Southern Illinois University

We did have some bumps in the beginning just getting settled and a plan of action set, but after that it was really smooth sailing. Everything is well communicated and they are extremely quick to respond using their app. The waiting room leaves some to be desired as the TV gets no clear channels and there is a somewhat lack of privacy due to the proximity of the lab area.

The staff would greet me and my husband by first name, they were familiar with me and my history without accessing the chart which made me feel very well cared for.

The staff was incredible. Mayjan (office manager) went above and beyond to help us get old records, set up extra appointments and navigate the cost. The nurses are all fantastic and caring and I have no complaints. Amber was also great, she is a wonderful phlebotomist and really puts you at ease during your appointments.

LDM is extremely blunt, honest, and to the point. However that does not mean he lacks in compassion whatsoever. Our first appointment he sat down on the table next to me and apologized for the experience I had with a previous RE. He was honest about why he felt our previous course of treatments were wrong but also explained what he felt he could do to help us. When I had a med error and had to call for the on call nurse, it was actually him. He was so kind and could tell I was upset, even though it was late he stayed on the phone talking me down and reassuring me that everything was going to be okay. He remembers special details about my life and is always sure to ask about things.

Be prepared for his bluntness, it does not mean he is heartless or does not care. He just doesn’t sugar coat, which while harsh- is exactly what you need when navigating infertility.

I first had an HSG which my previous RE had refused to do. We had also previously been told my husband had extremely low count, after rechecking multiple times, he told us that was incorrect and like due to lab errors. I did IVF with Follistim, Menopur, Ganirelix, Medrol, Doxycycline, PIO. No med adjustments were made throughout stimulation.

IVF Cash package price $9500 Meds $6700 Mock Transfer and SIS $1200 FDA labs $1100

He has a very strong stance on single embryo transfer. We did end up transfering 2 ( per Jim the embryologist) due to fragmentation.

It's a good clinic in the central IL area. It has better statistics than the dr's in Peoria which is why we choose to drive the hour and a half to come here. It's weakness is that there is only one doctor and one embryologist. So there is no team experience. What they think is what they do. I would prefer to have a bigger clinic next time.

He does a very good job of reaching you on your level. He will sit and talk/explain until you have an understanding. Also what stood out-he gave a hug or touched your hand during the hard times.

Their staff has gone through so many changes! Over our year of treatment the nurses, aids and ultrasound techs all changed. The one constant was Mayjen. She coordinated everything at the desk and knew what was going on and how to help you.

Dr. LDM gave us our twins in 2014. We only had two embryos from our retrieval so we transferred both. We were due with a boy and a girl but unfortunately they came early at 23 weeks. We lost our daughter after 17 hours but now our son turned 4 and we have been trying for the last 3 years to give him another sibling. We had no doubt that returning to SIU for another cycle of IVF would do the trick. We did a fresh cycle/transfer and had six embryos. We were so excited - but over a years time not one of those six embryos and 4 transfers later turned into a successful pregnancy. We had one miscarriage but all the rest were failed transfers. After all this he said we could "try again" but did not mention what to do differently or how we could increase our odds. Just try again doing the same thing that resulted in six lost embryos and a year of our time. Needless to say we are not returning but now looking for a new clinic with a different approach. We did have success our first round and I also know a handful of women who had successful pregnancies with him as well.

Do labs and ultrasounds early in the morning! Less wait time then. :)

A fresh cycle of IVF was about $10,000 plus meds $5-6,000. Every FET was $4,000 plus meds $1,500-2000.

Because of our previous history with 23 week twins, we did eSET for the first three transfers in 2017/8. And then for our last transfer we put in two because there were only two embryos left and our history of failed transfers. Again, it didn't work.

The clinic is attached to a hospital. It is a teaching facility, which I am pro teaching as I have been a healthcare student. The staff gradually improved, but I did have to send a letter to Quality Management before I saw an improvement. The Embryologist was the QM and I had to refer to him multiple time during my treatment to get questions answered or to get a call back. The improvements continued with the addition of a PA. I felt trapped into staying with the facility since there is no other close choices. I live in Woodson, IL and the other two options I found where Chicago (4 hr) and St. Louis (2 hr) from my residence.

I had a lot of trouble with the clinical staff more than once I was able to see Dr. Loret de Mola.

I was not at all confident in the nursing staff. I had a lot of trouble with the nurse not calling me back even if I left multiple messages. I also had an issue with the nurse scheduling my HSG without verifying that the insurance will cover the procedure. I do not know if this was a breakdown in communication between the insurance personnel and the nurse or what, but I have the procedure done and then got a denial from the insurance company AFTER I have the procedure. I am not confident in the nursing staff to refer a friend to this facility.

I liked Dr. Loret de Mola. My experiences with the clinic as a whole would deter me from recommending him to anyone. I had multiple problems with others. I felt he was very educated and had a great bedside manner. I just needed more time to understand the process because I do have a healthcare background. There was just not enough time to explain things to me as I needed them explained and other than the appointment times, I could not get questions answered by Doctor or other staff. See staff/nurse comments. I will say that things did get better once a PA was added to the staff.

Have your questions written out and make sure you are able to ask them at appointments because you may not get another chance to ask them.

I had dysfunctional/occluded tubes (Hydrosalpinx dx) and had to have them removed before I could even start IVF procedures. Hydrosalpinx tube contain embryo toxic fluid. Once removed I started meds for egg retrieval, folicle and blood level monitoring, and had egg retrieval. I only had 3 eggs (1 mature and 2 immature). They fertilized the only mature egg and implanted 2 days later. The procedure was unsuccessful.

There was an IVF "package" of $9500, Egg Donor/Surrogacy/Donor Clinic are extra, Genetic Testing Facility are extra, Embryo Bx are extra, Meds are extra, ect. We spent close to $20,000.00 and I only produced 1 mature egg that was not even optimal. I was told there was no indication by my blood work that would indicate the results I got. If we can raise the funds to try again, I will have to have an egg donor which will increase our costs $14,000-$20,000 more.

I did not have multiple embryos, so this does not pertain to me.

You may have a wait before no being able to get an appt. If needing IVF, then you may have another wait once you are put on th IVF calendar. Don't be afraid of needles, because you will be stuck a lot. It's all worth it.

Staff was personable, he always answered my questions.

Holly did all of my ultrasounds (except Dr. Lower Dr Mola did one on a Sunday which was the day before retrieval). She was always very good and easy to talk to. The nurse practitioner did our IUI and went over consents and information before IVF.

He didn't try to sugar coat things, recommended treatment but allowed us to make decisions for ourselves. We achieved the results we were hoping for within an acceptable time frame. He personally called to let us know our beta was positive.

Go into it with an open mind. Write down questions you may have before seeing him.

He recommended that we move straight to IVF due to my husband's diagnosis. Because our first was conceived after my husband having surgery, he hoped we would get lucky again. My husband insisted we try one IUI. He allowed us to do just that with clomid and an Ovidrel trigger. When it wasn't successful, we moved on to IVF with icsi. Due to my diminished ovarian reserve, he told me he was expecting around 5 eggs at harvest. I stimmed with follistim, menopur, and ganarelix. My trigger was 2 Ovidrel. I took Doxy after retrieval, and then doxy and prednisone after transfer. My beta was 15 days after retrieval. I had multiple blood draws and ultrasounds during swimming to monitor my progress.

We did have insurance coverage, but still spent approximately $10,000 over the years with our appts, treatments, and medications.

The weakness is the time to get an appointment. Another weakness is that there wasn't a patient advocate to give you their real life experience of going through the process. I am an attorney so I need details and am very organized. Before the clinic started secure emailing details it was difficult to take institutions over the phone.

He was very personable. When I learned that there were some issues with a pregnancy and the OB wasn't personable, he called me. When I wanted to give up and move to a donor egg he said to try PGS because he thought it would work.

He is very respectful and detailed. He is personable. He is frank. It mattered to me that my physican was also spiritual and I learned he was by the fact that he was going to mass after he finished doing monitoring during a Sunday visit I had to the clinic.

He is frank and it's hard to get an appointment because he is the only doctor in town.

Health insurance coverage

Always answered my questions in a timely manner. Being able to go to some of my appointments in Champaign was very helpful. They made me feel like a person instead of a number. I felt Like they were rooting for me just as much as i was.

He was very caring and took the time to explain every step.

Very compassionate & optimistic

He always explained everything in a way that I could understand. He was very optimistic making the journey much more relaxed, which I attrIbute to one of the reasons that I was able to get pregnant. He was kind and compassionate.

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

I took the daily shots & clomid

My insurance covered about half

Transferred 2 for a higher chance. 1 was successful

Dr. Loret de Mola's office was always available. Nights and weekends I was provided with an after hours number in case I had a question or problem. A majority of the time it was Dr. Loret de Mola himself that returned the call. He's very involved in each patient's treatment.

Great! Explained everything thoroughly.

The nurses were very kind and helpful. I felt like I grew to know each nurse with my time spent at SIU clinic. If I had any questions, big or small, they always got an answer back to me.

Everyone was very helpful and showed compassion

He had a great bedside manner and really cared for me as a person.

Be open and ask questions