Reproductive Health Specialists

Dr. Snook is a great doctor that really cares about her patients. Unfortunately, I've seen her once in my six months of treatment -- all the staff at the clinic rotate through and you're not always with your primary doctor...Know that she's making all the decisions for your treatment, but you may not actually see her...Agonist protocol (batched with other patients), and then estrogen-primed agonist protocol with my natural cycle...

[Reproductive Health Specialists] strengths are that they specialize in only fertility treatment and have a state of the art lab. The clinic experience with appointments and portal messaging leave a lot to be desired...I'm in the middle of my second cycle here, but related to frustration with the clinic constantly running late and just a general feeling of being uninformed about the progression of my treatment (although I am a registered nurse myself), I will not be returning if this second cycle is unsuccessful. This clinic might be great for you if you're very proactive and do a lot of research yourself and live east of the city, but if you're trying to get out here and back to downtown like I do on a regular basis, I would recommend trying Magee as that's my next plan.

How was your experience with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Know that she's making all the decisions for your treatment, but you may not actually see her, so you have to be comfortable with everyone at the clinic.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Dr. Snook takes time to listen to you and will adjust a protocol to your specific needs, but in my experience, only after you failed with the clinic's batching protocol.

Describe the protocols Meredith Snook used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

Agonist protocol (batched with other patients), and then estrogen-primed agonist protocol with my natural cycle

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Everything is managed through a portal, and completely impersonal. Staff often is complaining at the clinic, and they tend to run 30-40 minutes late related to understaffing as of October 2019.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

The clinic's strengths are that they specialize in only fertility treatment and have a state of the art lab. The clinic experience with appointments and portal messaging leave a lot to be desired. I have multiple friends who have had success at this clinic, and I'm in the middle of my second cycle here, but related to frustration with the clinic constantly running late and just a general feeling of being uninformed about the progression of my treatment (although I am a registered nurse myself), I will not be returning if this second cycle is unsuccessful. This clinic might be great for you if you're very proactive and do a lot of research yourself and live east of the city, but if you're trying to get out here and back to downtown like I do on a regular basis, I would recommend trying Magee as that's my next plan.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Out of pocket, between $12-15k per IVF cycle, including medication.

Describe Meredith Snook's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

eSET is highly advised by this clinic, but I'm okay with that because it reflects what is in the literature.

What specific things went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Failed to call with results

Doctor

Meredith Snook

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 31 - 32

2 IUI

1 IVF

Male Factor

PCOS

European

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Dr. Snook has spent a lot of one-on-one time with me and my husband regarding our diagnosis, treatment options, treatment evidence, and next steps. After seeing her for around 6 months or so at this point, I can tell that she is invested in our outcome and our (hopefully) future success.... I like that she is rooted and reliant on evidence-based medicine and treatment practices. I will honestly say that I wasn’t sure what I thought after my initial meeting with her. I’m not sure if most patients don’t come into that first meeting as informed or researched, but I did feel a little wary at first.

RHS was recently bought by UPMC. For me, the office has been a little bit disorganized. It seems like there has been quite a bit of turnover since I’ve started here. Hopefully things will calm down once everything has settled down a bit.... Almost every person I’ve encountered there seems to truly care about patients. The physicians there (the two I have come in contact with) have been great. I would say the only drawback or “weakness” is the turnover/acquisition that has seemed to occur recently, but this wouldn’t stop me from coming here.

How was your experience with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

I can tell the Dr Snook cares about her patients. I like that she is rooted and reliant on evidence-based medicine and treatment practices. I will honestly say that I wasn’t sure what I thought after my initial meeting with her. I’m not sure if most patients don’t come into that first meeting as informed or researched, but I did feel a little wary at first. Or perhaps I came on a little too strong - I won’t count that out haha. But over several months, I’ve had more experience with her and I absolutely trust her. I’ve also learned that it’s okay for me to speak up and ask questions. Even if they are completely off base, it’s good to feel confident in how I’m being treated and why. Most of the communication is with the nurses, but if I feel like I need to speak to her specifically, it’s never been an issue setting up a time to speak. I think that’s super important because we should have access to our own physicians.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Dr. Snook is quite knowledgeable and I very much trust her. But don’t feel bad taking your time to ask all your questions. I think it’s so important when we are being treated for fertility issues. She will be helpful and explain things out.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

I have had a lot of questions throughout this process. I am someone who likes to know all the details and be fully informed. Dr. Snook has spent a lot of one-on-one time with me and my husband regarding our diagnosis, treatment options, treatment evidence, and next steps. After seeing her for around 6 months or so at this point, I can tell that she is invested in our outcome and our (hopefully) future success.

Describe the protocols Meredith Snook used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

I completed 4 timed intercourse cycles with Clomid 50 mg CD3-7 (2 of them were under the care of Dr Snook, the other two were under the care of my OBGYN). No positive pregnancy tests. I then completed two IUI cycles with letrozole 2.5 mg. No positive pregnancy tests. I just completed my first egg retrieval. Antagonist protocol with birth control priming. Gonal F 75mg + Menopur 75mg daily for 4 days, then we increased the Gonal F to 150 mg. We had originally started with the lower dose because I have PCOS and at higher risk for developing OHSS (I wanted to do a fresh transfer if possible). I ended up stimming for 15 days total. Trigger with Lupron and HCG 5,000 units. 28 eggs retrieved, 24 mature, 21 fertilized, 8 embryos frozen for future use. We ended up doing a freeze all because I got moderate OHSS after the ER (note - no issues with OHSS prior to ER). Currently taking estradiol 1mg vaginally in preparation for FET. Will be adding PIO soon enough..

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Reproductive Health Specialists.

RHS was recently bought by UPMC. For me, the office has been a little bit disorganized. It seems like there has been quite a bit of turnover since I’ve started here. Hopefully things will calm down once everything has settled down a bit. Margie has been very helpful through the process, I think she’s been there longer than the other IVF coordinators. I’ve had a couple communication issues between getting prior authorizations and the correct medications phoned in. However, the office is just one piece of the puzzle - there are obviously other factors in play. The financial coordinator Donna is also very helpful and knowledgeable.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

I like RHS. Almost every person I’ve encountered there seems to truly care about patients. The physicians there (the two I have come in contact with) have been great. I would say the only drawback or “weakness” is the turnover/acquisition that has seemed to occur recently, but this wouldn’t stop me from coming here. Just make sure to be on top of everything, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. I would say this for any clinic. Healthcare is busy and complex - just keep being an advocate for yourself. The clinic itself is nice, clean, and right off the freeway. No complaints there. Although we all wish the Squirrel Tunnel didn’t exist :).

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists.

I luckily have infertility coverage with my insurance company. Therefore, I ended up hitting my max out of pocket for 2019 ($3,700). Otherwise, I would guess that IVF plus the medications would cost around $20,000? But that of course will vary from person to person based on number of monitoring appointments and medications needed (plus any genetic testing or ICSI done).

Describe Meredith Snook's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

We are planning to do an eSET. I am still relatively young and I haven’t failed a transfer at this point (haven’t done one yet). Because of the risks associated with multiples, and my individual factors, the eSET was the best choice for us. But I have the understanding that my clinic will do multiple embryo transfers depending on the situation (I’m relatively sure on this one).

What specific things went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists.

For my first IUI, no one mentioned I was supposed to use a trigger until I asked how it was determined I would not be using a trigger. A nurse checked my chart and saw that I was supposed to use a trigger. I was told to administer 1 ml of Lupron as a trigger for my ER. After further questioning, and the nurse double checking with the supervisor, they confirmed I was only supposed to administer 0.4 ml of Lupron.

Doctor

Meredith Snook

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 32 - 33

IVF

Donor Eggs

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

I think she’s [Dr. Carolyn Kubik] very knowledgeable about IVF treatments and seems knowledgeable about my POF diagnosis which is refreshing. She was understanding and open to answering questions about us choosing to pursue donor eggs or not due to the complications that brings. She seemed to know out case when we met with her.

My IVF coordinator [at Reproductive Health Specialists] knows nothing about my medicine and usually messes up until I correct her even though she has the correct info in the chart: she’ll say oh let me check... oh yes. Aloof... The office only does single embryo tranfers as they feel it produces the best outcomes for their patients.... It’s a nice facility. The ladies who draw blood are 110% amazing! They make you feel so welcome and they also are both so good at the blood draw you don’t feel a thing which is a plus for me. The ultrasound tech is also so amazing. Seemed to really care. I have a lot of issues and she was very gentle & kind. She also answered my questions. I do really appreciate the doctor as well. And wait time is great. The only thing I’m not happy with is my IVF coordinator.

How was your experience with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

I think she’s very knowledgeable about IVF treatments and seems knowledgeable about my POF diagnosis which is refreshing. She was understanding and open to answering questions about us choosing to pursue donor eggs or not due to the complications that brings. She seemed to know out case when we met with her.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Have questions written down that you want answered! It’s the best way to remember! You won’t remember on the spot.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

I really like working with Dr. Kubik. She seems very knowledgeable and straightforward when discussing options. Also sympathetic to our situation mentally/emotionally/financially.

Describe the protocols Carolyn Kubik used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

Firstly we were looking to see if my lining would grow so she increased medicines to see. After seeing that it got thick enough we started discussing donor eggs. We have not had a transfer yet. But have chosen our donor.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Annette)

Unfortunately I haven’t had a great experience with my IVF coordinator. She seems aloof and uninterested in my case as when I speak to her I have to remind her of aspects (since my case is a little different from the norm with my POF.) She doesn’t explain anything and almost expects me to know what to do. We have been planning my transfer so maybe she’ll be better since we will be speaking a lot more, but I’m honestly very frustrated. I had an amazing nurse working with me at first when I was getting my hormones balanced. I’m not sure if she left or maybe is no longer in the department. I’ve been very disappointed on muni iVF coordinators lack of communication and it hurts my feelings that she seems not to care. We have come too far/spent too much money and this point to change our course and switch clinics. So we are hoping our outcome is good with our upcoming cycle.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

It’s a nice facility. The ladies who draw blood are 110% amazing! They make you feel so welcome and they also are both so good at the blood draw you don’t feel a thing which is a plus for me. The ultrasound tech is also so amazing. Seemed to really care. I have a lot of issues and she was very gentle & kind. She also answered my questions. I do really appreciate the doctor as well. And wait time is great. The only thing I’m not happy with is my IVF coordinator.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Insurance doesn’t cover much so it was pretty expensive. I think the transfer with meds is about $10K not including our donor egg stuff... so I’m unsure how much an egg retrieval is additionally. My insurance did cover all testing/medicine up until we do the actual IVF.

Describe Carolyn Kubik's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

The office only does single embryo tranfers as they feel it produces the best outcomes for their patients.

What specific things went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists.

My IVF coordinator knows nothing about my medicine and usually messes up until I correct her even though she has the correct info in the chart: she’ll say oh let me check... oh yes. Aloof.

Doctor

Carolyn Kubik

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2018, Unknown Success

Age 30

3 IUI

Unexplained

Other

Income $50K - $99K

Entrepreneur

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

The strength [Reproductive Health Specialists] was they were private , when we started here they were a private practice and everything in life is so much about money that we loved they weren’t like that . They were just taken over oct 1 by UPMC so we’re not sure how this will effect things down the road but as of now they don’t over book and usually we wear always taken on time for our appointment. I feel very comfortable and confident going here... Our care coordinator was awesome , anytime I sent a message through the portal I had a response very fast .

How was your experience with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

We truly felt comfortable going to her. Unfortunately she must be at the end of her career because she was a private practice and they are now owned by Upmc. I started at Upmc Magee and the doctor there wanted to jump right into medication and iui so I sought a second opinion and started seeing doctor Kubik and she took her time with us

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Have all your questions written down to ask

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

She took the time to talk to me and explain things . They didn’t have a room Full of people waiting for appointments like some places when they over book . She came in and talked with us anytime we wanted to sit down and go over a plan or know her thoughts on the next steps

Describe the protocols Carolyn Kubik used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

We started with Dr. Kubik in May 2018, she was a second option, our first doctor we didn’t like . She met with us and went over all my medical history and from there we did bloodwork and sonohystagram. And she recommended we can do iui as a first step since it is unexplainable infertility. After two iui fails we took a month off . Then we decided to look into clomid but she didn’t push that it was our idea to take that step . We did one month clomid no iui and was no success. Then we did 1 month clomid and iui and now on our second month of clomid and iui . If your in a super Hurry and want someone to pump you with drugs and spend a lot of your money this is the place . They like To take things slow and try the best option for you with multiple baby births. As we found our here multiples is not a good things when doing fertility treatments .

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Our care coordinator was awesome , anytime I sent a message through the portal I had a response very fast . She would answer any questions I had and if she couldn’t she would ask the doctor and get back to me. The portal was a great tool because it made me feel good to know I had that at my fingertips . The nurses were always so sweet to us there

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

The strength was they were private , when we started here they were a private practice and everything in life is so much about money that we loved they weren’t like that . They were just taken over oct 1 by UPMC so we’re not sure how this will effect things down the road but as of now they don’t over book and usually we wear always taken on time for our appointment. I feel very comfortable and confident going here

Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists.

My iui appointments cost is $378 My clomid was $10 That’s all we used so far . My insurance covered my consultation

Doctor

Carolyn Kubik

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016 - 2018, Unsuccessful

Age 32 - 34

8 IUI

3 IVF

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

2nd of 2 Docs

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Dr. Albert makes me feel like she’s studying my case and thinking of new ways to make it work and bringing in colleagues to help me. She appears to be very knowledgeable and resourceful. She is very straight with us and is honest when we strategize.... We started with an IUI even though it hadn’t worked at our previous doctor....We jumped right into ivf...Retrieved 23 eggs. 13 became embryos. We had a frozen transfer because we worried about OHSS.

I feel so comfortable there [Repro Health Specialists]. You spend ALOT of time there so it’s very important to feel comfortable. I’m greeted by my name which always makes me feel good. I love when I walk up to the receptionist to check in and she greets me by name. Makes me smile every time. While I’m walking through the halls the techs all smile at me or address me by name or follow up from a frivolous conversation we’ve had while they’re drawing my blood or scanning me.

How was your experience with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Trust her. She’s got a lot of experience with this.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

I feel like I’m their most important and favorite patient.

Describe the protocols Judith Albert used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

We started with an IUI even though it hadn’t worked at our previous doctor. It didn’t work. We jumped right into ivf and had our first retrieval on thanksgiving. Retrieved 23 eggs. 13 became embryos. We had a frozen transfer because we worried about OHSS. The first transfer resulted negative. We continued with several more FETs. And all were negative. On Memorial Day we had our first fresh transfer (I like a good holiday). I went gluten free for the months before, we only transferred one instead of two, and I ended up pregnant. I lost the pregnancy when I went in to see the heartbeat at 8 weeks. I had a D&C a few days later bc I didn’t want to waste time waiting for it to pass. I needed the closure. We had a ton of tests done to check for various factors. I didn’t not react to gluten so I’m no longer gluten free, though I’d consider doing it again because I feel like it might have been the key. We had a few more FETs after the recovery from D&C. We decided we might need a fresh batch of embryos. We did a retrieval on Feb 22 and transferred one again on Feb 27 but we just found out it was negative. On this cycle, I had what we feel was a period 3dp5dt. I highly recommend the cost sharing plan. We couldn’t have done it without the shared risk. We refinanced our house and made it work. We are going to consider genetic testing on the embryos next.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Reproductive Health Specialists.

The nursing staff is so kind and they make you feel that they truly care. I’ve been there so long I’ve seen Medical assistants come and go. I absolutely trust all of them and they all know me by name.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

I feel so comfortable there. You spend ALOT of time there so it’s very important to feel comfortable. I’m greeted by my name which always makes me feel good. I love when I walk up to the receptionist to check in and she greets me by name. Makes me smile every time. While I’m walking through the halls the techs all smile at me or address me by name or follow up from a frivolous conversation we’ve had while they’re drawing my blood or scanning me. The phlebotomist recalled why my husband does and where he works and it was just amazing to me. They see so many people and they remember me!!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists.

We paid separate for our first IUI. I cannot remember the cost. We enrolled in the shared risk plan. We paid $25,000 for a 100% money back guarantee. Either we’d have a baby or get our money back. Best decision we made. You get four retrieval’s and all of the frozen embryos that those can make. Once you take home a living baby, you’re contract is terminated. If after 2 years or 4 fresh cycles and the embryos are used up, you still have no baby, then you get your money back. You have to qualify for the program based on your health history.

Describe Judith Albert's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Their view is different than mine. They see the risks of a multiples pregnancy. I see it as this is my only chance. I’m tapped out on money when this is said and done and if I could get two babies at once it would be worth the risk. Ultimately they let me make the choice but they are very convincing.

Doctor

Judith Albert

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017 - 2018, Successful

Age 27 - 28

2 IUI

1 IVF

European

Income $100K - $199K

Business Executive

3rd of 3 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Snook is very kind and genuine. She took the time to sit with me and explain everything when my miscarried my first pregnancy after my IVF transfer. She didnt downplay my years of trying even though I am a younger patient. She is very focused on my success and continues to look for new options that may help grow our family.... First we tried unassisted IUI cycles. We wanted to try for only one egg each cycle as my uterine abnormality wouldnt work well with a multiple pregnancy.

I love that this clinic [Reproductive Health Specialists] has a small town feel. I feel like i know most of the staff pretty personally and am always confortable to ask questions when need be. I dont like they they recently changed health care services ( highmark to UPMC)... [Nurse] Cece is AMAZING!!!! She is always soo bubbly and compassionate. She gets all of my questions answered so quickly even when i ask a ridiculous amount of them.

How was your experience with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Tell her everything. The more information she has to work with the more she will be able to help them achieve their family planning goals.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

She always took the time to talk to me and answer my questions. I never had to remind her of my care or any important part of my history.

Describe the protocols Meredith Snook used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

First we tried unassisted IUI cycles. We wanted to try for only one egg each cycle as my uterine abnormality wouldnt work well with a multiple pregnancy. Those two cycles were not successful. I them wanted to move onto IVF. I was on gonal f and menopur. Then centritide. I had a very successful egg retrieval cycle gaining 21 eggs. We used ICSI on 10 eggs amd that gave us 7 embroyos and then we used natural fertilization on the remaining 11 and we had 8 embroyos. We had 12 embroyos make it to day 5. We transferred one in a fresh cycle and froze the remaining 11. I miscarried at 5w6d.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Cece keefe)

Cece is AMAZING!!!! She is always soo bubbly and compassionate. She gets all of my questions answered so quickly even when i ask a ridiculous amount of them.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

I love that this clinic has a small town feel. I feel like i know most of the staff pretty personally and am always confortable to ask questions when need be. I dont like they they recently changed health care services ( highmark to UPMC)

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists.

I was lucky enough to have great health insurance that covered everything completely so I am unsure costs

Doctor

Meredith Snook

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017 - 2018, Unknown Success

Age 32 - 33

1 IUI

Unexplained

European

Native American

Income $200K - $499K

Doctor

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Dr. Albert never appears rushed and is always willing to answer questions completely....She is also very knowledgable and willing to modify testing and treatment based on my personal concerns. She isn't a very warm personality, but that's not necessary for me personally. She is also thorough and great with answering questions.... She isn't harsh/rude/insensitive, just not very warm and fuzzy. However, she is very good at what she does and will give you quality and individualized care.

They're all really kind and welcoming. The clinic [Repro Health Specialists] is very zen, too. Allow yourself about 1 to 1.5 hrs for a MD visit b/c it can take a while b/n different parts of the visit. But ultrasound and lab is pretty fast....the clinic is always friendly and engaging....[Nursing Staff] Informative, helpful, kind/...Ultrasounds are somewhere around 150-250. Lab usually runs me b/n 13 and 50. All semen work and the procedure for IUI isn't supposed to be more than $400.

How was your experience with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Dr. Albert comes highly recommended by another MD that I truly respect. She is also very knowledgable and willing to modify testing and treatment based on my personal concerns. She isn't a very warm personality, but that's not necessary for me personally. She is also thorough and great with answering questions.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Specifically to Dr. Albert, don't expect a lot of personal relationship. She isn't harsh/rude/insensitive, just not very warm and fuzzy. However, she is very good at what she does and will give you quality and individualized care. Come with all your concerns written down so you don't forget b/c she is very good at answering questions and I sometimes forgot all I wanted to talk about.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

The clinic is always friendly and engaging. Dr. Albert never appears rushed and is always willing to answer questions completely.

Describe the protocols Judith Albert used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

I started on clomid b/c I had some signs of PCOS. 3 cycles of clomid were unsuccessful so we moved to Letrazole for a monitored cycle. I had some rectal bleeding on my first cycle with it, so all Tx was placed on hold until I had a colonoscopy which was normal except for hemorrhoids. Now I am on my second cycle of letrozole and am anticipating my first IUI on this medication. The Letrozol is strictly to help me predict when I ovulate. My cycles are inconsistent and this way I can plan my work schedule for IUIs. If two IUI cycles don't result in live birth, our plan is to progress to IVF.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Informative, helpful, kind/

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

Take a deep breath. They're all really kind and welcoming. The clinic is very zen, too. Allow yourself about 1 to 1.5 hrs for a MD visit b/c it can take a while b/n different parts of the visit. But ultrasound and lab is pretty fast.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Ultrasounds are somewhere around 150-250. Lab usually runs me b/n 13 and 50. All semen work and the procedure for IUI isn't supposed to be more than $400.

Doctor

Judith Albert

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015 - 2017, Unsuccessful

Age 33 - 35

1 IVF

1 Embryo Freezing

Anovulation

PCOS

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Felt like treatment was not individualized [with Dr. Kubik], and that things were not always discussed in a way that made me feel like my specific situation was important...Very intelligent and knowledgeable about the ivf process she uses but not willing to try anything outside of her general treatment plan. Dismissive of any research you might do yourself... nice and calming to speak to, but it kind of feels forced.

The lab techs (blood draws, ultrasound) are the nicest people I encountered at the clinic [Reproductive Health Specialists]. You see them the most, sometimes everyday...and they were so friendly and compassionate and easy to talk to. They were caring and reassuring and professional at the same time... I received “generalized” email responses that contained incorrect/opposing information from what I was verbally told in the office, and when I questioned it, I was made to feel like I was annoying or a bother to them.

How was your experience with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Very intelligent and knowledgeable about the ivf process she uses but not willing to try anything outside of her general treatment plan. Dismissive of any research you might do yourself... nice and calming to speak to, but it kind of feels forced.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Ask a lot of questions and more important be your own advocate. Do your own research so that you know what to ask bc if you don’t ask questions you won’t get answers. Also so you can get as much information as possible.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Felt like treatment was not individualized, and that things were not always discussed in a way that made me feel like my specific situation was important. I received “generalized” email responses that contained incorrect/opposing information from what I was verbally told in the office, and when I questioned it, I was made to feel like I was annoying or a bother to them.

Describe the protocols Carolyn Kubik used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

I have pcos and complex atypical Endometrial hyperplasia. We Started with ovulation induction. Had a polypectomy and then at the suggestion on my oncologist, an inserted to keep the hyperplasia reversed for ivf. Stims meds were menopur, Ganirelix, and lupron trigger shot. Doses were super low, trying to avoid ovarian hyper stimulation bc of pcos and high levels of unopposed estrogen.We did a freeze all cycle as the iud was in place for the stim cycle. Retrieved 32 eggs, and had 10 embryos, 6 made it to freeze. We waited about 4 weeks, biopsied the endometrium. When the biopsy showed negative results, we removed the iud and started b.c. To prepare for the frozen embryo transfer. Used Lupron injections and the progesterone suppositories. Transferred 2 embryos each time over 3 Transfers. All failed.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Annette)

Again, I felt that my concerns were dismissed. We didn’t know anything about ivf when we started, and I was scared. I felt like I was bothering them, and felt like I was meant with attitude.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

The lab techs (blood draws, ultrasound) are the nicest people I encountered at the clinic. You see them the most, sometimes everyday...and they were so friendly and compassionate and easy to talk to. They were caring and reassuring and professional at the same time.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Approx 20k, before meds

Describe Carolyn Kubik's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

She explained the risks and benefits of both.

What specific things went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Was on a freeze all schedule, and received an email that I needed to be back at the clinic for my transfer in a few days. I called and was told that was a “general” response. Billing was messed up multiple times, which I had to basically argue to fix... luckily I kept all of my receipts. Our 2nd transfer failed and instead of a phone call, I received an email about it, not even a phone call. The email said that the dr would call in a couple days. We had to stop mid cycle due to my limit mot being tri-laminar, but I didn’t understand what that was. Received that info via the portal too... but I wanted to talk to someone about it bc I didn’t understand. No phone call, it was only discussed through email which was very frustrating and scary considering the history or endometrial issues. Also was asked multiple times about my gestational carrier, which we weren’t using, but made me feel like maybe they knew something i didn’t... or didn’t know my case at all.

Doctor

Carolyn Kubik

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016 - 2017, Unknown Success

Age 31 - 32

1 IUI

Male Factor

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Strengths- she [Dr. Kubik] is very encouraging when you talk with her. She is thorough when going over test results...you deal more with staff than the doctor directly...We only got to talk to the doctor once so far...No follow up on how we want to proceed after the IUI failed...The treatment strategy is to run all of the female testing during one cycle which results in a lot of visits in a very short period of time. Test results were provided via a patient portal. Then a doctor visit to discuss the results and our options.

We only got to talk to the doctor [at Repro Health] once so far. Everything else was handled by a nurse or a nurse practitioner. Even the IUI was performed by a different employee. I don't think we saw the same nurse more than once. All results were provided through a patient portal and no phone calls; no face-to-face meetings... the patient portal can be used for some things, but the clinic forces you to use it for everything. It's easy to forget to update or to check. If you fail to keep updating the clinic no longer contacts you to see why. Sometimes a phone call is better.

How was your experience with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Strengths- she is very encouraging when you talk with her. She is thorough when going over test results. Weaknesses- it seems like the facility treats a lot of patients, so you deal more with staff than the doctor directly.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Do you own follow up and be proactive. Be your own advocate. Make sure you are ready to talk about everything and contour own research. Bring questions to the table.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

We only got to talk to the doctor once so far. Everything else was handled by a nurse or a nurse practitioner. Even the IUI was performed by a different employee. I don't think we saw the same nurse more than once. All results were provided through a patient portal and no phone calls; no face-to-face meetings. No follow up on how we want to proceed after the IUI failed.

Describe the protocols Carolyn Kubik used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

The treatment strategy is to run all of the female testing during one cycle which results in a lot of visits in a very short period of time. Test results were provided via a patient portal. Then a doctor visit to discuss the results and our options. IUI was scheduled for the next cycle based on at-home ovulation testing. I didn't get a positive ovulation result within the typical window, so they scheduled for day 14 regardless. IUI was performed but unsuccessful. We opted to hold off on future treatment until further male factor testing could be completed.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Nikki)

Strengths- they are professional and good at getting you in and out. Good at taking blood. Thorough with all procedures. Weaknesses- the facility seems to see a lot of patients so you may not get the same nurse every time which is disappointing when your concerns are already heightened. The patient portal is insufficient. Sometimes a phone call is better than a message via the internet. It's easy to forget to update the portal so then the office doesn't follow up.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

Primary mode of communication is their patient portal which is good if you enjoy that type of thing, but I think with such a sensitive topic phone calls are more appreciated and more information can be passed along.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists.

All testing up until diagnosis was covered by my insurance except for co-host and co-insurance. Most of the tests were run on-site with the exception of one which was sent to an outside lab. The clinic and the outside lab have an agreement for reduced fees. The IUI was out-of-pocket but their cost was reasonable when compared to other facilities.

What specific things went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists.

In my opinion, the patient portal can be used for some things, but the clinic forces you to use it for everything. It's easy to forget to update or to check. If you fail to keep updating the clinic no longer contacts you to see why. Sometimes a phone call is better.

Doctor

Carolyn Kubik

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017, Successful

Age 37

6 IUI

2 IVF

Donor Sperm

Other

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

She [Dr. Judith Albert] spent time explaining information in a clear and informative fashion. She reexplained when needed. She was direct and helpful...is informative and very professional. She took time for me to ask questions and gave direct feedback regarding those questions...She was cautious in best plan of care and creating low risk for me as a patient meaning she didn’t give information based off what I wanted to hear but if what would create the best outcome.

The nursing staff I worked with [at Reproductive Health Specialists] were caring, warm and approachable. They were quick to get answers and help provide any needed help...When I called to talk to staff, nurses or front desk I was able to get in contact with whom I needed to address concerns or questions. I felt like the front desk communicated clearly the financial obligations and coached through financials as well as apts scheduled. The office ambiance was pleasant. The clinic is positive and clean. As a new patient you will be greeted by the front office staff and directed with information. The front desk are professional. I really liked the gals who did my ultrasounds. They were both easy to talk to and did a great job explaining things to me and putting my mind at ease as well as making sure that I had everything I needed to be comfortable while at my appointment.

How was your experience with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Dr Albert is informative and very professional. She took time for me to ask questions and gave direct feedback regarding those questions. She was straightforward and direct in our plan of care. She was cautious in best plan of care and creating low risk for me as a patient meaning she didn’t give information based off what I wanted to hear but if what would create the best outcome.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

She is direct, efficient and calculated. She presents the entire picture including information that might be hard to hear but is necessary.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

She spent time explaining information in a clear and informative fashion. She reexplained when needed. She was direct and helpful.

Describe the protocols Judith Albert used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

Straightforward in accordance with what worked with our first IVF Cycle in Idaho which resulted in multiples. Assessed and put on medications to start IVF cycle. Egg retrieval and 5 day transfer on fresh cycle.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Reproductive Health Specialists.

The nursing staff I worked with were caring, warm and approachable. They were quick to get answers and help provide any needed help.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

This clinic is organized, efficient, clean and easy to work with. When I called to talk to staff, nurses or front desk I was able to get in contact with whom I needed to address concerns or questions. I felt like the front desk communicated clearly the financial obligations and coached through financials as well as apts scheduled. The office ambiance was pleasant. The clinic is positive and clean. As a new patient you will be greeted by the front office staff and directed with information. The front desk are professional. I really liked the gals who did my ultrasounds. They were both easy to talk to and did a great job explaining things to me and putting my mind at ease as well as making sure that I had everything I needed to be comfortable while at my appointment.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists.

20,000

Describe Judith Albert's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Dr Albert is more inclined to counsel you as a patient to do a single embryo transfer vs multiple due to increased risks and patient health and safety.

Doctor

Judith Albert

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017, Unsuccessful

Age 33

6 IUI

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Poor Egg Quality

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

3rd of 3 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

I met with Dr. Snook 3 times of my 5 total visits to RHS. The first was a consultation in which I was required to bring my husband. This appointment went well and it was fairly quick and straightforward. The second time I saw her was for my sonohystogram. I felt she was compassionate because I was very nervous about the procedure and the results. The final time was our follow up to discuss the results of all our diagnostic work...IVF was what Snook recommended but could not afford $28,000 for one cycle

I wish the clinic had some sort of financial program [at Reproductive Health Specialists]. The cost of the IVF was dumped on us rather bluntly and we were just expected to have the money. That left a bad impression on me. There is no compassion over costs. There was no financing available and possibly if there was we may have proceeded...I felt the wait times for bloodwork, diagnostic procedures, and ultrasounds were very quick. Dr. Snook did a sonohysterogram with me and I was very anxious over it and she made me feel relaxed. Nurse who drew my blood (7 vials!) was very personable and friendly.

How was your experience with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Come prepared to fight for what exactly you want to do.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

I felt the wait times for bloodwork, diagnostic procedures, and ultrasounds were very quick. Dr. Snook did a sonohysterogram with me and I was very anxious over it and she made me feel relaxed. Nurse who drew my blood (7 vials!) was very personable and friendly.

Describe the protocols Meredith Snook used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

Did not do any treatment as I have previously done 6 failed IUIs. IVF was what Snook recommended but could not afford $28,000 for one cycle (that was total with meds) it was suggested we’d need upwards of 3 IVF cycles for success. Did not qualify for shared risk due to AMH. Was given the option to do medicated IUIs but did not proceed due to price and previous failures.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

I wish the clinic had some sort of financial program. The cost of the IVF was dumped on us rather bluntly and we were just expected to have the money. That left a bad impression on me. There is no compassion over costs. There was no financing available and possibly if there was we may have proceeded.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists.

IVF $22,000 and Meds $8,000. There was some sort of slight discount program for repeat cycles.

Describe Meredith Snook's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Doctor

Meredith Snook

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015 - 2017, Unsuccessful

Age 28 - 30

3 IUI

1 IVF

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

1st of 3 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

I do like Dr. Albert though I think she does not seem to look in depth into what some other clinics are doing as far as researching effects of other disorders on IVF outcomes (immune/MTHFR/etc). It seems like she is hesitant to think outside of the box. She is compassionate and really does care about her patients; but I feel maybe not as forward thinking or experimental as other doctors perhaps. She does take into account your thoughts and feelings towards your treatment however.

The portal system [at Reproductive Health Specialists] is buggy. On important days it felt like it would crash on me (beta days!). Also, when we first started treatment there we would get results quickly, and then (as current as now) results seem to take all day which is nerve wracking. It's better than having to wait the next day, but still from what we started with to now it is a bit frustrating.... I love Nina. She became a friend to me. She cares so much about her patients and I have nothing but good positive things to say about her.

How was your experience with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Though she appears very clinical and black and white, she has a huge heart. Be prepared to advocate for yourself though, just as anywhere else.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Dr. Albert truly has a heart. She can come off clinical but I felt that she cared when we had our losses. She even offered to speak with me at my convenience. She does really care.

Describe the protocols Judith Albert used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

We began with IUI and clomid, hormonal support in the form of vaginal progesterone suppositories. I'm glad she didn't waste time on those, they gave us negative results. In my IVF cycle we used birth control, Menopur, Lupron, Follistim that I can remember as well as progesterone in oil, estradiol tabs orally, and doxycycline and medrol. I had to be a freeze all cycle as my hormonal levels were high and they were afraid to risk OHSS. So we got 28 eggs and I was pleased. 9 made it to day 5 blast, and all but two were graded 4 or above (two 2's). First eSET, positive beta, great second beta, ultrasound appointment we had no heartbeat, but fetal pole and yolk sac. Missed miscarriage at 7w (had to have a D&C as I would not miscarry even 3-4 weeks later). Second we transferred two, positive result, great second beta, baby/babies could not be found on ultrasound. Miscarried at home around 4-5 weeks. Third we transferred two, chemical pregnancy, fourth we transferred two and another chemical pregnancy.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Antanina Perricone)

I love Nina. She became a friend to me. She cares so much about her patients and I have nothing but good positive things to say about her.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

The portal system is buggy. On important days it felt like it would crash on me (beta days!). Also, when we first started treatment there we would get results quickly, and then (as current as now) results seem to take all day which is nerve wracking. It's better than having to wait the next day, but still from what we started with to now it is a bit frustrating.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists.

We had to pay an ambulatory and surgical fee for retrieval since we were at a private clinic (over $1000 I believe). We paid for freezing out of pocket as well, and ICSI. A small amount was covered for our initial IVF cycle through old insurance we had but it didn't cover a whole cycle, I can't remember exactly but ICSI may have been around $1500, and freezing for the first 18 months $1500 (two years ago). If my estimates are remembered correctly. An FET costs roughly $3400 each time, and freezing (after the first 18 months that we already paid for) about $60 per month.

Describe Judith Albert's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

She strongly recommends eSET. She will try to move you to eSET if you are young. But due to our situation she let us try two at successive transfers.

What specific things went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists.

When my protocol was changed they mistakenly did not include it in the protocol that was uploaded to portal. I had to ask to have the medicines listed on my protocol.

Doctor

Judith Albert

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Review of

2016, Successful

Age 30

1 IVF

Male Factor

Other

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

I feel as though Dr. Albert had taken the time to throughly go over our history and diagnosis and developed a personalized plan of care for us.... She thoroughly reviewed our past medical history and current diagnosis of MFI and made sure everything was in line before starting the process of IVF. She reviewed all of our options with us and once the plan for IVF was in place everything seem to go smoothly and as planned. Dr. Albert was very kind, compassionate and listened to all of our concerns....

I feel like overall the clinic [Reproductive Health Specialists] was very organized and the staff members were all very knowledgeable and compassionate. They took the time to listen to my questions and concerns and overall would recommend this clinic to others.... Our nurse/coordinator was very well educated and explained the plan of care very well. She and all the other nurses we came in contact with were very compassionate and caring.

How was your experience with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

I feel as though Dr. Judith Albert was a great RE. She thoroughly reviewed our past medical history and current diagnosis of MFI and made sure everything was in line before starting the process of IVF. She reviewed all of our options with us and once the plan for IVF was in place everything seem to go smoothly and as planned. Dr. Albert was very kind, compassionate and listened to all of our concerns.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Try to stay as calm as possible throughout the process, trust Dr. Judith Albert and her team, and lean on friends and family for support!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

I feel as though Dr. Albert had taken the time to throughly go over our history and diagnosis and developed a personalized plan of care for us. She took the time to answer all of our questions and I never felt rushed and never felt like I was just a number.

Describe the protocols Judith Albert used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

I honestly forget the majority of the medications/protocol. I know started on birth control and then possibly Gonal-F, Menopur, and Lupron. (but it's been awhile) I also was on the progesterone IM shots daily. They retrieved 9 eggs and then went through the process of ICSI. We only had 2 embryos make it to day 5 for the transfer and because of quality of the embryos we decided to transfer both. We had a successful outcome and now have a healthy baby boy!!

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Our nurse/coordinator was very well educated and explained the plan of care very well. She and all the other nurses we came in contact with were very compassionate and caring.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

I feel like overall the clinic was very organized and the staff members were all very knowledgeable and compassionate. They took the time to listen to my questions and concerns and overall would recommend this clinic to others.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists.

It was approximately 15,000 for the IVF and ICSI.

Describe Judith Albert's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

We originally had planned to just transfer on embryo, but on the day of the transfer we spoke with Dr. Albert and because we had one ok embryo and one that was not as good and would not make it to freeze she discussed options to transfer 2 embryos. She reviewed the risks involved etc and the final decision came down to my husband and I, and we decided to transfer 2 embryos.

Doctor

Judith Albert

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015, Unsuccessful

Age 30

3 IUI

2 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Consultant

1st of 2 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

My husband and I were in total shock when she [Dr. Carolyn Kubik] suggested canceling the cycle on day 4 because of lack of results. Ultimately, the cycle was cancelled before egg retrieval due to DOR and I was told by her nurse that she would not try another cycle with my own eggs. The nurse said the doctor would only move forward with IVF if I did donor eggs. It was horrible that the nurse was communicating this to me. I had so many questions, and she just kept suggesting that I make an appoint,net with the doctor to discuss donor eggs. After my husband and I gathered ourselves together, we began researching IVF clinics that specialize in DOR

All RHS [Reproductive Health Specialists] doctors worked or studied at UPMC, so they are all pretty similar in their decision making and treatment protocol. If you're unhappy with one doctor's treatment plan, then I doubt another doctor from that clinic would do anything much different. Most doctors in Pittsburgh treat patients conservatively, if you are looking for different approaches that are more aggressive look at east coast clinics. We interviewed 5 clinics before settling on Shady Grove and Dr. Bromer. Each clinic offered a unique treatment plan that was different from RHS.

How was your experience with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

She is warm during her initial consults with you, but when you begin to have setbacks in therapy, she becomes appethetic. The only way to talk to her, was via messages through her nurse or during phone/face to face consults. She really downplayed the diminished ovarian reserve. My husband and I were in total shock when she suggested canceling the cycle on day 4 because of lack of results. Ultimately, the cycle was cancelled before egg retrieval due to DOR and I was told by her nurse that she would not try another cycle with my own eggs. The nurse said the doctor would only move forward with IVF if I did donor eggs. It was horrible that the nurse was communicating this to me. I had so many questions, and she just kept suggesting that I make an appoint,net with the doctor to discuss donor eggs. After my husband and I gathered ourselves together, we began researching IVF clinics that specialize in DOR and have had better success at Shady Grove with Dr. Bromer.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

If you find out that you have diminished ovarian reserve, RUN! Find another clinic. Don't waste your time and money at RHS. Look outside of Pittsburgh to find a doctor that is willing to work with your condition. PGH, is a conservative market, look at clinics on the east coast.

Describe the protocols Carolyn Kubik used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

300 Gonal F and 50 Menopur. In talking to other clinics and having further labs run, I was prescribed DHEA 75mg and CoQ10 1200mg. When beginning IVF 2, I was put on Gonal F 450 and Menopur 375.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Annette)

In all honesty, I think the nurses were overwhelmed and so care and communication suffer. i felt rushed anytime I had questions and received inadequate answers. Also, I hated having to communicate via a nurse to get answers from the doctor. Also, when we decided to have our escorts transferred to other clinics, we were given a hard time and they charged us on a few occasions.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

RHS won't allow you to monitor anywhere, but there, so it's a pain to go for IVF monitoring if you don't live near Penn Hills. RHS is very protective of their numbers. There's a reason they have such high IVF success rates. They don't take chances on candidates that may not be successful. Don't be fooled by those high rates. All RHS doctors worked or studied at UPMC, so they are all pretty similar in their decision making and treatment protocol. If you're unhappy with one doctor's treatment plan, then I doubt another doctor from that clinic would do anything much different. Most doctors in Pittsburgh treat patients conservatively, if you are looking for different approaches that are more aggressive look at east coast clinics. We interviewed 5 clinics before settling on Shady Grove and Dr. Bromer. Each clinic offered a unique treatment plan that was different from RHS.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists.

I think 1 IVF session cost $8,000. There were cost sharing packages, but I don't remember the particulars.

What specific things went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Failed to convey critical information

Doctor

Carolyn Kubik

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2011 - 2013, Unsuccessful

Age 29 - 31

3 IVF

Male Factor

Unexplained

Other

Income $200K - $499K

Investment Banker

2nd of 3 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Dr Kubick was incredibly nice, and took time to explain things. However, she was not open to trying anything new or changing my treatment. After my 3rd chemical pregnancy she gave me the exact same speech in my regroup as she had given me four times before. No explanation, no new ideas, no suggestions to try something new. She just wanted to do the same thing again. My other complaint is that I believe I was over stimulated in my first cycle and that was the only transfer that was a complete negative (all others chemical). I asked her if I was overstimulated and she said 'no', but my next retrieval with her she just used the same protocol but stopped me earlier, resulting in less eggs. After sending my medical records to 3 doctors for another opinion, they all independently said that my estrogen was too high for a fresh transfer (both times). Two of the three doctors questioned if I had PCOS or PCO-like ovaries. The doctor I switched to put me on a different protocol that was more beneficial to me because of how many follicles I had (lower dose, longer stim), so

How was your experience with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Don't do more than one cycle with her! If you aren't an 'easy' case, then definitely look elsewhere. Don't fall for her kindness and 'try try again' attitude.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

She was compassionate and good bedside manner.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Annette)

She was amazing! I truly consider her a friend to this day.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

All of the doctors collaborate, so I'm assuming my experience would have been similar with any of the doctors. I think it's a flaw of the clinic.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Approx $13k for IVF w ICSI incl fresh transfer. Approx $4k for a frozen transfer.

Describe Carolyn Kubik's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

My first transfer was an eSET bc they were confident it would work- saying my eggs retrieved, fertilization and blast report were all above average.

Doctor

Carolyn Kubik

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 36 - 37

Male Factor

European

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Dr. Kubrick seems incredibly knowledgeable. She is very direct and doesn’t sugarcoat the possibilities or risks of treatment. She is quick and to the point but has always been available to discuss any of my questions. She was skilled and gentle with the procedures I have had so far...So far in my treatment I have only had an ultrasound and a sonohysterogram. My husband has azoospermia. He will have MicroTese surgery. Depending on the results, I will pursue IVF with or IUI with donor sperm

All of the nurses and other staff [at Reproductive Health Specialists] I have worked with have been incredibly helpful, compassionate, and knowledgeable. They are great at communicating and reaching out to me when needed...So far in our treatment, this clinic has been very professional, kind, and helpful. I feel very comfortable there and am happy with everything I’ve experienced so far. They are always available when I call or will get back to me quickly.

How was your experience with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Be prepared with any questions you have ahead of time.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Dr. Kubik has a very straightforward and businesslike demeanor. She is more direct in her conversations and not as personable.

Describe the protocols Carolyn Kubik used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

So far in my treatment I have only had an ultrasound and a sonohysterogram. My husband has azoospermia. He will have MicroTese surgery. Depending on the results, I will pursue IVF with or IUI with donor sperm under Dr. Kubik.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Annette )

All of the nurses and other staff I have worked with have been incredibly helpful, compassionate, and knowledgeable. They are great at communicating and reaching out to me when needed.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

So far in our treatment, this clinic has been very professional, kind, and helpful. I feel very comfortable there and am happy with everything I’ve experienced so far. They are always available when I call or will get back to me quickly.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists.

I am at the beginning of my fertility journey. So far, all procedures I’ve had have been diagnostic and covered by my insurance.

Doctor

Carolyn Kubik

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016 - 2018, Unsuccessful

Age 27 - 29

3 IUI

Unexplained

Black or African-American

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Dr. Snook was kind and always positive. She made me feel like nothing was wrong so why would it not work. She always has a smile on. She however never changed my medications after 3 failed IUIs. Protocol was always the same. She was easy to get in contact with very available.... Always clomid with ultrasound and bloodwork then iui following day after positive LH surge.... she talked with me on the phone after my loss and was very empathetic. She was positive and upifting.

They [Reproductive Health Specialists] don't make you wait long. Techs and nurses smile and are kind. No one rushes you. It is kept very Clean. They are great with bloodwork. They don't make u pay till time of insemination. They walk you through everything. There is no question of what happens next. The patient portal is used and run wonderfully and they response so fast.... She [nurse] always was quick to tell you results and respond immediately to questions. She always asked dr snook if I had questions and would respond with her answer

How was your experience with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

She is not in any rush but she is kind and wants what's best for you. She will not put you in danger but it may take some time because she doesn't change her routine easily.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

She was kind, explained everything in depth, she talked with me on the phone after my loss and was very empathetic. She was positive and upifting.

Describe the protocols Meredith Snook used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

Always clomid with ultrasound and bloodwork then iui following day after positive LH surge.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Gina)

She always was quick to tell you results and respond immediately to questions. She always asked dr snook if I had questions and would respond with her answer. She never made me feel like I was bothering. She was prompt and always gave me apts asap and without difficulty.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

They don't make you wait long. Techs and nurses smile and are kind. No one rushes you. It is kept very Clean. They are great with bloodwork. They don't make u pay till time of insemination. They walk you through everything. There is no question of what happens next. The patient portal is used and run wonderfully and they response so fast.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Iui with clomid 250. Iui with blood work, ultrasound and clomid 730. Consult 100.

Doctor

Meredith Snook

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017 - 2018, Successful

Age 32 - 33

8 IUI

1 IVF

Donor Sperm

PCOS

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

LGBTQ

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Snook was very attentive and empathetic with our situation. She even offered to stay with me during the 10 min wait after my IUI when my wife couldn't make the appointment. When we got our positive beta test back she cried happy tears with me. She truly cares!... She's kind and shows she cares with her tone and attention to detail. She makes a point to speak with her patients directly instead of relying on her nursing staff.

Cece [nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists] was thorough with her responses and quick to respond to my questions or concerns...They do break up billing so I never had a lump sum bill but rather a "per treatment " bill...I love that they have an App that you can use to readily and easily communicate. You can review test results and appointments easily too. The only negative is it takes a while for your initial appointment to be scheduled because they book fast however once you're a patient they're very flexible with appointments!

How was your experience with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Dr. Snook was a pleasure to work with and I recommended her to my friend who agreed she's a great doctor to work with. She's kind and shows she cares with her tone and attention to detail. She makes a point to speak with her patients directly instead of relying on her nursing staff.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Know your insurance coverage so you don't have to play around with the least expensive treatments. If you have coverage, use it!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Ceecee)

Cece was thorough with her responses and quick to respond to my questions or concerns.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

I love that they have an App that you can use to readily and easily communicate. You can review test results and appointments easily too. The only negative is it takes a while for your initial appointment to be scheduled because they book fast however once you're a patient they're very flexible with appointments!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Meredith Snook at Reproductive Health Specialists.

I was fortunate to have insurance coverage for our fertility treatments. The clinic did, however, go in to detail about costs if insurance didn't pay the claim. They also explained the financing options. They do break up billing so I never had a lump sum bill but rather a "per treatment " bill.

Describe Meredith Snook's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Dr. Snook used logistics when deciding how many embryos to transfer. I was pleased in the end!

Doctor

Meredith Snook

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017 - 2018, Successful

Age 32 - 33

1 IUI

Anovulation

PCOS

European

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

She [Dr. Kubik] always answered all my questions. Sometimes blunt, but very specific and made sure I understood everything. Always took the time to explain things and felt confident in her treatment plan for me....All of my questions were always answered in a timely matter. No question was very dismissed or ignored....We started with clomid only. I asked about using a trigger shot and was quickly given the option, we spent many months using clomid and the trigger shot with timed intercourse.

[Repro Health Specialists] Very clean and inviting. Lots of pictures of success stories. Sometimes the pictures made me feel uncomfortable because I wondered if I would ever be lucky enough to have my baby’s picture hanging in their office...Wonderful nursing staff. They were always quick to answer my questions and supportive when I needed their support...Cost was always discussed up front, and I felt they were fair.

How was your experience with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

She always answered all my questions. Sometimes blunt, but very specific and made sure I understood everything. Always took the time to explain things and felt confident in her treatment plan for me.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Be your own advocate, do research and come with an idea of what you want your treatment to be.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

All of my questions were always answered in a timely matter. No question was very dismissed or ignored.

Describe the protocols Carolyn Kubik used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

We started with clomid only. I asked about using a trigger shot and was quickly given the option, we spent many months using clomid and the trigger shot with timed intercourse. Prior to treatmeant I was only getting a period once every 4-5 months. After 6 months of timed intercourse she recommended IUI. Due to scheduling conflicts this wouldn’t take place for another few months. On our first attempt at IUI (with clomid and trigger shot) we got pregnant with 1 baby. We are currently 6 months pregnant!

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Wonderful nursing staff. They were always quick to answer my questions and supportive when I needed their support.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

Very clean and inviting. Lots of pictures of success stories. Sometimes the pictures made me feel uncomfortable because I wondered if I would ever be lucky enough to have my baby’s picture hanging in their office.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Cost was always discussed up front, and I felt they were fair.

What specific things went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists.

After I become pregnant my thyroid number went up. I was also under the care of an endocrinologist, RHS mistakenly prescribed me thyroid medication that I was already taking.

Doctor

Carolyn Kubik

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016 - 2017, Successful

Age 30 - 31

4 IUI

1 IVF

Male Factor

European

Income $100K - $199K

Marketer or PR

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Kubik was great! She never rushed me through an appointment. She was honest and kind. She gave me the facts but seemed hopeful and understood the costs and emotional challenges with moving forward. She was never pushy.... Because my AMH was very high, she didn’t use menopur on me. I still overstimmed so we do a Lupron shot before the egg retrieval and then I had to wait 2 months before I could do a frozen transfer but it was successful!

Strengths [for Reproductive Health Specialists] - friendly, experienced staff. High success rates. Always got into appointments on time. Convenient schedule for working women. Weakness- couldn’t think of too much - maybe just more time with the actual doctor. My 2 IUIs were not Done by Kubik but I wish they had been.... We spent about $18,000 total including medicine for IVF. I believe the IVf with ICSI was about $13,500

How was your experience with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

You won’t see her every visit but she is there when it counts and she is one of the best!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Dr. Kubic was very compassionate yet honest. She didn’t give false hope but was enthusiastic and caring.

Describe the protocols Carolyn Kubik used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

Because my AMH was very high, she didn’t use menopur on me. I still overstimmed so we do a Lupron shot before the egg retrieval and then I had to wait 2 months before I could do a frozen transfer but it was successful!

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Reproductive Health Specialists.

The nursing staff was my favorite. It felt like they had become my friends. I knew about their families, where they were going on vacation, etc. they were supe friendly and very educated!

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

Strengths - friendly, experienced staff. High success rates. Always got into appointments on time. Convenient schedule for working women. Weakness- couldn’t think of too much - maybe just more time with the actual doctor. My 2 IUIs were not Done by Kubik but I wish they had been.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists.

We spent about $18,000 total including medicine for IVF. I believe the IVf with ICSI was about $13,500

Describe Carolyn Kubik's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

My doctor recommend one embryo for transfer and due to many preemies in my family, that’s all I wanted. She felt that due to my age and it being more male factor, one would be best for me.

Doctor

Carolyn Kubik

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016 - 2017, Successful

Age 30 - 31

1 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

We loved Dr. Albert! She was thorough, straight to the point, patient, and remembered details about our personal lives. She was confident that we would conceive, and gave us all of the necessary information needed to make the choice on whether we should pay for numerous transfers upfront or one at a time...We tried one cycle of IUI. We did one retrieval, but had to cancel and freeze all due to being overstimulated.

This clinic [Repro Health Specialists] is professional, clean, well respected and a great place to start a family! We were unhappy with our nurse ivf coordinator, but luckily the other staff provided a warm welcoming place for us during a very difficult time in our life!...No one called us the night before our transfer to tell us the time. It took us about a good hour of trying to reach someone to know the time. It was very stressful

How was your experience with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

You have to be alright with hearing Information straight up without sugar coating!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists?

She was straight to the point, but kind, and laid out all the information we could possibly need.

Describe the protocols Judith Albert used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

We tried one cycle of IUI. We did one retrieval, but had to cancel and freeze all due to being overstimulated. The next cycle we transferred one frozen and it didn’t take. The following cycle we transferred one embryo and it took!

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Nina)

She was rude, demanding and threatened to cancel our cycle because I couldn’t make one appointment

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

This clinic is professional, clean, well respected and a great place to start a family! We were unhappy with our nurse ivf coordinator, but luckily the other staff provided a warm welcoming place for us during a very difficult time in our life!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Judith Albert at Reproductive Health Specialists.

20,000

What specific things went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Reproductive Health Specialists.

No one called us the night before our transfer to tell us the time. It took us about a good hour of trying to reach someone to know the time. It was very stressful as we were anxious to begin with, plus we just wanted to know the details! Luckily dr snook called us back and was nothing but apologetic and kind!

Doctor

Judith Albert

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2013 - 2017, Successful

Age 35 - 39

9 IUI

1 IVF

Donor Sperm

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Kubik was always compassionate and explained everything thoroughly. I felt like she took my feelings and struggles into consideration during my treatments...I had 9 failed IUI's before I switched to IVF and got pregnant on my first fresh transfer. The first 3 IUI's were natural while the remaining 6 used different fertility medications (Clomid and Femera) to see how my body would respond best...I loved Dr. Kubik and would recommend her to anyone. She has a warm bedside manor and was always honest but kind. She never makes guarantees but gives all possible outcomes. I didn't see her at every appointment but she was always available via phone or through the patient portal.

I had 9 failed IUI's [at Reproductive Health Specialists] before I switched to IVF and got pregnant on my first fresh transfer. The first 3 IUI's were natural while the remaining 6 used different fertility medications (Clomid and Femera) to see how my body would respond best...This clinic is owned and operated by mostly women and many of them were patients at one time- this means they understand what its like and can sympathize with the struggles and difficult results. Because they are so busy, they do leave most communication to the patient portal which doesn't always seem personable but effectively gets communication to each patient.

How was your experience with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

I loved Dr. Kubik and would recommend her to anyone. She has a warm bedside manor and was always honest but kind. She never makes guarantees but gives all possible outcomes. I didn't see her at every appointment but she was always available via phone or through the patient portal.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Don't stress over everything but let Dr Kubik guide you through the process.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Dr. Kubik was always compassionate and explained everything thoroughly. I felt like she took my feelings and struggles into consideration during my treatments.

Describe the protocols Carolyn Kubik used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

I had 9 failed IUI's before I switched to IVF and got pregnant on my first fresh transfer. The first 3 IUI's were natural while the remaining 6 used different fertility medications (Clomid and Femera) to see how my body would respond best. The failure of the IUI's were just bad luck.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Annette)

The nursing staff at RHS is amazing- everyone one of them was kind, compassionate, flexible, and showed the upmost respect for us as patients.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

This clinic is owned and operated by mostly women and many of them were patients at one time- this means they understand what its like and can sympathize with the struggles and difficult results. Because they are so busy, they do leave most communication to the patient portal which doesn't always seem personable but effectively gets communication to each patient.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Kubik at Reproductive Health Specialists.

Don't remember

Describe Carolyn Kubik's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Health Specialists.

This clinic stresses the importance of one healthy baby so they are conservative with their approach to as to produce healthy embryos.

Doctor

Carolyn Kubik

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Teresa Erb Reproductive Health Specialists

2014 - 2016, Unknown Success

Age 32 - 34

1 IVF

Anovulation

PCOS

Other

European

East Asian

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Both my husband and I enjoyed working with Dr. Erb [at Reproductive Health Specialists]. She was present at all of my embryo transfers and always called immediately to follow-up after each procedure. We did not end up getting pregnant at RHS, but I did feel that Dr. Erb was a knowledgeable and trustworthy physician to work with. We ultimately did decide to move onto a larger out-of-state clinic that had more treatment options.

We did not end up getting pregnant at RHS [Reproductive Health Specialists], but I did feel that Dr. Erb was a knowledgeable and trustworthy physician to work with. We ultimately did decide to move onto a larger out-of-state clinic that had more treatment options....Our nurse coordinator was very friendly and was provided prompt responses. She was easier to work than our originally assigned IVF coordinator....The front desk admin could stand to be more warm and friendly since she always acted like it was an inconvenience whenever I spoke to her over the phone.

How was your experience with Teresa Erb at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Both my husband and I enjoyed working with Dr. Erb. She was present at all of my embryo transfers and always called immediately to follow-up after each procedure. We did not end up getting pregnant at RHS, but I did feel that Dr. Erb was a knowledgeable and trustworthy physician to work with. We ultimately did decide to move onto a larger out-of-state clinic that had more treatment options.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Teresa Erb at Reproductive Health Specialists?

Dr. Erb was incredibility kind, patient, and understanding of our needs to conceive a baby. She did not make us feel rushed during patient visits and took her time to thoughtfully answer all of our questions.

Describe the protocols Teresa Erb used in your cycles at Reproductive Health Specialists and their degree of success.

Clomid cycles, IVF with ICSI- Freeze All, and Frozen Embryo Transfers.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Health Specialists. (Assigned nurse: Denise)

Our nurse coordinator was very friendly and was provided prompt responses. She was easier to work than our originally assigned IVF coordinator.

Describe your experience with Reproductive Health Specialists.

I enjoyed the convenience of the online patient portal, so I could see all of my test results reported within hours of testing, available prescriptions, and procedure instructions. It was helpful to be able to email through the portal, while at I was at work. The front desk admin could stand to be more warm and friendly since she always acted like it was an inconvenience whenever I spoke to her over the phone.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Teresa Erb at Reproductive Health Specialists.

My treatment was covered by my insurance, so I cannot really give exact costs.

Doctor

Teresa Erb

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Reproductive Health Specialists

Pittsburgh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Teresa Erb Reproductive Health Specialists

2017 - 2018, Unknown Success

Age 33 - 34

1 Fertility Medications

Male Factor

PCOS

European

Income $50K - $99K

Entrepreneur

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of