UNC Fertility

I always felt like my treatment [with Dr. Jennifer Mersereau] was tailored to me and not some cookie cutter plan...She is kind, thoughtful and compassionate. She is very knowledgeable and up front about how treatment would go. She always answers my questions in ways I understood and helped soothe my fears. She always made time for us when we were in the office and explained the course of treatment. She made us feel very special.

Mindy [nurse at UNC Fertility] was amazing! She is so awesome. I could call her or email her about anything. She was fast to respond and got answers for us quickly. She was great at educating us through the process of taking the medication...All of the costs were told to us up front and we were given options for payment...They were fast in getting us an appointment and getting us in to see a doctor that would work with us after all we had been through. The clinic always made us feel as though we were a priority. They were open weekends to accommodate our needs during treatment.

How was your experience with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

She is kind, thoughtful and compassionate. She is very knowledgeable and up front about how treatment would go. She always answers my questions in ways I understood and helped soothe my fears. She always made time for us when we were in the office and explained the course of treatment. She made us feel very special.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Come with all of your questions and don’t be afraid to ask. She can handle it and will answer them to the best of her ability. She is also open to the course of treatment that YOU decide and she is not pushy in any way.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

The nurse and the doctor were always available when I needed something, had questions and alleviated my worries every step of the way. I always felt like my treatment was tailored to me and not some cookie cutter plan.

Describe the protocols Jennifer Mersereau used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

We went right to IVF and it was because she didn’t want to waste our time trying more treatment what would not likely be successful.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Mindy Soucey)

Mindy was amazing! She is so awesome. I could call her or email her about anything. She was fast to respond and got answers for us quickly. She was great at educating us through the process of taking the medication.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

They were fast in getting us an appointment and getting us in to see a doctor that would work with us after all we had been through. The clinic always made us feel as though we were a priority. They were open weekends to accommodate our needs during treatment.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility.

There costs for ultrasounds, retrieval and transfer. All of the costs were told to us up front and we were given options for payment.

Describe Jennifer Mersereau's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

I had hoped for multiple but I also understand her concern and rationale. I was very happy with the outcome.

Doctor

Jennifer Mersereau

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

2020 - 2022, Consult

Age 29 - 31

2 IUI

1 IVF

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Engineer

2nd of 3 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Matt Coward UNC Fertility

This clinic [UNC Fertility] is well connected with local fertility clinics and well respected. Their weaknesses is that they're extremely booked so consultations and surgeries are booked months out. They are also so busy that it is easy to feel like a number and not a patient...I only had interactions with the nursing staff when I was scheduled for a surgery I did not request. It took multiple phone calls with multiple people to cancel the surgery.

How was your experience with Matt Coward at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Coward is very knowledgeable and appears to be a very skilled surgeon, but I always felt he was quick to promote drastic procedures without evidence to justify them. It's always felt as if he's pushed me to different surgeries, not out of necessity, but more out of a hope that it may do something. I understand male factor infertility is hard to diagnose, but he would recommend surgeries with no clear benefit, but was simply hopeful that after the surgery I "may" see an increase. The surgeries were also booked months out and also require months of recovery before seeing benefits, so pursuing any of the surgeries would put us behind another year in our fertility journey. I frequently felt like I was not heard and I was being steered towards surgeries with no clear benefit. I started seeking consultations with other urologists.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Matt Coward at UNC Fertility?

If you have a clear diagnosis for male factor infertility, I'm sure he is a great urologist to operate on you. If you have unexplained male factor, I would take all recommendations with a grain of salt and seek a second opinion before pursuing a surgery.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Matt Coward at UNC Fertility?

The consultations felt more like being told what to do without having a conversation about options. The diagnoses were always extreme and I was hesitant to follow through with them. I did not feel comfortable or heard.

Describe the protocols Matt Coward used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

I was diagnosed with minimal varicoceles although my semen analyses were fine. He recommended I pursue a varicocele repair although there was no evidence it was necessary or would improve my already acceptable semen quality. I was told my numbers were definitely good enough for IVF so we pursued that. We had a failed transfer and in the review he again recommended varicocele repair as well as TESE. Upon receiving second opinions from two other urologists, I am comfortable declining the two procedures as their is no known advantages from either procedure to my specific case.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

I only had interactions with the nursing staff when I was scheduled for a surgery I did not request. It took multiple phone calls with multiple people to cancel the surgery.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

This clinic is well connected with local fertility clinics and well respected. Their weaknesses is that they're extremely booked so consultations and surgeries are booked months out. They are also so busy that it is easy to feel like a number and not a patient.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Matt Coward at UNC Fertility.

Consultations are $350 for an hour, possibly more now.

What specific things went wrong at UNC Fertility?

Scheduled the wrong procedure

Doctor

Matt Coward

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Matt Coward UNC Fertility

2021 - 2022, Unknown Success

Age 35 - 36

Male Factor

European

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Matt Coward UNC Fertility

Dr. Coward did a varicocele repair, and it went very smoothly, and recovery was relatively easy...[he] wasn't exactly involved in cycles. He addressed male factor issues...He didn't seem rushed during our appointments. He was open to listening to us and took the time to explain things and answer questions. His kindness and acknowledgment our pain from infertility and miscarriage also meant a lot.

my biggest complaint about this [UNC Fertility] clinic is that I find the front desk very difficult to communicate with. They never answer the phone so you always have to leave a message...Sometimes they don't call you back at all (messaging through the patient portal is sometimes better)...related to costs, it wasn't always clear what was happening. For example, one time the front desk said we have a "credit", but we had never really gotten a bill for any of the clinic visits

How was your experience with Matt Coward at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Coward did a varicocele repair, and it went very smoothly, and recovery was relatively easy. I wish that was all that mattered, but during this emotional time, bedside manner also matters. And Dr. Coward is great. He isn't overly emotional or warm, but he has a way of showing respect and kindness. He was easy to talk to and seemed present during appointments. I trusted his medical advice and skills. He was clear about what he knew vs what he didn't, and it seemed like he was up to date on literature and also weighing general recommendations with our particular situation. I would definitely recommend him for any male-factor needs!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Matt Coward at UNC Fertility?

Like many fertility doctors, it takes time to get in. Otherwise, this advice isn't specific to Dr. Coward, but it has helped me with him and other doctors. And that it is important to do your own homework too and be prepared with questions. In this instance, it was helpful to look at the semen analysis and other labs ahead of time. Then I could be prepared to ask him if something looks off but he hasn't brought it up. He was always willing to explain why that didn't concern him or thank me for bringing it to his attention.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Matt Coward at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Coward seemed to really care and want the best for us. It didn't feel like he was pushing us into treatments. He didn't seem rushed during our appointments. He was open to listening to us and took the time to explain things and answer questions. His kindness and acknowledgment our pain from infertility and miscarriage also meant a lot.

Describe the protocols Matt Coward used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

Dr. Coward wasn't exactly involved in cycles. He addressed male factor issues, primarily through varicocele surgery. It is too early to say if it has helped.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

I haven't interacted with them much, but all the interactions were positive so far.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Dr. Coward is great and worth the following! However, my biggest complaint about this clinic is that I find the front desk very difficult to communicate with. They never answer the phone so you always have to leave a message. And then sit by your phone all day hoping not to miss their call, which is hard if you're trying to work. Sometimes they don't call you back at all (messaging through the patient portal is sometimes better). When you finally talk to someone, it doesn't seem like they know what is going on and sometimes they can also be very rude. I get that their job is probably really hard sometimes, but these interactions have made a hard experience worse.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Matt Coward at UNC Fertility.

About the previous group of questions - I'm not sure if I could answer them all appropriately given we haven't undergone assisted fertility treatment yet. But related to costs, it wasn't always clear what was happening. For example, one time the front desk said we have a "credit", but we had never really gotten a bill for any of the clinic visits. The varicocele surgery was a different story as it was conducted in a different facility. We got bills and financial information from that, but that was luckily covered by insurance (after deductible and coinsurance).

Describe Matt Coward's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

N/A

What specific things went wrong at UNC Fertility?

Lost appointments
Lost results
Scheduled the wrong procedure

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UNC Fertility.

As described in an earlier section, my main complaint is the front desk/scheduling people.

Doctor

Matt Coward

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Review of

Matt Coward UNC Fertility

2021 - 2022, Consult

Age 33 - 34

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Black or African-American

Income $50K - $99K

Entrepreneur

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Genevieve Neal-Perry UNC Fertility

How was your experience with Genevieve Neal-Perry at UNC Fertility?

I would describe Dr. Neal-Perry as a kind soul. It was important to me to find a RE that looked like me and when I found her, I made sure to tell her that. Her response was so encouraging and she let me know that black women deserve to feel heard and seen by their physicians and that was her goal in her practice. So, far she has met her words. I look forward to walking through this journey with her to further experience her kindness. I have not experienced her bedside manner yet as we have only had virtual conversations. I will say that I do feel confident that Dr. Neal-Perry has me and my husband's best interest at heart.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Genevieve Neal-Perry at UNC Fertility?

Come with your questions because she has answers!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Genevieve Neal-Perry at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Neal-Perry made me feel like a human by always asking how I'm doing. Even though we've only had virtually visits, she was intentional to check in with me on how I was feeling and offered encouragement. This meant a lot to me!

Describe the protocols Genevieve Neal-Perry used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

We have not started treatment yet.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

I have only experienced the nurses while have bloodwork drawn. My nurse/phelbotomist was nice enough. He didn't have much to say which I wasn't really expecting a lot of small talk.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

UNC Fertility is very organized compared to a previous clinic that I was a patient under. The patient portal and patient messages are very helpful. I appreciate at this because I can easily see what to expect concerning our treatment plan and my test results. The staff are pleasant which is nice especially when dealing with high stress of fertility difficulties. I also love that the staff in the clinic are very diverse. One weakness I have found is there seems to only be one person scheduling appointments, this can be frustrating when trying to schedule an appointment but you continue to get the voicemail and end up playing phone tag.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Genevieve Neal-Perry at UNC Fertility.

Cost directly to clinic for needed treatment-$14,000 Additional costs if needed- $16,000

Describe Genevieve Neal-Perry's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

We have not gotten this far yet.

What specific things went wrong at UNC Fertility?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UNC Fertility.

Dr. Neal-Perry ordered that I have a HSG done. I scheduled the appointment but then thought more about it. I realized that I had a HSG done in 2020 already under my OB-GYN and those results were already sent to UNC Fertility. I questioned if it would be necessary for me to do this procedure again since I already had one and my treatment plan is already in place for IVF so, tubal disease is not a factor at this point. I sent a message through the portal and one of the partnering physicians confirmed that I did not need to do that procedure again. Not a big deal but I'm glad that I had the thought to ask to avoid an unnecessary procedure.

Doctor

Genevieve Neal-Perry

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Genevieve Neal-Perry UNC Fertility

2020, Unknown Success

Age 35

1 IUI

Unexplained

Prefer not to answer

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Linnea Goodman UNC Fertility

Dr. Goodman made us felt comfortable...listened to our concerns before making recommendations, and was flexible in helping come up with what felt like a customized plan...told us the baseline and mid cycle ultrasound were not completely necessary. This saved us the stress of having to make 2 additional trips plus taking time off work, and the cost of the ultrasounds...she had a quick ultrasound set up just to confirm before we went through with the IUI, and we were not charged...

UNC Fertility is very advanced from a technological standpoint. It was very easy to set up an initial consultation, we received email communications in a timely manner and were directed to a patient portal online that was detailed and accurate, and made us feel comfortable...[Dr. Goodman] listened to our concerns before making recommendations, and was flexible in helping come up with what felt like a customized plan...

How was your experience with Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Goodman was thorough in her descriptions and explanations about the process, the science behind it, but also the involvement of mother nature in creating life. Although she may have been blunt at times, it was with good intention. She was comfortable with using previous ultrasounds to identify the viability of the eggs, but then when the day of IUI came, she had a quick ultrasound set up just to confirm before we went through with the IUI, and we were not charged. So although it was a bit unexpected to have an ultrasound done when you are going in for IUI, it made us feel good that she wanted to be extra cautious and wasn't going to charge us since it wasn't something that had been in our original plans. We felt very good leaving Dr. Goodman's office because she was clear with her instructions and the next steps involved, and took our comments and concerns into consideration prior to making any recommendations.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

Relax, and ask lots of questions. She is very down to earth and will be happy to answer you and listen to your concerns.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Goodman made us felt comfortable, speaking to us in a practical manner while also explaining in detail some of the answers to our questions. She listened to our concerns before making recommendations, and was flexible in helping come up with what felt like a customized plan, not a cookie cutter list of next steps she would give to everyone else.

Describe the protocols Linnea Goodman used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

We had done 3 cycles of Letrozole, then 2 cycles of Letrozole with injection, through a different doctor prior to coming to see Dr. Goodman. We discussed the fact that we were interested in IUI since it was now covered under our insurance plan. We were on our 31st cycle of trying, and Dr. Goodman agreed that IUI would be appropriate. We stayed with Letrozole and had a choice of doing a day 3 baseline ultrasound, followed by a mid cycle ultrasound prior to the IUI. Since it involved travel of over 2 hours for each visit, and since we had previously done treatments that included ultrasounds which the records transferred over, Dr. Goodman told us the baseline and mid cycle ultrasound were not completely necessary. This saved us the stress of having to make 2 additional trips plus taking time off work, and the cost of the ultrasounds. We did not see success on our first cycle of IUI, and then on our second cycle the coronavirus shut down treatments, but we are hopeful to return for future treatment as soon as possible.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Doctor

Linnea Goodman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Linnea Goodman UNC Fertility

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 31 - 32

10 Fertility Medications

Unexplained

European

East Asian

Income $200K - $499K

Marketer or PR

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Linnea Goodman UNC Fertility

Linnea is level headed and calm, which is a good match for anyone who may be feeling emotional about where they are in their infertility journey. She has answers any questions I have had along the way fully, let me know what I *dont* have so we can try to figure out what is causing my infertility, and has taken this whole process step by step...

[UNC Fertility staff] They are usually on time and I don’t spend long waiting for my scheduled appointment. It’s easy to schedule appointments and they are responsive in their online question portal. The accounting team is proactive in letting me know what I should expect to spend for each visit...My first ultrasound was close to $500, but with that I reached my max and all other appointments have been 10% of the procedure. Most things have been insurance eligible.

How was your experience with Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

It can feel like things might be moving slowly, but Dr. Goodman has suggested the right treatment/procedures in the right order for me to be able to understand why we are having trouble conceiving, so trust the process.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Goodman is a very kind person who explains everything very clearly and was the first person to be able to give me real answers about my infertility.

Describe the protocols Linnea Goodman used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

Dr. Goodman was able to finally confirm that I did not have PCOs due to some labs that were run. I’m currently taking Levitrozole, but after a few months with no pregnancy, we did an ultrasound and found that I was already superovulating, so we didn’t increase my dosage. Then, we did an HSG to see if I had a blockage. No blockage was found, but they were able to see that my uterus shake was abnormal, so we did a 3D ultrasound and they were able to confirm that I had a uterine septum. The next step for me is to have a procedure to remove the septum, and continue trying until next steps are required.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

The nursing staff is great, my one pain point is that I requested a female doctor, and my first visit they had a male intern there assigned to me with the doctor. I decided that in the end I didn’t care enough to say anything, but it would have been appreciated if the nursing staff looked at my request before having a male intern participate in my procedures.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

They are usually on time and I don’t spend long waiting for my scheduled appointment. It’s easy to schedule appointments and they are responsive in their online question portal. The accounting team is proactive in letting me know what I should expect to spend for each visit. The only negative is my comment on the previous question.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility.

My first ultrasound was close to $500, but with that I reached my max and all other appointments have been 10% of the procedure. Most things have been insurance eligible.

Describe Linnea Goodman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

N/a

Doctor

Linnea Goodman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Linnea Goodman UNC Fertility

2020, Successful

Age 32

10 IUI

1 IVF

Endometriosis

European

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Steven Young UNC Fertility

Very good at making sure I understood my diagnosis of stage 4 endometriosis and the different treatment options available. We decided the best plan to help increase fertility but also what it would mean long term ... Dr. Young is a great doctor to see if you have endometriosis. He is an expert in the field. I dealt more often with his fellow, Dr. Moustafa, who was also amazing. Very compassionate and educated. They work together very well and I felt heard and taken care of. Dr. Moustafa was also available very easy to get in touch with if I had questions or concerns. Would absolutely recommend this clinic.

Overall great, and [UNC Fertility] ran on time. Staff and nurses are all personable and approachable. Easy to get to, very clean. Coffee and tv in waiting room, lots of windows. They have their own portal online system that allows you to connect with your team whenever you have questions and view your treatment schedule and details online at any time. ... We decided to have laparoscopic surgery to remove endometrial tissue and lesions as well as a large cyst. This was to reduce the chronic pain I was having as well as increase fertility.

How was your experience with Steven Young at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Young is a great doctor to see if you have endometriosis. He is an expert in the field. I dealt more often with his fellow, Dr. Moustafa, who was also amazing. Very compassionate and educated. They work together very well and I felt heard and taken care of. Dr. Moustafa was also available very easy to get in touch with if I had questions or concerns. Would absolutely recommend this clinic.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Steven Young at UNC Fertility?

Ask as many questions as you can think of because he knows everything about Endometriosis - I came out of our appointment feeling much more “in charge” of this disease diagnosis

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Steven Young at UNC Fertility?

Describe the protocols Steven Young used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

We decided to have laparoscopic surgery to remove endometrial tissue and lesions as well as a large cyst. This was to reduce the chronic pain I was having as well as increase fertility. We have planned for an embryo transfer (IVF from a clinic in Canada) with 1 frozen embryo. I am currently taking Orlissa to suppress endometriosis until we can schedule a transfer cycle.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

Very personable, organized

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Overall great, and ran on time. Staff and nurses are all personable and approachable. Easy to get to, very clean. Coffee and tv in waiting room, lots of windows. They have their own portal online system that allows you to connect with your team whenever you have questions and view your treatment schedule and details online at any time.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Steven Young at UNC Fertility.

Don’t remember

Describe Steven Young's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

We only have one embryo

Doctor

Steven Young

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Steven Young UNC Fertility

2018 - 2020, Successful

Age 32 - 34

PCOS

Latinx

Black or African-American

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

Dr. Mersereau is patient and kind. She is honest and explains all the pros and cons. She is encouraging and extremely knowledgeable about infertility. She is pleasant and always greets us with a smile...Dr. M explained to me the reasoning behind why they only do single embryo transfer. She was real and honest...You want to have a doctor who is in your corner rooting for you to win, and that is who Dr. Mersereau is!

The [UNC Fertility] clinic has so many strengths. I have been going there for 2 yrs now and I haven’t noticed any weaknesses. What I love the most is how easy it is to communicate with Dr. M and the clinic’s team. Using the patient portal, I feel at ease knowing no matter what, someone will respond...The nursing staff is friendly, helpful and pleasant.

How was your experience with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Trust your doctor and the process! Patience is a virtue. It is needed during this journey. You want to have a doctor who is in your corner rooting for you to win, and that is who Dr. Mersereau is!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Dr. M always greats us with a smile. She takes her time explaining things. She is personable and patient. She draw illustrations so we can have a visual of what will happen next. She is warm and kind.

Describe the protocols Jennifer Mersereau used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

Dr. Mersereau placed me on Fermara to help me ovulate. I have PCOS, so at the time, I went 6 months without a period. She gave me a medicine to bring the menstrual down and then the Femara to ovulate.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

The nursing staff is friendly, helpful and pleasant.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

The clinic has so many strengths. I have been going there for 2 yrs now and I haven’t noticed any weaknesses. What I love the most is how easy it is to communicate with Dr. M and the clinic’s team. Using the patient portal, I feel at ease knowing no matter what, someone will respond.

Describe Jennifer Mersereau's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

Dr. M explained to me the reasoning behind why they only do single embryo transfer. She was real and honest! Not only did she give me the percentage for how many embryos survive, but she explained with a real life scenario. That helped put things into perspective. If multiple embryo transfer isn’t successful, it would be devastating for everyone involved.

Doctor

Jennifer Mersereau

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful

Age 34 - 35

3 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

South Asian

Income $200K - $499K

Doctor

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

Dr. Mersereau is more on the blunt side, but I like that about her. I would rather know the truth. She is always willing to answer all of our questions, and even met with us late once when my husband was running late...We are unexplained fertility. We have done 3 IUI's + 2 IUI's with clomid. Additionally, we have done 1 round of IVF, which was unsuccessful. Fortunately, we bought 3 cycles upfront.

[nurse of UNC Fertility] responds so quick to emails, and honestly, I feel she is holding my hand every step of the way...I like that UNC allows you to purchase multiple cycles upfront...First 3 IUI's were $300 a piece (with help of insurance), the next 2 IU's with clomid were $1000 each. We paid about $30K for 3 cycles of IVF and have used one.

How was your experience with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Overall, I like Dr. M. I was referred to her by 2 friends, one who is an OB, so that was comforting. I do wish, however, that in the past we had been a bit more aggressive. I wish that we would have been encouraged to go straight to IVF after 3 failed IUI's. I do feel that she cares for her patients, and I do recommend her overall. She practices very evidenced-based medicine.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Come with all of your questions, b/c otherwise, you may forget them. If you have a question, ASK it.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

I Dr. Merserau is more on the blunt side, but I like that about her. I would rather know the truth. She is always willing to answer all of our questions, and even met with us late once when my husband was running late.

Describe the protocols Jennifer Mersereau used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

We are unexplained fertility. We have done 3 IUI's + 2 IUI's with clomid. Additionally, we have done 1 round of IVF, which was unsuccessful. Fortunately, we bought 3 cycles upfront.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Mindy)

Mindy was great- responds so quick to emails, and honestly, I feel she is holding my hand every step of the way.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

UNC has gotten us in quickly, and overall we have been pleased with our experience. I like that UNC allows you to purchase multiple cycles upfront, but I wish they allowed you to know the sex of the embryos prior to transfer.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility.

First 3 IUI's were $300 a piece (with help of insurance), the next 2 IU's with clomid were $1000 each. We paid about $30K for 3 cycles of IVF and have used one.

Describe Jennifer Mersereau's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

On our first transfer, we did 1 embryo. On our second transfer, we did 2. Neither was successful.

What specific things went wrong at UNC Fertility?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UNC Fertility.

I wouldn't say this was necessarily fault on the part of the doctors, but I just feel that my husband got some info from the repro endocrinologist that was not completely in sync with what I got from Dr. M-- this was likely my husband's fault, since I believe he was misinterpreting the info. I would recommend for you and your partner to attend office appointments together.

Doctor

Jennifer Mersereau

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

2019 - 2020, Successful

Age 40 - 41

3 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Linnea Goodman UNC Fertility

Dr. Goodman is an exceptional fertility specialist. Coming to her after a devastating miscarriage, she helped us process the loss and begin treatment with assurance. Always an excellent communicator, she also has a warm but wry demeanor and a realistic but encouraging attitude toward treatment. Indeed, she guided us to the exact right treatment plan such that when we had setbacks, we were able to weather them easily and stay the course having already anticipated them. Fertility treatment isn’t easy and I don’t think we could have completed it without her caring and careful guidance.

Although our primary care doctor was Linnea Goodman, we had the opportunity to be seen by every single doctor in the [UNC Fertility] clinic: everyone was wonderful. The nursing staff was wonderful and our care coordinator was wonderful. Even the receptionist was wonderful. I would recommend UNC Fertility to everyone...Mindy was a wonderful nurse...These appointments were all early in the morning and easily managed with schedule with little flexibility. We were able to get in and out quickly with marginal time.

How was your experience with Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

Trust her advice: she knows what she’s talking about and won’t direct you toward unnecessary or unwarranted treatment plans.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Goodman is an exceptional doctor: while realistic about probabilities, she remained hopeful and encouraging about outcomes. “Cautiously optimistic” was the phrase of the day.

Describe the protocols Linnea Goodman used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

Having low egg reserves, we followed a max dosage for fertility drugs for each retrieval (gonal + menapur): 3 total retrievals. We also decided to freeze and test all embryos for each cycle before implanting due to concerns about poor egg quality and thus avoided implanting embryos that would have resulted in another miscarriage (and additional setbacks in timing).

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Mindy )

Mindy was a wonderful nurse (she held my hand for our first ultrasound because my partner couldn’t be present knowing that were were fearing a failed implantation). Mindy also served as my care coordinator, making sure that we were taking all the right drugs in the right way, emailing explicitly instructors the night before retrieval. All the nursing staff who regularly took my vitals and blood were wonderful as well: Everyone knew my name and treated me like family.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Although our primary care doctor was Linnea Goodman, we had the opportunity to be seen by every single doctor in the clinic: everyone was wonderful. The nursing staff was wonderful and our care coordinator was wonderful. Even the receptionist was wonderful. I would recommend UNC Fertility to everyone.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at UNC Fertility.

These appointments were all early in the morning and easily managed with schedule with little flexibility. We were able to get in and out quickly with marginal time.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility.

$52k for 3 retrievals (including meds but not including extra genetic testing of embryos or Anesthesia for retrieval, which totaled ~$5k)

Describe Linnea Goodman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

Dr. Goodman directed us to do a single embryo transfer to avoid complications with pregnancy (preterm birth, low birth rate and miscarriage).

Doctor

Linnea Goodman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Linnea Goodman UNC Fertility

2019, Unknown Success

Age 33

European

Income $50K - $99K

Lawyer

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Mary Peavey UNC Fertility

Dr. Peavey takes her time with you. She explains everything thoroughly, often drawing diagrams and writing down key terms...[new patient advice] Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions--she doesn't mind, and she's also good about quickly responding to questions you submit via mychart...[she] explained the odds of pregnancy with each of the different methods

[UNC Fertility clinic]It is in a nice building. The staff is friendly. It takes a while to get an appointment, but I guess that goes with the territory...[nurses] They're very friendly and efficient...I think a weakness is the clinic's approach to financial counseling. The financial counselor makes it feel like just a transaction. The way the costs are laid out and discussed is overwhelming...

How was your experience with Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Peavey takes her time with you. She explains everything thoroughly, often drawing diagrams and writing down key terms. Sometimes I wished she had given me more information. For example, when I asked if there was anything I could do to improve the number of eggs she could retrieve during IVF, she said there was nothing I could do. After our visit, I read It Starts With the Egg, and it sounds like there are plenty of things I could try--reducing the intensity of my exercise for a few months before retrieval, taking various vitamins, acupuncture, etc. I'm not sure why she didn't discuss these things, perhaps she doesn't agree with the advice given in that book (although the author cites a lot of scientific studies), or maybe she doesn't want to overwhelm people with information because it could increase stress, I'm not sure. But for me, I like to have as much information as possible, and it felt good to find something to act on--like taking vitamins or getting more sleep or switching my exercise routine from running intervals to low intensity walking--because so much feels outside my control right now. I wish she had acknowledged that some sources recommend these things, and explained what she thought, rather than saying there's nothing I can do.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions--she doesn't mind, and she's also good about quickly responding to questions you submit via mychart.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Peavey is very nice. She takes her time with you and explains everything thoroughly, often drawing diagrams and writing key terms down for you as you talk. With this process, I think there's a built-in level of feeling like a number, and less like a human, and I'm not sure it's the doctor's fault. Dr. Peavey explained the odds of pregnancy with each of the different methods. I think the more dehumanizing part comes in with the financial counselors and fertility financing companies. In those conversations, starting a family feels like a commodity, with a very big price tag. It's hard to stomach. Dr. Peavey was not involved in those conversations, and of course she is not responsible for the state of our health insurance system or the expense of fertility treatments, but it's all part of the process that she is tasked with leading, as the doctor, and the expense looms in the background of our conversations, especially when weighing the odds of a successful outcome with the number of cycles I should invest in. I think Dr. Peavey deals with that reality as best she can--she is kind and works hard to give you all the information you need to make an informed decision.

Describe the protocols Mary Peavey used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

I haven't gotten to this stage.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

They're very friendly and efficient.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

I have had a good experience so far. It is in a nice building. The staff is friendly. It takes a while to get an appointment, but I guess that goes with the territory--I feel like I've spent a lot of time waiting while trying to become pregnant. i haven't begun treatment (still waiting! :)), so I can't comment on that yet. I think a weakness is the clinic's approach to financial counseling. The financial counselor makes it feel like just a transaction. The way the costs are laid out and discussed is overwhelming. I came home and had to lie in bed the rest of the afternoon because it made me feel so bad. Of course, fertility treatments are expensive, and my health insurance doesn't cover it, so we needed to have this conversation. But, I wish they could come up with a more supportive way of sharing the information. It was a bit of a shock to the system at first. I think another weakness is they don't partner with an acupuncture clinic. Other clinics in the area allow an acupuncturist to give treatments before and after an embryo transfer, but UNC does not allow it. I started acupuncture a few months ago in hopes of improving my egg quality, and I've come to really enjoy it. I wish UNC allowed my acupuncturist to visit the clinic.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility.

I haven't begun my treatment yet because it is so expensive, I have to save money for it. It will cost about $27,000 for three IVF cycles, plus the cost of medicine and the cost of genetic testing. I would like to bank embryos if possible, so I am estimating it will cost at least $50,000.

Describe Mary Peavey's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

None

Doctor

Mary Peavey

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Peavey UNC Fertility

2017 - 2019, Successful

Age 35 - 37

4 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Mary Peavey UNC Fertility

Dr. Peavey was an amazing doctor for us. She really went above and beyond to help us understand each step of the way. She would call on the weekend if I had a question, I never felt like just a number to her. We could not say enough great things...was great from the very first appointment. My husband and I felt very confided that she was doing everything she could to help us have our now son....She was very straight forward with us and when we should move form IUI to IVF. We always felt like she had our best interested in mind and what would be best for us.

UNC Fertility was a great clinic and we had a great experience their, the only thing is that the wait time could be rather long. Sometimes I waiting up to 30 plus minute for a blood draw but it just depend on the day. I just made sure I added more time then I thought I needed for the appointment...Mindy [nurse] was amazing, she always answered my emails or question with in an day and was always so happy and positive. I really missed her when we switch to our main OBGYN practice...For our IUIs they were around $500 for each round. With IVF we paid $2000 to start and then about $1000 for the medicine and then we paid $2800 for our PSG testing

How was your experience with Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Peavey was great from the very first appointment. My husband and I felt very confided that she was doing everything she could to help us have our now son. She explained everything about why we were doing each step and test. She was very straight forward with us and when we should move form IUI to IVF. We always felt like she had our best interested in mind and what would be best for us.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

To trust her and know that she wants the same goal for her patients

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

Describe the protocols Mary Peavey used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

We started with IUI's not medicated due to the fact that it would not be safe for me to carry multiples. When those did not work we deiced to move on to IVF, we did one egg relative and deiced to PGS test those embryos. One the first transfer did not work. We did a few more test to get a better time window for the next transfer and added acupuncture. Our second transfer also failed so for our third we did all the things with acupuncture, added other medicine and had a successfully transfer and welcomed our son January 2020

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Mindy Soucy)

Mindy was amazing, she always answered my emails or question with in an day and was always so happy and positive. I really missed her when we switch to our main OBGYN practice.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility.

For our IUIs they were around $500 for each round. With IVF we paid $2000 to start and then about $1000 for the medicine and then we paid $2800 for our PSG testing

Describe Mary Peavey's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

We did a eSET because due to me having cervical cancer 8 years ago we all felt that it was not worth the risk to do more then one embryo at a time

Doctor

Mary Peavey

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Peavey UNC Fertility

2019, Successful

Age 29

3 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Linnea Goodman UNC Fertility

[Dr. Linnea Goodman] was extremely friendly and supportive while being realistic with possible outcomes. She made us both feel very comfortable and in control of the whole process...She took the time needed to answer any questions and we never felt rushed. She was genuine and compassionate...She can have a bit of dry humor (which I appreciated) to lighten the mood so don’t stay so serious the whole time...We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. I created and ovulated my egg every month but we never became pregnant after 18 months of trying. We tried 3 unsuccessful IUIs and followed directly with IVF and a successful fresh transfer.

The wait times could be quite long [at UNC Fertility] some days. The receptionist wasn’t the friendliest. The phlebotomists were skilled and accurate...We tried 3 unsuccessful IUIs and followed directly with IVF and a successful fresh transfer...Ally [nurse] wasn’t my favorite. She was all business. She was knowledgeable and helpful but not as warm as I prefer. Wendy was absolutely wonderful. She saw my upset one day and went out of her way to call me to make sure everything was ok. She was truly one of the warmest and most genuine people I’ve ever met.

How was your experience with Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

Dr Goodman was always positive and personable. She took the time needed to answer any questions and we never felt rushed. She was genuine and compassionate. I was sad we had to leave her care but happy we were able to graduate to a regular obgyn

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

She can have a bit of dry humor (which I appreciated) to lighten the mood so don’t stay so serious the whole time.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility?

Dr Goodman was extremely friendly and supportive while being realistic with possible outcomes. She made us both feel very comfortable and in control of the whole process.

Describe the protocols Linnea Goodman used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. I created and ovulated my egg every month but we never became pregnant after 18 months of trying. We tried 3 unsuccessful IUIs and followed directly with IVF and a successful fresh transfer.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Ally )

Ally wasn’t my favorite. She was all business. She was knowledgeable and helpful but not as warm as I prefer. Wendy was absolutely wonderful. She saw my upset one day and went out of her way to call me to make sure everything was ok. She was truly one of the warmest and most genuine people I’ve ever met.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

The wait times could be quite long some days. The receptionist wasn’t the friendliest. The phlebotomists were skilled and accurate. Avoid Dr. Mercero at all costs. She has terrible bedside manner and will introduce herself to you over and over even if it’s the 4th time you’ve seen her.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Linnea Goodman at UNC Fertility.

Insurance covered my 3 IUIs and most testing up until I started the IVF process and testing. Then it was all out of pocket

Describe Linnea Goodman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

With the diagnosis of unexplained infertility it was suggested to transfer 1 egg since we didn’t know the reason as to why I wasn’t becoming pregnant

What specific things went wrong at UNC Fertility?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UNC Fertility.

We had some trouble with insurance and medicine coverage so we had to have a couple different meds called in to see what was covered. Only 1 of the 2 meds were called in so I had to get ahold of the nurse on call over the weekend to fix it.

Doctor

Linnea Goodman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Linnea Goodman UNC Fertility

2018 - 2019, Unsuccessful

Age 31 - 32

IVF

Unexplained

Prefer not to answer

Income $200K - $499K

1st of 2 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Marc Fritz (retired)UNC Fertility

We candidly told Dr. Fritz that we wanted to pursue other options before turning to IVF. Although it went against statistics, he supported us trying Clomid for a number of cycles and offered the option of Invocell. I do feel as though he went out of his way to balance both statistics and medical knowledge with the understanding that we were not trying to compromise on our faith...He offered options that would allow us to feel comfortable with the number of embryos in storage after our first treatment, while carefully outlining the pros and cons.

I became very familiar with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility and was able to talk to someone relatively quickly throughout my treatment process - no matter the question. I utilized the patient portal and phone calls a lot...Some appointments felt slightly rushed...[clinic error]my IVF cycle had to be pushed back a few months as there was confusion between the clinic and my insurance company

How was your experience with Marc Fritz (retired) at UNC Fertility?

When I first saw Dr. Fritz, I had come from a clinic that only wanted to pursue IVF. As Christians, my husband and I had some pretty big reservations about what that meant for us. We candidly told Dr. Fritz that we wanted to pursue other options before turning to IVF. Although it went against statistics, he supported us trying Clomid for a number of cycles and offered the option of Invocell. I do feel as though he went out of his way to balance both statistics and medical knowledge with the understanding that we were not trying to compromise on our faith. After a lot of prayer and an unfortunate loss, we went forward with IVF. He offered options that would allow us to feel comfortable with the number of embryos in storage after our first treatment, while carefully outlining the pros and cons.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Marc Fritz (retired) at UNC Fertility?

Be honest and open. He shows little judgement. However, remember that he is seeing hundreds of patients and as much as he will try to review your records just before your appointment, you may find yourself having to advocate for yourself and reminding him of things that you've discussed in the past.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Marc Fritz (retired) at UNC Fertility?

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Wendy)

Wendy was extremely responsive to all of my questions. In my case, I went through a rare complication that I felt as though I had to strongly advocate for myself. I was told that I likely just had a bug, but it turned out to be extremely serious. I think it could have been handled slightly differently, but my frequency of questions probably caused my own symptoms to be taken less seriously. When I went through IVF, she was extremely helpful and patient.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

The clinic itself was very comfortable and felt like a home for quite some time - I probably visited there 30+ times. One thing that I didn't realize wasn't normal until I went to another practice was that the waiting room was always packed. Some appointments felt slightly rushed.

Describe Marc Fritz (retired)'s approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

UNC as a practice has a very strict criteria that they follow to consider transferring any more than one embryo - age, history, etc. I was not offered the option to transfer any more than one.

What specific things went wrong at UNC Fertility?

Lost appointments
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UNC Fertility.

I am lucky enough to have fertility coverage through my insurance. But it was very clear that this is not something that their billing department typically deals with. As a result, my IVF cycle had to be pushed back a few months as there was confusion between the clinic and my insurance company. It was a bit frustrating, and I had to make tons of phone calls to try to get things lined up.

Doctor

Marc Fritz (retired)

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Marc Fritz (retired)UNC Fertility

2016 - 2018, Unsuccessful

Age 38 - 40

IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Male Factor

Other

Income $50K - $99K

Doctor

2nd of 2 Docs

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

Dr. Mersereau is professional and knowledgable. She has a calm and logical approach to the process and offered conservative treatment but was willing to explore options. She was able to explain the process in a comprehensive manner and explain the choices we had going forward. She is approachable and really took her time to address all our questions and concerns.

Wendy [nurse at UNC Fertility] was amazing, professional, compassionate, and maintained a supportive environment through out the course of our treatment. She was responsive and went above and beyond to provide care by phone and in the office...Strengths were the physician and nursing staff who were very compassionate and supportive. Their finance team was less responsive and not as clear. The clinic did not offer any learning tools as other clinics have and they do not offer or recommend complimentary care. They could do better with more support groups and counseling integrated into their treatment plan.

How was your experience with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Go in with questions. Because she takes her time and has a team of RE that review your case, your questions and asks may take more time to be processed. However, we felt that they took into consideration what we wanted and advised us appropriately our options and how they could help.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Dr. M made time to sit and answer questions appropriately with consideration for our expectations and the reality of our situation. We worked more with her nurse than her but she made sure to call with results and other important information.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Wendy)

Wendy was amazing, professional, compassionate, and maintained a supportive environment through out the course of our treatment. She was responsive and went above and beyond to provide care by phone and in the office. I would highly recommend her as nurse while going through this difficult treatment.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Strengths were the physician and nursing staff who were very compassionate and supportive. Their finance team was less responsive and not as clear. The clinic did not offer any learning tools as other clinics have and they do not offer or recommend complimentary care. They could do better with more support groups and counseling integrated into their treatment plan.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility.

We used the Attain program.

Doctor

Jennifer Mersereau

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

2017 - 2018, Successful

Age 28 - 29

7 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Mary Peavey UNC Fertility

Dr. Peavey was very thorough in explaining our options to us and the processes going on inside the body. She took time out to make sure we felt comfortable. We always knew what to expect. She was also very considerate of our emotions during hard times, and she took time to personally call us when needed.... Our first cycle with Dr. Peavey was an IUI only, which had worked for us (along with an HSG) for our first daughter.

The nursing staff [UNC Fertility] worked efficiently and were all well trained in the procedures they were conducting....The clinic's biggest weakness appeared to be in billing. There were multiple occasions where pricing was misquoted and I was later charged more than expected, and there were some surprise bills when I had been told I had paid for everything involved in that cycle.

How was your experience with Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

You are in good hands!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Peavey took lots of time out to discuss our options with us during appointments. On the day of our first consultation, she took a scan, since I was in a good place in my cycle, and we wouldn't have to wait a whole month to start treatment. She also called us after her normal hours to discuss options with us when we had big decisions to make.

Describe the protocols Mary Peavey used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

Our first cycle with Dr. Peavey was an IUI only, which had worked for us (along with an HSG) for our first daughter. For the second cycle, we switched to IUI with letrozole. We also went on progesterone for a short luteal phase. After 1-2 more unsuccessful IUIs, we switched to from letrozole to clomid (still with progesterone) for a few cycles. We also had a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) again. We then planned to move to IVF, but wanted to take a month off medication first. During the month off, we got pregnant, which turned out to be ectopic, and required surgery. After recovery from surgery, we proceeded with IVF and were able to freeze seven embryos and transfer one. The transferred embryo worked and I am now pregnant.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

The nursing staff worked efficiently and were all well trained in the procedures they were conducting.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

The clinic's biggest weakness appeared to be in billing. There were multiple occasions where pricing was misquoted and I was later charged more than expected, and there were some surprise bills when I had been told I had paid for everything involved in that cycle.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility.

IVF - $12000 (plus medications) IUI - $800 (plus medications)

Describe Mary Peavey's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

Dr. Peavey strongly recommended single embryo transfer, based on my age and my history. I am in agreement with this recommendation, as I did not want to have a pregnancy with multiples.

What specific things went wrong at UNC Fertility?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UNC Fertility.

All the problems I had with the clinic were related to billing.

Doctor

Mary Peavey

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Peavey UNC Fertility

2015 - 2018, Successful

Age 27 - 30

1 IVF

Anovulation

Income $100K - $199K

Marketer or PR

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Marc Fritz (retired)UNC Fertility

Dr Fritz took the time to really get to know me and my husband and I felt like he truly cared about our results. He was invested, he was sad with me during hard times and happy with me during successes. After going to him for so many years through IVF and an ectopic pregnancy and two successful pregnancies afterwards resulting in my 2.5 year old and 6 month old I could not be happier with the care I received from him.

UNC is very clean, nice and everyone is very friendly. Everyone from the front desk staff, to the nurses taking blood and vitals are all so friendly and caring, they all make you feel welcome and take the time to really get to know you and remember who you are.... For our first son we ended up spending about $25K which included trying drugs like letrozole & injectables, all of the testing (baselines, mock transfers, saline ultrasounds, hsg tests) egg retrieval,

How was your experience with Marc Fritz (retired) at UNC Fertility?

He is so caring and such an intelligent, amazing dr. I could not be happier with the care that I received from him and the outcome of our IVF cycles at UNC. After my first IVF cycle resulted in an ectopic pregnancy I felt so strongly that I always only wanted to have him do my transfers and my next two transfers were successes! He always made me feel so comfortable.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Marc Fritz (retired) at UNC Fertility?

To trust him fully.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Marc Fritz (retired) at UNC Fertility?

Describe the protocols Marc Fritz (retired) used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

I do not recall.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Mindy )

Mindy was AMAZING! She would email me at all hours of the day/night with questions and help. I was even emailing her on Christmas eve sure that I was having a miscarriage after my 2nd IVF transfer and she was so responsive and caring helping to put my mind at ease and getting me in early the day after Christmas to confirm that the baby was just fine :)

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Marc Fritz (retired) at UNC Fertility.

For our first son we ended up spending about $25K which included trying drugs like letrozole & injectables, all of the testing (baselines, mock transfers, saline ultrasounds, hsg tests) egg retrieval, one IVF transfer that ended in an ectopic pregnancy and a second transfer (FET) that resulted in our first son. Our 2nd son just required an additional saline and mock transfer and one FET which was around $6K total.

Doctor

Marc Fritz (retired)

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Marc Fritz (retired)UNC Fertility

2018, Unsuccessful

Age 31

4 IUI

1 IVF

1 Egg Freezing

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

1st of 2 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

I was unaware of the treatment protocols for IUI. Dr. Mersereau prescribed me clomid for all my IUIs, but she never gave me a trigger shot. I just used ovulation predictor kits which are not always very accurate. I felt like it was just a guessing game and I wish we had been more aggressive with the specifics of the treatments. As a doctor, she was very kind, compassionate, and thorough when diagnosing me. I just did not agree with the treatments.

The clinic [UNC Fertility-Raleigh] was beautiful. They had an entirely separate area for specimen collection and a lovely waiting room. It felt like a spa. It was not, however, close to UNC Chapel Hill's campus like I thought it would be. It was closer to the airport which was a long drive for me.... The nursing staff were the ones who performed the IUI, I never even saw the doctor on those days. They were very kind and compassionate. They would always be so upbeat about our chances to conceive. When I called to say that the IUI didn't work and I needed to start a new round of treatment, they were so kind and compassionate about our grief.

How was your experience with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Advocate for yourself and for your treatment plan.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

She listened to me and answered all my questions. She understood that I had a crazy schedule working in healthcare, and she was very personable.

Describe the protocols Jennifer Mersereau used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

Dr. Mersereau prescribed Clomid and an ovulation predictor kit (without going over how to use the OPK). Then we did IUI.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

The nursing staff were the ones who performed the IUI, I never even saw the doctor on those days. They were very kind and compassionate. They would always be so upbeat about our chances to conceive. When I called to say that the IUI didn't work and I needed to start a new round of treatment, they were so kind and compassionate about our grief.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

The clinic was beautiful. They had an entirely separate area for specimen collection and a lovely waiting room. It felt like a spa. It was not, however, close to UNC Chapel Hill's campus like I thought it would be. It was closer to the airport which was a long drive for me.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility.

Our insurance did not cover any costs of treatment (just lab work), so we paid out of pocket for everything. We never met with a financial team.

Describe Jennifer Mersereau's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

We did not get to embryo retrieval or transfers

What specific things went wrong at UNC Fertility?

Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UNC Fertility.

I do not think they were great at giving instructions for Ovulation predictor kits. I know that the directions are on the kit's box, but I wish the nurse had given specifics because there was already so much to remember with the infertility journey.

Doctor

Jennifer Mersereau

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

2017 - 2018, Unknown Success

Age 28 - 29

2 IUI

Unexplained

Prefer not to answer

Income $0 - $49K

Teacher

2nd of 2 Docs

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

Dr. M [Jennifer Mersereau] got us in for a consultation quickly. She is personable and passionate about her patients. She gave encouraging words and described everything in detail. She even drew diagrams to help us understand the upcoming procedures and what we should expect. After the consultation and several attempts to diagnose, we began the IUI cycle. I did not see Dr. M for these visits, only a nurse and doctor interns. I would have loved to speak directly with doctor on the day of treatment.

[UNC Fertility is a] Great clinic! No complaints. They work with your schedule as much as they can. Are available on Saturday and sundays for ultrasound or treatments. Front desk staff is accommodating and worked with me when I had insurance questions. The office is always clean. They provide coffee and water to patients in the waiting area.... Always answer my messages quickly and in depth. I love that they check on me towards the end of my TWW. They are always encouraging and happy in the office and greet me by my first name. Awesome staff!

How was your experience with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Dr. M got us in for a consultation quickly. She is personable and passionate about her patients. She gave encouraging words and described everything in detail. She even drew diagrams to help us understand the upcoming procedures and what we should expect. After the consultation and several attempts to diagnose, we began the IUI cycle. I did not see Dr. M for these visits, only a nurse and doctor interns. I would have loved to speak directly with doctor on the day of treatment.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

This is not specific to Dr. M, but the process in itself. Pray! Have a group that prays for you and with you. You will need a shoulder to lean on

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Dr. M takes the time to answer my questions about medications and all fertility questions

Describe the protocols Jennifer Mersereau used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

I began with Femara 6mg, this only produced one mature egg per month. After 5 months, I began clomid 150mg. I have produced 2-3 mature follicles each cycle. Clomid does come with more side effects and possibility of multiples. We had our first IUI with Femara with no success. Took several months off to emotionally and financially recover. We are working on the 2nd IUI, back to back.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

Always answer my messages quickly and in depth. I love that they check on me towards the end of my TWW. They are always encouraging and happy in the office and greet me by my first name. Awesome staff!

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Great clinic! No complaints. They work with your schedule as much as they can. Are available on Saturday and sundays for ultrasound or treatments. Front desk staff is accommodating and worked with me when I had insurance questions. The office is always clean. They provide coffee and water to patients in the waiting area.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility.

IUI was $889 per cycle, with insurance. Not cheap, but hopefully worth it.

Doctor

Jennifer Mersereau

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

2018, Consult

Age 31

Fertility Medications

Male Factor

Prefer not to answer

Accountant

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Mary Peavey UNC Fertility

seeing Dr Peavey and UNC Fertility was a breath of fresh air. She was thorough, detailed but also readily listened and addressed any questions and concerns. She emailed me on a weekend (when it honestly wasn’t even necessary!) She took triple the time with me than the clinic I had visited prior... we felt as if she had our best interest in mind whether or not that was the most expensive treatment. Even after learning IVF was indeed our only option, she is still very mindful of our concerns.

The office [UNC Fertility - Raleigh] is new and you can see the level of care that went into the office space itself to be the best environment from a health standpoint (paint, air filtration etc) as well as comfort. The feeling leaving this office compared to leaving another local office we met with was incomparable. We knew this was the best fit for us...We have seen several different nurses at check in, lab work etc although we do not have a primary nurse yet in the process. (We have not actually began our first cycle, in progress) Each nurse and team member we have worked with has been professional, compassionate and very laid back (which helps in this environment)

How was your experience with Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

She takes plenty of time to address concerns, take into consideration our feelings on things. She never hesitates to respond to emails (even on a weekend!) She spent ample time to diagnose rather than jumping to one conclusion and one treatment plan. When we first met with her, we felt as if she had our best interest in mind whether or not that was the most expensive treatment. Even after learning IVF was indeed our only option, she is still very mindful of our concerns.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

Never hesitate to ask questions, ask for things to be repeated or email to follow up.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility?

After visiting another local office and feeling as if my concerns were not heard and I was only a number and an invoice, seeing Dr Peavey and UNC Fertility was a breath of fresh air. She was thorough, detailed but also readily listened and addressed any questions and concerns. She emailed me on a weekend (when it honestly wasn’t even necessary!) She took triple the time with me than the clinic I had visited prior.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: We are not this far (waiting to be financially cleared))

We have seen several different nurses at check in, lab work etc although we do not have a primary nurse yet in the process. (We have not actually began our first cycle, in progress) Each nurse and team member we have worked with has been professional, compassionate and very laid back (which helps in this environment)

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

From the moment you walk in we felt welcome. In a professional, clean, accommodating office. The doctor comes out to greet you in the waiting room and walks you back, as well walk you out after the appointment. The office is new and you can see the level of care that went into the office space itself to be the best environment from a health standpoint (paint, air filtration etc) as well as comfort. The feeling leaving this office compared to leaving another local office we met with was incomparable. We knew this was the best fit for us.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Peavey at UNC Fertility.

Due to office Medications

Describe Mary Peavey's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

Single transfer is recommended to us

Doctor

Mary Peavey

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Peavey UNC Fertility

2017 - 2018, Successful

Age 33 - 34

1 IVF

PCOS

European

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Anne Steiner UNC Fertility

One of the first and most important moments with Dr Steiner was when I first went in I knew she would say my weight was a factor in my infertility. But to my pleasant surprise she went through everything and never mentioned it. I brought it up and she said “yes every less pound would be helpful but I am assuming from the way you asked you have tried dieting and eating healthy. I told her I had it was just really hard for me in those programs because the weight did not just fall off. She said well it is up to you if you want to try and lose a few more pounds before we do this I will support you but I know you want this baby and I am not going to keep that from happening because of something that has not happened with your effort. My job is to help get you pregnant not judge you

Ally [nurse at UNC Fertility] was the calm in the storm. She goes above and beyond with her patients. She is one of the most compassionate, organizations zed, and calming person I have ever met...[Monitoring appointments are a] Well efficient machine. Very personalized but they blocked off early morning so you could get labs and or ultrasounds and still make it to work on time. Also open 7 days a week for monitoring appointments and procedures. I could have scheduled later in the day if needed but early morning was great for me and so many others

How was your experience with Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility?

Well of note she is now at Duke and I do not have experience there. I will say Dr. Steiner was great non judgements supportive and even while I did not see her every time I knew she was always on top of my care

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility?

Be honest and know she will support you. One of the first and most important moments with Dr Steiner was when I first went in I knew she would say my weight was a factor in my infertility. But to my pleasant surprise she went through everything and never mentioned it. I brought it up and she said “yes every less pound would be helpful but I am assuming from the way you asked you have tried dieting and eating healthy. I told her I had it was just really hard for me in those programs because the weight did not just fall off. She said well it is up to you if you want to try and lose a few more pounds before we do this I will support you but I know you want this baby and I am not going to keep that from happening because of something that has not happened with your effort. My job is to help get you pregnant not judge you

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility?

IUNC fertility was fabulous. They made me feel like I was the only person in their care. Personalized one on one attention and must say Ally the nurse was my saving grace in regards to sanity

Describe the protocols Anne Steiner used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

She did the standard protocol they use but tailored it based on my labs and my pharmacy plan options.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Aly Bell)

Ally was the calm in the storm. She goes above and beyond with her patients. She is one of the most compassionate, organizations zed, and calming person I have ever met. She Celeste’s the successes and reassured me when I was worried

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Very efficient but still make you feel like a person not a number. Great scheduling for working people. Had support all the time. Knew they would be there for egg transfer no matter the day even if on a holiday. Support and backing of UNC but feels like a private clinic. Every doctor I saw was fabulous. I knew no matter what doctor I saw they were all on same page and I could trust them. Even though Dr.Steiner is at Duke now I will without a doubt go back to UNC if we forward later with a frozen embryo transfer. Also if side notbthey give you the cutest little gift when you graduate

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at UNC Fertility.

Well efficient machine. Very personalized but they blocked off early morning so you could get labs and or ultrasounds and still make it to work on time. Also open 7 days a week for monitoring appointments and procedures. I could have scheduled later in the day if needed but early morning was great for me and so many others

Describe the costs associated with your care under Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility.

So my husbands insurance luckily has great infertility insurance so our experience was very different

Describe Anne Steiner's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

So dr. Steiner only put one egg in based on research. I never pushed the fact because their frozen and fresh egg transfer success ratios are the same. And like she explained it is better to try again with a frozen embryo the chance multiples. Now I will not the decision to only put one was based on my age and embryo quality

Doctor

Anne Steiner

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Anne Steiner UNC Fertility

2018, Unsuccessful

Age 32

1 IUI

Anovulation

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $100K - $199K

1st of 2 Docs

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Anne Steiner UNC Fertility

How was your experience with Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Steiner is very direct and research-driven. The fact that she continues to conduct research on faculty at a major institution is one of the elements that led myself and my husband to seek her care. If you are looking for a super-compassionate, empathetic doctor, she may not be for you. She cares, and will demonstrate that at times, but not during every interaction. She could be short with a response on occasion, but generally gave me the information I was looking for. Dr. Steiner was convinced that ovulation induction was the only treatment we would need, and told us she would comfortably continue that regimen for six or more months. We progressed to IUI only at my request. After four cycles, none of which resulted in a pregnancy or chemical pregnancy, we relocated, and began with a new doctor. Should we have stayed in the area, I may have sought a more aggressive doctor.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility?

Don't be afraid to ask questions. You'll need to assert yourself a little bit, as Dr. Steiner is a very seasoned specialist and will give you a full run-down of your diagnosis and case without pausing.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility?

During our consultation and follow-up appointment, Dr. Steiner took her time with us, explaining treatment and general fertility concepts in a clear manner. She remembered our details at every interaction, and her care felt personalized for the case we presented.

Describe the protocols Anne Steiner used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

I have a history of irregular or absent periods. Dr. Steiner prescribed 2.5 mgs of letrozole (Femara) on cycle days 3-7, with an ultrasound to check progress on day 13. Each cycle produced one or more mature follicles, and after the ultrasound, we did a trigger shot (Ovidrel) at home that evening. For the first three cycles, we had timed intercourse around the ovulation window. For the fourth and final cycle, we went in for an IUI 36 hours after the trigger shot.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

I didn't have much interaction with the nurses, as I wasn't doing IVF. In general, they were pleasant, and responsive via portal messages.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

There are a few aspects of the clinic I wish I had known about before beginning treatment. UNC is a teaching clinic. It will most likely be fellows (students in their fellowship years) who perform most of your ultrasounds. At times, this was (literally) uncomfortable. I have a retroverted uterus, and the first fellow to do a transvaginal ultrasound on me had a lot of difficulty finding her way around. Unlike many teaching hospitals/clinics, the practice's physicians will not ask your permission beforehand to have the fellow observe or even perform the ultrasound. After the uncomfortable ultrasound, I preemptively requested a practice physician when checking in for my next one. Later, at another ultrasound, an unsupervised fellow gave me misinformation and tried to cancel our IUI (she was under the impression that the clinic only did IUI cycles with multiple follicles, while Dr. Steiner was aiming for me to have one mature follicle). The method of communication, at least as a patient of Dr. Steiner's, is strictly through portal messaging. I was never able to speak on the phone with Dr. Steiner, and 90% of the time, responses on the portal came from a nurse. This I imagine is typical for correspondence having to do with refills, etc., but when I wanted to pass on some information regarding my short period, I was told to book a follow-up appointment, which seemed unnecessary. I would also add that nurses perform the IUIs. This may not be uncommon, but took me by surprise.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility.

For ovulation induction, medication was about $110 per cycle, and each cycle required one monitoring ultrasound which cost about $270. The IUI was about $700. My HSG was about $400. The initial consultation was about $400, and the follow-up with Dr. Steiner was about $340. Insurance did not cover anything, but gave us discounts because the clinic was in-network.

What specific things went wrong at UNC Fertility?

Provided conflicting information
Lost or damaged samples

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UNC Fertility.

The clinic incorrectly washed my husband's semen sample for our IUI. When a nurse initially started to take us back to a room for the procedure, she was caught by another nurse, who told her it was not time yet. We were then sent back to the waiting area, where we sat in terrible suspense for about an hour. Finally, about two hours after the scheduled procedure time, Dr. Steiner came out, and told us that she was not happy with the sample's numbers after the lab first sent it back, and had them "re-wash" it, to boost numbers. My husband has no male fertility issues, so she knew the low numbers were the result of a poor job. I don't know enough about "washing" to understand how this re-washing could work, but best-case scenario, it put us through a bit of emotional turmoil. In the worst-case scenario, my appointment was two hours after the time we booked to coincide with 36 hours after a trigger shot, so ovulation timing was off, and the sample may have not been as... perky as we'd like.

Doctor

Anne Steiner

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Anne Steiner UNC Fertility

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

Age 42 - 43

1 Fertility Medications

Unexplained

European

Other

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Anne Steiner UNC Fertility

Dr. Steiner took time to sit with us and answer our questions. She presented the information in an easy to understand way, showing diagrams and charts as well as statistics. She always responds quickly via email and return phone calls.... Dr. Steiner is medically professional. She explains things in layman's terms. The only thing I didn't care for was she did not do all of my ultrasounds. I feel like she did not explain the percentages with IUI versus IVF.

The one weakness to me is that I did not see the same doctor for each ultrasound appointment. I felt that it could have been beneficial to have the same doctor do each ultrasound for consistency. The strengths are they [UNC Fertility] are friendly, compassionate, organized and easy to work with. The hours are convenient as is location. Their website has a patient portal and they do use it effectively. The financial and billing staff are excellent as well.

How was your experience with Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Steiner is medically professional. She explains things in layman's terms. The only thing I didn't care for was she did not do all of my ultrasounds. I feel like she did not explain the percentages with IUI versus IVF.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility?

Take a notebook to write things down because she goes over a lot of information in the first couple appointments.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility?

Describe the protocols Anne Steiner used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

Dr Steiner used Follistim 375 units per night for 8 nights. I went in every other day for blood work and vaginal ultrasounds. One day, because my veins roll, they stuck me at least 10 times and still could not get blood. I wonder if results would have been obtained that day if it would have changed the outcome for me.I did not get to my Ovidrel trigger shot because my estrogen lowered and progesterone went up so they did not allow me to do that. Other doctors performed my vaginal ultrasounds since Dr. Steiner was not in the office.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UNC Fertility.

All of the nurses were very friendly and attentive to my needs as a patient. They were easy to communicate with, would reply in a timely manner to emails and had compassion for the situation.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

The one weakness to me is that I did not see the same doctor for each ultrasound appointment. I felt that it could have been beneficial to have the same doctor do each ultrasound for consistency. The strengths are they are friendly, compassionate, organized and easy to work with. The hours are convenient as is location. Their website has a patient portal and they do use it effectively. The financial and billing staff are excellent as well.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Anne Steiner at UNC Fertility.

Not sure since we are using insurance and are having some issues in that department. From what insurance has told us , we have used $13k so far.

Describe Anne Steiner's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

N/A

Doctor

Anne Steiner

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Anne Steiner UNC Fertility

2016 - 2018, Unsuccessful

Age 33 - 35

4 IUI

2 IVF

PCOS

Poor Egg Quality

European

Income $50K - $99K

1st of 2 Docs

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

I appreciate [Dr. Mersereau's] frank take on options with fertility. It was nice that she didn’t send us down a rabbit hole with “other” stuff to try (supplements, wives tales, natural remedies). She sticks to protocol using studies and her own experience to draw from...Don’t expect her to throw the kitchen sink at your treatment. She feels very calculated and thoughtful in her approach. And she doesn’t want to make her patients do a bunch of unnecessary stuff.

Kim [nurse at UNF Fertility] rocked. We could call, Email, message her through their patient portal. She made herself extremely accessible and even helped us find cheaper prescriptions when ordering our medications. I can’t say enough positive things about her. Super caring, empathetic and compassionate. She clearly loves what she does and is really good at it...Strengths: facility is great. Business staff are fairly knowledgeable. Weaknesses: it can be challenging to get in touch with their financial folks. Not impossible but they might be harder than the IVF nurse coordinator.

How was your experience with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

I appreciate Dr M’s frank take on options with fertility. It was nice that she didn’t send us down a rabbit hole with “other” stuff to try (supplements, wives tales, natural remedies). She sticks to protocol using studies and her own experience to draw from. For me that was freeing because I would beat myself up on natural fertility enhancers or habits that worked for other women but not me.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Don’t expect her to throw the kitchen sink at your treatment. She feels very calculated and thoughtful in her approach. And she doesn’t want to make her patients do a bunch of unnecessary stuff.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

We met with Dr M multiple times and she always showed care of us. We never felt like she disregarded our worry or anxiety.

Describe the protocols Jennifer Mersereau used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

One of the things we looked at was doing a natural cycle for transfer. I so much appreciate that we continued to look for options to build on what my body can do on it’s own even if my eggs were not great quality.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Kim)

Kim rocked. We could call, Email, message her through their patient portal. She made herself extremely accessible and even helped us find cheaper prescriptions when ordering our medications. I can’t say enough positive things about her. Super caring, empathetic and compassionate. She clearly loves what she does and is really good at it.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Strengths: facility is great. Business staff are fairly knowledgeable. Weaknesses: it can be challenging to get in touch with their financial folks. Not impossible but they might be harder than the IVF nurse coordinator.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility.

It was mostly one amount and everything was covered. The only separate things were medications, refrigeration costs, and anesthesia.

Describe Jennifer Mersereau's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

For the first transfer she wanted to do 1 because if I was to get pregnant we picked the best, most mature embryo (my others were Day 3). The second transfer we used the 2 remaining embryos. I feel like her advice made sense for us.

Doctor

Jennifer Mersereau

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

2016 - 2018, Unsuccessful

Age 31 - 33

3 IUI

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Doctor

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Jennifer Mersereau UNC Fertility

My wife and I worked predominantly with Dr. Jennifer Mersereau's team. They were caring and sincere, however, we did feel that they weren't willing to explore options such as double IUI in a cycle or InvoCell. Her team responded fairly quickly to messages. ... After approx 6 months of orals, we attempted IUI with femara twice, once with a trigger shot. The 3rd IUI we used femara with a trigger shot (ovidrel) before IUI then pregnyl afterwards followed by vaginal suppositories of progesterone. Unfortunately all with no success.

[UNC Fertility is] Very welcoming, clean, professional. I like that it was on the 3rd floor which allowed privacy. There is some miscommunication with the financial department and I would be vigilant with your information and payments. Twice we received a bill in the mail after we had already paid in full for the "all inclusive" procedure. They corrected this after we showed them the paid balance.

How was your experience with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

My wife and I worked predominantly with Dr. Jennifer Mersereau's team. They were caring and sincere, however, we did feel that they weren't willing to explore options such as double IUI in a cycle or InvoCell. Her team responded fairly quickly to messages. We worked with Dr. Jennifer Mersereau once for an US and she was very quick in and out of the room. At times we felt like we were asking questions to try and keep her in the room to explain further.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Come in with your questions on paper and be prepared. Be sure to give your entire story in a succinct manner including what meds you've taken, menstrual cycle regularities, family/social history, and other pertinent information. This will allow you to maximize your visit.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility?

Dr. Jennifer Mersereau's team was helpful and caring. They listened and asked questions to make sure they understood the care and treatment we were hoping for.

Describe the protocols Jennifer Mersereau used in your cycles at UNC Fertility and their degree of success.

Tried multiple cycles of moderate and then high dose clomid by itself for approximately 3 cycles. Once we found out my wife wasn't producing the expected number of follicles, we switch to Femara for 3+ cycles. This showed some improvements but we never fully were sure if we had 2 follicles. It showed at least one on US but they suspected the second to be large enough to mature. After approx 6 months of orals, we attempted IUI with femara twice, once with a trigger shot. The 3rd IUI we used femara with a trigger shot (ovidrel) before IUI then pregnyl afterwards followed by vaginal suppositories of progesterone. Unfortunately all with no success.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UNC Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Mindi)

The staff was cordial and professional, however there was some mix up on when to take the Ovidrel injection. The doc told us 36hrs prior to IUI but when my wife called to confirm the nurse gave us a different time. We said 36hrs to the nurse and she said 48hrs. This caused quite a bit of stress on my wifes behalf which is what we wanted to avoid prior to another IUI. We ultimately did get in contact with the doctor through another nurse and injected appropriately.

Describe your experience with UNC Fertility.

Very welcoming, clean, professional. I like that it was on the 3rd floor which allowed privacy. There is some miscommunication with the financial department and I would be vigilant with your information and payments. Twice we received a bill in the mail after we had already paid in full for the "all inclusive" procedure. They corrected this after we showed them the paid balance.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer Mersereau at UNC Fertility.

There were questionable charges after we had paid for procedures in full. I would encourage you to keep a folder and follow closely. The appointments were different charges each time and our insurance didn't really cover much.

Describe Jennifer Mersereau's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UNC Fertility.

none. We didn't get this far.

What specific things went wrong at UNC Fertility?

Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UNC Fertility.

There was some issues with what time to give the Ovidrel to my wife. The provider said 36hrs but when the nursing staff messaged her, they gave a different time frame. This did cause some issues and stress. We ultimately got it right, I think. Unfortunately, it didn't result in a positive test. We did have some ongoing financial department issues with miscommunication and extra bills that we had already paid for. I would encourage you to pay close attention to your payments and bills.

Doctor

Jennifer Mersereau

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UNC Fertility

Raleigh