Dr. Gutman[n] is brusk and and no-nonsense, but she is also incredibly intelligent and honest, which makes her very trustworthy. ... Her treatments are kind of drawn out, however that's because she requires constant consultations and re-evaluations to make sure that you are completely safe and avoid any potential risks during the treatment. She's funny and I never once felt judged or uncomfortable with her.
The one thing to be prepared for is that the nursing and patient services staff have absolutely nothing to do with finances or insurance. ... They have an entire financial team dedicated to finding the best options for you and take care when selecting medication, since we are paying 100% out of pocket. ... I was legitimately shocked at how well the nurses knew what was gong on, even if it was their first time meeting me. They were all funny and down to earth, which made the experience so much more managable. ...
How was your experience with Jacqueline Gutmann at RMA of Philadelphia?
Dr. Gutman is brusk and and no-nonsense, but she is also incredibly intelligent and honest, which makes her very trustworthy. The way she casually talks about the procedure puts you at ease and makes you realize that she has done this a hundred times and knows what she is doing. Her treatments are kind of drawn out, however that's because she requires constant consultations and re-evaluations to make sure that you are completely safe and avoid any potential risks during the treatment. She's funny and I never once felt judged or uncomfortable with her. Once visit, I told her I was on my way to a baby shower and she said, "Well, if you need me to write you a doctor's note, I will absolutely do that." She understands how hard the journey is but doesn't dwell on it and always pushes forward.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jacqueline Gutmann at RMA of Philadelphia?
Trust the process. She is not a terribly warm individual, especially when you first meet her, but that's because she is still evaluating what the absolute best options are for you. Every time you talk to her, you will be reminded as to why you are in her care. She's great if you like someone who is straight and to the point - no sugarcoating bad news. It might be a long treatment, but she will be invested the entire time and is open to suggestions if you feel as though you'd like to try a different treatment which I appreciated!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jacqueline Gutmann at RMA of Philadelphia?
Not only Dr. Gutman, but her entire staff were gentle, but not so gentle that I felt they were incompetent. Dr. Gutman is so incredibly passionate about endocrinology and you can tell when you talk to her that she genuinely wants to see you succeed. I never once had to wait long for results and all of my questions were answered - they even didn't mind corresponding via email, which is my preferred method. They made sure I completely understood the entire process and the 'why' behind each step. They also were up front about the odds - no false promises about whether or not it would work. They have an entire financial team dedicated to finding the best options for you and take care when selecting medication, since we are paying 100% out of pocket.
Describe the protocols Jacqueline Gutmann used in your cycles at RMA of Philadelphia and their degree of success.
After our initial consult, she scheduled me for an MRI of the pituitary, which showed a small tumor, meaning that I would very likely not respond to oral medications and advised we go straight to injectables. I began 75iu of Menopur for three days, then after my blood and ultrasound, continued for three more days. I was then bumped up to 150 iu after my estrogen was still <100. I had bloods and ultrasound every 3 days throughout the entire process. I triggered with Ovidrel after day 14 of Menopur and my IUI was performed 32 hours later. I received my period prior to the pregnancy test.
Our second IUI followed the same protocol, with 16 days of stims before trigger. This time, she started me at 75IU, but shortly bumped me back up to 150iu, as my estogren dropped after the first three injections. The second IUI resulted in a positive HCG test, but the level was 34 and quickly dropped to 6. I got my period shortly after.
Our next IUI baseline is scheduled for this week and will likely follow the same protocol.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of Philadelphia.
I was legitimately shocked at how well the nurses knew what was gong on, even if it was their first time meeting me. They were all funny and down to earth, which made the experience so much more managable. Every time they sent results, it felt as though they were experiencing the same emotions as you, whether it was excitement or disappointment. None of the emails they send were carbon copied - they were all completely individualized and answered very quickly. I think the only weakness would be that they sometimes assume that patients have a lot of prior knowledge, so when we had our first IUI, I was not sure exactly what all the terms and medications they were talking about. Now I understand them though.
Describe your experience with RMA of Philadelphia.
They have fantastic hours and multiple locations that all work together, so you can go to whichever one they have an appointment at. The one thing to be prepared for is that the nursing and patient services staff have absolutely nothing to do with finances or insurance. They don't know how much medications will be, they don't know what your insurance company will cover - that is completely handled by the finance department, so they will often suggest procedures to you without mentioning the price.
The staff is amazing otherwise and the clinic is clean and welcoming. It might be a while to get an initial consult but it is worth it!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jacqueline Gutmann at RMA of Philadelphia.
The out of pocket IUI package was $1800 and included everything but medication for a full cycle. I paid an additional $1800 for Menopur and $200 for ovidrel. We have no insurance coverage for fertility treatments, monitoring or medication.
Total was about $3300 per IUI. We completed two unsuccessful cycles and are beginning our third.
Describe Jacqueline Gutmann's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of Philadelphia.
Not applicable for our treament
10
Clinic
RMA of Philadelphia
King of Prussia