush. Do not be afraid to ask questions, she will always answer them. She is very sweet and caring and you will love having her as a doctor.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Describe the protocols Matrika Johnson used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

We completed two IUI cycles with Clomid, based on my husband's sperm count. However, after 2 IUI cycles, it was noticed that his count significantly decreased, which is why IUI did not work either time. After this IVF became our next course of treatment. We will be starting the IVF process soon. Dr. Johnson has told us that with how low my husband's sperm count it, natural conception is not likely to every happen for us.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Jessica)

The nurses always called when they said they would and have always responded to my messages and questions when I had them. They were always very informed about my treatment plan and would organize everything for me according to Dr. Johnson.

Describe your experience with REACH.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Matrika Johnson at REACH.

IUI was about 1200 per cycle. An IVF cycle with egg retrieval was 13500, and a frozen embryo transfer is about 3000. None of these costs include medication. Any visits that have to do with the treatment cycle are covered through the cost of treatment.

Describe Matrika Johnson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

Dr. Johnson mentioned that given my age, she would like to only transfer one embryo. However, we have discussed that if we have to do another cycle, that we would transfer 2 embryos. She said that as women get older, they are more likely to always implant more than one embryo.

Doctor

Matrika Johnson

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016 - 2017, Unsuccessful

Age 34 - 35

1 IVF

1 Egg Freezing

Surrogacy

PCOS

Uterine Fibroids

Income $100K - $199K

Engineer

1st of 3 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

1 Egg Freezing With Other Docs

Surrogacy With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

We think our first doctor Dr. Whelan performed an unnecessary surgery which caused uterine fibroids...we didn't receive enough personal attention, and felt like he didn't really care if we succeeded. Many times the prognosis was pessimistic, and we weren't given many options. They were quick to recommend surrogacy.

Weakness: Dr Whelan advised a surgical procedure prior to our first frozen embryo transfer. We regret listening to him...We do not trust this clinic, and would caution against. Strengths: They have multiple doctors on staff, however, you do not get to meet or consult with them...The nurses have good bedside manner, and generally respond quickly to emailed questions through their portal.

How was your experience with Joseph Whelan at REACH?

We think our first doctor Dr. Whelan performed an unnecessary surgery which caused uterine fibroids, which became the reason we could not get pregnant. The final doctor, Dr. Richard Wang is knowledgeable and was the founder of Reach clinic. But we didn't receive enough personal attention, and felt like he didn't really care if we succeeded. Many times the prognosis was pessimistic, and we weren't given many options. They were quick to recommend surrogacy. Overall, we were disappointed not just in the outcome, but in the way we were treated as just another number. We would have appreciated more second opinions and communications.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Joseph Whelan at REACH?

Always get a second, and third, and maybe fourth opinion.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Joseph Whelan at REACH?

We received information and instructions, but we had to consistently request and remind to get all answers. We would have liked more consultations because we often felt on our own. We did not achieve any success, and often felt like no one really cared or tried hard enough.

Describe the protocols Joseph Whelan used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

Dr Whelan suggested a hysteroscopy to remove a polyp, which became uterine adhesions called Ashermans. We regret listening to him because we think this ultimately caused us not to become pregnant. We wish we had proceeded with at least a few FETs before considering surgery. We do not trust this clinic, and blame them for this. We has 2 stimulated egg retrievals, which were then placed in cryo-preservations. We had 4 frozen embryo transfers and 1 fresh embryo transfer. We tried Embryoglue, which is Hyaluronic Acid injected during the transfers to help with embryo implantation.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at REACH.

The nurses have good bedside manner, and generally respond quickly to emailed questions through their portal. But we did not have a primary nurse, and the information had to be asked for, rather than provided up front. Overall, the nursing staff was generally good.

Describe your experience with REACH.

Weakness: Dr Whelan advised a surgical procedure prior to our first frozen embryo transfer. We regret listening to him. This caused uterine adhesions and Asherman's syndrome, which kept us from achieving pregnancy during all subsequent transfers. We should have tried a few transfers before surgery. We do not trust this clinic, and would caution against. Strengths: They have multiple doctors on staff, however, you do not get to meet or consult with them

Describe the costs associated with your care under Joseph Whelan at REACH.

Cost was around $35k total, but two surgeries were extra $2k due to lack of availability in the in-house surgical room. Medications were always extra.

Describe Joseph Whelan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

We always did single embryo transfer, with the best quality embryo available each time.

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Scheduled the wrong procedure

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

We had to be very pro-active with this clinic. Asking tons of questions and requesting instructions. Many times, we had wrong procedures scheduled or medications which would have been an allergy problem.

Doctor

Joseph Whelan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016 - 2017, Unsuccessful

Age 31 - 32

2 IVF

Endometriosis

Male Factor

Poor Egg Quality

European

Operations

1st of 2 Docs

2 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

I don't think he [Dr. Whelan] could pick me out of a crowd or remembered my case, he would have to read my file before he saw us and focused on the treatment and not what would work best for me as a patient...he didn't think outside the box and gave up quickly on us. We went from "you have a 70-80% chance of IVF working on the first cycle" to (two cycles later), "you most likely won't ever have biological children of our own"

Strengths: There are a lot of doctors and nurses so you could get there first thing in the morning for monitoring, they [REACH] had nice facilities. They had information and tips to give to patients which was helpful, they knew what questions I was most likely to ask. Weaknesses: HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE billing department, even if my experience with the doctors and nurses were amazing, I would think twice about continuing to use them because their billing department is such a nightmare.

How was your experience with Joseph Whelan at REACH?

He had too many patients and didn't take a one-on-one approach, he didn't think outside the box and gave up quickly on us. We went from "you have a 70-80% chance of IVF working on the first cycle" to (two cycles later), "you most likely won't ever have biological children of our own" and was recommending we look into donor eggs or embryos. I think he is fully capable and intelligent, but the treatments were a little to one size fits all. If you are a difficult case, I wouldn't recommend him.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Joseph Whelan at REACH?

Get second opinions!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Joseph Whelan at REACH?

I don't think he could pick me out of a crowd or remembered my case, he would have to read my file before he saw us and focused on the treatment and not what would work best for me as a patient.

Describe the protocols Joseph Whelan used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

IVF cycle follistim, HGH, cetrotide and menopur. Only PIO to prep for a fresh transfer. He didn't share is rationale for that treatment cycle.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at REACH.

There were many, I don't think I really knew any of them or that they really knew me. They were nice enough I guess, but had too many patients.

Describe your experience with REACH.

Strengths: There are a lot of doctors and nurses so you could get there first thing in the morning for monitoring, they had nice facilities. They had information and tips to give to patients which was helpful, they knew what questions I was most likely to ask. Weaknesses: HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE billing department, even if my experience with the doctors and nurses were amazing, I would think twice about continuing to use them because their billing department is such a nightmare. They have way too many patients, there were visits where I waited more than 2 hours to be seen. My doctor was even almost an hour late to my 7am surgery. Treatments are too generic, didn't feel like they took their time with me, they had to stick to a schedule.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at REACH.

It depended, so days were horrible and the wait was an hour or more, other days it wasn't bad. If I got there right when the doors opened it really didn't impact my day. Too many patients.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Joseph Whelan at REACH.

I don't remember costs.

Describe Joseph Whelan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

We didn't have that discussion because we didn't have enough strong embryos.

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

They got dates incorrect for my treatment and I was traveling out of town. Luckily there was a fertility clinic I could go to where I was traveling to be monitored. They have sent me incorrect instructions on treatment or sent me someone else's treatment information.

Doctor

Joseph Whelan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017, Unsuccessful

Age 26

1 IVF

Male Factor

PCOS

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Dr. Johnson knew our case and was very sensitive to how hard infertility can hit someone. She answered all of our questions and always called us back if we had any issues. ... Dr. Johnson gave me a hysteroscopy in order to remove polyps. She also did my complete retrieval. I had many good eggs, but my husband's sperm were less than stellar. (We didn't even know he had them until right then when they did sperm aspiration.)

Monitoring was offered first thing in the morning. I had to drive 2 hours each way, and was always in and out very quickly! ... The only issue we encountered was some discrepancy in the billing, which was remedied with a quick phone call. Each appointment [REACH] was quick, and results were given in a timely manner. They let us make final decisions on anything, while giving us great counsel, but not pressuring us into anything that we didn't want. ...

How was your experience with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Dr. Johnson was very personable. She also woke up in the middle of the night to call me in another prescription when I left mine out of town. We had some unexpected complications and she adjusted accordingly.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Trust her judgement.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Dr. Johnson knew our case and was very sensitive to how hard infertility can hit someone. She answered all of our questions and always called us back if we had any issues.

Describe the protocols Matrika Johnson used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

Dr. Johnson gave me a hysteroscopy in order to remove polyps. She also did my complete retrieval. I had many good eggs, but my husband's sperm were less than stellar. (We didn't even know he had them until right then when they did sperm aspiration.) When we only ended up with one embryo, she highly suggested we go ahead and do a three day fresh transfer instead of our planned frozen transfer. I ended up with a chemical pregnancy, but Dr. Johnson did everything she could. She also met with us afterwards to come up with our next game plan, which included a varicoselectomy for my husband. (She had suggested it before, but we had chosen to go ahead without it.)

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at REACH.

The nurses were wonderful! They were always ready for me during my appointments, and made sure that I was in and out as quickly as possible.

Describe your experience with REACH.

The doctors and nurses were all wonderful! The only issue we encountered was some discrepancy in the billing, which was remedied with a quick phone call. Each appointment was quick, and results were given in a timely manner. They let us make final decisions on anything, while giving us great counsel, but not pressuring us into anything that we didn't want.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at REACH.

Monitoring was offered first thing in the morning. I had to drive 2 hours each way, and was always in and out very quickly!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Matrika Johnson at REACH.

Normal IVF costs; we compared multiple clinics and REACH had lower pricing than all of the clinics in our area.

Describe Matrika Johnson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

She counseled us about the difference, and highly suggested single embryo transfer for our particular situation.

Doctor

Matrika Johnson

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015 - 2017, Successful

Age 31 - 33

2 IUI

1 IVF

Male Factor

Income $100K - $199K

Engineer

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

She [Dr. Matrika Johnson] got to know me as a person, understood how I liked to hear information and how I’d react. She treated my husband the same way and he actually enjoyed coming to the appointments to see her... made me feel like there was always hope. She is thorough, direct and still lighthearted. She made it a point to get to know me and my husband as people and as a couple. She listened to all of our questions and concerns and would even adjust her plan to compromise if ever needed. Dr J is an amazing doctor and person who made our journey amazing.

They [staff at REACH] want you to be as informed as you can be walking into this journey. The front desk staff makes an effort to get to know you. They take any questions or concerns to heart and adjusts as necessary. (I.e. I had a tough time with one of the women in the lab drawing blood who always left bruises and they made sure that my name was always called by the other technician if she was there)

How was your experience with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Dr J is a young, vibrant doctor who made me feel like there was always hope. She is thorough, direct and still lighthearted. She made it a point to get to know me and my husband as people and as a couple. She listened to all of our questions and concerns and would even adjust her plan to compromise if ever needed. Dr J is an amazing doctor and person who made our journey amazing.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Be prepared not to have sugar coated information. She likes to get to the point, solve the current hiccup and figure out the best way to have a positive result!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

She got to know me as a person, understood how I liked to hear information and how I’d react. She treated my husband the same way and he actually enjoyed coming to the appointments to see her.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Jessica)

There was a bit of turn over when we first started that ended up with a lack of communication. However, when Jessica was assigned to our case she jumped right in and made sure that never happened again. She had great bedside manner and got to know us just as much as dr J.

Describe your experience with REACH.

This clinic is fantastic. At your first appointment you not only have a thorough sit down with your future doctor but also with the financial counselor. They want you to be as informed as you can be walking into this journey. The front desk staff makes an effort to get to know you. They take any questions or concerns to heart and adjusts as necessary. (I.e. I had a tough time with one of the women in the lab drawing blood who always left bruises and they made sure that my name was always called by the other technician if she was there)

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at REACH.

There was a general monitoring window first thing in the morning. Yes if you showed up at 7am there would be a line at the door (usually the same 3-4 women). However, if you go around 730, you miss the rush. Either way, they know what they’re doing and it is well run and timely. They don’t rush you out of your room either if you have questions about your ultrasound. They make sure you understand prior to heading to the next patient.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Matrika Johnson at REACH.

Due to our insurance coverage, the most cost for us ended up being my medications. Unfortunately the pharmacy they suggest (encompassRx) wasn’t covered fully but with the customer service they provided, it was totally worth the extra few dollars. My insurance covers more under Freedom Fertility but when I couldn’t even get someone to answer the phone there or leave a message, I went straight to encompass.

Describe Matrika Johnson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

My husband and I had tossed around an idea to have a multiple embryo transfer. Dr J was against it and explained the risks and complications for someone of my size. I had complications at 31 weeks with just one so I am very thankful for her sticking to her guns!

Doctor

Matrika Johnson

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017, Unsuccessful

Age 28

1 IVF

Male Factor

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

My husband has a rare genetic disorder and she [Dr. Lauren Johnson] educated herself about the disorder. I ended up having fibroids and had to have a hysteroscopy and she was very patient and kind in explaining everything to me. When we learned that I was having a miscarriage, she sat with me and went through all the options and wouldn't let me leave the office without knowing she was incredibly and profoundly sorry for what I was going through.

REACH has a fantastic nursing staff, embroyolgy dept, doctors and surgical nurses. Their front desk is lacking in warmth and their financial department is an absolute disaster. I would carefully go over each and every bill; and request bills if you do not receive them.... The nurses (Shana and Mary) were phenomenal. Anytime I had a question they would answer it as quickly as possible. They would call and give me the next steps and ensure that I was at ease with what they were telling me. Lisa- who took my blood each visit was kind and compassionate. She remembered me and had a great rapport.

How was your experience with Lauren Johnson at REACH?

We have male factor infertility and she was the most caring and compassionate towards that. My husband has a rare genetic disorder and she educated herself about the disorder. I ended up having fibroids and had to have a hysteroscopy and she was very patient and kind in explaining everything to me. When we learned that I was having a miscarriage, she sat with me and went through all the options and wouldn't let me leave the office without knowing she was incredibly and profoundly sorry for what I was going through.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lauren Johnson at REACH?

Be open and real with Dr. Johnson. She is an extremely thoughtful and caring doctor. Trust her process and ask all the questions you can think of.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lauren Johnson at REACH?

Dr. Johnson got to know my husband and me and truly wanted the best for us. She would break difficult to understand information into smaller, easier to understand parts without being condescending. I received personal phone calls from her on more than one occasion. She is very easy to talk to.

Describe the protocols Lauren Johnson used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

We used gonal-f and menopur. It was a slow and steady growth. The rationale was that I was healthy and ovulating well on my own, so she didn't feel the need for me to have large doses. I started low on gonal-f, and gradually increased the dosage. I had 14 eggs retrieved, 11 mature and 8 fertilized.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Shana)

The nurses (Shana and Mary) were phenomenal. Anytime I had a question they would answer it as quickly as possible. They would call and give me the next steps and ensure that I was at ease with what they were telling me. Lisa- who took my blood each visit was kind and compassionate. She remembered me and had a great rapport.

Describe your experience with REACH.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at REACH.

Monitoring was held from 7-9:30 a.m. I would show up around 7:30, sign in and would be seen quickly (about 10 minutes) for ultrasound. Then would go to have blood drawn. I was quick and efficient. Completed in under 30 minutes most days.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Lauren Johnson at REACH.

Around $13,000 with ICIS.

Describe Lauren Johnson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

My Dr. saw that I was a healthy, young woman and did not want a high-risk pregnancy (twins) with me, so transferred one 5-day embryo. The rationale was the likelihood of twins from multiple embryo transfer was too great.

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Lost paperwork
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

During our finance meeting we were told that we did not have insurance coverage for IVF and that we would pay upfront for service. We were told that our insurance would not be billed. About one month after our cycle, I noticed that I was receiving EOBs that showed my insurance was billed and actually paid for a number of things at REACH. I contacted REACH for an itemized bill and was told that I had a balance of over $2,000. I spoke with my insurance AND was informed that REACH billed insurance and received payment. It took REACH over 4 months to return money to my insurance company and I was still threatened to be sent to collections over a billing error on their part.

Doctor

Lauren Johnson

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015 - 2017, Successful

Age 25 - 27

1 IUI

1 IVF

Anovulation

PCOS

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Whelan always listens to me and takes my concerns and feelings into consideration. He doesn’t try to sugar coat things but he isn’t blunt about it. He treats me like a human and wants to do what I want to do when it comes to treatment...We did an egg retrieval with a freeze-all. I have PCOS but according to Dr. Whelan, my brain also doesn’t communicate properly with my hormones...Dr. Whelan always takes time to meet with me...He said attempting to go directly into a fresh transfer would be too confusing for my system

[REACH] Strengths are my doctor and his team. They are clearly very skilled and reliable. Weakness is having to recently deal with nurses who do not work directly with my doctor. The communication seems to be lacking and I’d prefer to only deal with my doctors nursing team...A nurse that works with another doctor forgot to call me with instructions for my FET until I called her hours after they closed...Monitoring appointments take place between 7 and 9am. It’s first come, first serve and the appointments are pretty quick and easy.

How was your experience with Joseph Whelan at REACH?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Joseph Whelan at REACH?

He knows what he’s talking about. If he says IVF is your best bet, he’s not out to get your money. He told us we could continue to try IUI and we would hopefully get pregnant eventually if that’s the way we wanted to go but that IVF was really what I needed and he was right.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Joseph Whelan at REACH?

Dr. Whelan always takes time to meet with me, even if I am not actively going through fertility treatments, to discuss my concerns about future cycles or what has gone wrong with past cycle

Describe the protocols Joseph Whelan used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

We did an egg retrieval with a freeze-all. I have PCOS but according to Dr. Whelan, my brain also doesn’t communicate properly with my hormones. He said attempting to go directly into a fresh transfer would be too confusing for my system and I would likely not get pregnant. We did a freeze all and went back on birth control to start a FET and managed to get pregnant the first FET round.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Melissa)

Melissa, our primary nurse, is a truly calming force and a wonderful nurse. She always takes time to talk to me when I’m stressed or have questions and never makes me feel like I’m too needy. Speaking to her is always reassuring to me. However, lately she has not been the nurse I have been dealing with. I will get calls from OTHER doctor’s nurses who I feel don’t really know who I am and are just reading off of papers. It’s almost never the same nurse so I constantly feel like I have to explain what was told to me by someone else to get questions answered. And one time, a nurse forgot to call me with instructions until I called looking for them because she is not my doctors nurse. If Melissa is no longer Dr. Whelan’s main nurse, they need to hire a new one that is just for his team so the communication gets better.

Describe your experience with REACH.

Strengths are my doctor and his team. They are clearly very skilled and reliable. Weakness is having to recently deal with nurses who do not work directly with my doctor. The communication seems to be lacking and I’d prefer to only deal with my doctors nursing team.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at REACH.

Monitoring appointments take place between 7 and 9am. It’s first come, first serve and the appointments are pretty quick and easy.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Joseph Whelan at REACH.

I do not remember my egg retrieval costs but my last FET was approximately $7500

Describe Joseph Whelan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

My first FET, I had been trying to get pregnant for a year and a half with no success, not even a chemical pregnancy. Dr. Whelan knew how desperate we were to get pregnant and allowed us to transfer two embryos despite being 25 at the time. This past FET cycle, he said I could choose again whether to do two embryos or an eSET and I choose eSET as I now have a living child and was not as comfortable with the prospect of twins. This cycle was unsuccessful and our next FET we will be transferring two again, with his blessing

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

A nurse that works with another doctor forgot to call me with instructions for my FET until I called her hours after they closed.

Doctor

Joseph Whelan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016, Successful

Age 26

3 IUI

PCOS

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Successful

Review of

She was kind but initially commented that my weight was the reason I couldn’t have a baby. I was 200lbs at the time and had already lost weight. It made me feel dismissed and judged. When I told her that and she did some more testing she became more understanding and kind in her treatment. ... Dr. Johnson initially was cold and distant but when I told her that was upsetting she changed her behavior and really listened to me.

I have asked for my records to be sent to multiple doctors since I left and they [REACH] never send them. ... It’s hard to get a person on the phone unless you know exactly who you are looking for. They are very efficient but kind of cold. They got me pregnant and listened when I told them I couldn’t afford more treatments. You really need to push to get them to explain things. I think because they do it so much they assume you know things that you don’t know.

How was your experience with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Be clear about what you want and need.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Dr. Johnson initially was cold and distant but when I told her that was upsetting she changed her behavior and really listened to me.

Describe the protocols Matrika Johnson used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

We did a medication that started with an L, letrosol I believe. Did ultrasounds until I was ready ovulate and then did a trigger shot. After the first two failed IUI I told her we could not afford to have more than one more cycle so she added gonal f to the protocol and I got pregnant and had my son.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH.

My nurse was so compassionate when I had my chemical and always encouraged me to ask questions when I was confused. She was easy to contact and celebrated with us when we were released to my regular doctor.

Describe your experience with REACH.

The atmosphere is very much like a factory pumping out babies. It’s hard to get a person on the phone unless you know exactly who you are looking for. They are very efficient but kind of cold. They got me pregnant and listened when I told them I couldn’t afford more treatments. You really need to push to get them to explain things. I think because they do it so much they assume you know things that you don’t know.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Matrika Johnson at REACH.

Each IUI was roughly $1000 for the treatment and ultrasounds but the medication ranged from $300 to $600 on top of that cost.

Describe Matrika Johnson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

Not applicable

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Failed to send your chart to another clinic

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

I have asked for my records to be sent to multiple doctors since I left and they never send them. I also struggled to get in touch with people when I had questions during my cycle if my nurse wasn’t available.

Doctor

Matrika Johnson

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016, Successful

Age 33

2 IUI

Anovulation

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Male Factor

European

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

I felt she [Dr. Johnson] was invested in our treatment plan and very much wanted to aid us in growing our family. ... I felt that she was very informed about what would be the best treatment for me and my ovarian reserve and didn't follow the "script" of what I should do but came up with a customized treatment plan. ... She let us know that it would be best to skip just medication and move straight to IUI which felt good since we had been trying for a year and were very ready to start our family. ...

The nurse practitioner [REACH] who did the procedure called out the nurse assisting her in the middle of the procedure and caused the nurse to flee, crying. Also, there were so many women doing blood draw in the morning that there wasn't a lot of privacy which could feel vulnerable. ... Jessica [nurse] was very organized and acted as the voice between us and Dr. Jackson. She kept us organized and would let me know when i needed to come in for blood draw.

How was your experience with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

I felt she was invested in our treatment plan and very much wanted to aid us in growing our family. She was also excited when we conceived. She let us know that it would be best to skip just medication and move straight to IUI which felt good since we had been trying for a year and were very ready to start our family.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Matrika Johnson at REACH?

She is competent and personal and will customize a plan to your individual needs. She is passionate about fertility and infertility and can rattle off a lot of knowledge but still have a good laugh with you.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

I felt that she was very informed about what would be the best treatment for me and my ovarian reserve and didn't follow the "script" of what I should do but came up with a customized treatment plan.

Describe the protocols Matrika Johnson used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

I was given medication to help my fertility and then nearing my time of ovulation, I was to take injections directly into my stomach (which was scary at first). I then had to take Ovidril so that I would actually ovulate. My cycle and eggs were monitored via intravaginal ultrasounds and blood draw. She recommended going straight to IUI rather than take Clomid or another medicine due to my age and ovarian reserve. The results were a pregnancy with multiples in 2 cycles rather than 5-6 cycles.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Jessica )

Jessica was very organized and acted as the voice between us and Dr. Jackson. She kept us organized and would let me know when i needed to come in for blood draw. She also communicated with us when we saw that I was ovulating 4 eggs and not just 1 which meant our risk for multiples was very high.

Describe your experience with REACH.

The only problem I had was during the test to see if my fallopian tubes were open and functioning well. The nurse practitioner who did the procedure called out the nurse assisting her in the middle of the procedure and caused the nurse to flee, crying. Also, there were so many women doing blood draw in the morning that there wasn't a lot of privacy which could feel vulnerable.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Matrika Johnson at REACH.

I had to pay a cycle fee each time we did IUI so that they monitored my cycle. This was not covered by my insurance. The medications were a bit pricey even with insurance. The procedures themselves were covered by insurance. The cycle fee was $160, I believe.

Describe Matrika Johnson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

This did not apply to me.

Doctor

Matrika Johnson

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015 - 2016, Unsuccessful

Age 26 - 27

1 IUI

Anovulation

PCOS

Tubal Blockage

European

Income $0 - $49K

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

I felt somewhat like a number . The reason is you literally have to give your patient number when you call or leave a message . I will go on good faith and say maybe this is a extra measure to assure they know who is calling.... Over all the staff [REACH] is made up of friendly people and If I remember right they have good success rates. I personally had issues with scheduling and a confusing diagnosis that were never explained. If you are considering going here

How was your experience with Seth Katz at REACH?

Seth Katz was kind and hopefull about my fertility. The major issues I had was that I was scheduled for an IUI and was told to schedule a hsg. I tried to schedule it and it never happened. I showed up for the IUI and asked again if I should go thru with it since a hsg was never done. I was told I should since i was already there. My results were negative and I scheduled a HSG thru my doctor and found out both my tubes were blocked . So I spent $900 for a IUI that wouldn't have worked . Before that I was told on the day I had an ultrasound done that my egg follicles looked "beautiful" . Then when I went for a follow up on the same Ultrasound and to discuss what actions to take he said they look polycistic as in having pcos. I was diagnosed with PCOS. This was very confusing.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Seth Katz at REACH?

Ask lots of questions

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Seth Katz at REACH?

Describe the protocols Seth Katz used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

I was told to use low amounts of clomid because of my age . Taking the clomid didn't help because, as I found out later both my fallopian tubes are blocked.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at REACH.

The nursing staff were nice enough . I'm not sure who was responsible for scheduling but an important test didn't get done before a procedure and I wasted some money . I was given and IUI by a nurse and when she put the catheter in and pushed the syringe she said "I think it's in there" (cervix?)

Describe your experience with REACH.

Over all the staff is made up of friendly people and If I remember right they have good success rates. I personally had issues with scheduling and a confusing diagnosis that were never explained. If you are considering going here . Make sure to do your own research and maybe get a second opinion. Dr . Katz contradicted himself on my diagnosis and said I did not have PCOS and the next visit said I did and no test were done in between so this was very confusing.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Seth Katz at REACH.

They are average for the area . $900 for IUI $100 for office visits (from what I remember)

Describe Seth Katz's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

I never made it to actually do ivf but I was told I could do one or two embryos per transfer.

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

I was never scheduled for a HSG before doing an IUI. So it was upsetting to find out it was a wasted procedure that never would have worked. I later found out both of my fallopian tubes had been blocked

Doctor

Seth Katz

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2011 - 2016, Successful

Age 29 - 34

5 IVF

Male Factor

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

The 3rd and 4th cycle [with Dr. Wing] were antagonist cycles, as well as the addition of omnitrope...is very professional and knowledgeable. He was not always sympathetic, but was always very honest. My husband and I always felt like we knew exactly what to expect, even though it was not always what we wanted to hear...he will always be honest with you, but he will not give up...We always did 2 embryos as until the last round, that is all that made it to transfer day.

Certain doctors at the practice [REACH] were better than others...I love Mary and Denise [nurses]. They were always there for me when I needed them. Mary had to often time deliver horrible news, and did so with love and sympathy. I can't imagine have to tell patients that all of their hard work was not successful.... I had to arrive at the clinic at least 45 minutes early to ensure I was either 1st or 2nd in line in order to make it to my job on time. This was one of the worst things about IVF.

How was your experience with Richard Wing at REACH?

Dr. Wing is very professional and knowledgeable. He was not always sympathetic, but was always very honest. My husband and I always felt like we knew exactly what to expect, even though it was not always what we wanted to hear.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Wing at REACH?

That he will always be honest with you, but he will not give up.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Wing at REACH?

It was dependent on who I was seeing. Certain doctors at the practice were better than others.

Describe the protocols Richard Wing used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

I cannot remember the first 2 cycles, which I know used Lupron. The 3rd and 4th cycle were antagonist cycles, as well as the addition of omnitrope.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Mary)

I love Mary and Denise. They were always there for me when I needed them. Mary had to often time deliver horrible news, and did so with love and sympathy. I can't imagine have to tell patients that all of their hard work was not successful.

Describe your experience with REACH.

Billing and Finance department is TERRIBLE!!! They are horrible to work with. You can never get a straight answer, you wait forever to get a return phone call, and over all are not very friendly. This is a delicate time for all patients, both emotionally, physically, and financially. The billing/finance department are always very short and snippy.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at REACH.

I hated these appointments. I felt like a person on welfare waiting in line to receive their money. I had to arrive at the clinic at least 45 minutes early to ensure I was either 1st or 2nd in line in order to make it to my job on time. This was one of the worst things about IVF.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Wing at REACH.

I don't have an exact number, but we are somewhere around $95,000 total.

Describe Richard Wing's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

He would always ask. We always did 2 embryos as until the last round, that is all that made it to transfer day.

Doctor

Richard Wing

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016, Successful

Age 33

2 IVF

Male Factor

Poor Egg Quality

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Whelan was very through from our first meeting with him and spent as much time with us as required. We never felt rushed or that he wasn't willing to answer our questions. Our experience with Dr. Whelan was that at times we may have had to wait a bit to see him, but he would spend as much time with us as we needed. His approach is very factual and realistic, which my husband and I appreciated...many times at follow up appointments, we would have the same conversations or information provided. For some patients that may not be as clear on the process/issue/procedures, this may be helpful but it left me feeling at times as if I was just a "case" and not a person.

REACH is a very busy clinic. They primarily use an online portal for communication which can be accessed at any time and is efficient. Once you start a cycle, your appointments are very regimented. REACH does have an onsite surgery clinic and IVF lab so most of your procedures will be done there. The staff in the onsite surgery facility are awesome and so caring. My main challenge was with the billing department as the invoices do not contain details of what is being billed; however, this improved throughout our time at REACH.

How was your experience with Joseph Whelan at REACH?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Joseph Whelan at REACH?

If you are a patient at REACH, do not expect to see your primary doctor once you start monitoring as they work as a team on rotation for monitoring. Your primary doctor will perform your embryo transfers and other procedures but may not perform your egg retrieval depending on your scheduled retrieval date. In addition, most of your communication once you start your cycle will go through your nursing team.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Joseph Whelan at REACH?

When ever we met with Dr. Whelan, both my husband and I were satisfied with our experience. Dr. Whelan was very through from our first meeting with him and spent as much time with us as required. We never felt rushed or that he wasn't willing to answer our questions. My feeling is because REACH is such a busy practice, many times at follow up appointments, we would have the same conversations or information provided. For some patients that may not be as clear on the process/issue/procedures, this may be helpful but it left me feeling at times as if I was just a "case" and not a person. Additionally, at times the nurse coordinators weren't completely informed of our discussions with Dr. Whelan which would at times lead to confusion about the plan of treatment.

Describe the protocols Joseph Whelan used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

IVF cycle # 1: oral BC suppression, gonal-f, low dose hcg, cetrotide and ovidrel trigger. Resulted in 10 eggs retrieved, 7 fertilized with ICSI, At time of Day 5 transfer, only 1 early blastocyst and 1 morula remained; both were transferred. Positive pregnancy of 1 embryo resulting in miscarriage at approximately 9 weeks. IVF cycle #2: oral BC suppression, gonal-f, low dose hcg, omnitrope (for entire stim cycle), cetrotide and ovidrel trigger. Resulted in 14 eggs retrieved (all 14 mature) and fertilized via ICSI. At Day 5, 2 hatching blastocysts were transferred. 2 were watched for continued growth but arrested and were not frozen. Positive pregnancy of 1 embryo.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Melissa)

The nursing staff at REACH was available via the portal or triage line and responsive. You will be assigned a primary team based on your physician, however, at times you may be contacted by other staff. Melissa and Veronica work primarily with Dr. Whelan and would always respond to my questions (even small ones) within the same day. Melissa is very organized and in fact, during our first cycle, Dr. Whelan advised we could start the process the same day we were in for a follow up appointment. She worked in my saline sonogram, consent review, lab work, injection training and ordered meds all while we were in the office that day so that we didn't have to come back or delay the cycle. We were extremely grateful she made it work for us!

Describe your experience with REACH.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at REACH.

Monitoring appointments will be done from 7-10am and you can go in at any time during that window. If you arrive at 7am there will be a line but REACH is very efficient at moving people through who are there for monitoring. I did not feel that this approach ruined my schedule as I typically could get in and out very quickly first thing in the morning.

Doctor

Joseph Whelan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2013 - 2016, Successful

Age 25 - 28

3 IUI

1 IVF

PCOS

European

Accountant

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Successful

Review of

I rarely got to see my own physician [Dr. Richard Wing] for monitoring at REACH. This resulted in me having questions that either went unanswered or that I had to directly email Dr. Wing about...After two failed cycles, I felt like Dr. Wing left more of the decisions up to us vs. what he recommended, which isn't necessarily what I want while navigating fertility treatment...Dr. Wing doesn't have the best bedside manner, but if you can look past that and try to connect with him about anything, it will likely be worth it.

REACH charges extra fees called "cycle management fees," which are not billable to insurance, even if the patient has insurance. Over the 4 years I was at REACH for treatment, the fees increased and were added to procedures that previously did not have cycle management fees. Despite the fact that I have paid every bill in a timely manner, I had an impromptu IUI which was scheduled by Dr. Wing canceled because the cycle management fee hadn't been paid (I only had two days notice and was waiting to see if insurance would pay for the IUI before I paid the extra fee). When I discussed this with the head financial person after the fact, she said they are not able to make an exception for me despite my history of prompt payment over the four years I have been a patient. This definitely made me feel like a number.

How was your experience with Richard Wing at REACH?

Dr. Wing has a mountain of experience, which is invaluable when going through fertility treatment. He is a good surgeon - I had a successful hysteroscopy for a septate uterus as well as one egg retrieval with him. When I first started pursuing fertility treatment, the treatment plan was very clearly laid out. When cycles continued to be unsuccessful, Dr. Wing was actionable about moving to a different protocol or procedure altogether. After my first successful pregnancy, I resumed treatment with Dr. Wing when trying to conceive another child. However, FETs were not successful and I kept having allergic reactions to one of the medications used, but we could not figure out which one. After two failed cycles, I felt like Dr. Wing left more of the decisions up to us vs. what he recommended, which isn't necessarily what I want while navigating fertility treatment. There were two occasions where Dr. Wing was out of town for 2-3 consecutive weeks and I had something bad happen - an ectopic pregnancy requiring methotrexate and a chemical pregnancy after an FET. Both times, I felt like I was passed from doctor to doctor in the practice, at a time when I needed my doctor most. I provided that feedback to Dr. Wing, and he did try to make an effort to see me personally for monitoring (vs. sending me through the normal monitoring shop), which made me feel like he cared about me as a patient.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Wing at REACH?

Dr. Wing doesn't have the best bedside manner, but if you can look past that and try to connect with him about anything, it will likely be worth it.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Wing at REACH?

I rarely got to see my own physician for monitoring at REACH. This resulted in me having questions that either went unanswered or that I had to directly email Dr. Wing about. When I did call the nurses with a question, I often felt like my questions were not welcome. Additionally, REACH charges extra fees called "cycle management fees," which are not billable to insurance, even if the patient has insurance. Over the 4 years I was at REACH for treatment, the fees increased and were added to procedures that previously did not have cycle management fees. Despite the fact that I have paid every bill in a timely manner, I had an impromptu IUI which was scheduled by Dr. Wing canceled because the cycle management fee hadn't been paid (I only had two days notice and was waiting to see if insurance would pay for the IUI before I paid the extra fee). When I discussed this with the head financial person after the fact, she said they are not able to make an exception for me despite my history of prompt payment over the four years I have been a patient. This definitely made me feel like a number.

Describe the protocols Richard Wing used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

My first cycle was letrozole only, but was cancelled because I did not respond and ovulated prematurely. My second and third cycles were letrozole + follistim + ovidrel + IUI + crinone and were both unsuccessful. My next cycle was a birth control + gonadotropin + ganirelix IVF cycle that resulted in retrieving 25 eggs and freezing 8 embryos. All embryos were frozen to prevent OHSS. My first frozen transfer (birth control + Lupron + estrogen patches + progesterone shots + crinone + doxycycline + medrol) was successful and resulted in a singleton pregnancy and live birth. A year and half later, my next transfer following the same protocol resulted in a negative pregnancy test and severe allergic reaction for me. Two months later, my next transfer (which eliminated crinone and used Cipro instead of doxycycline) resulted in a chemical pregnancy and another allergic reaction. I wanted to take time off from FETs and had one natural cycle IUI, which was not successful and then one injectable intercourse cycle, which resulted in pregnancy.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Denise or Mary H.)

Denise (non-IVF nurse) was awesome. She did a good job relaying information to me and going back to Dr. Wing when I had questions. Mary H. (IVF nurse) was a little more challenging to deal with. I felt like I had to stay on top of her to send prescriptions to my pharmacy, I felt like my questions were not always received well, and often times, she would have another nurse call me back (I'm assuming because she is the nurse manager and was busy, but I would've preferred consistency).

Describe your experience with REACH.

REACH has several good doctors with a lot of experience. Most lab results are provided same day, as the lab is in house. However, I feel like they have too many patients and have set policies/procedures that make patients feel like a numbers vs. an individual. Monitoring is usually not performed by your own doctor and there are extra fees called "cycle management fees" which are not billable to insurance even if you have insurance. It is hard to get financial questions answered, and the financial counselors often would not call me back unless they needed to collect money from me. Billing was a nightmare at REACH, I received several incorrect bills, and there was even an incident of my insurance company being charged for a visit with another patient.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at REACH.

I did not enjoy monitoring. I felt like a number and rarely got to see my own doctor.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Wing at REACH.

Everything was billable to insurance according to my plan, except cycle management fees. These fees are $160 per cycle for ovulation induction and/or IUI, $600 for fresh IVF, $425 for a FET.

Describe Richard Wing's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

Dr. Wing considered my unique situation when recommending eSET. I have a repaired septate uterus, which is not shaped like most women's uteruses, so he felt transferring one embryo was best.

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

Most of my issues were a direct result of either being forced to see a different doctor while Dr. Wing was on vacation or being forced to see a different doctor for routine monitoring. These other doctors were not always aware of Dr. Wing's plan or they couldn't answer my questions, leading to issues.

Doctor

Richard Wing

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2012 - 2016, Successful

Age 30 - 34

4 IUI

2 IVF

Anovulation

PCOS

Poor Egg Quality

European

Income $100K - $199K

Marketer or PR

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Katz is very personable. He is understanding of the emotional, physical and financial toll fertility treatment can take on a person and couple. He is very knowledgeable about different medical conditions and honest about potential outcomes. He is no nonsense, which I appreciate.

Stephanie (IVF coordinator) and Melissa (IUI, etc.) are extremely caring, professional and wonderful nurses. They understand both the medical and emotional aspects of fertility treatment and are an amazing asset to REACH...[For monitoring appointments] you wait in line, get paperwork, go for either blood work first or ultrasound first. It's a quick appointment and if you need to get into your workplace, this is great. This is not the time to ask questions of your nursing team.

How was your experience with Seth Katz at REACH?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Seth Katz at REACH?

If you have a question, ask. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed that you need something clarified or explained differently.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Seth Katz at REACH?

In the beginning, I felt like I was just a number going through the steps. However, the longer I was in treatment and got to know both Dr. Katz and the amazing nursing team, I began to feel more like a human.

Describe the protocols Seth Katz used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

First, we tried three cycles of injections and timed intercourse. Next, we tried two cycles of injections and IUI. My gut said it was time to move on and Dr. Katz agreed. Then, we did an IVF cycle with retrieval and intent to freeze. Unfortunately, none of my embryos make it far enough for freezing. Finally, Dr. Katz presented my case to his fellow doctors and decided to alter my medications and do another cycle without egg donation. Even though other doctors in the practice felt my first IVF cycle was a clear indication that my eggs were of poor quality and unable to be successful in the future, he wasn't convinced. We proceeded with a new, aggressive protocol. The result was four embryos that made it to freezing. All four were thawed and transferred (also a risky decision) and today I have one amazing and healthy daughter. Today, we are trying for another child. We began with two IUIs. One resulted in a negative and one in a six-week miscarriage (likely due to poor egg quality). We are currently in the process of beginning another round of IVF.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Stephanie)

Describe your experience with REACH.

It is modern and updated. Clean with state of the art equipment.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at REACH.

You wait in line, get paperwork, go for either blood work first or ultrasound first. It's a quick appointment and if you need to get into your workplace, this is great. This is not the time to ask questions of your nursing team.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Seth Katz at REACH.

Fertility treatment is VERY expensive. IUI was approximately $2000 including medication (purchased elsewhere). IVF was approximately $12000 for all procedures, tests, appointments and medication (purchased from a separate place).

Doctor

Seth Katz

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016, Successful

N/A

Age 26

3 IUI

PCOS

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Dr. Johnson was patient with me when I asked questions...When I had an issue in my first meeting with her bringing up my weight she addressed the issue and was more warm and considerate...initially told me if I lost 20lbs I wouldn’t need her I was around 200lbs. It was so crushing to feel like it was my fault I couldn’t have a baby. I addressed that with her after that and told her how hurtful it was. She was much more kind after that and adjusted her tone. Sometimes I did feel rushed with her but at my last appointment before releasing me to the OB she gave my a worth the wait onesie and hugged me.

nurse [at REACH] was AMAZING...She explained things anytime I was confused after an appointment. She responded quickly to my emails or calls. She encouraged me to speak up with the doctor when I wanted a change in medication or had an issue. When I had my chemical she was so compassionate and talked with me when I cried. She was so excited when we got pregnant and celebrated with us when we got released to my regular doctor.

How was your experience with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Dr. Johnson initially told me if I lost 20lbs I wouldn’t need her I was around 200lbs. It was so crushing to feel like it was my fault I couldn’t have a baby. I addressed that with her after that and told her how hurtful it was. She was much more kind after that and adjusted her tone. Sometimes I did feel rushed with her but at my last appointment before releasing me to the OB she gave my a worth the wait onesie and hugged me.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Tell her what you want and need. Don’t be afraid to challenge her because she will listen and discuss anything you think is important.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Matrika Johnson at REACH?

Dr. Johnson was patient with me when I asked questions and her nurse was AMAZING. When I had my chemical they were very kind to me when I cried. When I had an issue in my first meeting with her bringing up my weight she addressed the issue and was more warm and considerate.

Describe the protocols Matrika Johnson used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

First IUI was done with metformin 100mg, synthroid, vitamin D, letrozol, and a trigger shot. I didn’t get pregnant that round. The second round was the same and I had a chemical pregnancy. The third round was similar but she added gonal f. This round she didn’t want to up my meds but I told her I couldn’t afford anymore rounds so she was willing to get more aggressive. That cycle I got pregnant and had my son.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH.

My nurse was amazing. She explained things anytime I was confused after an appointment. She responded quickly to my emails or calls. She encouraged me to speak up with the doctor when I wanted a change in medication or had an issue. When I had my chemical she was so compassionate and talked with me when I cried. She was so excited when we got pregnant and celebrated with us when we got released to my regular doctor.

Describe Matrika Johnson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

N/A

Doctor

Matrika Johnson

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Nursing Staff

Review of

2016, Unsuccessful

Age 28

1 Fertility Medications

Black or African-American

Income $0 - $49K

2nd of 3 Docs

2 IUI With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

LGBTQ+

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

I was more like a number because he [Dr. Richard Wing] had so many patients at one time that I was also being rushed when I had my appointments. And when tryinntk ask questions I felt like I wasn’t gettin straight forward answers... There was no treatment. All I did was keep giving blood, never giving meds to start my treatment, wasn’t even told when to start anything. I was just paying for stuff I wasn’t sure about. I was asking what I’m paying for but people wasn’t telling me much.

The clinic [REACH-Charlotte] was kinda confusing because the doctors offices were on one floor. Then the lab was on another floor. The clinic itself was confusing because of all the hallways and different counters to get paperwork from. So I truly didn’t kno who I was suppose to report.... The nurse team that was working with me was really nice and compassionate. They talked to me about my options and/or what route I wanted to take. They made me feel comfortable there. My nurse team just didn’t call back with results or notes on things. I had to call to follow up on everything

How was your experience with Richard Wing at REACH?

My experience was kinda of a lot due to the fact of a lot of patients were there at one time. Also my experience was rushed. Each appointment was rushed. Or I was just giving my chart and told to go somewhere to give blood. I was always giving blood and nothing else. I only saw Dr. Wing a total of twice. But I saw other people as well so the information was all confusing. The clinic was large. Two floors. A lot of workers.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Wing at REACH?

Take all notes each appointment and get all the information you can about financial information if you need extra help. Get every bit of clarification.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Wing at REACH?

I was more like a number because he had so many patients at one time that I was also being rushed when I had my appointments. And when tryinntk ask questions I felt like I wasn’t gettin straight forward answers

Describe the protocols Richard Wing used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

There was no treatment. All I did was keep giving blood, never giving meds to start my treatment, wasn’t even told when to start anything. I was just paying for stuff I wasn’t sure about. I was asking what I’m paying for but people wasn’t telling me much.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH.

The nurse team that was working with me was really nice and compassionate. They talked to me about my options and/or what route I wanted to take. They made me feel comfortable there. My nurse team just didn’t call back with results or notes on things. I had to call to follow up on everything

Describe your experience with REACH.

The clinic was kinda confusing because the doctors offices were on one floor. Then the lab was on another floor. The clinic itself was confusing because of all the hallways and different counters to get paperwork from. So I truly didn’t kno who I was suppose to report.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Wing at REACH.

More then I felt it should be. It seems like I was payin for stuff I didn’t have done yet also double for things as well.

Describe Richard Wing's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

We honestly didn’t talk about this. We only talked about IUI and IVF treatment when I met Dr. Wing the first day. Other then that he didn’t tell me anything about eSET or multiple embryo transfer.

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Lost results
Lost or damaged samples

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

It’s was just so many people on a doctors team and it felt like nobody was on the same page. So when I would call for information, nobody knew or could find it.

Doctor

Richard Wing

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016, Unsuccessful

Age 33

1 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Endometriosis

Poor Egg Quality

European

Income $100K - $199K

Consultant

2nd of 2 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Dr. Katz is a very good listener and compassionate about the situation you are in. I felt that when we had scheduled office appointments to meet face to face with him in his office he was very attentive and would answer all of our questions....Leading up to egg retrieval there is no guarantee what doctor you will see....It became harder to know the treatment plan we I was coming in for monitoring because I was not seeing him each time. He can be blunt but in a way that can be appreciated.

One of the clinics strengths is the nursing staff. They [REACH- Charlotte] are very personable and great. It is also very convenient to have the lab right there in the building. This practice seems to be too busy for the staff they have. I felt that their finance team was pretty terrible to work with.... I did have a couple of monitoring and blood draw appointments where the date communicated to me were incorrect...Dr. Katz's nurse team was great.

How was your experience with Seth Katz at REACH?

Dr. Katz is a very good listener and compassionate about the situation you are in. I felt that when we had scheduled office appointments to meet face to face with him in his office he was very attentive and would answer all of our questions. It became harder to know the treatment plan we I was coming in for monitoring because I was not seeing him each time. He can be blunt but in a way that can be appreciated. I felt that a weakness was that he took a try and see approach that did not end up being the correct course for our issue.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Seth Katz at REACH?

I would recommend asking for all of the potential treatment options upfront and what the least and most aggressive approach would be so that you can educate yourself and help formulate your treatment plan

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Seth Katz at REACH?

This is a very busy practice. Leading up to egg retrieval there is no guarantee what doctor you will see. I would show up on time but a lot of the appointments would start late and then I would be rushed in and out.

Describe the protocols Seth Katz used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

Antagonist Protocol Estrace 2mg by mouth Cetrotide 0.25 mg injection for 4 days Gonal F 350 then 400 Diluted HCG 40 Omnitrope 25 Doxy 1 am and 1pm Baby Asprin 81mg

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Stephanie Harrell)

Dr. Katz's nurse team was great. They were available when needed and were there to ask questions and let you know if what you were experiencing was normal. I did have a couple of monitoring and blood draw appointments where the date communicated to me were incorrect but they were so nice that it did bother me.

Describe your experience with REACH.

One of the clinics strengths is the nursing staff. They are very personable and great. It is also very convenient to have the lab right there in the building. This practice seems to be too busy for the staff they have. I felt that their finance team was pretty terrible to work with. Our insurance does not cover anything, so we had to have more interaction with their finance and billing team. We had to pay for our treatment all upfront. They were very easy to reach and would follow up quickly prior to paying but became harder to reach once we paid. Our IVF treatment made it to egg retrieval but not to embryo transfer. After speaking with their team I believe that some of it was related to their onsite IVF lab.

What specific things went wrong at REACH?

Lost appointments
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at REACH.

We a had a couple of monitoring/blood draw appointments get communicated to us and then show up and they had told us the wrong day and time. The finance team is not very responsive. None of our Embryos made it to transfer.

Doctor

Seth Katz

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015, Successful

Age 30

1 IVF

Endometriosis

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

1 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Lauren [Johnson] took the time to go above and beyond with patience and care. She had an amazing bedside manner that made our IVF failure more bearable to know she was behind us 100% to try to get us to where we wanted in the future... a future with our own children...Lauren had a plan in place every step of the way. From start to finish, she made clear expectations and results expected. Although our IVF did not succeed, we knew where to go next.

I feel that they [REACH] have doctors that can help each person to achieve their fertility goals. They have plans that can suit and change as needed per patient. I always felt like a human and not a number. They always went above and beyond to make me comfortable and explain the plans of procedure....Elisha was SO sweet and caring in every interaction....Lauren [Johnson] took the time to go above and beyond with patience and care

How was your experience with Lauren Johnson at REACH?

Lauren had a plan in place every step of the way. From start to finish, she made clear expectations and results expected. Although our IVF did not succeed, we knew where to go next. We ironically had a spontaneous pregnancy 4 months after our failed cycle. We were planning on tying again the following year with her recommendation for the updated protocol.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lauren Johnson at REACH?

let her handle it, and trust her knowledge on getting you on the right path to your fertility needs.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lauren Johnson at REACH?

Lauren took the time to go above and beyond with patience and care. She had an amazing bedside manner that made our IVF failure more bearable to know she was behind us 100% to try to get us to where we wanted in the future... a future with our own children

Describe the protocols Lauren Johnson used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

I do not recall at the moment but would be happy to provide this information after contacting my clinic for the information

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Elisha)

Elisha was SO sweet and caring in every interaction.

Describe your experience with REACH.

I feel that they have doctors that can help each person to achieve their fertility goals. They have plans that can suit and change as needed per patient. I always felt like a human and not a number. They always went above and beyond to make me comfortable and explain the plans of procedure.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Lauren Johnson at REACH.

$10,000 through work compensation for IVF, and another 5-10K on top of that out of our pocket for IVF (this excludes any other treatments we saw under other doctors)

Describe Lauren Johnson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at REACH.

We chose two embryos for the likelihood of pregnancy after transfer as well as our ability to financially support multiples of that should happen.

Doctor

Lauren Johnson

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Review of

2015, Unsuccessful

Age 26

Male Factor

PCOS

Black or African-American

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

1st of 3 Docs

1 IUI With Other Docs

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Richard Wing has great bed side manner and explain the process to me. I felt nervous my first visit and he help calm my nerves. You can tell he knowsaid what he is doing. The only thing I would say was his weakness was he did not check or explain to me what I should do next after my first IUI failed...Dr wing said that my insurance doesn't include infertility treatments so he gave me a discount of 1 IUI for Lil over 1000 dollars. Not including labs appts. Or ultrasounds

the nurse [at REACH Charlotte] did my actual IUI and I felt like she was ok its done, stay her 15mins and you can go....which made me feel more like a burden then someone they was trying to help...Strengths are the The overall Doctors seem to know what they are doing.....all seemed more then qualified. Some of the staff needs a better attitude though...You maybe listed as his patient but I saw 3 other doctors more than I saw him during my IUI process.

How was your experience with Richard Wing at REACH?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Wing at REACH?

You maybe listed as his patient but I saw 3 other doctors more than I saw him during my IUI process.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Wing at REACH?

Dr. Wing was great but to be honest I only seen him 2 visits.....but when it came to do the iui...someone I never seen before did it. Which I get the on call process but I felt they didn't explain that to me then. I saw three doctors total but Dr. wing wasn't involved in the initial process....but his bed side manner was great. Just wish I had him during my actual IuI.....the nurse did my actual IUI and I felt like she was ok its done, stay her 15mins and you can go....which made me feel more like a burden then someone they was trying to help.

Describe the protocols Richard Wing used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

He put me on clomid and I had lab and ultrasounds to see if my eggs was mature. Once that all check out a nurse came in to do it and really didn't explain to me what she was doing she said ok it's done wait 15mins and you can leave.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at REACH.

Dr wings nurse was great not sure of her name but I could call her with questions and if she didn't know she called me back with an answer....she showed compassion and held my hand during my first appt....but when you start going through the process you get whoevers on call...and the nurse that was on call the day of my IUI treated me like I was someone she needed to check off her list.

Describe your experience with REACH.

Strengths are the The overall Doctors seem to know what they are doing.....all seemed more then qualified. Some of the staff needs a better attitude though. I work in the health care field as a CNA at a birthplace. So I get to see women deliver all the time . If your not careful you get caught up in saying this is just another delivery. So I check my heart often and make sure this is the best experience ever. Why because though Ive seen thousands of deliveries they havent. This is Thier child and they shouldn't be treated like their baby is a check off list. This is a special moment for them. I think some of Reach nurses need to understand that.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Wing at REACH.

Over Dr wing said that my insurance doesn't include infertility treatments so he gave me a discount of 1 IUI for Lil over 1000 dollars. Not including labs appts. Or ultrasounds

Doctor

Richard Wing

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015, Unsuccessful

Age 29

3 IUI

Male Factor

European

Income $100K - $199K

1st of 2 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Dr. Katz was always kind and straightforward during appointments. He told lots of stories of previous patients to give examples....Very rare to actually see Dr. Katz for an appointment. Saw multiple doctors during my time at REACH for monitoring. During my time at REACH (for all testing and 3 IUI's) I only saw Dr. Katz 3 times. Since the doctor's varied so much for monitoring the experience at each visit was different and no one actually knew me.

REACH is a very popular clinic in Charlotte and was used by several of my coworkers. Since it is such a large and bust clinic I really felt like just a number and that no one knew who I was. There are many doctors on staff and they operate with more of a team approach, which contributes to feeling like no one knows who you are. Each doctor varied widely in how much information they would give you in an appointment for monitoring.

How was your experience with Seth Katz at REACH?

Dr. Katz was always kind and straightforward during appointments. He told lots of stories of previous patients to give examples.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Seth Katz at REACH?

Ask lots of questions and advocate for yourself.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Seth Katz at REACH?

Very rare to actually see Dr. Katz for an appointment. Saw multiple doctors during my time at REACH for monitoring. During my time at REACH (for all testing and 3 IUI's) I only saw Dr. Katz 3 times. Since the doctor's varied so much for monitoring the experience at each visit was different and no one actually knew me.

Describe the protocols Seth Katz used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

During my time under Dr. Katz's care I completed three medicated cycles. Since I ovulate on my own and our diagnosis is Male Factor Infertility it was recommended we skip timed intercourse and go right to IUI. A low dose of Letrozole was used for each cycle. Dr. Katz picked this over Clomid based on side effects. My spouse was put on Clomid and a fertility blend vitamin to attempt to treat his Male Factor Infertility. I responded well to Letrozole each time (2-3 follicles) and and IUI was completed. Post wash numbers for the IUI's were never at the 10 million they were wanting. All cycles resulted in BFN.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Melissa)

Most of my contact was with Melissa. She appeared organized but my main contact with her was over the phone.

Describe your experience with REACH.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Seth Katz at REACH.

Each IUI cycle cost around $1,500. All testing was put towards my insurance deductible.

Doctor

Seth Katz

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2012 - 2014, Unsuccessful

Age 27 - 29

1 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Tubal Blockage

Income $100K - $199K

Marketer or PR

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

He [Dr Seth Katz at REACH in Charlotte] never gave us false hope but always made sure we knew he would do everything he could to help us conceive. He cried both happy and sad tears with us and never made us feel pressured to do anything we weren't ready for. I never once questioned if my care was in the right hands.

They [REACH in Charlotte] are a wonderful clinic with a very competent staff. I saw several of the other doctors during cycle monitoring checks and they all seemed very professional and knowledgeable. Some seemed to be warmer than others, which is good since different patients want different types of doctors....initial diagnostic testing and procedures - $800 roughly surgery - $2,500 roughly IVF medications - $5000 roughly IVF procedure - $14,000

How was your experience with Seth Katz at REACH?

Dr. Katz was compassionate and upfront about what we would be dealing with in order to conceive. He never "talked down" to us, like some doctors can do. He always made sure we understood what was going on, why he recommended certain treatments and what the next steps would be. He never gave us false hope but always made sure we knew he would do everything he could to help us conceive. He cried both happy and sad tears with us and never made us feel pressured to do anything we weren't ready for. I never once questioned if my care was in the right hands.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Seth Katz at REACH?

Go in willing to listen to what he recommends. He is a very competent doctor who knows what the best treatment plan is for different fertility issues.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Seth Katz at REACH?

Dr. Katz is very sympathetic to his patients emotional situation but is also very candid and honest about your medical situation. He always explained in great detail our test and procedure results so we understood everything that was going on.

Describe the protocols Seth Katz used in your cycles at REACH and their degree of success.

Our first step was trying to figure out why we weren't getting pregnant on our own. A blood test and hcg were done. During the hcg he discovered I had blocked/infected fallopian tubes as well as a low ovarian reserve. The next step was surgery to attempt to clear the blockage and infection from the tubes. He was upfront about the likelihood of removing one (and possibly both) of the tubes due to scar tissue and damage from the infected fluid. The end result was one tube was removed and the other, now cleared of infection, was in poor condition from scar tissue. He advised us our next step should be IVF since that was the only treatment option that completely bypassed the fallopian tube. Once we were ready (about a year later) we began IVF injections and monitoring. Our first cycle was canceled due to poor response to medications. Some adjustments were made to dosages and we began a second cycle. This cycle resulted in 6 eggs being retrieved, 5 were fertilized, two were transferred at 5 days and the remaining three were monitored for possible freezing. Of those three only one was viable to freeze, which we did. The two which were transferred resulted in a healthy twin pregnancy and live twin birth.

Describe your experience with your nurse at REACH. (Assigned nurse: Stephanie)

They returned calls very quickly and all questions were answered as soon as possible. They did everything they could to help, inform and support us. Stephanie was incredibly compassionate, she called, just to check on us, several times during our cycle. She was encouraging and sympathetic.

Describe your experience with REACH.

They are a wonderful clinic with a very competent staff. I saw several of the other doctors during cycle monitoring checks and they all seemed very professional and knowledgeable. Some seemed to be warmer than others, which is good since different patients want different types of doctors.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Seth Katz at REACH.

initial diagnostic testing and procedures - $800 roughly surgery - $2,500 roughly IVF medications - $5000 roughly IVF procedure - $14,000

Doctor

Seth Katz

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

REACH

Charlotte

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of