Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas
Available Resources
Genetic counseling
Acupuncture
Mental health counseling
Nutrition counseling
Administration of shots
Coordinating at-home nursing
Selling medication
Providing backup medication
Austin
911 W. 38th St
Austin, TX 78705
512.479.7979
San Antonio - Med Drive
4330 Medical Dr
San Antonio, TX 78258
210.337.8453
San Antonio - Stone Oak
19296 Stone Oak Pkwy
San Antonio, TX 78258
210.337.845
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57 assessments
0
3
Age
29
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
PCOS
0
3
When first researching her [Dr. Natalie Crawford], I didn't like her strong social media presence and the fact that she talked about patients (without mentioning their names) on social media...My first consultation was OK. During one point in the consultation I got upset (Infertility is emotional people, but I'm preaching to the choir, you all know this.). Dr. Crawford just kept talking and didn't stop to address my emotions. This should have been my first red flag.
During my previous visit, I mentioned to Dr. Crawford, my fertility coach, and other staff [at Aspire] how uncomfortable my husband would be giving the SA. Even leading up to our appointment, I spoke back and forth with office staff on the possibility of him doing it at home and bringing his sample in...they placed my husband in a room right by the nurses desk and the waiting room. He could hear every word the nurses said, every person who checked in at the desk, and even when they called me back to our consultation room. Why would they have not taken notes about how uncomfortable I told him he would be and placed him in the room furthest away from everyone? Instead, they placed him in the least private of all the SA rooms
Age
29
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
PCOS
0
3
How was your experience with Natalie Crawford at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Summary: Dr. Crawford has poor bedside manner when dealing with emotional patients.
My OGBYN referred me to Dr. Crawford. When first researching her, I didn't like her strong social media presence and the fact that she talked about patients (without mentioning their names) on social media. I also lived over an hour away from her office, so it would be a pain to make the trip often; however, my OGBYN loved her so I decided to give her a try.
My first consultation was OK. During one point in the consultation I got upset (Infertility is emotional people, but I'm preaching to the choir, you all know this.). Dr. Crawford just kept talking and didn't stop to address my emotions. This should have been my first red flag. However, I let it go with the thought that maybe she thought if she just kept talking I would be able to pull myself together and we could move forward.
I came back for my second appointment for my husband to do a semen analysis (SA). Once his SA was complete, Dr. Crawford would be able to go over next steps with us. During my previous visit, I mentioned to Dr. Crawford, my fertility coach, and other staff how uncomfortable my husband would be giving the SA. Even leading up to our appointment, I spoke back and forth with office staff on the possibility of him doing it at home and bringing his sample in. Ultimately, he decided to do the analysis in the office because we were concerned with the 1 hour time frame that we had to get the sample to the lab (remember, we live 1 hour away) .
The day of our appointment, they placed my husband in a room right by the nurses desk and the waiting room. He could hear every word the nurses said, every person who checked in at the desk, and even when they called me back to our consultation room. Why would they have not taken notes about how uncomfortable I told him he would be and placed him in the room furthest away from everyone? Instead, they placed him in the least private of all the SA rooms. Unfortunately, he was not able to provide a SA.
We then waited on Dr. Crawford for our consultation. We were greeted by a nurse who said Dr. Crawford would not be able to see us today because my husband had not been able to provide a SA. I immediately start crying. First, We had driven an hour, how can she not just come into the room and talk to us and explain possible options (option 1: if his SA came back good. option 2: if it came back bad). Second, I'm her patient too, not just him. Come talk to me and my husband about what's going on with me and the blood work results from the last appointment.
Because I got upset, the nurse went to get Dr. Crawford. As soon as she entered the room Dr. Crawford was on the defense. Instead of giving me a chance to talk and explain my concerns, she immediately started explain why it was unethical for her to treat us without his SA. Unfortunately, I tried to talk over her in order for me to express my concerns. Her response: "I feel like you are personally attacking me." UMMM.... WHAT?!? She then proceeded to say "It's unethical for me to f***ing take your money without his SA." So now she has refused to see us, said I was attacking her, and she cursed.
I should have trusted my gut from my first consultation when she ignored me when I got upset and kept talking. Based on her reaction to my emotions at my second appointment, she clearly needs more work in how to properly deal with patient emotions. I needed a hug, a "it's going to be OK, here are next steps," not cursing and refusal to see me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Natalie Crawford at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Don't try to confront her, she'll curse and say you are personally attacking her.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Summary: Dr. Crawford has poor bedside manner when dealing with emotional patients.
My OGBYN referred me to Dr. Crawford. When first researching her, I didn't like her strong social media presence and the fact that she talked about patients (without mentioning their names) on social media. I also lived over an hour away from her office, so it would be a pain to make the trip often; however, my OGBYN loved her so I decided to give her a try.
My first consultation was OK. During one point in the consultation I got upset (Infertility is emotional people, but I'm preaching to the choir, you all know this.). Dr. Crawford just kept talking and didn't stop to address my emotions. This should have been my first red flag. However, I let it go with the thought that maybe she thought if she just kept talking I would be able to pull myself together and we could move forward.
I came back for my second appointment for my husband to do a semen analysis (SA). Once his SA was complete, Dr. Crawford would be able to go over next steps with us. During my previous visit, I mentioned to Dr. Crawford, my fertility coach, and other staff how uncomfortable my husband would be giving the SA. Even leading up to our appointment, I spoke back and forth with office staff on the possibility of him doing it at home and bringing his sample in. Ultimately, he decided to do the analysis in the office because we were concerned with the 1 hour time frame that we had to get the sample to the lab (remember, we live 1 hour away) .
The day of our appointment, they placed my husband in a room right by the nurses desk and the waiting room. He could hear every word the nurses said, every person who checked in at the desk, and even when they called me back to our consultation room. Why would they have not taken notes about how uncomfortable I told him he would be and placed him in the room furthest away from everyone? Instead, they placed him in the least private of all the SA rooms. Unfortunately, he was not able to provide a SA.
We then waited on Dr. Crawford for our consultation. We were greeted by a nurse who said Dr. Crawford would not be able to see us today because my husband had not been able to provide a SA. I immediately start crying. First, We had driven an hour, how can she not just come into the room and talk to us and explain possible options (option 1: if his SA came back good. option 2: if it came back bad). Second, I'm her patient too, not just him. Come talk to me and my husband about what's going on with me and the blood work results from the last appointment.
Because I got upset, the nurse went to get Dr. Crawford. As soon as she entered the room Dr. Crawford was on the defense. Instead of giving me a chance to talk and explain my concerns, she immediately started explain why it was unethical for her to treat us without his SA. Unfortunately, I tried to talk over her in order for me to express my concerns. Her response: "I feel like you are personally attacking me." UMMM.... WHAT?!? She then proceeded to say "It's unethical for me to f***ing take your money without his SA." So now she has refused to see us, said I was attacking her, and she cursed.
I should have trusted my gut from my first consultation when she ignored me when I got upset and kept talking. Based on her reaction to my emotions at my second appointment, she clearly needs more work in how to properly deal with patient emotions. I needed a hug, a "it's going to be OK, here are next steps," not cursing and refusal to see me.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Natalie Crawford at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
$40 copay based on my insurance
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
8
Age
42
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
10
8
Dr. Balthazar, made me and my husband feel hopeful of the entire IVF process even when things went wrong she still mananged to support us and has a plan for the second cycle. At every appointment, Dr. Balthazar, always showed compassion and respect to us and answered every questions...Birthcontrol: Oral Meds (AM): Letrozole, Dexamethasone IVF injections (PM):Follistim, Lupron,Menopur,Omintrope result: increased egg quality, result 2 matured 0 fertilization :(
[Aspire Fertility has] Excellent providers, nurse, and admin. Weakness: The Aspire SanAntonio, TX on Stone Oak, has a terrible phone system, not enough staff to answer the phones and when they do you get transfered to voicemail with no return calls. Patients have to keep calling, if your local it's best to walk in and out of town patients, good luck. A major problem is the billing department and supervisor is terrible. They don't pay attention to detail nor the patients insurance and authorizations.
Age
42
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Black or African-American
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
10
8
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar, made me and my husband feel hopeful of the entire IVF process even when things went wrong she still mananged to support us and has a plan for the second cycle. At every appointment, Dr. Balthazar, always showed compassion and respect to us and answered every questions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Be organized and have your questions ready. :)
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
We felt like a human, Dr. Balthazar and her nurse Amy, are an amazing team and they explained every detail of the IVF process and answered every question througout our first IVF cycle.
Unfortunately, the Aspire Billing department at Stone Oak is not on board as the other staff, has made numerous billing errors inluding not billing the correct insurance that's located on our authorizations. We've sent countless of emails to Aspire billing supervisor and nothing has been fixed X 3 months- now we feel like a number .
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
Birthcontrol:
Oral Meds (AM): Letrozole, Dexamethasone
IVF injections (PM):Follistim, Lupron,Menopur,Omintrope
result: increased egg quality, result 2 matured 0 fertilization :(
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy)
The nurse, Amy and admin consultant, Breanna are deffiantly the staff you want at Aspire, San Antonio Tx, to help you through an IVF process. These members take care of patients and have good communication skills.
We wish the billing team would get on the same level, so we can make future appointments.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Strenght: Excellent providers, nurse, and admin.
Weakness: The Aspire SanAntonio, TX on Stone Oak, has a terrible phone system, not enough staff to answer the phones and when they do you get transfered to voicemail with no return calls. Patients have to keep calling, if your local it's best to walk in and out of town patients, good luck.
A major problem is the billing department and supervisor is terrible. They don't pay attention to detail nor the patients insurance and authorizations.
They have caused me and my husband major insurance problems becuase Aspire made several billing mistakes:
It's been 3 months and Aspire billing on- Stone Oak, still hasn't corrected billing errors nor return emails, phone calls, will keep calling until we get a response and its resolved 100%. Billing should be the last of any patients worries when going through a time sensitve fertility process.
Recommend, Aspire -Stone Oak gain a better billing team.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
If Aspire billing department would pay attention to our insurance company and authorization , they will receive the correct pay
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
n/a
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to convey critical information
- Read less
8
8
Age
35
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
Donor Sperm, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, PCOS
8
8
[Dr. Aimee Browne] is recommending we only transfer one but is okay with transferring multiple embryos...she’s very gentle with her words and she takes her time. Yet there are times when asking a question we receive a very broad answer. I am unsure if this is a technique to ensure that no promises are made but I feel like questions are sometimes avoided. Don’t get me wrong she’s a very nice and caring doctor...once we started asking the hard questions she would go around give an upfront answer. I want to know what the risks are completely upfront instead of being misleading. She is very sweet and very intelligent. I think she is afraid of destroying our dreams by giving us hope that might not be there.
[Aspire Fertility] quoted us over $16,000 for a basic IVF cycle with no meds and no sperm. We do not qualify for insurance benefits... I believe they are short staffed because we are constantly getting voicemails and sometimes I need to call again. But when you are addressed they are very helpful...I feel that there is a lack of communication between all the staff therefore they do not get back promptly. They all are compassionate yet the clinic needs to be more organized.
Age
35
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Latino
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
Donor Sperm, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, PCOS
8
8
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I feel she spoke to us with care but once we started asking the hard questions she would go around give an upfront answer. I want to know what the risks are completely upfront instead of being misleading. She is very sweet and very intelligent. I think she is afraid of destroying our dreams by giving us hope that might not be there.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Ask her the hard questions and ask for the hard straight up answers in return.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
For the most part she’s very gentle with her words and she takes her time. Yet there are times when asking a question we receive a very broad answer. I am unsure if this is a technique to ensure that no promises are made but I feel like questions are sometimes avoided. Don’t get me wrong she’s a very nice and caring doctor.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
We are actually in the beginning stages where we are about to make a payment. Due to the payment being over 16,000 without meds, and my insurance not covering anything we have to wait a little longer. But we are suppose to do an egg retrieval, sperm donor and then a gestational carrier
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Christina )
I feel that there is a lack of communication between all the staff therefore they do not get back promptly. They all are compassionate yet the clinic needs to be more organized.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Got or miss with returned phone calls. I believe they are short staffed because we are constantly getting voicemails and sometimes I need to call again. But when you are addressed they are very helpful.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
$80 for our co pay every time we needed to see her. Then they quoted us over $16,000 for a basic IVF cycle with no meds and no sperm. We do not qualify for insurance benefits.
Describe Aimee Browne's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
She’s is recommending we only transfer one but is okay with transferring multiple embryos. We are good with her suggestions
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Provided conflicting information
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10
10
Age
32
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Tubal Blockage
10
10
this first meeting [with Dr. Balthazar] went much differently than those of my other two REs and I feel that is noteworthy. She is incredibly knowledgeable and well-spoken and listened to my husband and me in a way that made us feel comfortable. She asked questions to get to know us better and genuinely seemed like she saw us as her friends that she was helping and not just clients. Dr. Balthazar was very candid and straightforward about what she saw, what we could expect, and any risks that we might encounter. We did not feel rushed at all and that was the greatest feeling.
Amy [nurse at Aspire Fertility/RMA of Texas] was very welcoming from the beginning. She knew what she was talking about and my husband and I felt confident asking her questions...The waiting area is a bit small, especially if seen during a busy time. We weren't seen right at our appointment time but it was explained to us why. The staff are all very welcoming and try to help you feel less nervous, especially if it's your first time. I feel that everyone was very knowledgeable in what they did for the clinic.
Age
32
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
East Asian
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Tubal Blockage
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I have only seen Dr. Balthazar for an initial consultation so far. However, this first meeting went much differently than those of my other two REs and I feel that is noteworthy. She is incredibly knowledgeable and well-spoken and listened to my husband and me in a way that made us feel comfortable. She asked questions to get to know us better and genuinely seemed like she saw us as her friends that she was helping and not just clients. Dr. Balthazar was very candid and straightforward about what she saw, what we could expect, and any risks that we might encounter. We did not feel rushed at all and that was the greatest feeling.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Go in knowing what you want to talk to her about or ask.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Before we had entered the room, she had read our background and knew what she wanted to discuss with us beforehand. Though it was our first time speaking to her it felt like she had been aware of our issues and past treatments from the very beginning. Dr. Balthazar was incredibly warm and welcoming and was very open to answering our questions.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy)
Amy was very welcoming from the beginning. She knew what she was talking about and my husband and I felt confident asking her questions.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The waiting area is a bit small, especially if seen during a busy time. We weren't seen right at our appointment time but it was explained to us why. The staff are all very welcoming and try to help you feel less nervous, especially if it's your first time. I feel that everyone was very knowledgeable in what they did for the clinic.
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10
10
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
10
I decided to pursue single motherhood shortly before my 36th birthday and Dr. Balthazar has been so encouraging and supportive. As a former surrogate I have worked with top R.E.'s in Los Angeles/Beverly Hills and my experience with Dr. Balthazar is above and beyond. She is so welcoming and upbeat, but also very knowledgeable and capable of delivering the hard facts in a human way without diminishing the accuracy. I am so happy with Dr. Balthazar as a doctor and a person and would recommend her to anyone with the utmost confidence and enthusiasm.
I have no diagnosed or suspected reproductive issues and am using donor sperm from a sperm bank [at Aspire Fertility]. At this time I have 12 follicles and am waiting for ultrasound tomorrow to get my bearings on relative growth and comparative size of follicles... Every e-mail was responded to within 3-4 hours and no phone call went unreturned [by nurse]...I was given a 2nd cycle discount for my Full IVF cycle and opted out of PGS testing which made the expense comparatively reasonable. With meds included I would say the estimated cost for full-IVF with no PGS is around $15K with meds. I will say my workup to determine fertility options before my INVOcell cycle was about $5K out of pocket.
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar is exactly the doctor I needed and never knew. I decided to pursue single motherhood shortly before my 36th birthday and Dr. Balthazar has been so encouraging and supportive. As a former surrogate I have worked with top R.E.'s in Los Angeles/Beverly Hills and my experience with Dr. Balthazar is above and beyond. She is so welcoming and upbeat, but also very knowledgeable and capable of delivering the hard facts in a human way without diminishing the accuracy. I am so happy with Dr. Balthazar as a doctor and a person and would recommend her to anyone with the utmost confidence and enthusiasm.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar is exactly the doctor I needed and never knew. I decided to pursue single motherhood shortly before my 36th birthday and Dr. Balthazar has been so encouraging and supportive. As a former surrogate I have worked with top R.E.'s in Los Angeles/Beverly Hills and my experience with Dr. Balthazar is above and beyond. She is so welcoming and upbeat, but also very knowledgeable and capable of delivering the hard facts in a human way without diminishing the accuracy. I am so happy with Dr. Balthazar as a doctor and a person and would recommend her to anyone with the utmost confidence and enthusiasm.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I am currently in the stim protocol of my 2nd IVF attempt. I did an INVOcell (mini-IVF) attempt with Balthazar initially and had great results, 3 embryos made it to blastocyst, transferred 2, became pregnant with 1 and then miscarried at 6 weeks. I still have 1 frozen, but would ideally like to have 2-3 children so decided to continue on to full-IVF for which I am on the long agonist protocol, with estrogen priming, since I am a bit older, which should yield great results. I have no diagnosed or suspected reproductive issues and am using donor sperm from a sperm bank. At this time I have 12 follicles and am waiting for ultrasound tomorrow to get my bearings on relative growth and comparative size of follicles. Dr. Blathazar is encouraged by the initial appearance and size at baseline so I am very hopeful that this will be my cycle.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy Altamarino)
Amy Altamarino was a very good conduit. Every e-mail was responded to within 3-4 hours and no phone call went unreturned.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Everyone from the front door receptionist to billing is so friendly and I felt connected to each of them and like they were personally invested in my case. I was also familiar with other nurses and felt their attentiveness and sense of duty. I have no negative feedback for this clinic. I do think that each individual pursuing fertility options need to do their own research especially re: PGS testing, ICSI, etc., because as a for-profit clinic there is a bottom line and doctors are going take you at your word without question. If you say you want PGS testing the doctor is going to do PGS testing even though they may not see a need or think it is not the best choice for your specific case. You are best to fully research any and all methods and protocols you are electing and then discuss your personal findings with your doctor to see if it is medically in your best interest. Your doctor is there to meet your requests and offer guidance, not to make your decisions, so just keep that in mind.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I was given a 2nd cycle discount for my Full IVF cycle and opted out of PGS testing which made the expense comparatively reasonable. With meds included I would say the estimated cost for full-IVF with no PGS is around $15K with meds. I will say my workup to determine fertility options before my INVOcell cycle was about $5K out of pocket.
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I want to transfer 2 embryos and my clinic is not questioning or fighting back on that decision which is appreciated. I have carried twins as a surrogate and a singleton and have have 4 embryo transfers with top fertility centers and have only ever had 2 embryos transferred with very mixed results from singleton miscarriage to a healthy live birth of twins, so am willing to accept any associated risks. I am sure my age has a lot to do with it, but I am glad that fighting with the clinic over number of embryos is not something I have encountered.
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10
10
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Tubal Blockage, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
[Dr. Balthazar] is empathetic to understand the pain some have gone through before even getting to a fertility clinic in the first place, like in our situation. Additionally, later in the process, when our first IVF baby died at 10 weeks she stayed behind in our appointment after the nurse (kindly and subtly) encouraged her to keep moving on to the next, and she reached out and held my hand as we faced the next step to have a D&C. That meant a lot to me.
Our clinic [Aspire Fertility/RMA] is overall great. The staff is helpful and cheery and it feels like everyone knows our name! The one downfall to the clinic is the small waiting room. You cannot hide from anyone if you are trying to keep your journey to yourself!...Amy [nurse] is great, and shared with us her cell so we could be in touch after hours if needed. She’s helpful with quick questions and responds quickly...IVF right off the bat was near $30,000, and that got you to your first pregnancy test. Everything after that has been piece-by-piece, and has probably cost near another $10,000, and we’re still going with lots of appointments and meds to go.
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Tubal Blockage, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar is extremely efficient and positive, at all times. Sometimes a little too quick and you might walk out of an appointment wondering what just happened, until it all soaks in. She is good to communicate between office visits via email if questions arise. She does have a heart and is empathetic to understand the pain some have gone through before even getting to a fertility clinic in the first place, like in our situation. Additionally, later in the process, when our first IVF baby died at 10 weeks she stayed behind in our appointment after the nurse (kindly and subtly) encouraged her to keep moving on to the next, and she reached out and held my hand as we faced the next step to have a D&C. That meant a lot to me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Ask questions! And say how you feel! She will talk a lot during your appointments but loves to have a conversation with her patients and wants to understand what YOU feel. Sometimes a gut instinct from the patient is the best guidance, and she will listen to, appreciate, and consider your input to creating your plan.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar has a way of making you feel like you’re her only patient. She has excellent bedside manners and remembers each person by name. She makes you feel like you are her #1 priority.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I have completely blocked tubes so we immediately went to IVF. Dr. Balthazar put us on a programmed cycle with PIO and estrogen via Estrace pills. The embryo implanted but miscarried for unknown reasons at 10 weeks. The second transfer did was a more natural cycle with progesterone inserts and my own estrogen. It looked a lot like an IVF retrieval cycle. This cycle ended as a chemical.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy Altamirano )
Amy is great, and shared with us her cell so we could be in touch after hours if needed. She’s helpful with quick questions and responds quickly.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Our clinic is overall great. The staff is helpful and cheery and it feels like everyone knows our name! The one downfall to the clinic is the small waiting room. You cannot hide from anyone if you are trying to keep your journey to yourself!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
IVF right off the bat was near $30,000, and that got you to your first pregnancy test. Everything after that has been piece-by-piece, and has probably cost near another $10,000, and we’re still going with lots of appointments and meds to go.
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Dr. Balthazar told us from the start that she prefers not to transfer multiple embryos because of the health risk. If we had more embryos left than one, I would probably ask for more than one at the next transfer!
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10
10
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Unexplained
10
10
She [Dr. Balthazar] takes her time to explain and makes sure you understand and are comfortable with what is going on. ... She asks "How are you doing?" and actually wants to know! She has such a positive attitude and demeanor, that is contagious, and I'm sure it positively affects her success rates. Her positive outlook really has made a difference in my outlook, my mood, and experience. At the same time she is realistic with you about what YOU can specifically expect with your situation
Small waiting room [Aspire Fertility/RMA of TX] but never have to wait very long, so that is fine with me! All staff is very attentive and courteous. You can tell they like their jobs and are happy to be there, which makes a difference. Everyone has a positive attitude and so willing to help. ... Lisa was truly amazing. So caring, personable and efficient. Great with communication by phone or email with prompt responses to all questions asked. I always felt comfortable and taken care of, which I think speaks volumes considering I'm a RN myself.
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She takes her time to explain and makes sure you understand and are comfortable with what is going on. She is kind and genuine. She asks "How are you doing?" and actually wants to know! She has such a positive attitude and demeanor, that is contagious, and I'm sure it positively affects her success rates. Her positive outlook really has made a difference in my outlook, my mood, and experience. At the same time she is realistic with you about what YOU can specifically expect with your situation.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Don't wait to see her. Don't see anyone else first. Just go!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She has great bedside manner and you can tell she genuinely cares about you. She is warm, kind, personal, and takes her time. You feel like her only patient when she is with you. She is so positive, yet realistic, which I think makes a huge impact on her success rates.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I was offered to try IUI first or start IVF. We wanted to start least invasive and most natural first. We did 3 cycles of IUI with Clomid, injectables and progesterone for the first 2 and same for last with Femara instead of Clomid. No pregnancies resulted from any of them. I have low AMH (low egg reserve), but she was very pleased that I was making more eggs than expected with each cycle.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Lisa)
Lisa was truly amazing. So caring, personable and efficient. Great with communication by phone or email with prompt responses to all questions asked. I always felt comfortable and taken care of, which I think speaks volumes considering I'm a RN myself. I completely trust her. Literally wish she could be cloned to work at all my doctor's offices! She is fantastic.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Small waiting room but never have to wait very long, so that is fine with me! All staff is very attentive and courteous. You can tell they like their jobs and are happy to be there, which makes a difference. Everyone has a positive attitude and so willing to help.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
IUI about $1200/cycle with meds ranging from $300-1000. Office visits w/ultrasounds $200-300.
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
NA
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Failed to call with results
- Read less
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
10
Dr. Mak is brilliant. Had I listened to her originally I would have been further along in this process. I trust her completely and appreciate her dedication to my case. Not only does she personally respond to e-mails she checks up on you during appointments. She never makes us feel uncomfortable and throughly explains everything. ... We had a minor set back during the mock transfer that is all cleaned up now. I did 3 months on Lupron and now we are ready to start invocell ivf.
Being close to downtown Austin can be intimidating, but parking is free with validation. The clinic staff [Aspire Fertility/RMA Austin] will ensure you have that before you leave. Each member on your way in and out greet you and know you by name despite having so many patients. The facility is warm and welcoming. ... My coordinator Collins has replied to every email and answered every question. She did everything she could to help me work with my insurance. They’re all great people.
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Black or African-American, Middle Eastern
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
10
How was your experience with Winifred Mak at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Mak is brilliant. Had I listened to her originally I would have been further along in this process. I trust her completely and appreciate her dedication to my case. Not only does she personally respond to e-mails she checks up on you during appointments. She never makes us feel uncomfortable and throughly explains everything. It’s also nice that I get to personally see her for my visits rather than being pawned off because she’s a really busy doctor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Winifred Mak at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Be ready to hear the truth and accept it. She has great bedside manner but everything she is telling you is fact and it’s better to absorb than to run from it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Winifred Mak at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
RMA of Austin makes you feel like a person and not like a number. Dr.Mak will personally respond to emails. Her team will talk you through everything and don’t make you feel bad for not being able to afford treatments. They work to find you alternatives instead.
Describe the protocols Winifred Mak used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I haven’t had any cycles yet, but we are in the prep phase. We had a minor set back during the mock transfer that is all cleaned up now. I did 3 months on Lupron and now we are ready to start invocell ivf.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Brittany Cable)
Brittany and Rikki are amazing. They make me feel comfortable even though I ask a million questions. My coordinator Collins has replied to every email and answered every question. She did everything she could to help me work with my insurance. They’re all great people.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Being close to downtown Austin can be intimidating, but parking is free with validation. The clinic staff will ensure you have that before you leave. Each member on your way in and out greet you and know you by name despite having so many patients. The facility is warm and welcoming.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Winifred Mak at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
My invocell is going to be $8600. My past treatments (mock transfer and saline ultrasound) were under $400.
Describe Winifred Mak's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
None. Dr. Mak explained the risks I could face with doing a multiple transfer and I accept that a single is my best route.
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9
9
Age
27 - 35
Treated
2010 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IUI, 1 Egg Freezing, IVF
Diagnosis
—
9
9
Dr. Arredondo will make you feel comforted, welcomed and I. good hands. He does Express the risks and importance of the procedure/risks involved. Only thing I have been unhappy about is how on demand he is needed, maybe a bit more detail would ease the questions all not answered. And I know timing cant be determine, but he hasn't performed any of my transfers so for the second I would have preferred him as I had no rapport with the one scheduled.
The clinic [Aspire Fertility] overall is very pleasant, everyone is welcoming and as a nervous, anxious patient they do help change your mindset to a positive outlook but their weakness would be to slow down a bit, and give details on specific guidelines.... The main injection with progesterone was not given on where to administer; videos were told to review online. We injected as to what was seen on the video and one afternoon we went in for a visit a few days before the pregnancy results; and were told the administration was not in the proper place.
Age
27 - 35
Treated
2010 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Latino
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IUI, 1 Egg Freezing, IVF
Diagnosis
—
9
9
How was your experience with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Arredondo will make you feel comforted, welcomed and I. good hands. He does Express the risks and importance of the procedure/risks involved. Only thing I have been unhappy about is how on demand he is needed, maybe a bit more detail would ease the questions all not answered. And I know timing cant be determine, but he hasn't performed any of my transfers so for the second I would have preferred him as I had no rapport with the one scheduled.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Ask if you could have a bit more detail beforehand and get answers from him directly and not the nurses.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Arredondo is a very welcoming individual and does find his ways to keep you calm (as I'm an anxious person) but I dont like how on the go he is. Sometimes a bit more detail during this time would be much more comforting.
Describe the protocols Francisco Arredondo used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I did an embryo transfer, meds scheduled at specific amounts and times. Now since it had been awhile since I have done so, I was not explained protocol properly which I believe had a bit to do with the negative result in my own opinion.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Erika)
Erika was very passionate as I was a wreck this go around, but the organization needed a lot of work. I had to call for a few things because I was explained at the time of the visit.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The clinic overall is very pleasant, everyone is welcoming and as a nervous, anxious patient they do help change your mindset to a positive outlook but their weakness would be to slow down a bit, and give details on specific guidelines.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I was doing a embryo transfer this go around but it was about $5000 or so unlike the first time $25,000+
Describe Francisco Arredondo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
My first IVF I was much younger and did multiple which resulted in being blessed with My BabyBoy. And the second time a few months ago, he explained only 1 could be used. I extremely did not want that, but he mention the risks if possible twins. And since I still feel at age, I tried to stick to thinking positive. But I could not shake the single transfer decision, and I regret not making it a point that I would prefer that method or go elsewhere.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Read less
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
5
5
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
5
5
He [Dr. Arredondo] took the time to contact you back by email or phone when I had questions, and would explain what he saw or was looking at during the check up appointments once on medications. However, many things he did push off to the nurses to explain more. ... He suggested we do IVF again, or use donor eggs but couldn't pinpoint why my transfer failed. Side note, I have one son who I conceived naturally, had healthy pregnancy, and delivery, so hearing this did not sit well with us. This is when we felt we wanted to switch doctors.
Strengths: clean, friendly staff [RMA of Texas], nurses, and personable, knowledgeable, good and updated equipment Weaknesses: Bad location, rush patients in and out sometimes, didn't like the retrieval and transfer area (too open for all patients to see each other) and didn't have success here with not a lot of feedback after our cycle failed. ... When we switched clinics after our failed cycle, it took them a while (over a week) to fax my paperwork to the new clinic.
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
5
5
How was your experience with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Strengths were he spent a lot of time in our first consultation with us. He was a good communicator for the most part, but we did feel at times we had to pull things out, like he didn't want to tell us everything. Knowing now that IVF isn't a guarantee for pregnancy, we just wanted more reassurance that I was doing everything as right as I could do leading up to, during and after the whole process. Weaknesses were the follow up post failed transfer, which we had to do over the phone, because we didn't get the answers we were looking for. He suggested we do IVF again, or use donor eggs but couldn't pinpoint why my transfer failed. Side note, I have one son who I conceived naturally, had healthy pregnancy, and delivery, so hearing this did not sit well with us. This is when we felt we wanted to switch doctors.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Don't be afraid to ask questions, and be pushy about them if need to, because these clinics assume you know it all and don't offer extra help if you need it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
He took the time to contact you back by email or phone when I had questions, and would explain what he saw or was looking at during the check up appointments once on medications. However, many things he did push off to the nurses to explain more. We live 3 hours away from the clinic (closest one to us) and at the time it was difficult to take an afternoon or day off of work to go to appointments and only be there 20 minutes. There were several times my husband and I thought this is it? We felt rushed in and out and then like we had too many questions on our list to ask. But this was our first time to go through IVF and as much money as we had to pay out of pocket, we wanted to spend time talking with the doctor, the expert in his field, not just the nurse.
Describe the protocols Francisco Arredondo used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I was on agonist cycle and a slow dose, lowest dosage being my first one I guess.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Erica Salgado)
Pretty good job of explaining things by email or phone. Overall, she was good, but would have liked the doctor to explain more and her less.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Strengths: clean, friendly staff, nurses, and personable, knowledgeable, good and updated equipment
Weaknesses: Bad location, rush patients in and out sometimes, didn't like the retrieval and transfer area (too open for all patients to see each other) and didn't have success here with not a lot of feedback after our cycle failed.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Total paid for the IVF cycle : $15,553 (this did not include my first appointment ($325 for ultrasound, etc)
Describe Francisco Arredondo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
He had preference for SET and said I would be lucky to get more.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Read less
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
9
10
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
9
10
Dr. Browne would personally call me to check on me during the injectable stimulation process and also called to give me the results of the PGS testing. ... The only thing I wish was different is I didn't always see her for my checkups during the STIM process and she wasn't the one that did my retrieval. ... Dr. Browne said that if we did PGS testing we could only do single embryo transfer. We didn't when make it to that though.
I visited both the medical center and Stone Oak location [RMA of Texas] based on the day of the appointment. I wish it was more consistent on which doctor I saw for each appointment, but they were all very nice. ... Kristina and the rest of the staff were great communicators and compassionate and informative. ... IVF premium using Capex MD was $22,085.19. I had to finance it through lending club. ...
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
9
10
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Browne was honest and open with me about the process and the chance for success. The only thing I wish was different is I didn't always see her for my checkups during the STIM process and she wasn't the one that did my retrieval.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Be very honest about your fears and if you have any known risk factors (i.e. overweight, smoking, etc.).
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Browne would personally call me to check on me during the injectable stimulation process and also called to give me the results of the PGS testing. Although we didn't have any viable embryos for transfer, she was delicate and understood my frustration and pain. She was also candid and honest in providing me reasons why our IVF cycle may not have been successful and what we could do different with the next cycle.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I did IVF premium with PGS testing. I chose to have PGS testing because I wanted to make sure we transferred an embryo without any of the tested genetic defects. At the time, there was no known egg quality problems so we were more concerned with quantity. It included daily nightly STIM injections with Follistim 150u and Menopur 150u for 7 days. I added Ganiralex the last 3 days in the morning. Then I did the Pregnyl trigger shot. I had a positive beta test and was scheduled for egg retrieval the next day. This yielded 13 eggs, 12 were mature, 6 fertilized. On day 1 and 3 I still had 6 embryos. By day 5 I only had 1 embryo to send for genetic testing. The results came back a week later and it was not viable for transfer. The embryo was mosaic for Turner's syndrome.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Kristina Mendez)
No weaknesses. Kristina and the rest of the staff were great communicators and compassionate and informative.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I visited both the medical center and Stone Oak location based on the day of the appointment. I wish it was more consistent on which doctor I saw for each appointment, but they were all very nice.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
IVF premium using Capex MD was $22,085.19. I had to finance it through lending club.
Describe Aimee Browne's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Dr. Browne said that if we did PGS testing we could only do single embryo transfer. We didn't when make it to that though.
- Read less
9
8
Age
35
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
8
most interactions with Dr. Browne I felt like a human. There was one IUI where I was in a gown waiting for her to come and do the procedure for almost an hour...that time I felt like a number...She was kind, didn't try to rush me, and answered all of my questions. She has a great bedside manner and was encouraging when needed. My reasons for switching doctors didn't have anything to do with Dr.Browne personally.
Overall everyone [at RMA of Texas] was really nice and answered all of my questions throughout the process...Setting up appointments can be tough in the beginning. It wasn't until after I was on a timed schedule that it got easier for me. Also, the other location at Stone Oak was difficult at times. I had more billing issues there than anything else...most interactions with Dr. Browne I felt like a human. There was one IUI where I was in a gown waiting for her to come and do the procedure for almost an hour
Age
35
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Native American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
8
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I was referred to Dr. Browne by a friend and I'm so thankful I for that. It was the first step in the process that led me to where I'm at today. She took the time to walk me through all of my available options. She was kind, didn't try to rush me, and answered all of my questions. She has a great bedside manner and was encouraging when needed. My reasons for switching doctors didn't have anything to do with Dr.Browne personally.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Call right now and make an appointment, you may have to wait a couple weeks to get seen!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
The office itself sometimes made me feel like a number, but most interactions with Dr. Browne I felt like a human. There was one IUI where I was in a gown waiting for her to come and do the procedure for almost an hour...that time I felt like a number.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
My insurance covered 6 IUIs (lifetime), so given IVF isn't covered and I wasn't ready that was the route we chose. She thought there was a chance I had endometriosis, but didn't think it was necessary to address at the time. My husband had slight motility issues, but again nothing dramatic that needed to be addressed. We could have done timed intercourse with Clomid but chose to go straight to IUIs given we'd already had one miscarriage and we weren't getting any younger!
IUI #1: 50mg Clomid for 5 days, trigger shot, insemination at 36 hours post trigger. Failed cycle confirmed via blood test.
IUI #2: 50mg Clomid for 5 days, trigger shot, insemination at 36 hours post trigger. Failed cycle confirmed via blood test.
IUI #3: 5mg Femara for 5 days, trigger shot, insemination at 36 hours post trigger. Failed cycle confirmed after negative HPT and period starting.
IUI #4: 5mg Femara for 6 days, 2 Menopur injections, trigger shot, endometrial scratch, insemination at 24 hours post trigger. Failed cycle confirmed after negative HPT and period starting.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Kristina)
Overall everyone was really nice and answered all of my questions throughout the process.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Setting up appointments can be tough in the beginning. It wasn't until after I was on a timed schedule that it got easier for me. Also, the other location at Stone Oak was difficult at times. I had more billing issues there than anything else.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
My insurance covered most of the IUIs, but had it not I think it would've been around $1200-$1500 per cycle.
Describe Aimee Browne's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
N/A
- Read less
10
9
Age
35
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
9
With our cycle [with Dr. Balthazar] we did a two embryo transfer due to endometriosis and low ovarian reserves...is so kind and has a great bed side manner. Very encouraging and positive through our whole experience. Through our whole process she’s was very straight forward with expectations... With our outcome from our last and from my lab result she did not give us any false hope for a future cycle with my eggs. She answered all our questions for a future cycle and other options we can look into to built a family and still experience the possibility of pregnancy.
While in Amy’s [nurse at RMA of Texas] care she alway went above and beyond for our first cycle. Responds to emails with in 24 hours or less. Very compassionate and listens when there is an issue with medication or even insurance. For our second cycle Rebecca is our nurse and she is also very good with communicating about our care and makes sure all our questions are answered... One weakness I think would be to communication between the staff, sticking with one nurse is best so there familiar with your issues and treatment.
Age
35
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Latino
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
9
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
While in doctor Balthazar’s care she gave us complete honest care. I never felt like we were being steered in the wrong direction, she gave us a lot of hope but at the same time let us know what we may be expecting. Our cycle did end in a chemical pregnancy, when we went in for a follow up her compassionate care ment a lot to us. With our outcome from our last and from my lab result she did not give us any false hope for a future cycle with my eggs. She answered all our questions for a future cycle and other options we can look into to built a family and still experience the possibility of pregnancy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Expect wonderful care
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Doctor Balthazar is so kind and has a great bed side manner. Very encouraging and positive through our whole experience. Through our whole process she’s was very straight forward with expectations.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I already started with diminished ovarian reserves so we started out with 4 shots twic daily, at the end prior to retrieval doctor Balthazar adjust and increase of injection doses. At egg retrieval we only got to eggs as we expect, both fertilized and did a three day transfer ending in a chemical pregnancy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy for my first cycle and Rebecca for my second)
While in Amy’s care she alway went above and beyond for our first cycle. Responds to emails with in 24 hours or less. Very compassionate and listens when there is an issue with medication or even insurance. For our second cycle Rebecca is our nurse and she is also very good with communicating about our care and makes sure all our questions are answered.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Nurses are great with communication, recommendation sticking with one or two nurses if the other isn’t there. One weakness I think would be to communication between the staff, sticking with one nurse is best so there familiar with your issues and treatment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Diagnostic’s, fresh ivf cycle cost,medication cost, acupuncture
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
With our cycle we did a two embryo transfer due to endometriosis and low ovarian reserves.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Lost or damaged samples
- Read less
10
10
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
10
Dr. Balthazar always makes you feel comfortable and remembers things that you have asked or said previously. She makes you feel like she truly cares... I was a bit nervous about the HSG test but with Dr. Balthazar explaining everything I was much more at ease. My wife and I have never felt uncomfortable with Dr. Balthazar, she does not treat us any differently than I feel she would treat a heterosexual couple. Choosing Dr. Balthazar as our RE was the best decision that we have made for our TTC journey.
Lisa [nurse at RMA of Texas] is awesome! She makes sure that she explains everything to us when a new medication is prescribed or when a medication is to be taken. She gives us a schedule for the process and goes over it with us to ensure that we understand everything. She shows compassion and is very easy to talk to...Email seems to be the best way to reach the coordinator. Trying to reach anyone by phone is difficult. I believe sometimes they take longer than I feel they should to return calls. (I do understand that I am not their only patient and that I can sometimes be a little impatient) The staff are all very friendly and helpful!
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European, Native American
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar is kind and shows excitement and empathy where and when needed. Dr. Balthazar gives me a lot of hope when it comes to treatments and options. She explains every step of the process when she is performing procedures, such as with my HSG test, she explained what she was doing, why she was doing it and what she saw. I was a bit nervous about the HSG test but with Dr. Balthazar explaining everything I was much more at ease. My wife and I have never felt uncomfortable with Dr. Balthazar, she does not treat us any differently than I feel she would treat a heterosexual couple. Choosing Dr. Balthazar as our RE was the best decision that we have made for our TTC journey.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Trust her! She is very good at what she does.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar always makes you feel comfortable and remembers things that you have asked or said previously. She makes you feel like she truly cares.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
We went in for a consultation, had a uterine ultrasound performed so that she could be introduced to my uterus and ovaries. Because I have PCOS and my periods are not regular she prescribed me medroxyprogestrone 10 mg twice daily for 5 days to force my period to start. Once my cycle started I came in on day 3-4 to have the HSG test done. She wanted to verify that my uterus was good and that my Fallopian tubes are open. I was instructed to call back once I began my cycle again so that we could began the first IUI cycle. I started my period on my own that month but much sooner than expected, we had not chosen a donor by that time and did not want to rush that process so my wife and I opted to hold off until the following month so that we could get that taken care of. Once again, my cycle did not start when it should have so I was prescribed the same medication as before after a negative pregnancy test was acquired. Once the medicine was complete and my period came we went in for base line testing where an ultrasound was performed to verify that I was in the proper stage to move forward. Dr. Balthazar prescribed me 5 mg of letrozole to be taken at night for 5 nights and scheduled a follow up ultrasound. On the day of the follow up ultrasound she verified that with the help of the letrozole I had one follicle that would be mature enough to move forward with. Dr. Balthazar prescribed me a trigger shot of Ovidrel to be given by my wife at 9:30pm on Wednesday night and IUI was scheduled for 9:30am Friday morning. That was on August 31st. On September 17th I went back in for blood work to see if the procedure resulted in a pregnancy. Unfortunately it did not, but my wife and I were aware of the chances that it would not work.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Lisa Ayala )
Lisa is awesome! She makes sure that she explains everything to us when a new medication is prescribed or when a medication is to be taken. She gives us a schedule for the process and goes over it with us to ensure that we understand everything. She shows compassion and is very easy to talk to.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Email seems to be the best way to reach the coordinator. Trying to reach anyone by phone is difficult. I believe sometimes they take longer than I feel they should to return calls. (I do understand that I am not their only patient and that I can sometimes be a little impatient) The staff are all very friendly and helpful!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I was told that I would have to pay my co pay plus additional cost not covered by insurance each visit. The first 2 appointments I paid my copay plus $96, the first visit and then my copay plus $256 the second visit. Once I received my EOB from the insurance company it showed that I should have only paid the copay. My wife and I figured that they had us pay additional amounts that most insurance companies do not cover. The additional amounts were put back onto our account as a credit. So far we have only had to pay the copay.
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10
10
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Balthazar is friendly and kind. You can tell that she really does want to help you grow your family.... When we came to Dr. Balthazar we had recently had our second miscarriage with no live births. After testing she found I had MTHFR gene mutation, and a high egg count. She addresses the MTHFR with a prescribed prenatal with folate and a baby aspirin a day. She choose a timed intercourse cycle with Clomid
I think my clinic [RMA of Texas] does a great job of making you feel valued. I never feel like a number when I'm there. They call me by my name and they give all the time I need to have my questions answered. They are all very patient and kind. They never make me feel like I'm asking a dumb question or too many questions.... Their one weakness in my opinion is that they do not let you know if you will be seeing another doctor that isn't your doctor.
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar is friendly and kind. You can tell that she really does want to help you grow your family. She does give you all the options and she is honest with you about your chances with each of them. She is smart and experienced, so she’s seen a lot of cases and knows what to do with each of them. She is compassionate as well. When I had my third loss she let my husband and I sit in her office and cry and ask all the questions we had. She never rushed us out or said she needed to go. She just listened and answered. She just makes you feel like you’ve got the champ in your corner that you need in a time like this.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
To ask anything you want to know. Don’t walk away wishing you had asked one more thing. And know that she will be honest with her answers.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She always knew everything going on with me. I never had to re-explain my situation or my history as I had with my OB. She always took as much time as I needed to answer my questions and explain everything in depth to me. I never felt like she was rushing to get me to leave. You can tell she cares about you as an individual.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
When we came to Dr. Balthazar we had recently had our second miscarriage with no live births. After testing she found I had MTHFR gene mutation, and a high egg count. She addresses the MTHFR with a prescribed prenatal with folate and a baby aspirin a day. She choose a timed intercourse cycle with Clomid (25mg the first round and 50mg the second) with an Ovidrel trigger shot each time. She said because of my high egg count the signal from my brain to my eggs may be causing my eggs to go too soon or too late causing them to not be timed correctly and thus the miscarriages. With Clomid we could help one to mature at the correct pace and the trigger shot would tell that egg exactly when to go and that would help address that issue. The first month with this cycle we received a negative pregnancy test. The second cycle we received a positive pregnancy test but my HCG didn’t rise as needed and we lost the pregnancy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy Altamirano)
The entire staff is very patient and kind. From the intake staff to the billing. Everyone explains everything fully and takes the time to make sure you understand it all. My specific nurse is new to me as we won’t start our IVF until May but from what I’ve asked so far she has been very ready and willing to talk with me and answer my questions. I’m looking forward to having her through this cycle.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I think my clinic does a great job of making you feel valued. I never feel like a number when I'm there. They call me by my name and they give all the time I need to have my questions answered. They are all very patient and kind. They never make me feel like I'm asking a dumb question or too many questions. They know my history and I don't have to remind them at any point. Their one weakness in my opinion is that they do not let you know if you will be seeing another doctor that isn't your doctor. They assumed I knew it was my doctor's day off (had go in for a scan during a timed intercourse cycle), and I didn't know I wasn't seeing my doctor until the other doctor walked into my room to do the scan.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I completed all of my fertility testing at this office, which estimated $2000 out of pocket. I also completed two timed intercourse cycles which totaled about $1300 with medications. I have IVF with PGS & an FET scheduled for this summer which will be approximately $26,000 total, with no insurance coverage.
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10
9
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
10
9
Dr. Balthazar takes her time with us. She listens and answers all questions. She is warm and humorous and definitely puts thought into her patients’ care even when they are not directly in front of her.... She explained the protocol she game me and why she selected it based on my diagnosis of DOR. I responded poorly to the first cycle and was oversupressed. The second cycle, I had cysts and was still suppressed from the birth control . Third cycle, everything cleared up and we are attempting an egg retrieval.
Strengths: Schedulers and billing staff [RMA of Texas] are communicative, timely, and so nice. Good hours for working people Weaknesses: Sometimes it hard to get a scheduler on the phone for that initial consult- I played phone tag . But if you leave a message they return it. Once you are an established patient it is much easier.... Amy is very communicative WHEN it is important and/or when she is at the office. Sometimes I would wonder if she got my email but now she acknowledges them and let’s me know that she is not in the office
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
10
9
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Again- Dr. B is warm, humorous, upbeat and able to answer all questions. She explained the protocol she game me and why she selected it based on my diagnosis of DOR. I responded poorly to the first cycle and was oversupressed. The second cycle, I had cysts and was still suppressed from the birth control . Third cycle, everything cleared up and we are attempting an egg retrieval.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Go in with a list of questions. She loves it!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar takes her time with us. She listens and answers all questions. She is warm and humorous and definitely puts thought into her patients’ care even when they are not directly in front of her.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
Cycle 1
Estrogen priming 10-12 days
2 weeks BCP
Stims:
75 Menopur
150 follistim
Letrozole 2.5
Dexamethason
Micro dose Lupron 10 units 2/day
Omnitrope
Pregnyll
Cycle 2 - cancelled
Cycle 3 - same stims but no estrogen priming or BCP
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy)
Amy is very communicative WHEN it is important and/or when she is at the office. Sometimes I would wonder if she got my email but now she acknowledges them and let’s me know that she is not in the office . She sometimes says that she will send in a ( non urgent) script right away, but that doesn’t happen as soon as she made it sound . Over all she is a million times more helpful than the nursing staff at our last clinic.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Strengths:
Schedulers and billing staff are communicative, timely, and so nice.
Good hours for working people
Weaknesses:
Sometimes it hard to get a scheduler on the phone for that initial consult- I played phone tag . But if you leave a message they return it. Once you are an established patient it is much easier.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
IVF with ICSI, hatching and PGS $19,000
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
We have not really discussed this yet- decided to discuss when we see what grade of embryos we are working with.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
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0
0
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Unexplained
0
0
She [Dr. Balthazar] failed to inform me of key information through out my experience. She was abrupt and cut me and my husband off multiple times when we were in the process of asking questions or explaining something. She failed to inform me of my carrier status of a genetic disorder... The treatment she utilized was oral FSH stimulation through the use of Clomiphene, 100mg daily for 5 days, starting on day 5 of the cycle. Her staff did not start me until day 6 of the cycle though.
Some of the staff [RMA of Texas] are very friendly. Amanda C. is very nice and understanding. So is Brianna. The rest of the staff mainly treats you as a number. They perform these tasks on a daily basis and have gone through them thousands of times. It was my FIRST time, and no one took the time to be patient or inform me of all the steps in the process.... $1200 for the IUI without the cost of medication or frozen sperm.
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Latino
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Unexplained
0
0
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She failed to inform me of key information through out my experience. She was abrupt and cut me and my husband off multiple times when we were in the process of asking questions or explaining something. She failed to inform me of my carrier status of a genetic disorder and I believe she did no mention it because she didn't want to have an extensive conversation about the results. She never asked to test my husband, she never brought it up once. I discovered the medical error of omission upon receiving a copy of my laboratory results from the staff.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Take your time. Explain everything. Go through all the options for that particular person. It would have been nice if you would have told me what the reasons are for having a low AMH. And you mentioned that my egg reserve, although low, was still 'good' because I am only 34 yo. That is not entirely the truth, is it? Because there are conditions where the egg quality can reflect the egg reserve. This was never explained to me, therefore I had to go and spend more money on someone else who would.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
THEY FAILED TO INFORM ME I WAS A CARRIER FOR A GENETIC DISORDER.
The quality of staff reflects the standards of the doctors running the facility. That’s where their problems begin.
I felt very rushed through the entire process, like everyone else knew what was going on, but since this was my first time discovering that my husband and I had fertility issues, no one really took the time to really explain the process at each visit. On several visits my husband or I were cut off by Dr. B when we were asking questions or explaining something. By the time we actually got to performing the IUI, I had already had an uncomfortable feeling, but since I had nothing to compare it to, I tried to push it out of my mind.
On the day of my IUI, as you can imagine, I was very nervous. The procedure went well enough, and the MA told me to lay there for 10 minutes to allow the sperm to enter the fallopian tubes. I tried to cover my eyes and I didn’t pay attention to the time because she put an alarm and it would let me know when to get up. I heard the beep and I thought it was early, but I got up and started getting dressed. I was almost finished when I heard another beep and looked at the wall, it flashed 3 minutes and was counting backwards! Apparently, it had a warning bell at 5 min and 7 min. I got scared and went back to lay down on the table, then the 10 min alarm sounded off, and I finally got up. I wish someone had informed me about this, but as with the rest of my experience it had been rushed and there was little attention to detail. I left the room and went to check-out, everything had already been paid for, but I wanted to get a copy of all my lab work to show my PCP. I took the copy and went to my car and looked it over quickly. Right on the first page, there it was, “Carrier For Cystic Fibrosis and CFTR-Related Disorders.” I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was in my car, so I called the office right away on my way home. Perhaps I was misreading the results. I was transferred to the nurse, but she didn’t answer and so I left a message at around 10 in the morning. I finally got home and I emailed a few people in the office to see if any of them would respond. Dr. B didn’t call me back until after 1 pm. Over 3 hours of hell. I was a wreck. Why had no one told me about my carrier status, why had my husband not been asked to get tested as well?? Why did I have to find out about this on the DAY OF MY IUI. The risk of both of us being carriers was very very low, but the risk was still there. I felt like it was going to be a failed attempt due to all the stress right away, and it eventually was. All Dr. B could say was she was sorry and that the Genetic Counselor was supposed to call me 3 months ago when they had the results. Apparently, they tried to call “me” 3 times, but that was incorrect. They had my husband’s phone number because he was the first one to have an appointment at the office. My husband did receive a call and he told me about it, but we had an appointment with the doctor in a few days, so I didn’t think much of it. Dr. B would tell me about whatever they were calling about. WRONG. Why did she tell me about my low Vit D and not the carrier status? All I can think of was she didn’t want to spend the time talking about it because it would have been an extensive conversation. She had treated me nicely through the process, but was not thorough, and that’s what you’re getting with this facility. There were several instances where I felt like I was just being pushed through the system. From the gaps of information and lack of attention to detail. My IUI was not successful and as we all know, stress is a huge factor. They CREATED the stress I endured after the procedure. I refused to go back to get my blood test because I got my period. It was a very painful situation to go through, and I truly believe that I’m not the only one that his happens to, I was just unfortunate to find out.
I had my first meeting today with my new fertility specialist, and she had informed me that starting the clomiphene on day 6 really didn’t do anything to improve my chances. So, when I asked the MA to inform me about the repercussions, and her stating that ‘it’s fine’ was very misleading.
I did ask for my money back because I felt like it was all a waste. Of course, they only gave me back the 160 dollars for the blood test and nothing else.
This place would probably be an acceptable place to go if you have experience with infertility or have already been through the process. If you’re new to it though, you will leave with many gaps in knowledge. I would never go back, nor would I recommend this facility to anyone.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
She never mentioned a particular protocol. The treatment she utilized was oral FSH stimulation through the use of Clomiphene, 100mg daily for 5 days, starting on day 5 of the cycle. Her staff did not start me until day 6 of the cycle though. Three ultrasounds, beginning, middle, after IUI. IUI with frozen sperm after Ovidrel injection.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Lisa Ayala)
She was very short with me and did not give me the full information about procedures. I feel that her attitude and attention to detail is reflected by the standard the Dr. Balthazar sets. She had me starting clomiphene on the wrong day and brushed it off without providing sufficient detail about what the repercussions were. Her only answer to my question was "It's fine."
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Some of the staff are very friendly. Amanda C. is very nice and understanding. So is Brianna. The rest of the staff mainly treats you as a number. They perform these tasks on a daily basis and have gone through them thousands of times. It was my FIRST time, and no one took the time to be patient or inform me of all the steps in the process. I was very disappointed and feel cheated.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
$1200 for the IUI without the cost of medication or frozen sperm.
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I have none.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to call with results
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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10
10
Age
35 - 37
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
10
10
Dr [Balthazar] was always very enthusiastic when she spoke to us. She was always positive but never gave us false hope. She always explained every step of the process. She always made me feel like she knew me personally and was hoping for the best for us. Very friendly....I’m in a same sex relationship. Our choice was for me to carry using my wife’s embryos. We used donor sperm....
[RMA] Strengths-friendly organized clean warm inviting. The only thing I can say was in the beginning they did not explain much to us and we would leave wondering what was next...One thing I greatly appreciated was response time. They always promptly returned emails or phone calls. They always knew what was next and even helped me obtain medication I was not prepared to pay for. Great staff!.. Otherwise I love this clinic, staff and drs. I never felt uncomfortable here and I loved the whole experience.
Age
35 - 37
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Latino
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr was always very enthusiastic when she spoke to us. She was always positive but never gave us false hope. She always explained every step of the process. She always made me feel like she knew me personally and was hoping for the best for us. Very friendly. Best dr I’ve ever encountered.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Trust in the process and the doctors orders. She will do what’s best and not any less. Asking questions is ok. She will will be honest.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Going to this clinic they always knew our story and were always on top of where we were in the process. They are honest and made us feel like they want the best for us. Always felt comfortable.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I’m in a same sex relationship. Our choice was for me to carry using my wife’s embryos. We used donor sperm. My wife had a fibroid that had to be removed first in March 2017. The fibroid was blocking one of her ovaries. Once removed the ovary was visible and not so high up. She started estradiol and CoQ10 to help her egg quality since her AMH was low; that was started in June. Dr said the CoQ10 would help with egg quality and the longer she was on it the better. She then started birth control to control her cycle in July. Fertility meds started in August were Lupron, Follistim and Menopur. That was for about 11 days before egg retrieval. We retrieved 3 mature eggs and only one made it to day five for freezing. I started birth control in September and Lupron injections. I started Estrace in October and my baseline showed that my lining was too thick I believe it was at a 18-19. So we canceled the protocol. I restarted birth control in Nov this time without the Lupron. I did start the Estrace again and continued with progesterone injections, Endometrin doxycycline and Medrol. However in the beginning of Nov I went in to have a hysteroscopy with Dr Balthazar since my lining was so thick and I have heavy cycles. She removed polyps that lined my uterus. Having this done my lining looked a lot better. However the day of the transfer it was still very thick at about 17 or around there. Dr Balthazar advised since we’ve done everything we could do we would move forward with the transfer. Transfer day was Dec 4th and I tested negative Dec 14th. We have a follow up next week.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Rebecca, Inthira and Amy)
One thing I greatly appreciated was response time. They always promptly returned emails or phone calls. They always knew what was next and even helped me obtain medication I was not prepared to pay for. Great staff!
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Strengths-friendly organized clean warm inviting. The only thing I can say was in the beginning they did not explain much to us and we would leave wondering what was next. I understand it’s a process but maybe they should somehow explain that everything will be done in steps and explained as we go. Otherwise I love this clinic, staff and drs. I never felt uncomfortable here and I loved the whole experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The reciprocal ivf cycle cost was $15,950. Mental health counseling was about $150. Medications costs about $7,000.
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
If we would have had more than one embryo to transfer we would have chosen two.
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10
10
Age
37 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
10
All the doctors at the RMA clinic discuss all of their cases, so it was our preference to interact with Dr. Balthazar more than other doctors there. Dr. Balthazar brings a lot of energy to your case. While being realistic with outcomes (she doesn't promise it will work), she is very upbeat and a huge cheerleader for you. She'll let you know if something doesn't look right and explains why she is suggesting a certain protocol. She will know you and your partner by name and does a great job communicating in person and over email.
I went through a lot of procedures with RMA. With each new procedure there was a "discount" that was applied. Once or twice, when I ran out of medication and needed a very small amount to finish my protocol, they were able to provide me with the medication.... Erica [a nurse] was a good communicator and answered our questions during our first procedure. Her communication, management and follow through of our case and protocols steadily declined with each procedure. By the end, I felt like I was managing my own case. Guess she assumed we knew what we were doing, which should never be the case. The fact that we were working with Dr. Balthazar may have also been an issue.
Age
37 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
We initially worked with Dr. Arredondo at RMA-Stone Oak, but had interactions with Dr. Balthazar during some of our visits. After a few procedures with Dr. Arredondo, I asked to be switched to Dr. Balthazar as our main doctor to interact with because she had a much more friendly and positive bedside manner. All the doctors at the RMA clinic discuss all of their cases, so it was our preference to interact with Dr. Balthazar more than other doctors there. Dr. Balthazar brings a lot of energy to your case. While being realistic with outcomes (she doesn't promise it will work), she is very upbeat and a huge cheerleader for you. She'll let you know if something doesn't look right and explains why she is suggesting a certain protocol. She will know you and your partner by name and does a great job communicating in person and over email.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Some people may find Dr. Balthazar's energy overwhelming. She can be loud. However, she is extremely knowledgeable and friendly and will be a champion for you. I highly recommend her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar is a very warm, friendly and enthusiastic doctor. She will call you and your partner by name - and actually knows it, not just from a chart. She knew our case well, indicated that she thought about our case often, and even walked us through her thought process for each procedure. She has a warm, energetic and upbeat bedside manner and is willing to answer any question you have of her. She is also very good at responding to emails.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
We went through three rounds of frozen embryo transfer. I do remember that after our first unsuccessful round, my husband and I saw a news report on ERA testing, which determines an individual's implantation window. We brought it up with Dr. Balthazar at the time and we discussed it. It was a very new test at the time. After discussing it, however, it was determined to not do ERA testing because the protocol recommended was different than the first round. After our failed second frozen embryo transfer, it was decided we should go through the ERA testing. We did the ERA test and it turns out my implantation window was different than when we had been transferring in the past. The third frozen embryo attempt failed as well, so I don't know if the ERA test would have worked in round 2 or not. However, I know that ERA testing is being used quite a bit now at RMA.
My understanding is that doctors don't want patients to go through every single test out there because a lot of the tests may not be needed. Doctors seem to have a process in place for most cases: Try protocol 1 and that works on x% of people. If it doesn't work for you, try protocol 2 and that works for another x% of people. If that doesn't work, try the next protocol...and so on. This is just my observation and from talking to other women going through infertility treatments.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Erica)
I think Erica generally supports Dr. Arredondo, but she continued to support us when we switched to Dr. Balthazar. Erica was a good communicator and answered our questions during our first procedure. Her communication, management and follow through of our case and protocols steadily declined with each procedure. By the end, I felt like I was managing my own case. Guess she assumed we knew what we were doing, which should never be the case. The fact that we were working with Dr. Balthazar may have also been an issue.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
In my opinion, RMA at Stone Oak is the best fertility clinic in San Antonio, based on my experience and talking with other women about their experiences. They are very organized, well-educated, and run a successful clinic. They will be able to answer your questions and give you an honest assessment of potential issues and solutions.
With that said, I feel like lately they are very focused on increasing their volume of patients. They have started running advertisements on television for their clinic and promoting INVOcell. The positive in this is that INVOcell is less expensive and less invasive than other forms of IVF so if you are a candidate, that is great news. But again, it feels like it's becoming more of a competition for largest volume of patients at the clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I went through a lot of procedures with RMA. With each new procedure there was a "discount" that was applied. Once or twice, when I ran out of medication and needed a very small amount to finish my protocol, they were able to provide me with the medication.
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
RMA promotes a single birth as the best possible outcome. They will show you statistics of issues with mom and baby for multiple births. However, at the end of the day, they say that they act as a coach and you as the patient have the final say in how many embryos are transferred. But, I think they limit it to 2 embryos transferred at one time.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
7
8
Age
36 - 39
Treated
2015 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
7
8
Dr. Arredondo runs the RMA clinic and is very knowledgeable on infertility. However, his bedside manner is often lacking. He is very stoic and somewhat removed from the emotional side of infertility. My husband and I saw Dr. Arredondo off and on for 2 years and I don't think he knew our names.... My perception is that Dr. Arredondo is more concerned about obtaining new clients and trying cutting edge technology vs. focusing on quality care of current and recurring clients.
overall the staff is very knowledgeable, friendly and doctors know what they are doing there. Staff is willing to work with you on scheduling as appropriate. The facilities are generally nice and clean. The hours of operation are generally about 7 to 4 or 4:30, so if early morning appointments work for you, this clinic is a good fit. They don't work late in the evenings. RMA also has a Facebook page, which is generally helpful in getting information out about the clinic, staff and events.
Age
36 - 39
Treated
2015 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
7
8
How was your experience with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Arredondo runs the RMA clinic and is very knowledgeable on infertility. However, his bedside manner is often lacking. He is very stoic and somewhat removed from the emotional side of infertility. My husband and I saw Dr. Arredondo off and on for 2 years and I don't think he knew our names. He may have known our faces and case, but not our names. At least he never addressed us by our names. My perception is that Dr. Arredondo is more concerned about obtaining new clients and trying cutting edge technology vs. focusing on quality care of current and recurring clients.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
If you want a lot of interaction with your doctor, a positive bedside manner and to make a personal connection with your doctor, I would not recommend Dr. Arredondo. If you want one of the brightest and creative minds in dealing with infertility and don't mind the issues listed above, Dr. Arredondo is a great choice.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Arredondo is very intelligent and runs the RMA clinic. My husband and I saw him for over 2 years, and I don't believe he knows our names. Our faces maybe, but not names. He has a very neutral, removed bedside manner. I always felt like I had to spit out a question, before he high-tailed it out of the room. With that said, the man is smart and knows what he's doing. However, right now I feel like he is more focused on increasing the number of clients vs. quality and successful care of his current clients.
Describe the protocols Francisco Arredondo used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve. The first round of egg retrieval was very drug heavy with large dosages to see how my body reacted. This resulted in 2 embryos. We did the genetic testing and only one was viable.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Erica Salgado)
Our nurse was Erica Salgado and overall, she was okay at her job. Erica was great at answering questions in person and demonstrating how to use medications and do injections. She also generally had a good, empathetic nature about her. However, she was not very organized. On numerous occasions, I had to reach out to her to ask questions or move to the next step. She often times didn't respond directly, rather another nurse or doctor would follow-up. I felt like I managed my case and Erica was just a coordinator.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I think RMA at Stone Oak is the best place to go for treatment in San Antonio. It has it's pros and cons, but overall the staff is very knowledgeable, friendly and doctors know what they are doing there. Staff is willing to work with you on scheduling as appropriate. The facilities are generally nice and clean. The hours of operation are generally about 7 to 4 or 4:30, so if early morning appointments work for you, this clinic is a good fit. They don't work late in the evenings. RMA also has a Facebook page, which is generally helpful in getting information out about the clinic, staff and events.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Monitoring appointments were pretty quick, easy and painless. They work with you and your schedule to get you in and out as needed.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I went through 4 rounds of IVF at RMA. The first round was the most expensive and likely cost around $25,000 all in. Each procedure after that was significantly discounted.
Describe Francisco Arredondo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Dr. Arredondo's vision of success is ONE healthy child at a time. He is not a proponent of multiple embryo transfers and will show clients the health impact on a mother and fetus for twins and triplets. Under certain circumstances, I'm sure he would allow transferring 2 embryos. However, I doubt he would ever allow more than that.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Provided conflicting information
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
4
3
Age
36
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
4
3
We thought everything was being check with our blood draws and come to find out she [Dr. Skillern] never tested our husband's testosterone levels. We found this out after 2 retrievals and couldn't believe this wasn't done before hand. We wasted two potential cycles and hard earned money as insurance didn't cover IVF. Extremely disappointed.
A year after we were called by RMA that we owe money for the storage of our abnormal embryos, never once contacted about this until they asked for money. It was resolved but couldn't believe it when we got the invoice. They offered us a discount for a third cycle and never discussed time restraints when when asked. We had some unfortunate medical issues arise and we unable to commit until a year after. Now the discount is no longer available! A few months ago it would of cost $3,000 with insurance covering upto $10,000 and we're being told $17,000+ out of pocket.
Age
36
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
—
Occupation
Graphic Designer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
4
3
How was your experience with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
We thought everything was being check with our blood draws and come to find out she never tested our husband's testosterone levels. We found this out after 2 retrievals and couldn't believe this wasn't done before hand. We wasted two potential cycles and hard earned money as insurance didn't cover IVF. Extremely disappointed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I would seek several other opinions before choosing your doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She was always so busy with patients, you only get to talk with her if you schedule an appointment after that you only get to email with your nurse and she's busy too. It's such a stressful experience would have hoped they'd be there for you.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
We had two unsuccessful retrievals when we were trusting in Dr. Skillern to have our best interest at heart. We went to RMA with Male infertility issues and couldn't believe after the two cycles that she never tested my husband's testosterone levels which is a key factor in three success of IVF. We spend over $30,000 without help from insurance and are still trying to work off that debt. A year after we were called by RMA that we owe money for the storage of our abnormal embryos, never once contacted about this until they asked for money. It was resolved but couldn't believe it when we got the invoice. They offered us a discount for a third cycle and never discussed time restraints when when asked. We had some unfortunate medical issues arise and we unable to commit until a year after. Now the discount is no longer available! A few months ago it would of cost $3,000 with insurance covering upto $10,000 and we're being told $17,000+ out of pocket.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
$30,000+ for 2 retrievals
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
7 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
If I had any questions, I was able to email her [Dr. Ursula Balthazar] directly. When I had my chemical pregnancy, she was the one who gave me hope and convinced me to keep trying. When I got pregnant during my 3rd FET and my first beta came back at only 18, she was honest about the chances of a successful pregnancy. During those first few scary weeks of not knowing if I would miscarry, she was with me every step of the way.
I had a lot of problems with my insurance [while being treated at RMA of Texas], mainly because I had 2 policies. Claims were being sent to both companies and coming back as rejected. I had to get into a few heated phone conversations, and I felt at times like things weren't explained to me fully. I'm not sure if this was the fault of the clinic or the insurance company. I was told from the clinic that certain things had been done, but when I talked to the insurance company they claimed the opposite.
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Latino
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
7 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I liked Dr. Balthazar from the moment I met her. She is smart, caring and truly makes you feel like she cares about you. I had just about given up hope of ever getting pregnant and she gave me that hope back. She was honest and explained all aspects of the treatment protocol, including any changes that were made. If I had any questions, I was able to email her directly. When I had my chemical pregnancy, she was the one who gave me hope and convinced me to keep trying. When I got pregnant during my 3rd FET and my first beta came back at only 18, she was honest about the chances of a successful pregnancy. During those first few scary weeks of not knowing if I would miscarry, she was with me every step of the way. She had the perfect balance of being honest and giving me hope.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Don't be afraid to ask questions. She will take the time to answer them and to explain anything you don't understand.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar truly went above and beyond to make me feel like she truly cared about me and wanted my treatment to succeed. She made the effort to get to know me and to make sure that I felt comfortable with every aspect of my treatment.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy )
My nurse was just as amazing as Dr. Balthazar. She got my schedules to me on time, she was always proactive regarding my prescriptions and my insurance. She explained the injections and answered any questions I had. She also made me feel like she truly cared about me.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Overall, I am very happy with the clinic. The staff always made me feel like more than just a number. They knew my name and always greeted me with a smile. I did have a few problems with the insurance coordinator. I had 2 insurance plans, one through my employer and one through my husband's employer. I had to fight multiple times with them to ensure that the claims were processed through the correct insurance. I would suggest to any new patient to make sure you are familiar with your insurance plan. Ask questions. Make sure someone explains things to you. Ask more questions. Do not be afraid to be your own advocate.
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I was always advised that single embryo transfer was the best option for me.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Provided conflicting information
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10
10
Age
39
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
10
Dr Browne spoke to us plainly and honestly. She wanted to truly help and have her plan of treatment -which was also IVF. She provided explanation and when we expressed concern about expenses, she provided options.... Dr Browne truly cared and wanted to help as much as she could. She listened to our concerns about the financial responsibility and provided options. I was actually referred to Dr Browne by a friend of a friend and was bery happy with the referral
The clinic [RMA of Texas] was very organized and in the know. When we were expressing concern about our financial situation and initially only being approved for under half the cost of IVF, ($6500) Dr Browne and colleague offered to us an option that would keep $6000 of the cost in house—with no interest and time to pay the clinic in full. By this Time it had been a few more months, I had undergone the hysteroscopy and we applied again for a loan with same company and we were denied completely.
Age
39
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
—
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
10
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
For all reasons stated in previous question. Dr Browne truly cared and wanted to help as much as she could. She listened to our concerns about the financial responsibility and provided options. I was actually referred to Dr Browne by a friend of a friend and was bery happy with the referral
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
No real advice would need to be given. Dr Browne is a great Dr. Just fill
Recommendations would be given
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr Browne spoke to us plainly and honestly. She wanted to truly help and have her plan of treatment -which was also IVF.
She provided explanation and when we expressed concern about expenses, she provided options. Even that she wanted to start a program that could assist those like us needing it. We were asked if we were interested in speaking to one of the administrators about this option.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
We didn’t get to start a whole lot with Dr Browne. I did go through my second hysteroscopy. Had a $3500 insurance deductible and had 6 months to pay this off with the surgery center. And denied a loan for IVF. Financially, we were unable to move forward.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
We didn’t get too far to really get to know the nurses. However, while at the clinic, I felt they were organized, aware of what was going on and were attentive to our needs
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The clinic was very organized and in the know.
When we were expressing concern about our financial situation and initially only being approved for under half the cost of IVF, ($6500) Dr Browne and colleague offered to us an option that would keep $6000 of the cost in house—with no interest and time to pay the clinic in full. By this Time it had been a few more months, I had undergone the hysteroscopy and we applied again for a
loan with same company and we were denied completely. My husband also was having a difficult time at work (car sales) and we were having a very difficult time financially. I applied for a credit card to help us with IVF before his troubles started at work, but we had to start using it for groceries and paying bills instead. We seemed to be hitting road block after roadblock.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I do not recall the actual breakdown of costs. We didn’t really get to that point.
Describe Aimee Browne's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
No comments
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10
10
Age
37
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Brown took the time to talk with me, explained my options.and realistic results. She took the time to understand my specific situation. ... She has a great bedside manner, explained my options, and her recommendations. She spent plenty of time explaining what the next steps in my fertility journey we're. She also understood my financial concerns and concerns that my husband had as well.
I have nothing but good things to say about RMA. Dr. Brown, the nurses and staff were always friendly, informative, and compassionate. The only reason I switched clinics was to find a clinic that offered ivf at a more affordable price for our budget. Otherwise, I was very impressed with RMA overall. ... Rma at medical center was very friendly, personable and seemed like they really cared about the patients. They were very organized and informative as well.
Age
37
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Latino
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I really liked Dr. Brown. She has a great bedside manner, explained my options, and her recommendations. She spent plenty of time explaining what the next steps in my fertility journey we're. She also understood my financial concerns and concerns that my husband had as well.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I really do not have any advice for any new patients, except that the procedures can be kinda pricey, so do your research for financial resources, but Dr. Brown, and the clinic are amazing!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Brown took the time to talk with me, explained my options.and realistic results. She took the time to understand my specific situation.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I remember that the clinic does not use injectables. She recommended at least 2 more rounds of IUI with an increased dosage of clomid, from 50mg to 100mg. I only produced 1 follicle, and the IUI was not successful for me, but it was a good try, and much more affordable than going straight to ivf for us.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Rma at medical center was very friendly, personable and seemed like they really cared about the patients. They were very organized and informative as well.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I have nothing but good things to say about RMA. Dr. Brown, the nurses and staff were always friendly, informative, and compassionate. The only reason I switched clinics was to find a clinic that offered ivf at a more affordable price for our budget. Otherwise, I was very impressed with RMA overall.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
A cycle of IUI including ultrasounds and labwork was 1300.00, not including meds. Clomid is very inexpensive though. The ivf procedure was I think around 8-10,000, not including meds, which can range from 2,000-4,000.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
30
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
10
10
He [Dr. Arredondo] was compassionate toward us from the get go, and was able to explain technical medical procedures to us in a way that was very clear. There was never a moment we doubted or distrusted him...helped us to see our infertility in a broad spectrum and as needing a long term plan. He reviewed our labs with us thoroughly and patiently. My husband and I are both major question-askers, liking to know every detail, so this was very important to us.
We paid $19,000 through Winn Fertility for our IVF package [at RMA of Texas]. This included IVF cycle, genetic testing, my medicine, one FET, embryo freezing fee for a year, and all appointments within the cycle...RMA is so organized, and does a great job at patient care...The team of doctors and nurses are wonderful and brilliant people...She [nurse] answered my (many) emails quickly and thoroughly. She was so so so kind, and made my husband and I feel truly cared for and cheered for. We are forever thankful for Erica!
Age
30
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr.Arredondo helped us to see our infertility in a broad spectrum and as needing a long term plan. He reviewed our labs with us thoroughly and patiently. My husband and I are both major question-askers, liking to know every detail, so this was very important to us. He was compassionate toward us from the get go, and was able to explain technical medical procedures to us in a way that was very clear. There was never a moment we doubted or distrusted him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Never leave without being clear and comfortable with everything discussed. He is ready to answer anything you are wondering or confused about.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
The first conversation I had with Dr.Arredondo was after a year of discouraging failed treatment with a previous doctor. His passion for patient care was evident from the start, and every appointment with him and his staff would confirm that over our course of the treatment. My husband and I felt known, and our journey felt cared for so thoroughly.
Describe the protocols Francisco Arredondo used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
Freeze all IVF cycle with ICSI. Embryo PGS and FET 3 months later. Menopur, follistim, ganirellix, lupron all used for egg retrieval. Switched to lupron trigger rather than hcg because of OHSS risk. 29 eggs retrieved, which resulted in 11 embryos for PGS. 9 healthy embryos frozen after PGS. We did genetic testing (PGS) but declined to know the embryo genders.
Mild OHSS did occur, and was treated with 10 days lupron and lengthier dose of BC after the retrieval.
Estrodial and progesterone (oil injection) used for successful FET of 1 embryo. Continued daily progesterone through week 13, but switched from injection to suppository at week 8.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Erica Salgado)
I still email her from time to time, and it's been over a year since I "graduated" from RMA. She answered my (many) emails quickly and thoroughly. She was so so so kind, and made my husband and I feel truly cared for and cheered for. We are forever thankful for Erica!
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
RMA is so organized, and does a great job at patient care. We were not expecting this because of our sub-par experience with a previous doctor. The team of doctors and nurses are wonderful and brilliant people.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
We paid $19,000 through Winn Fertility for our IVF package. This included IVF cycle, genetic testing, my medicine, one FET, embryo freezing fee for a year, and all appointments within the cycle. Other appointments were billed to our insurance.
Describe Francisco Arredondo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
We chose to do PGS so that eSET had higher chance of success.
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10
10
Age
39
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
10
I can't say enough good things. She [Dr. Balthazar] was so positive & upbeat. After 2 failed cycles at another clinic in NYC, with no resulting viable eggs and several consultations with other doctors, I had very lottle hope left. Dr. Balthazar believed from the beginning that we could get blasts, even after seeing my previous results. She said there was no reason to believe otherwise & she was right! I got the most eggs I had ever gotten (4- which was great for my diagnosis). She wasn't focused on how few follicles I had, unlike the other doctors. She was focused on the quality of the 4 I had. And we got all 4 & all 4 were mature & all 4 fertilized.
They [RMA]are very friendly and welcoming and warm. The nurses remember you and ask how you are, even if you are like me, not a very outgoing friendly person...[Nurse] Amy was pretty good. When she wasn't out of the office, she got back to me right away and answered the majority of my questions....I think one time my instructions said 1 thing different from what I was supposed to do, I don't remember what it was though & I'm sure it got cleared up right away.
Age
39
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Latino, Native American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 5 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I can't say enough good things. She was so positive & upbeat. After 2 failed cycles at another clinic in NYC, with no resulting viable eggs and several consultations with other doctors, I had very lottle hope left. Dr. Balthazar believed from the beginning that we could get blasts, even after seeing my previous results. She said there was no reason to believe otherwise & she was right! I got the most eggs I had ever gotten (4- which was great for my diagnosis). She wasn't focused on how few follicles I had, unlike the other doctors. She was focused on the quality of the 4 I had. And we got all 4 & all 4 were mature & all 4 fertilized. Every step of the way was an amazing accomplishment. She was always smiling & saying we were going to succeed. No other doctors that I saw were so positive and nice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
To not waste time with anyone else and go straight to her!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I received the best treatment from Dr. Balthazar out of all the doctors I actually saw and all the others I spoke to on the phone. She was the only woman, I don't know if that had anything to do with it. She was more positive & upbeat than any other doctor, by far!
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I don't know the name of the protocol, but it is their diminished ovarian reserve protocol. I think I started with estrogen priming, I know I used birth control after that. I then used Menopur, Follistim and Lupron. Growth Hormone was added later. It was a long protocol, and it worked!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy Altimaro)
Amy was pretty good. When she wasn't out of the office, she got back to me right away and answered the majority of my questions.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
They are very friendly and welcoming and warm. The nurses remember you and ask how you are, even if you are like me, not a very outgoing friendly person.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
It was a little over $13,000 for the entire cycle, including anesthesia, ICSI, retrieval, transfer and a follow up ultrasound or two. Then they started billing insurance for follow ups and I paid my co-pay.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Provided conflicting information
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10
10
Age
29 - 31
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
10
10
My husband & I have been trying to conceive for a total of about 5 years, and the road to starting that family has not been easy. Dr. Balthazar from the start was an extraordinary RE. Our first fresh IVF round took and we were pregnant! Unfortunately at my 8 week sonogram Dr. Balthazar had concerns of our pregnancy being a cornual ectopic. Dr. Balthazar went above and beyond to find the top specialists in San Antonio to give their expertise opinions. When each of them concluded her worst fears, Dr. Balthazar set me up with a world renown surgeon to preform a laparoscopic robotic surgery to remove our pregnancy.
Amy [nurse at RMA of Texas] is an amazing nurse & fertility coach. If I ever have any questions or concerns, Amy is more than willing to help in any way that she can. Amy is an excellent nurse with outstanding bedside manner and excellent patient care...Everyone at RMA is extremely kind and caring...The facility is extremely clean and is in the best of condition! RMA has a comfort feel that isn't found elsewhere. RMA sets the bar for excellent fertility care.
Age
29 - 31
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Latino
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar is an amazing RE. She has a wonderful bedside manner, prestigious professional input in all protocols, quick to answer any questions or concerns, open to patients desires, and she always puts you as her number one priority.
Dr. Balthazar always makes me feel like I am more to her than a patient. She is always so open to understanding your life outside of reproductive medicine. My husband is a frequent international traveler throughout the year, and she always makes sure to find ways to include him in scans, meetings, or appointments. She is always concerned of how I am handling things without him here, especially after the cornual pregnancy and each of our failed FET'S. Dr. Balthazar has become so much more to me than just my RE, she has grown to hold such a special place in my heart. I trust her and know without a doubt she will help get us to where we need to be to get that BFP!!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
The one piece of advice I would give to any future fertility patient (regardless of the doctor) is to go in with questions. Do not rely on Google to answer them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
My husband & I have been trying to conceive for a total of about 5 years, and the road to starting that family has not been easy. Dr. Balthazar from the start was an extraordinary RE. Our first fresh IVF round took and we were pregnant! Unfortunately at my 8 week sonogram Dr. Balthazar had concerns of our pregnancy being a cornual ectopic. Dr. Balthazar went above and beyond to find the top specialists in San Antonio to give their expertise opinions. When each of them concluded her worst fears, Dr. Balthazar set me up with a world renown surgeon to preform a laparoscopic robotic surgery to remove our pregnancy. Dr. Balthazar was beside me every step of the way. Dr. Balthazar visited me in my room prior to my procedure, explained what was going to happen and why. Dr. Balthazar sat in the surgical room with me, and promised they me they wouldn't take the one thing we had prayed so hard for, without being 100% sure that scans were accurate and termination was in fact the right course of action. After the procedure Dr. Balthazar went with the surgeon to talk to my family and explain how the procedure went. After the procedure she followed up with me extremely closely and showed genuine concern for me as not only as a human being, but as a woman. Upon my first set of testings after the removal of our cornual pregnancy, Dr. Balthazar showed as much as enthusiasm as we had to try to get us that BFP! And after both our FET'S ended in negative betas, & our final embryo was used Dr. Balthazar gave me her sincerest of pep talks. Dr. Balthazar is an extraordinary RE, whom saved my life and has given me a fighting chance at motherhood. There are no words that will ever be able to describe my gratitude for Dr. Balthazar and her staff, I have always felt like my husband and I are their number one priority.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
For my fresh cycle Dr. Balthazar placed me on Lupron, Follistim , Menopur, and PIO (I can't remember if I was on Esterase or not). Baseline scans showed 12 follicles. My IVF cycle resulted in 12 eggs retrieved, 11 mature, 11 fertilized, 9 made it to day 3, and 3 made it to day 5 expanding BB blastocysts. For my FET 1 I was on Lupron, Esterase, Doxycycline, Medrol, and PIO. For FET2 I was on Esterase, Doxycycline, Medrol, and PIO.
Due to my husbands international travel we used a frozen sample from him.
Throughout it all I have taken 2000IU of Vitamin D3 and a prenatal. Prior to egg retrieval I was placed on CoQ10 600mg.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy Altamirano)
Amy is an amazing nurse & fertility coach. If I ever have any questions or concerns, Amy is more than willing to help in any way that she can. Amy is an excellent nurse with outstanding bedside manner and excellent patient care.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Everyone at RMA is extremely kind and caring. Employers always ensure that you have the absolute best care. The facility is extremely clean and is in the best of condition! RMA has a comfort feel that isn't found elsewhere. RMA sets the bar for excellent fertility care.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Roughly $30,000 for everything. Insurance did not cover any testings, cycle or prescriptions.
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
N/A
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9
8
Age
44
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
9
8
I found Dr Brown, down to earth and genuine and the fact that she had had her own experiences with infertility and shared this with me made me feel at ease. I found her examinations of infertility to be very thorough and she discussed the results and explained our options which made me feel less stressed. She answered everything we asked very patiently.... She explained that I would receive a complete blood history diagnosis for my egg reserves and hormone levels and any other health issues that I may not know of.
The staff [RMA of Texas] are friendly. They dont keep you waiting too long to see the doctors. A weakness is that it is very difficult to get hold of the doctor to speak with her or get a message to her. And to get a response.... I found some of the nurses in the financial department to be not very clear at communicating clearly about the costs expected from me. I found some nurses not very enthusiastic or clear in communicating certain procedures I was to experience.
Age
44
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 4 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
9
8
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She had her own story. (with infertility). She shows compassion and empathy.She took the time to explain the results from the testing and she explained what the next steps would be. I felt positive after my experience with her. She was helpful and provided referrals for my husband and his issue.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
A lot of your questions will be answered and you will feel less stressed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I found Dr Brown, down to earth and genuine and the fact that she had had her own experiences with infertility and shared this with me made me feel at ease. I found her examinations of infertility to be very thorough and she discussed the results and explained our options which made me feel less stressed. She answered everything we asked very patiently.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
She explained that I would receive a complete blood history diagnosis for my egg reserves and hormone levels and any other health issues that I may not know of. She said this is a standard protocol. The next strategy was a call from the clinic to come in for an examination procedure and to get my tubes checked to see if their was a blockage. The next strategy is, I was called in to for a procedure to get my uterus checked. (This was administered by Dr Arrendando in the same clinic.) The results were positive.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I found some of the nurses in the financial department to be not very clear at communicating clearly about the costs expected from me. I found some nurses not very enthusiastic or clear in communicating certain procedures I was to experience. On the other hand I found the lead nurses to be very effiecient and aware of where I was in the phases of my treatment and they kept in contact with me.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The staff are friendly. They dont keep you waiting too long to see the doctors.
A weakness is that it is very difficult to get hold of the doctor to speak with her or get a message to her. And to get a response.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Extemely high.
Describe Aimee Browne's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Ihave no comments on this as I have not experienced this.
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8
9
Age
36
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 3 IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
8
9
My husband and I both felt very comfortable with Dr Arredondo from the initial consultation throughout our years of treatment. His passion and knowledge was very evident!! We loved how easy it was to just sit and ask questions... Because his main office is in San Antonio, we did not see him at every appointment but we had equally great interactions with other doctors in his practice!
The staff at RMA felt like a true team! There were many moving parts to our particular situation with using adopted embryos and we felt well informed and guided through many unknowns!!... I like the location of the office and that the appointments have always been on time. The RMA team is professional and personal! To a new patient, I would say to have a consultation with more than one doctor and find who you feel connected to because that dynamic is very personal.
Age
36
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 3 IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
8
9
How was your experience with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
My husband and I both felt very comfortable with Dr Arredondo from the initial consultation throughout our years of treatment. His passion and knowledge was very evident!! We loved how easy it was to just sit and ask questions...and felt like his questions to us were not just clinical but really covered emotional, financial, relational topics as well! Because his main office is in San Antonio, we did not see him at every appointment but we had equally great interactions with other doctors in his practice!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
If it is important to you to see the same doctor at every appointment, you may want to travel to San Antonio to see Dr. Arredondo or choose another doctor at RMA who is always in Austin! We also fell in love with Dr. Skillern, who did our embryo transfer and who will do our next transfer as well!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
The staff at RMA felt like a true team! There were many moving parts to our particular situation with using adopted embryos and we felt well informed and guided through many unknowns!!
Describe the protocols Francisco Arredondo used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
With our embryo transfer, we wanted to try a natural cycle because I had taken many medications in previous fertility attempts. He and his staff were supportive in our wishes but also advised and encouraged when to deviate from our original plan, such as the need for progesterone after the transfer!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Inthira-coordinator)
I never had a negative experience with any care at RMA! When facing challenges getting our embryos transported from Houston to Austin, as well as getting my thyroid medication dosage just right, our transfer was delayed many times. It was frustrating and emotional, but I never felt like I was tackling it on my own! My coordinator, Inthira, was so positive and was in constant communication! She felt like a true friend, helping me figure it all out!
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I love RMA and am so thankful for how they walked through disappointments and heartbreak as well as dreams coming true for our family! I like the location of the office and that the appointments have always been on time.
The RMA team is professional and personal! To a new patient, I would say to have a consultation with more than one doctor and find who you feel connected to because that dynamic is very personal.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
IVF $15,000
Embryo Transfer/meds $6,000
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Lost results
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10
10
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Male Factor, Unexplained
10
10
Clear communicator, intelligent, empathetic, knowledgeable and genuine...I knew that I could reach out to him [Dr Francisco Arredondo] if I needed anything or felt I had substandard care. Luckily, that never happened. He spoke to my husband and I in a very direct and professional manner, addressing concerns about our infertility. Hemade a plan, stuck to it and the result was pregnancy.
They [staff at RMA of Texas] knew my name, held my hand, made it personal at every interaction. From the nurses and doctors to all the office staff, I was more than just another case. My recommendation is for there to be a patient portal to view cycle plans, ask questions, see lab results or communicate with anyone on the staff...I have had a rocky road with the billing and insurance process, not at the fault of the clinic, but with the insurance paying claims timely.
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Latino
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Male Factor, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Clear communicator, intelligent, empathetic, knowledgeable and genuine. He was a man first, and wanted to know about every aspect of my worklife, social life and health.
I knew that I could reach out to him if I needed anything or felt I had substandard care. Luckily, that never happened.
He spoke to my husband and I in a very direct and professional manner, addressing concerns about our infertility. Hemade a plan, stuck to it and the result was pregnancy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Trust the process!!!! It may be long, but if you trust in it, the results speak for themselves.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
They knew my name, held my hand, made it personal at every interaction. From the nurses and doctors to all the office staff, I was more than just another case.
Describe the protocols Francisco Arredondo used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
Stimulation was lupron, menopur ganirelix and lupron trigger. 30 eggs retrieved, 20 fertilized, 6 made it to day 5 for biopsy.
Fet was long lupron cycle, estrace and endometrin. Transferred 1 and positive bloodtest 2 weeks later
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: erica)
Beyond compare!!!The epitome of exceptional care and dedication. They were thorough, empathetic and informative every step of the way
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
My recommendation is for there to be a paitient portal to view cycle plans, ask questions, see lab results or communicate with anyone on the staff
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Convenient and very organized. Always have time slots available for me to fit into my morning
Describe the costs associated with your care under Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I have had a rocky road with the billing and insurance process, not at the fault of the clinic, but with the insurance paying claims timely. Up front costs were reasonable and paid automatically from my hsa. Claims had to be reevaluated with the insurance to hit the correct fertility coverage, and the clinic constantly worked with me.
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10
10
Age
30
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other, Unexplained
10
10
Aimee Brown is patient and understanding. She is knowledgeable and professional. I have a uterine anomaly and she was professional in discovering this while also being realistic about how that has been affecting our chances. She had a clear plan moving forward. ... she explained everything very clearly on a medical level and a layman level. My husband and I both appreciated that. She wanted to reallly get to the root of the problem and she was encouraging and positive. ...
We switched because they only do FET. We wanted to try fresh. It made us nervous because sometimes you may not have any to freeze but you could have transferred a day 3...while at RMA [of Texas] you couldn’t. Knowing nothing about how I would atom or my egg quality etc, we wanted to at least have the option of a fresh cycle. In retrospect, the only cycles that ever got positive pregnancy tests were FET. So maybe they’re on to something.
Age
30
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 4 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Aimee Brown is patient and understanding. She is knowledgeable and professional. I have a uterine anomaly and she was professional in discovering this while also being realistic about how that has been affecting our chances. She had a clear plan moving forward.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Be patient with the process. She is worth the time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She was very caring and patient and as this was our first real experience in seeking fertility treatment, she explained everything very clearly on a medical level and a layman level. My husband and I both appreciated that. She wanted to reallly get to the root of the problem and she was encouraging and positive.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
She was considering doing surgery to fix my uterus shape but my particular shape cannot be fixed with surgery. We did our entire work up with her and because we felt restricted (by insurance ) on time, we transferred to a different clinic that would do fresh transfers; RMA only does frozen.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were organized and compassionate. They were working hard but kind and had time to answer any questions or track down the doctor or paperwork needed. They all work well as a team and it seemed a good work environment for them too.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
We switched because they only do FET. We wanted to try fresh. It made us nervous because sometimes you may not have any to freeze but you could have transferred a day 3...while at RMA you couldn’t. Knowing nothing about how I would atom or my egg quality etc, we wanted to at least have the option of a fresh cycle. In retrospect, the only cycles that ever got positive pregnancy tests were FET. So maybe they’re on to something.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I don’t remember. I’m sorry.
Describe Aimee Browne's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
N/A
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10
10
Age
28
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Skillern is not the most touchy-feely, but she is very honest and pretty easy to talk to. She was completely up-front with us from the get-go, and seemed to communicate with myself and my husband as equals. Also, did every appointment except for blood draws, and was always willing to answer a call or email if I had questions...I always felt like a human, the practice seemed relatively small, never a long wait or crowded waiting room, and the doctors, nurses, and staff were always warm and friendly and answered any questions I had quickly and thoroughly...
The [RMA - Austin] clinic is small and cozy. It is well decorated and relaxing and there was never more than one other person in the waiting room in all my visits. Also I never waited more than 5 minutes for an appointment and the doctor was never double-booked for an appointment time (unlike other clinics in town we tried). The clinic staff is also well organized and easy to deal with in case of insurance issues or other admin questions...
Age
28
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Skillern is not the most touchy-feely, but she is very honest and pretty easy to talk to. She was completely up-front with us from the get-go, and seemed to communicate with myself and my husband as equals. Also, did every appointment except for blood draws, and was always willing to answer a call or email if I had questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I always felt like a human, the practice seemed relatively small, never a long wait or crowded waiting room, and the doctors, nurses, and staff were always warm and friendly and answered any questions I had quickly and thoroughly.
Describe the protocols Amanda Skillern used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I used the antagonist protocol, with a couple weeks of birth control pills before starting stims. Because of my large follicle count, and risk of OHSS, we planned a freeze-all cycle from the beginning. I started off with relatively conservative dosage amounts of Menopur and Follistim and did reduce as we moved forward. Also, since we did a freeze-all, I triggered with Luperon instead of HCG. I started with 24 eggs retrieved, 20 were mature, and 17 fertilized with ICSI. After six days, I had six remaining embryos for transfer. I was able to transfer my next cycle, after a hysteroscopy to double-check my uterus. Because of the grades of my embryos, we transferred one and it was successful.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I had one primary nurse who took care of my case and scheduling, she was very organized and good at explaining all the steps. She was also very thorough at our IVF class where we discussed my calendar and medications. Also, the rest of the staff including the other nurses and those who took blood and helped out with my retrieval and transfer were great. They make you feel welcome and I remember during my transfer having nearly all the nurses who worked with me while I was being treated in the room keeping my company and wishing me well.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The clinic is small and cozy. It is well decorated and relaxing and there was never more than one other person in the waiting room in all my visits. Also I never waited more than 5 minutes for an appointment and the doctor was never double-booked for an appointment time (unlike other clinics in town we tried). The clinic staff is also well organized and easy to deal with in case of insurance issues or other admin questions.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Unfortunately I did not have insurance coverage for IVF. The clinic offers a service that provided a "bundle price" for the procedure plus medications that was lower than the "list price." For all meds, plus IVF, plus a frozen transfer I paid roughly $16,000. The clinic does a good job billing what they can to insurance and they helped me out writing care summaries and letters to insurance to get me a couple claims covered that were originally denied.
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10
10
Age
25
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
10
She [Dr Balthazar] also will express her concerns openly, but in a gentle and caring manner. For us, her concern was the possibility of having multiples. She did everything in her power to make sure we were able to get pregnant with the singleton that we so wanted....Since I have PCOS, Dr. Balthazar had to find a way to make me ovulate. She took a look at my ovaries via an internal sonogram and showed my husband and I my "classic" case of PCOS. Since I am still young, she didn't feel like Clomid would be effective. The side effects can be harsch and she didn't think it would be worth it. After having my Hysterosalpingogram to see that my fallopian tubes were open and functioning (as well as my husband having his sperm checked to ensure that he was not part of the issue) and a variety of blood tests, she prescribed a 5 day long dose of Letrozole. She explained possible side effects but I chose to take the drug at night, before I went to sleep, to avoid any nausea. I had absolutely no side effects from taking the drug. I went back to the clinic about 10 days later for my second internal sonogram and the drug had worked. I had 4 potential eggs that could "win out" and be ovulated that month. This was good news and bad news for Dr. Balthazar. She brought me back in about 4 days later to check via internal sonogram to make sure it would be safe to try to conceive. Fortunately, only 2 follicles had finished maturing and would be ovulated. She had me use an at home ovulation kit to determine the exact day that my husband and I would need. This was also a money saving factor- my insurance did not cover any treatments. About 2 weeks later, an at home pregnancy test (also to save money) revealed that I was pregnant after only one round of Letrozole. Again, since I am only in my 20's and to save money, Dr. Balthazar had me follow up with my own OB-GYN since those visits would be covered by insurance. I was sad to no longer be working with her, but my husband I look forward to seeing her again when we want to have a second child.
Every single nurse [at RMA of Texas] is quite possibly the friendliest person you've ever met. They all have impeccable bedside manner. They are kind and compassionate and not the slightest bit judgmental as you proceed through what can be a very embarrassing and personal time in your life....The clinic is clean, modern, and a one stop shop. You can get everything you need taken care of in one place. I didn't have to leave to go anywhere else for bloodwork, the Hysterosalpingogram, or anything else. Everyone you encounter is friendly and there to help you, even if you are not under their care specifically. The wall of baby footprints from successful fertility treatments at RMA sent a wave of hope over my husband and I. The chalkboard wall where you can write why you are there is wonderfully inspirational to people who are struggling for something as "simple" as having a baby.
Age
25
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar explains everything in a way that people who aren't physicians can understand. She helps to create a plan with you and your spouse that suits your needs, your desired outcomes, and what you are comfortable with in terms of invasive fertility treatments. She also will express her concerns openly, but in a gentle and caring manner. For us, her concern was the possibility of having multiples. She did everything in her power to make sure we were able to get pregnant with the singleton that we so wanted.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
If you are searching for a doctor who is compassionate and who is going to guide you through this tough patch with grace and humor, Dr. Balthazar is the fertility doctor for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar understood that our desire was to start a family. She made us feel like our case was a priority to her. At our initial appointment, we got answers and the prescriptions we needed. There wasn't any hassle to it, and she didn't seem the least bit inconvenienced. She took her time explaining everything to us and never made us feel like anything was wrong with us because we couldn't get pregnant on our own.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
Since I have PCOS, Dr. Balthazar had to find a way to make me ovulate. She took a look at my ovaries via an internal sonogram and showed my husband and I my "classic" case of PCOS. Since I am still young, she didn't feel like Clomid would be effective. The side effects can be harsch and she didn't think it would be worth it. After having my Hysterosalpingogram to see that my fallopian tubes were open and functioning (as well as my husband having his sperm checked to ensure that he was not part of the issue) and a variety of blood tests, she prescribed a 5 day long dose of Letrozole. She explained possible side effects but I chose to take the drug at night, before I went to sleep, to avoid any nausea. I had absolutely no side effects from taking the drug. I went back to the clinic about 10 days later for my second internal sonogram and the drug had worked. I had 4 potential eggs that could "win out" and be ovulated that month. This was good news and bad news for Dr. Balthazar. She brought me back in about 4 days later to check via internal sonogram to make sure it would be safe to try to conceive. Fortunately, only 2 follicles had finished maturing and would be ovulated. She had me use an at home ovulation kit to determine the exact day that my husband and I would need. This was also a money saving factor- my insurance did not cover any treatments. About 2 weeks later, an at home pregnancy test (also to save money) revealed that I was pregnant after only one round of Letrozole. Again, since I am only in my 20's and to save money, Dr. Balthazar had me follow up with my own OB-GYN since those visits would be covered by insurance. I was sad to no longer be working with her, but my husband I look forward to seeing her again when we want to have a second child.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Every single nurse is quite possibly the friendliest person you've ever met. They all have impeccable bedside manner. They are kind and compassionate and not the slightest bit judgmental as you proceed through what can be a very embarassing and personal time in your life.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The clinic is clean, modern, and a one stop shop. You can get everything you need taken care of in one place. I didn't have to leave to go anywhere else for bloodwork, the Hysterosalpingogram, or anything else. Everyone you encounter is friendly and there to help you, even if you are not under their care specifically. The wall of baby footprints from successful fertility treatments at RMA sent a wave of hope over my husband and I. The chalkboard wall where you can write why you are there is wonderfully inspirational to people who are struggling for something as "simple" as having a baby.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
We spent $700 total for the Hysterosalpingogram, blood work, sperm analysis, 3 internal sonograms, and 3 separate appointments where we were seen by Dr. Balthazar each time.
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10
10
Age
33
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Balthazar has been wonderful and extremely supportive through the process.... She has been very supportive and optimistic while being honest about expectations. When I was expected to miscarry, she was honest with me about what to expect. She did not give me false hope, but was willing to wait and not force me into a decision until we had all of the information. She explained everything through the process and was supportive.
The clinic staff [Aspire Fertility] is compassionate and always kind while speaking and interacting with you. I had some difficulty with a lab draw when a Nerve was hit, but otherwise my physical care has been well. There was a little difficulty getting in contact with staff sometimes, but they are much faster and more accessible than any other doctor’s office I’ve been to. The traffic is a little difficult around the clinic, but otherwise the location is easy to get to.
Age
33
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She has been wonderful through the experience. She has been very supportive and optimistic while being honest about expectations.
When I was expected to miscarry, she was honest with me about what to expect. She did not give me false hope, but was willing to wait and not force me into a decision until we had all of the information. She explained everything through the process and was supportive. She genuinely seems invested in helping you have a baby.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar has been wonderful and extremely supportive through the process. She and her team have a wonderful energy that helps keep you optimistic while being realistic of what to expect.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The clinic staff is compassionate and always kind while speaking and interacting with you. I had some difficulty with a lab draw when a Nerve was hit, but otherwise my physical care has been well.
There was a little difficulty getting in contact with staff sometimes, but they are much faster and more accessible than any other doctor’s office I’ve been to.
The traffic is a little difficult around the clinic, but otherwise the location is easy to get to.
You don’t feel like just a number or that you are being run through a system. They’re fast, but take the time to talk with you, make sure you understand and are comfortable with everything .
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The costs were very clear and known before you started
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
It was suggested that we use eSET and the rational was understandably explained to us.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Lost or damaged samples
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10
10
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
PCOS, Unexplained
10
10
While we are still in the middle of our treatment I know without a doubt that Dr Balthazar is doing what she feels is the absolute best for my husband and I as we seek to grow our family. I have appreciated her openness, her hopefulness, but more than anything I have appreciated her honesty. ... She really encouraged us to talk about our options and to grieve the loss when we had a miscarriage as well as the very hopeful for the future.
My husband and I have really enjoyed, which is a lot to say during this time the staff Aspire. They know what people are going through and I’ve felt like their priority when I’m there. They are kind, informative and always smiling. ... [Nurse] Amy was wonderful and very through in explanations. ... All the medications that we used she [Dr. Balthazar] walked us through them and had her nurse and fertility Coach Amy give us a class on how to use and when to use as well as the calendar.
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
PCOS, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
While we are still in the middle of our treatment I know without a doubt that Dr Balthazar is doing what she feels is the absolute best for my husband and I as we seek to grow our family. I have appreciated her openness, her hopefulness, but more than anything I have appreciated her honesty.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
To not be afraid to ask Questions, to advocate for your needs and what you feel might be best for you and your family. She really likes to hear your perspective and your thoughts so be prepared to have thoughtful discussions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I truly felt from the moment I met Dr. Balthazar that she cared about my husband and I. She really encouraged us to talk about our options and to grieve the loss when we had a miscarriage as well as the very hopeful for the future.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
We are still in the process of stims. All the medications that we used she walked us through them and had her nurse and fertility Coach Amy give us a class on how to use and when to use as well as the calendar.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy )
Amy was wonderful and very through in explanations.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
My husband and I have really enjoyed, which is a lot to say during this time the staff. They know what people are going through and I’ve felt like their priority when I’m there. They are kind, informative and always smiling.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
20,000 for premium IVF.
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
No comment yet.
- Read less
9
9
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
PCOS
9
9
Dr. Brown has excellent bedside manner. Really jumps in, and gets to figuring out what’s going on. I thought my first appointment was just a consult, but she did an exam, and much more. I felt at ease with Dr brown. She has lots of accolades around the office of articles she has published and magazines that have write ups about her. Her office is warm and welcoming, dimmed lighting, soft music. It’s a comforting place to be when dealing with infertility. Which already takes such a toll on you emotionally.
You may have to wait in the lobby longer than your appointment time [at Aspire/RMA of Texas-SA]. But that’s pretty typical for a doctors office. And really I only waited at the consultation appointment. Every other appointment I was seen quickly. The staff You do check out with is not as warm as the others, I feel.... The nursing staff was kind, warm and welcoming. Extremely compassionate.
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
PCOS
9
9
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Brown has excellent bedside manner. Really jumps in, and gets to figuring out what’s going on. I thought my first appointment was just a consult, but she did an exam, and much more. I felt at ease with Dr brown. She has lots of accolades around the office of articles she has published and magazines that have write ups about her. Her office is warm and welcoming, dimmed lighting, soft music. It’s a comforting place to be when dealing with infertility. Which already takes such a toll on you emotionally.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Maybe to do research on the price of things... everything at the clinic is great. They explain things very thoroughly and I would give you the advice to go see Dr Brown!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
We were taken into Dr. Brown’s office, which felt a little more personable than sitting in an exam room. She showed a power point presentation that covered costs and statistics of different treatments. She was very warm, shared about her own experiences with infertility. Showed compassion when it was needed.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The nursing staff was kind, warm and welcoming. Extremely compassionate.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
You may have to wait in the lobby longer than your appointment time. But that’s pretty typical for a doctors office. And really I only waited at the consultation appointment. Every other appointment I was seen quickly. The staff You do check out with is not as warm as the others, I feel.
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0
0
Age
37
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
0
0
Despite being diagnosed with fibroid (which are a KNOWN cause of infertility), she [Dr. Amanda Skillern] wanted us to move forward with IUI or IVF. I asked about surgery to remove them to which she replied, "No, we'll leave them in. That would be a bloody mess." She only wanted money from us and didn't care about the outcome.... She was candid about me having fibroids but completely focused on getting us to move forward with IUI or IVF. She never provided any other alternatives and was just matter of fact in saying that I had "unexplained infertility" -- which was most definitely not the case after a second opinion
They [Aspire/RMA of TX] don't provide you much information, even if you ask for it regarding IUI or IVF pricing and procedures. That's a huge life decision that you don't just jump into blindly. After two weeks of calling every other day, the info they provided was only high level pricing and zero details. They need to get their stuff together!... When seeking a second opinion, a records request was sent 3 weeks in advance. My new doctor never received any records. While sitting in the doctors office, we called them about this and they blatantly lied to us telling us it had been sent, but they'd send it over now. Still to this day, it was never received by the new doctor.
Age
37
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Latino
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
0
0
How was your experience with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She was candid about me having fibroids but completely focused on getting us to move forward with IUI or IVF. She never provided any other alternatives and was just matter of fact in saying that I had "unexplained infertility" -- which was most definitely not the case after a second opinion. She's a second rate doctor that should find another profession.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Go somewhere else and don't waste your time with her!! She's awful!!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Despite being diagnosed with fibroid (which are a KNOWN cause of infertility), she wanted us to move forward with IUI or IVF. I asked about surgery to remove them to which she replied, "No, we'll leave them in. That would be a bloody mess."
She only wanted money from us and didn't care about the outcome.
Describe the protocols Amanda Skillern used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
N/A
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were very nice, but not organized. I got passed off to 3 different nurses for a simple blood draw. VERY weird!!!!!
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
They don't provide you much information, even if you ask for it regarding IUI or IVF pricing and procedures. That's a huge life decision that you don't just jump into blindly. After two weeks of calling every other day, the info they provided was only high level pricing and zero details. They need to get their stuff together!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Initially just copays. But ended up having to pay out of pocket because they fraudulently coded my consultation as "infertility". All I went to them for was diagnostics!!! She never did ANY procedures or treatments on me.
Describe Amanda Skillern's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
N/A
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Read less
10
10
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
10
10
She [Dr. Ursula Balthazar] has the best bedside manner and makes it feel like you are a friend or family member that she is treating... Pretty standard big treatment for egg retrieval. Lining was too thick so fresh transfer was cancelled and did a frozen. After the first failed transfer I had a surgery to check my uterus for any abnormalities as well as switched to estrogen patches which resulted in a positive pregnancy test
Amy [a nurse at RMA of TX-San Antonio] was amazing! She gave me her personal cell phone number so that if I had any crazy questions about injections or medication. I could get a hold of her after hours... The one thing about the clinic that I would change is the waiting room it just seems a little dated and unorganized but behind the scenes it is opposite. The staff is beyond amazing and once you start you injection etc you rarely have to wait for blood work and appointments
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
The sweetest doctor she has a way of making this difficult experience seem so easy and has a way of getting you excited for each step. She has the best bedside manner and makes it feel like you are a friend or family member that she is treating
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Ask questions she will be very upfront with the answers and any potential complications or setbacks
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
The one thing that made me felt like a human was when the first cycle failed Dr. Bahltazar called me directly to give me the news and y’all through what her plan was
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
Pretty standard big treatment for egg retrieval. Lining was too thick so fresh transfer was cancelled and did a frozen. After the first failed transfer I had a surgery to check my uterus for any abnormalities as well as switched to estrogen patches which resulted in a positive pregnancy test
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy)
Amy was amazing! She gave me her personal cell phone number so that if I had any crazy questions about injections or medication. I could get a hold of her after hours
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The one thing about the clinic that I would change is the waiting room it just seems a little dated and unorganized but behind the scenes it is opposite. The staff is beyond amazing and once you start you injection etc you rarely have to wait for blood work and appointments
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I was very lucky to have amazing insurance coverage but out of pocket medications and all it is close to 5k
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I was only able to transfer one embryo due to having a unicornuate uterus and insurance coverage
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Provided conflicting information
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6
4
Age
40
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
6
4
I was shown a power point and talked to like everyone else. My age was a big factor and that was something that was brought up repeatedly even though my numbers all looked fine.... Aimee Brown was very personable and explained everything very clearly but again I felt like a number instead of an individual.... The strategy was to do an IUI a couple of times with clomid than a trigger shot for insemination.
Everyone is very nice but again they [RMA of Texas] show you a PowerPoint and it’s just not personable. The doctor is very personable it’s almost like she is forced to show this PowerPoint. I wish they looked at me as individual instead of someone who was older and there was only IVF as an option.... Everything was paid by me my insurance didn’t cover anything. The IUI was about $1000 and the shot was $100.
Age
40
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
No
Race
East Asian
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
6
4
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Aimee Brown was very personable and explained everything very clearly but again I felt like a number instead of an individual. I felt like I wasn’t looked at as an individual patient rather someone who should do IVF because of my age.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Be more assertive, I wasn’t very because this was all new to me. I should have been more clear as to what I wanted and that was a more natural way of conceiving instead of jumping to IVF. I should have asked for more blood tests etc.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I was shown a power point and talked to like everyone else. My age was a big factor and that was something that was brought up repeatedly even though my numbers all looked fine. I felt like IVF was being thrown at me without trying to work with me first.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
The strategy was to do an IUI a couple of times with clomid than a trigger shot for insemination.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
They just followed up with the protocols of the office.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Everyone is very nice but again they show you a PowerPoint and it’s just not personable. The doctor is very personable it’s almost like she is forced to show this PowerPoint. I wish they looked at me as individual instead of someone who was older and there was only IVF as an option.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Everything was paid by me my insurance didn’t cover anything. The IUI was about $1000 and the shot was $100.
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10
10
Age
32
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
She [Dr Amanda Skillern] was very honest and transparent. No sugar coating. She knew me and my husband and made me feel very comfortable. I never felt like their office was extremely busy and they were getting me in and out. I always had great conversation and she answered all my questions. She even gave me her email address if I needed anything.
I was fortunate enough to have insurance that covered IVF [at RMA of Taxas in Austin]. I only had to pay 20% after my deductible was met. I did pay for CCS services and that was $2,500 I think cash payment of IVF ranged from 10k-25k...All the staff were fantastic! I had a fertility coach who helped guide me with our plan and medications. She was great at helping and always was available to answer questions.
Age
32
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
—
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
How was your experience with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Got pregnant on our 1st round of IVF with RMA under her care. She was fantastic and I highly recommend. She always set expectations and was in every appointment besides blood draws. Loved her!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She will be very frank with you and not sugar coat. She does not talk to much about the future and talks about today and the next step. I'm a huge planner, so it took me awhile to adjust to this, but with infertility it was the best for me. You can't plan to far ahead with this. You need to be in the moment and think about today and the next appointment and what needs to be done between then.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
He was so great with our care. She was very honest and transparent. No sugar coating. She knew me and my husband and made me feel very comfortable. I never felt like their office was extremely busy and they were getting me in and out. I always had great conversation and she answered all my questions. She even gave me her email address if I needed anything.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
All the staff were fantastic! I had a fertility coach who helped guide me with our plan and medications. She was great at helping and always was available to answer questions.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Great! Clean and modern. Staff was fantastic and felt like home. I was kind of sad to be released to my OB because I had been ther so often.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I was fortunate enough to have insurance that covered IVF. I only had to pay 20% after my deductible was met. I did pay for CCS services and that was $2,500 I think cash payment of IVF ranged from 10k-25k
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
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7
8
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
7
8
She [Dr. Amanda Skillern] is very blunt. I do appreciate this but prefer more compassion than I got from her. She did not do both of my egg retrieval’s which I didn’t appreciate. She set realistic expectations on how many eggs I should expect and viable embryos after testing. I haven’t done the transfer yet so can’t review that process.... She prescribed - Lupron 10 ml while taking birth control pill then I moved on to Follistim 300 IU, menopur , omnitrope 50 ml. Then Pregnyl shot.
[Aspire Fertility/RMA of TX is a] Very nice clinic. All facilities onsite including where you do the egg retrieval. Clean and parking is covered. My husband said the male quarters could be enhanced. Very small room with little frills.... Full IVF $17,000 after slight discount Egg retrieval $11,000. Testing covered under insurance since we are CF carriers.... Since I did two retrieval’s I have worked with two different nurses who were both great!
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Middle Eastern
Income
—
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
7
8
How was your experience with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She is very blunt. I do appreciate this but prefer more compassion than I got from her. She did not do both of my egg retrieval’s which I didn’t appreciate. She set realistic expectations on how many eggs I should expect and viable embryos after testing. I haven’t done the transfer yet so can’t review that process.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Don’t expect warm and fuzzies. She is to the point and you won’t have a ton of interaction with her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
The nurses and front desk staff are very attentive. When with Dr. Skillern she seems rushed at times.
Describe the protocols Amanda Skillern used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
She prescribed - Lupron 10 ml while taking birth control pill then I moved on to Follistim 300 IU, menopur , omnitrope 50 ml. Then Pregnyl shot.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Charlotte Purdy & Ricky Richardson )
Since I did two retrieval’s I have worked with two different nurses who were both great!
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Very nice clinic. All facilities onsite including where you do the egg retrieval. Clean and parking is covered. My husband said the male quarters could be enhanced. Very small room with little frills.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Full IVF $17,000 after slight discount
Egg retrieval $11,000. Testing covered under insurance since we are CF carriers.
Describe Amanda Skillern's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
She will only do a single embryo transfer. I don’t have many viable embryos so I am ok with this method. If I had more and wasn’t doing PGD and PGS testing I may feel different.
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10
10
Age
30
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
10
I would listen to her [Dr. Natalie Crawford's] podcast As A Woman she discusses great topics and when you go in you know some of the lingo and what to expect...She went over every detail with me and made me feel more like a cousin than a patients. She asked me if I had any questions or concerns after every statement she would make...She has excellent bedside manner, for instance I had my hsg done and found out my left tube had hydrosalpinx. Dr. Crawford explained what that meant and gave me percentages on me getting pregnant naturally, went over the risk of not removing that tube and gave excellent analogies to help my husband and I understand. She is just amazing all around
I had to do genetic carrier screening [at Aspire Fertility] which was 8 tubes of blood, I waited for my results then I asked about them at my next follow up 2 weeks later and they couldn’t find them so i will have to redo the screening...Strengths would be it’s very open and huge, they have an acupuncture room and several consult, and sonogram rooms. Everyone makes you feel comfortable and you are checked in immediately and can have coffee while waiting
Age
30
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
10
How was your experience with Natalie Crawford at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She has excellent bedside manner, for instance I had my hsg done and found out my left tube had hydrosalpinx. Dr. Crawford explained what that meant and gave me percentages on me getting pregnant naturally, went over the risk of not removing that tube and gave excellent analogies to help my husband and I understand. She is just amazing all around
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Natalie Crawford at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
I would listen to her podcast As A Woman she discusses great topics and when you go in you know some of the lingo and what to expect
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Natalie Crawford at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She went over every detail with me and made me feel more like a cousin than a patients. She asked me if I had any questions or concerns after every statement she would make
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Collins Anderson)
Collins is the care coordinator and she is amazing! She kept me up to date on everything schedulers my appts and made sure she called to check in after
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Strengths would be it’s very open and huge, they have an acupuncture room and several consult, and sonogram rooms. Everyone makes you feel comfortable and you are checked in immediately and can have coffee while waiting
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Lost results
- Lost or damaged samples
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9
9
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS
9
9
[Dr. Browne is] Warm, friendly, smart and attuned to the patients needs. Easy to talk to and ask questions. Very optimistic but truthful when it comes to describing chances for success. Sometimes I wish she would be a little more prepared before she saw me instead of let me look at your chart. But this happened very rarely....Great bedside manner. Took time to explain process and all procedures.... I have only done IUIs with this doctor.
My nursing coordinator [RMA of Texas] could have been more organized. She once drew blood for the wrong tube and asked me to draw my blood again. The other nurse who does all the blood draws and room assignments is extremely grouchy, borderline rude.... Strength: always available weaknesses: both clinics are not the same. I would recommend getting everything done at stone oak versus medical center because eventually you will have to go there. They should off caffeine free coffe in the lounge since the recommended no caffeine
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS
9
9
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Warm, friendly, smart and attuned to the patients needs. Easy to talk to and ask questions. Very optimistic but truthful when it comes to describing chances for success. Sometimes I wish she would be a little more prepared before she saw me instead of let me look at your chart. But this happened very rarely.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Be patient, things don't happened when you want them too.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Great bedside manner. Took time to explain process and all procedures.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I don't remember the protocols. I have only done IUIs with this doctor.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Christina)
My nursing coordinator could have been more organized. She once drew blood for the wrong tube and asked me to draw my blood again. The other nurse who does all the blood draws and room assignments is extremely grouchy, borderline rude.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Strength: always available weaknesses: both clinics are not the same. I would recommend getting everything done at stone oak versus medical center because eventually you will have to go there. They should off caffeine free coffe in the lounge since the recommended no caffeine
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I have insurance coverage for IUI. Co pay cost were about 200 dollars
Describe Aimee Browne's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Did not do ivf.
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10
10
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
Dr. Balthazar made going through the most difficult thing, bearable. She was very nurturing, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares for her patients. She got excited with every good news we got and followed me through the pregnancy and after. She was so warm to me and my family. She was very prepared at every visit. She is not only the best fertility doctor, but the best doctor I’ve ever had.... She takes lots of time to make you feel comfortable
The billing department [RMA of Texas] takes too long to get back with you. Sometimes they don’t answer the phone. Just keep calling. They have recently expanded their hours, which is nice. They offer acupuncture there as well.... May was always great to work with. She would be able to reach the doctor with questions I had very quickly. She was very kind and warm.... First retrieval was $25k Second retrieval was $12,500
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar made going through the most difficult thing, bearable. She was very nurturing, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares for her patients. She got excited with every good news we got and followed me through the pregnancy and after. She was so warm to me and my family. She was very prepared at every visit. She is not only the best fertility doctor, but the best doctor I’ve ever had.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Give her a chance. Everyone I know who has seen her has gotten pregnant, even a girl who was told she needs a hysterectomy by another doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She takes lots of time to make you feel comfortable, to know your individual care, and she is very warm. She went out of her way many times in the process.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I cannot remember
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Amy)
May was always great to work with. She would be able to reach the doctor with questions I had very quickly. She was very kind and warm.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The billing department takes too long to get back with you. Sometimes they don’t answer the phone. Just keep calling. They have recently expanded their hours, which is nice. They offer acupuncture there as well.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
First retrieval was $25k
Second retrieval was $12,500
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
She chose one because I was pre-diabetic and it is easier to regulate one placenta versus two
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8
8
Age
33 - 36
Treated
2014 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
8
8
The Doctor [Dr. Ursula Balthazar] picked up on my reactions/questions and really got to know me...She is very positive, kind person. She knows how to sell her product and convince you it is the right thing. She is very accessible. Once she was on vacation and she emailed me back. She will sit down with you and explain for as long as you need it....Progesterone levels was an issue with me. with IUI it was vaginal pink pills with IVF it started to be progesterone shots and after looking at the levels we switched to a vaginal white pill twice a day. Now with the second IVF it will be the same white pills 3 times a day
[RMA of Texas - SA Stone Oak] nice, clean place. they have an acupuncturist at the office. the office is very busy. [Nurse] Amy has been available through text message at any time of the day. She doesn't always respond quickly but it is very convenient since they don't answer the phones...There was a charge everything i went in except for when we purchased the IVF package we paid upfront...The Doctor [Dr. Ursula Balthazar] picked up on my reactions/questions and really got to know me
Age
33 - 36
Treated
2014 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
—
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
8
8
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She is very positive, kind person. She knows how to sell her product and convince you it is the right thing. She is very accessible. Once she was on vacation and she emailed me back. She will sit down with you and explain for as long as you need it.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Even though it seems like she is going to get you a baby she is not God
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
The Doctor picked up on my reactions/questions and really got to know me
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
Birth control during the IVF process. Progesterone levels was an issue with me. with IUI it was vaginal pink pills with IVF it started to be progesterone shots and after looking at the levels we switched to a vaginal white pill twice a day. Now with the second IVF it will be the same white pills 3 times a day
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Lisa and Amy)
Amy has been available through text message at any time of the day. She doesn't always respond quickly but it is very convenient since they don't answer the phones
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
nice, clean place. they have an acupuncturist at the office. the office is very busy
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
There was a charge everything i went in except for when we purchased the IVF package we paid upfront
Describe Ursula Balthazar's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
She was happy to transfer 2 embryos one being perfect and the other being not fully ready but with 2 good day 3 frozen embryos she wants to only transfer 1 and 2 really wasnt an option
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8
8
Age
43
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
IUI, 2 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
8
8
She [Dr. Amanda Skillern] is pretty frank in the chances of conception. She does seem to go through a planned script but I imagine that is intentional to be sure all details are in order...Dr. Skillern is not chatty and no nonsense. There is no time for banter. Come prepared...The baseline examinations are very quick. If you have questions during a procedure, be sure to let them know you have questions and they need to be answered.
[The nurses at RMA of Texas] Very thorough in answering of questions and timely in getting back to me during stimulation cycle...the self pay price with genetic testing is about $20,000 + medication...They seem very organized and centrally located...16 eggs produced, 9 fertilized, 2 made to embryo stage, 1 was normal Lupron = 20 units for 10 days / 10 units during stimulation phase Follistim = 150 IU for 11 days Menopur = 150 IU for 11 days Omnitrope = 25 IU for 11 days I had a failed cycle before where the embryo was not normal. Omnitrope was added to the protocol and not covered by insurance.
Age
43
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
—
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IUI, 2 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
8
8
How was your experience with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Be sure to come prepared with any questions you have in advance. The baseline examinations are very quick. If you have questions during a procedure, be sure to let them know you have questions and they need to be answered.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Skillern is not chatty and no nonsense. There is no time for banter. Come prepared.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She is pretty frank in the chances of conception. She does seem to go through a planned script but I imagine that is intentional to be sure all details are in order.
Describe the protocols Amanda Skillern used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
16 eggs produced, 9 fertilized, 2 made to embryo stage, 1 was normal
Lupron = 20 units for 10 days / 10 units during stimulation phase
Follistim = 150 IU for 11 days
Menopur = 150 IU for 11 days
Omnitrope = 25 IU for 11 days
I had a failed cycle before where the embryo was not normal. Omnitrope was added to the protocol and not covered by insurance.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Melissa Harmon)
Very thorough in answering of questions and timely in getting back to me during stimulation cycle.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
They seem very organized and centrally located.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I have insurance so that changes things but the self pay price with genetic testing is about $20,000 + medication
Describe Amanda Skillern's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Doctor has strong preference for eSET
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10
10
Age
29
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
10
Dr. Brown performed HSG and IUI on me. She is an amazing doctor who always cares so much about her patients. I would definitely recommend Dr. Brown to anyone who needs fertility treatments.... I found out I was pregnant on DPO 12. I just gave birth to a healthy baby boy last week, and I am so grateful to have this baby...Dr. Brown is very gentle and very compassionate.
The clinic {RMA of Texas] is very organized and clean. Appointments are always on time...The nursing staff are very organized and communicative... Dr. Brown performed HSG and IUI on me...I found out I was pregnant on DPO 12. I just gave birth to a healthy baby boy last week, and I am so grateful to have this baby.
Age
29
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
East Asian
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
10
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Brown performed HSG and IUI on me. She is an amazing doctor who always cares so much about her patients. I would definitely recommend Dr. Brown to anyone who needs fertility treatments.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
You are in good hands. Trust Dr. Brown and her treatment plan.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Brown is very gentle and very compassionate.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I had HSG in September 2016 performed by Dr. Brown. The result showed that my tubes were clear. We had our first IUI in November 2016. I was on 5mg of letrozole from CD3-CD7. I had my initial ultrasound on CD 3, and a second ultrasound on CD 11. The second ultrasound showed that I had a follicle on my left side with 17mm in diameter. I was told to do the trigger shot on CD 12 at 9pm, and had the IUI on CD 14 at 9am. We also followed the RE's instruction to have intercourse again on the same day CD 14 at night. I started the progesterone suppositories twice a day since DPO 3. I found out I was pregnant on DPO 12. I just gave birth to a healthy baby boy last week, and I am so grateful to have this baby.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff are very organized and communicative.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The clinic is very organized and clean. Appointments are always on time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
My insurance covers up to 6 IUI.
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10
10
Age
30 - 34
Treated
2015 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
5 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS
10
10
Dr. Crawford is the exact right combination of sweet and compassionate and direct and knowledgeable. We have been with her for a long time after a bad first experience with another doctor. She is very accepting of us as a same Sex couple and me as a person. She advocates for her patients and I trust her...We did both clomid pills and injectable and femara. It takes a lot of medicine to make my body ovulate so tried both pills and injectables.
The clinic [Aspire Fertility/RMA of Texas] is really well run, I genuinely have no complaints. Everyone is so nice and efficient. Make sure you speak up if you have concerns so the staff can make you feel better. And if it’s getting late in the day and you are waiting for a phone call about a pregnancy test just call them. I love this clinic. It’s clean, well run and nice people...We did both clomid pills and injectable and femara. It takes a lot of medicine to make my body ovulate so tried both pills and injectables.
Age
30 - 34
Treated
2015 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Prefer not to answer
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
5 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS
10
10
How was your experience with Natalie Crawford at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Crawford is the exact right combination of sweet and compassionate and direct and knowledgeable. We have been with her for a long time after a bad first experience with another doctor. She is very accepting of us as a same Sex couple and me as a person. She advocates for her patients and I trust her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Natalie Crawford at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Tell her everything, all your fears and doubts.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Natalie Crawford at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Crawford always takes as much time as needed to answer all of our questions.
Describe the protocols Natalie Crawford used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
We did both clomid pills and injectable and femara. It takes a lot of medicine to make my body ovulate so tried both pills and injectables.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The clinic is really well run, I genuinely have no complaints. Everyone is so nice and efficient. Make sure you speak up if you have concerns so the staff can make you feel better. And if it’s getting late in the day and you are waiting for a phone call about a pregnancy test just call them. I love this clinic. It’s clean, well run and nice people.
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8
10
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
8
10
Dr. Skillern was great, but at times I felt she was rushed or didn't take time to reassure me in the midst of concerns. She did everything right though, and I'm pregnant now. Compared to experiences I've heard at other clinics, she is a lot more on top of potential complications and preventing them. I didn't mind her blunt personality... My protocols seemed to be fairly standard. They do use birth control to start your cycle at the best time for them to manage office visits, but that actually helped my cycles to go by the book.
[RMA-Austin is] Small, stay on schedule, quick in and out, all services done in house, but they do keep everyone on a similar schedule so it can feel like an assembly line if you let it. I didn't mind it and appreciated that they started on time.... My protocols seemed to be fairly standard. They do use birth control to start your cycle at the best time for them to manage office visits, but that actually helped my cycles to go by the book.
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
8
10
How was your experience with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Skillern was great, but at times I felt she was rushed or didn't take time to reassure me in the midst of concerns. She did everything right though, and I'm pregnant now. Compared to experiences I've heard at other clinics, she is a lot more on top of potential complications and preventing them. I didn't mind her blunt personality.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Be patient and trust her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Lots of patients in and out in a short period of time
Describe the protocols Amanda Skillern used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
My protocols seemed to be fairly standard. They do use birth control to start your cycle at the best time for them to manage office visits, but that actually helped my cycles to go by the book.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Melissa Harmon)
They were busy so responses were sometimes delayed, but overall they were great.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Small, stay on schedule, quick in and out, all services done in house, but they do keep everyone on a similar schedule so it can feel like an assembly line if you let it. I didn't mind it and appreciated that they started on time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amanda Skillern at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Covered under work benefits
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
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10
10
Age
40 - 41
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Unexplained
10
10
She [Dr. Browne] is open, knowledgeable and explains things well. She is compassionate of the situation and concerns and doesn't push you toward something you aren't comfortable with. She makes sure all questions are answered or directs you to where you can find the answers.... She is very compassionate and makes sure all questions are answered. We did not feel rushed.... Dr. Browne's office is comfortable where she discusses treatment options with you.
The clinic [RMA of Texas] is very clean and provides a comfortable setting. It is easy to find. Everything they need is there in the clinic. They offer acupuncture at another location. The treatment rooms are nice and Dr. Browne's office is comfortable where she discusses treatment options with you.... Initial costs were primarily covered by insurance. We have not moved forward with other procedures yet partially due to cost. But the cost seems to be pretty standard.
Age
40 - 41
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
—
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She is open, knowledgeable and explains things well. She is compassionate of the situation and concerns and doesn't push you toward something you aren't comfortable with. She makes sure all questions are answered or directs you to where you can find the answers.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Write down any questions you think of so you can get all the information to make an informed decision.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She is very compassionate and makes sure all questions are answered. We did not feel rushed.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The clinic is very clean and provides a comfortable setting. It is easy to find. Everything they need is there in the clinic. They offer acupuncture at another location. The treatment rooms are nice and Dr. Browne's office is comfortable where she discusses treatment options with you.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Initial costs were primarily covered by insurance. We have not moved forward with other procedures yet partially due to cost. But the cost seems to be pretty standard.
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10
10
Age
32 - 37
Treated
2013 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
Dr Browne is compassionate and honest. She shares & sympathies with you if/when needed. She treats you like a person & truly gets to know you. She knows how important having a family is to her patients & she recommends the best care plan... Dr Browne has always been understanding & patient with us through our journey. She is knowledgeable about options & explains procedures.
Everyone at RMA is kind & compassionate. The clinic works as a team and collectively care for all their patients. It's like family! Each nurse, doctor, lab tech etc work together & review your file as a person.... Kristina [a nurse at RMA San Antonio] became more than a nurse/fertility coach but a friend. I can contact her for any questions... Procedures had to be paid in full prior to beginning
Age
32 - 37
Treated
2013 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr Browne is compassionate and honest. She shares & sympathies with you if/when needed. She treats you like a person & truly gets to know you. She knows how important having a family is to her patients & she recommends the best care plan
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Don't be afraid to ask questions. She respects you & wants you to feel comfortable and informed
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr Browne has always been understanding & patient with us through our journey. She is knowledgeable about options & explains procedures.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
Too many to remember & describe. 5 years of treatment
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Kristina Mendez)
Kristina became more than a nurse/fertility coach but a friend. I can contact her for any questions
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Everyone at RMA is kind & compassionate. The clinic works as a team and collectively care for all their patients. It's like family! Each nurse, doctor, lab tech etc work together & review your file as a person.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
I do not have fertility insurance so cost was/is high. Procedures had to be paid in full prior to beginning
Describe Aimee Browne's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Dr Browne has recommended single transfer giving my history & embryo testing
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10
10
Age
45
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
[Dr. Francisco Arredondo is] extremely friendly, great sense of humor that put us at ease right away. Transmits confidence and very personable. He provide us with his personal e-mail and personal cell phone number! which doctor does that?...Get your questions in a paper before you meet with him. He will answer all without rush
The RMA of Texas team is VERY different. You feel at home and they are very accessible. is like a SPA with great results...They run on time, pleasant ambiance and everybody seems happy...my insurance covered most of it and what it was not covered was explained with a financial calculator and given to me in printing
Age
45
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
—
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Extremely friendly, great sense of humor that put us at ease right away. Transmits confidence and very personable. He provide us with his personal e-mail and personal cell phone number! which doctor does that?
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Get your questions in a paper before you meet with him. He will answer all without rush
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
The RMA of Texas team is VERY different. You feel at home and they are very accessible. is like a SPA with great results
Describe the protocols Francisco Arredondo used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
He explained things with a lot of clarity. He compared the embryo to a seed and the uterus to the soil. Mentioned that doing the chromosome testing will allow us to select the best seed and that transferring the embryo in a controlled frozen cycle will allow us to prepare the best soil
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Erica, Stephanie)
Caring! personable. Accessible.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
They run on time, pleasant ambiance and everybody seems happy
Describe the costs associated with your care under Francisco Arredondo at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
my insurance covered most of it and what it was not covered was explained with a financial calculator and given to me in printing
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10
10
Age
33
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
10
10
She [Dr Aimee Browne] was very kind and took her time to explain things...Iui was about 2k...Strengths [of RMA of Texas] they are very organized and the process is laid out before you start. I wish they would tell you how much you will owe if you are a cash customer before your appointment. Also they wont do more than 3 iuis and will push to do ivf
She [Dr Aimee Browne] was very kind and took her time to explain things...Iui was about 2k...Strengths [of RMA of Texas] they are very organized and the process is laid out before you start. I wish they would tell you how much you will owe if you are a cash customer before your appointment. Also they wont do more than 3 iuis and will push to do ivf
Age
33
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Latino
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
10
10
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She was very kind and took her time to explain things
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She is very good
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She was very kind and patient
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Strengths they are very organized and the process is laid out before you start. I wish they would tell you how much you will owe if you are a cash customer before your appointment. Also they wont do more than 3 iuis and will push to do ivf
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Iui was about 2k
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10
10
Age
28 - 29
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
10
Dr. James is a very good doctor. I have referred her to several of my friends. She is very informative. Dr. James explained to us everything detail by detail. I always feel comfortable when going to my appointment.... I used clomid the first round and ended with with an ectopic pregnancy. Second round didn’t take so she gave me higher dose and it worked for me.
The clinic team [Aspire] is super awesome! Everyone is very friendly. Every time my husband and I walk in there we feel very welcomed and that they all care about us. I would recommend this clinic they don’t make you feel you are alone everyone is there by your side on this journey.... Lisa is very informative and Romain’s everything in a great manner. She’s is always there to answer back to my emails.
Age
28 - 29
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
10
How was your experience with Summer James at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. James is a very good doctor. I have referred her to several of my friends. She is very informative. Dr. James explained to us everything detail by detail. I always feel comfortable when going to my appointment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Summer James at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
If you are looking for a female doctor she is very good!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Summer James at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. James is very good, and informative She explained everything in details to my husband and I.
Describe the protocols Summer James used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I used clomid the first round and ended with with an ectopic pregnancy. Second round didn’t take so she gave me higher dose and it worked for me.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Lisa Ayala )
Lisa is very informative and Romain’s everything in a great manner. She’s is always there to answer back to my emails.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
The clinic team is super awesome! Everyone is very friendly. Every time my husband and I walk in there we feel very welcomed and that they all care about us. I would recommend this clinic they don’t make you feel you are alone everyone is there by your side on this journey.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Summer James at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Well unfortunately my insurance does cover fertility treatments. But the out of pocket cost was less then we expected.
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10
10
Age
28 - 30
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
10
Dr. Balthazar is very direct and positive. She explains the reason behind everything, and assured you that you will do treatments on your time. She is incredibly knowledgeable. She listens to you and gives you options.... I had many tests done my first few appointments. I had the tube test, in which she found out my right tube was completely blocked. Following that test, I had my right tube removed under her care. Since then, I've had tests done to check my egg reserve and my genetics.
[Aspire of Texas'] Weakness: Getting an initial appointment is the hardest part. I was constantly on hold and calling repeatedly to get an appointment. Strengths: The facility is very clean. There is not a huge staff, and they are loyal, so you will he dealing with the same nurse for each visit.... Each visit with tests and blood work was around $300. My surgery was around $1500.
Age
28 - 30
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
10
How was your experience with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar is very direct and positive. She explains the reason behind everything, and assured you that you will do treatments on your time. She is incredibly knowledgeable. She listens to you and gives you options.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar listens to your concerns and will help you, even if she doesn't believe it's best.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Balthazar listened to my concerns and did not try to push me into anything. She presented us with options, and said we will look at these when you're ready.
Describe the protocols Ursula Balthazar used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
I had many tests done my first few appointments. I had the tube test, in which she found out my right tube was completely blocked. Following that test, I had my right tube removed under her care. Since then, I've had tests done to check my egg reserve and my genetics.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff respects Dr. Balthazar, and listens to her orders.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Weakness: Getting an initial appointment is the hardest part. I was constantly on hold and calling repeatedly to get an appointment. Strengths: The facility is very clean. There is not a huge staff, and they are loyal, so you will he dealing with the same nurse for each visit.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Ursula Balthazar at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Each visit with tests and blood work was around $300. My surgery was around $1500.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
- Failed to call with results
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9
10
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS
9
10
She [Dr. Browne] very personable and friendly. When she is giving results she gives them in a way where you understand them and if you have questions you are not afraid to ask. She has great bedside manner and even when I had a surgery she was great at explaining why was gonna happen and showed my husband what they did how it looked afterwards. ... We had a hysterecopy before we started anything.
They [RMA of Texas] Aspire get back to you extremely fast. When have called on the weekend if they didn’t have a nurse call during the weekend they called first thing Monday morning. They are good with communication in appointments or next steps in your treatment plans. ... It costs about 1300 for an IUI ... 1st cycle of iui we did .75 first but I had no growth In follicles so they increased 1.75 of letrozole with a hcg trigger shot 2nd cycle of iui we did 2.5 with hcg trigger shot
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Latino
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS
9
10
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
She very personable and friendly. When she is giving results she gives them in a way where you understand them and if you have questions you are not afraid to ask. She has great bedside manner and even when I had a surgery she was great at explaining why was gonna happen and showed my husband what they did how it looked afterwards.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Browne is great she answers all questions, presents your results in neutral way where you don’t feel bad about all that she is saying.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
We had a hysterecopy before we started anything. 1st cycle of iui we did .75 first but I had no growth In follicles so they increased 1.75 of letrozole with a hcg trigger shot
2nd cycle of iui we did 2.5 with hcg trigger shot
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
They get back to you extremely fast. When have called on the weekend if they didn’t have a nurse call during the weekend they called first thing Monday morning. They are good with communication in appointments or next steps in your treatment plans.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
It costs about 1300 for an IUI
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10
10
Age
24 - 25
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Male Factor, PCOS
10
10
Dr Browne performed all the testing necessary to try to find the cause of our RPL. During my last miscarriage, she searched and searched for a heartbeat. Her compassion shows in every visit and you can tell she really wants you to succeed.... Femera plus trigger shot for iui. 1 cycle bfn RPL: progesterone, prednisone, baby aspirin, prenatal vitamin, weekly ultrasounds. 1 cycle, miscarriage... Dr. Browne is so sweet and really cares.
They [Aspire Fertility/RMA of TX] have 2 locations. Both have very supportive staff and physicians. Physicians do perform all of the ultrasounds so you get results right away. pretty much everything is done on site which is super helpful.... Iui about $1100 per cycle Costs seem on par with other clinics. Labs and some other procedures were covered u see insurance.... Kristina was easy to get in touch with and answered any questions
Age
24 - 25
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Male Factor, PCOS
10
10
How was your experience with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr Browne performed all the testing necessary to try to find the cause of our RPL. During my last miscarriage, she searched and searched for a heartbeat. Her compassion shows in every visit and you can tell she really wants you to succeed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Trust her advice
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas?
Dr. Browne is so sweet and really cares.
Describe the protocols Aimee Browne used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas and their degree of success.
Femera plus trigger shot for iui. 1 cycle bfn
RPL: progesterone, prednisone, baby aspirin, prenatal vitamin, weekly ultrasounds. 1 cycle, miscarriage
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas. (Assigned nurse: Kristina)
Kristina was easy to get in touch with and answered any questions
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
They have 2 locations. Both have very supportive staff and physicians. Physicians do perform all of the ultrasounds so you get results right away. pretty much everything is done on site which is super helpful.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aimee Browne at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Iui about $1100 per cycle
Costs seem on par with other clinics. Labs and some other procedures were covered u see insurance.
Describe Aimee Browne's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility/ RMA of Texas.
Na
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.