Women & Infants Hospital

Strengths: the clinic runs like a well oiled machine. They are so organized and have an intricate system of managing care for all patients. They stagger the morning monitoring visits so that wait time is short and they call each afternoon with results. The only area for improvement is that they usually call back between 2-3:00 every day so on the days that they are running late you may not get a call until 430-5. This caused me to worry that there was a mistake and I was forgotten. While that never happened, it did add a little stress.

During the embryo banking process of going through 3 egg retrieval’s and first 2 transfers, I felt as though the meetings were brief and the clinic was very busy. However, as our visits increased and our story became more complex, I felt as though I was treated as a person. During difficult moments Dr Wheeler offered hugs, and comforted me prior to an emotionally difficult procedure. Although we have experienced bad luck, she made a point to tell me that she was still fighting for us and not giving up.

The nursing staff (and receptionist) are some of the kindest people I have ever met. We have been with the clinic for 1.5 years and they have followed our story and cheered us on. They remembered my name and greeted me with smiles. They are so compassionate and helpful.

Dr. Wheeler is good at what she does and offered advice that we felt comfortable following. During the embryo banking process, she made adjustments to the medications that yielded better results. She showed excitement when we retrieved more eggs than expected and was eager to share that news with my husband. Once we moved on to build our family and transfer the embryos back, we did not have the same such luck. After the first PGS embryo failed to implant, Dr Wheeler suggested an ERA and RPL panel. After they came back normal we moved forward with another transfer. After that failed tonimplant, she consulted with other Drs at the clinic and they all felt it was bad luck. We moved forward with transfer 3 and unfortunately same results. She suggested a hysteroscopy and different protocol. Fourth transfer was successful but I miscarried at 6 weeks. Another Dr was on duty for the ultrasound that day but Dr Wheeler came in for the room to check on us. She performed my MVA procedure and was very compassionate and sensitive to my grief on that day. While I was eager to hear about her thoughts for next steps, my husband and I felt we were not having success and throwing good (and expensive) embryos away so we decided we needed a new set of eyes on our case.

While she may not always have the best way to deliver information, she is kind and she does want to help you build your family.

IVF 1 antagonist (high follistim and low menopur) IVF 2 antagonist (highest follistim and low menopur) IVF 3 antagonist (medium follistim and medium menopur) FET1 estradiol and crinone Additional test: RPL panel, ERA, uterine biopsy FET2 estradiol And PIO FET 3 estradiol and PIO Additional testing: hysteroscopy FET 4 Lupron, estradiol, crinone, medrol, doxycycline

In RI, law mandates that infertility is covered by insurance. So far, egg retrieval’s and frozen transfer were covered. We had to pay out of pocket for PGS testing and ERA.

She explained her rational for using single embryo transfers with us for each transfer. We felt comfortable with her explanation and agreed with those decisions.

This clinic runs like a well oiled machine. They are always on top of the next step and help guide you in the process. The only thing I would change was the protocol for IUI. They have you do an ovulation test every morning and call the clinic when it’s positive. Although this saves on trips to the doctors every morning, I feel like I would have had better results had hey preformed ultrasounds up until ovulation to see when the perfect time would be. For me personally, I think I ovulate very soon after a positive ovulation test, so by the time I would get there, I probably missed the opportunity.

Dr. Wheeler made sure to follow up with me on various occasions. Instead of just talking to nurses, I often would have in person or telephone conversations with her. She even called the hospital to congratulate me on the birth of my son. She may not come off as warm and fuzzy, but she knows what she’s doing and is definitely kind.

Nursing staff was easy to get in touch with, and very precise with their information.

When I first met with Dr. Wheeler, she made sure we underwent all tests to make sure we could find out why I wasn’t getting pregnant, and also paid attention to what my insurance required to pay for fertility treatments (at the time it was covered 100%). We did 3 unsuccessful IUI’s and said we’d probably be a better candidate for IVF. We didn’t do ICSI because it wasn’t covered, and had 12 eggs retrieved, 9 of which fertilized. She likes to do fresh transfers, (thinking getting the baby back to where it belongs quicker is better in her opinion) and I had a 3 day fresh transfer that ended up in my first pregnancy and live birth of my son. No other embryos made it to Dave five to be frozen, so I am currently waiting to do another IVF cycle and egg retrieval in the next couple months. Many may not see Dr. Wheeler as warm and fuzzy, but she is caring and knows her stuff. She told me she’d get me pregnant and did. Unlike the other review, she did change up my protocol often, and because I only had 12 retrieved last time, I will be using a new protocol this time as well. It’s been 3 years, so she has changed some prescriptions to more up to date ones. She stays current with her knowledge, and even though she isn’t into holistic treatments, she had no problem with me changing my diet and getting acupuncture during my IVF cycle. All in all, I would recommend her in a heartbeat. She knows what she’s doing, and will help you achieve a pregnancy.

Don’t expect hugs, and tears when things don’t work out. She’s very systematic and if one thing doesn’t work, she doesn’t let you get discouraged, she instead tries a new approach.

I used clomid with each of my IUI’s and would call the morning of a positive ovulation test and have two consecutive days of inseminations. With IVF, (2015) I first started with birth control for 5 days and Lupron injections staring day 3. I also used Gonal-F and had a trigger shot 46 hours before retrieval. She’s also not a fan of PIO shots (thank goodness) and instead gives you progesterone suppositories. My next IVF cycle this year (2018) will be birth control for two weeks, menopur instead of lupron, and still using Gonal-F, but in a higher dose to give me more eggs.

They tried to space out appointments in the morning, which was hard for us working women who all wanted to be seen at 7:30 to make it to work for 8:00. Even though there were st appointment times, it was more like first come first serve with a sign in sheet. If they found out you were significantly early though, they would make you wait until all the earlier appointments were finished. It was pretty quick though, because they would do your blood work while you waited, or right after your ultrasound.

At the time, I had insurance that covered IVF at 100%. I still had copays for procedures, but not monitoring or blood work. Now my insurance covers 80%, so it will cost me a little over $3,000 for IVF with ICSI.

Because I am younger, the chance of having multiples with a multiple embryo transfer is higher, and therefore results in a more high risk pregnancy. If I were 35+ she would be more likely to transfer more than one.

Their website is super helpful but I wish sometimes they had more paper options that I could share easily with my partner. The two doctors I've had are great (wheeler and frishman) but very different personalities. The nurses are great but I wish their financial counselor was a bit more accessible. The clinic should do work on their phone system ease of use and their bill pay through women and infants is consistently failing and near impossible to use.

Staff is super friendly and take all the time you need to be explained to and answer questions.

The phlebotomy nurses are all very friendly, good at getting what they need and efficient. The iui nurses run the gamut from mechanical/cold, awkwardly quiet to super friendly and helpful but it seems they are all well qualified and do their job equally well.

She comes off as very intelligent and knowledgeable, however perhaps she not for everyone as she may come off as mechanical and detatched. Very cut to the chase and practical which I appreciate instead of niceties. She listens well and answers whatever questions or concerns of yours that she can.

Come prepared with specific questions and do your homework to make the most of the meetings.

So far I have done three cycles of iui beginning with day three baseline blood work and ultrasound, followed by 5 nights of Clomid. On approximately day 10 youll have another bloodwork and ultrasound. That evening they call and instruct whether you can take the injectable Ovidrel to induce ovulation. Then two days later the iui is scheduled, followed a week later by a progesterone bloodwork and in another week a beta blood draw.

Typically physician payments come from care New England and other labwork etc from women and infants directly. Dr. Visits were charged by time used (at least with Cigna) and the financial counselor s are helpful and a great resource.

This doesn't apply to the treatment I've listed as receiving.

I actually recommended this clinic to my best friend, so I think that speaks volumes as there are other options for care in my state. One weakness for me personally I think would be the financial department. Maybe it’s the amount of patients they have but sometimes they can take longer to get back to you. They are very efficient, the monitoring appointments can be quick. However the 7:00am to 7:15am timeslot can be very busy. The waiting area can get crowded.

I meet Dr. Victoria in 2015 when I was under the care of a previous doctor who was leaving the practice. I was currently pregnant with twins. Dr. Victoria was taking over for the doctor leaving. From the moment I met her, I felt she was very caring and warm. She seemed elated to be in the ultrasound room and seeing two sacs in my uterus. Unfortunately that pregnancy resulted in a preteen loss. I have been going to the same clinic for 10 years. I did take a four year break in between. The staff actually remembers patients names. They and the doctors were always very welcoming and understanding. It’s a clinic I feel I can call any time and have my questions answered and needs met.

I have known this nursing staff for 10 years. The nurses here work so hard. They answer your questions, they perform the monitoring appointments, the do IUI’s. They call every afternoon with your next steps/plan after monitoring and blood work. The nurses are so compassionate that a few have even shed tears with me throughout some extremely difficult situations. They are your cheerleaders and the back bone of this clinic.

I cannot speak highly enough about Dr. Victoria. She is honest yet delicate. She never makes you feel less than, never makes you feel like a failure. She sets realistic expectations. I feel Dr. Victoria truly understood my struggle and with every ounce thought she would succeed at getting me pregnant. When she saw I was down she was a great source of encouragement. She was always willing to speak with me, returning calls within the same day. She truly listens to what her patients want and works together with the couple. She is an amazing doctor.

The entire process can take more time than expected

I was seeing one of her colleagues before I switched to her. I had lining issues. Estrace was not my best friend and didn’t help thicken my lining as it should. I tried 2 cycles with the previous doctor each time reminding him of my concerns with my lining. He increased my retrace dosage but that still did not work. When I switched to her that was again my main concern. She switched my protocol to estrogen patches and also added vaginal viagra suppositories. She explained this protocol was not the norm but it tended to work for women with lining issues. I was so happy that she found another avenue and was willing to trying something unconventional. The first time we tried this protocol I got pregnant however, it ended in miscarriage due to a blighted ovum. The second time we followed this protocol it worked! I am currently 10 weeks 6 days pregnant and fingers crossed this will be my rainbow

The cost really depended on the type of cycle. For a frozen transfer it was about $4500 because I required additional monitoring and blood tests. For a conventional IVF with egg retrieval and transfer about $17,000.

She recommended a multiple embryo transfer for us. In all my transfers but 1 we had transferred 2 embryos. I got pregnant with twins once which unfortunately resulted in a preteen loss at 23 weeks due to an incompetent cervix. After which I went to Boston and had a trans abdominal cerclage placed laparoscopically. After that procedure we had transferred more than 1 embryo but only 1 took each time.

I think the clinic is a great place to seek infertility treatments. My husband and I were pleased from start to finish. Although we decided to stop treatment, if we decide we are going to pursue treatment again, we will 100% return to this facility and under the care of Dr. Alvero. Communication was great and I never felt like I annoyed anyone when I called to ask a silly question. I loved this facility. They made a very difficult time in our lives a little bit easier.

Dr. Alvero always made me feel important and that my feelings mattered. He always made me feel like I could ask any questions I had or share all my concerns.

The nursing staff was absolutely AMAZING. I cried my last appointment simply because of how compassionate they had been to me. When they called with updates, they always made a personal connection and made me feel like they truly cared about me and the outcome of our cycles.

Dr. Alvero did everything he could to try to figure out what was causing our unexplained infertility. Each IVF cycle gave us more information and as hard as it all was for me to hear, he always did a great job explaining everything and giving us all our options. He never pressured us into anything but gave his expert advice and what our chances were for each cycle.

Choose him for your doctor!

We tried the antagonist protocol twice, the second time being with higher doses of meds. The last cycle, we did estrogen priming protocol due to my poor response.

We are lucky to have great health insurance in Massachusetts. The costs were mostly covered by insurance, which the exception of medications and some of the surgery costs.

The strengths include proximity - it's close to downtown Providence and open on the weekends. The administrative staff is ok - depends on who you get. Their dedicated financial counselor, however, was also unkind. Despite trying IUI twice, she never did meet with us as requested to go over the cost of IVF or anything else. It was super frustrating.

The first appointment, when my spouse and I were still trying to decide if we were going to move forward, Dr. Wheeler brought us in for what we thought was just an initial consultation. However, during the appointment, she referred to us as "my gays" as in, I love my gays - more options - which would seem to be kind, but felt...really hostile. I know, I know - that's subjective, but she also wrote a LONG paragraph on her professional site describing her relationship to church and religion - not exactly what we were looking for. She didn't want to answer ANY of our questions and would simply avoid or re-direct. It was really confusing and frustrating.

Some of the nursing staff made racially charged comments surrounding the election and about Muslim Americans in our presence, which was extremely uncomfortable. We were speaking amongst ourselves about the upcoming Women's March in Washington, and the nurse became extremely upset and started ranting about "Those muslims" and those "Angry muslims" ect. This was WHILE she was taking blood in anticipation of our first IUI. It was shocking and disgusting. She also made it clear that she had only recently come to accept gays - I don't remember the specific comment, but something like "I try to accept all lifestyles" etc., which is basically code for "I think your love is a lifestyle, like eating vegan or partying a lot, i.e., not for me, but I guess you shouldn't be persecuted for it". Not a comfortable experience.

I felt as though Dr. Wheeler held back in terms of what to expect, and wouldn't commit to any outcome or even discuss the chances, aside from saying "well, you're older, so..." Not the best bed side manner, not the most LGBT friendly. Our first visit, she separated us physically, without telling us why and then informed me that I was going to have a gynecological exam - not by her, but by a male doctor. It was extremely upsetting as I felt I was coerced and did not have the chance to consent - in addition, they wouldn't allow my same sex spouse in the room, which is standard protocol. This made me feel even more nervous, like he had a reason for not allowing them to provide me support. Overall, it was a horrid, horrid experience.

Be extremely assertive - insist on knowing BEFORE you come in what to expect, especially in terms of gynecological exams. I asked for data on the clinic and was denied = she wouldn't tell me or discuss. I asked for reasoning behind trying natural cycles (I was over 40) and wasn't given an answer. I asked for what she thought my chances were and she just said "the same as other women your age"?? What does that mean? No idea. I'm not the specialist - she is, but we never received any specific information.

She insisted we try two cycles naturally. By the second try, we were ready to move on to another clinic, based on how uncomfortable we were made to feel by multiple people.

250.00 per IUI

n/a

The clinic has great staff from the first person at the desk to the last person you see at your appointment. They communicate well and always return phone calls in a timely manner. I always receive results and hear from them when they say I will. They are also very empathetic when giving negative news.

I felt like a human. He is always kind and considerate and takes his cues from me. He is blunt but yet considerate of my feelings and this process that can at times be very wearing. He always listens and always takes the time to make sure I feel like I have been heard. He's amazing and I'm glad he is part of our journey.

Very compassionate and knowledgeable. They were always kind and never rushed us through this process.

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Dr. Frishman. He is kind, intelligent and straight forward which we have always appreciated. We were hoping to use the same donor between my partner and I but that plan changed due to some unforeseen circumstances and he Personally called me to check it and make sure I was ok with this. He has guided us on this journey from testing to putting our plan in to motion. My partner carried our beautiful twins and it was all because of him and we couldn't be more grateful. We know he will continue to be apart of our journey moving forward as we add to our family.

I would say going in try to think about what you are comfortable and wanting from this process. He will tell you all of the options but ultimately will not decide for you as he wants you to be comfortable and happy and a part of the journey and have some control

We have been doing IUI without success unfortunately but he has followed some testing protocols to make sure that we are not missing anything. He made sure that I was ovulating through a blood test, checked my ovaries through testing, etc.

The costs are something we have to manage with an expense account through work where the money comes out gradually throughout the year or we had to pay out of pocket once that money would run out

He is very open but of course within reason. We have discussed this and have been on the same page and understand at all times. He gives the facts and benefits and harm to each of our choices and then let's us talk through them together.

Strengths are accessibility to Dr. Wold when needed for questions or concerns. She went over detailed plans. Weaknesses would be having to go out of office for blood work. Although a place was right down the road.

She was very personable, talked to me about the process, was very warm and comforting.

Dr. Wold was new to this practice. She did most of the work, phone calls, test results. I rarely spoke with anyone other then her. She had a very compassionate office staff but they were still learning about the process when I first started going in 2014.

I worked with her at two other clinics and would honestly follow her anywhere. She has helped me build my family and was honest about what to expect along the way.

Write everything down. Ask questions. She will prove to be an ally in your journey.

Testing was extensive at first. Both my husband and I were nervous but at ease after talking to the doctor. I was put on metformin to help control insulin with my Pcos. I became pregnant after a hysteosonpinogram and first cycle of Clomid. I miscarried five weeks six days into the pregnancy. My next cycle was a negative pregnancy. She then prescribed follustim and again I became pregnant. The pregnancy ended after I was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy. Dr. Wold saved my life by diagnosing early and administering methotrexate. I could not attempt pregnancy for four months. My next try was a negative test. She asked me to have another hsg to rule out blockages from the ectopic and to enhance my chances of conception. I became pregnant with follistim and a progesterone suppliment called Crinone, IUI and timed intercourse. I delivered a healthy 8lb baby girl nine months later in 2012 with no complications. I attempted Clomid again with the assistance of my obgyn in 2014 but ended up miscarrying at ten weeks. The doctor left product of conception in my uterus during a d &c . I called Dr Wold and was immediately scheduled for a sonohysteogram where she looked inside my uterus to check for damage. I was put back on Follistim and Crinone gel for progesterone support. I was pregnant from timed intercourse within the first medicated cycle. Because of my history of ectopic pregnancy and early loss she had my beta hcg checked for adequate rises. In September 2015 I delivered a 9 lb 7 oz healthy baby girl.

My medical covered 90% of my fertility treatment. However, there was a misunderstanding about how many medicated cycles were paid for. Dr. Wold helped us find a way to work with the insurance and help get results.

VERY CLEAN and NEW - it was a pleasure to sit in the waiting room. Wait times usually are not that bad. There was one nurse on staff who was cold and showed little emotions - after dealing with her several times, I realized it was just her personality. She was good at what she was supposed to do. So I usually just prayed I wouldn't get her for appointments.

She was very personable and went out of her way many times to accommodate us and our schedule. She even arrived early (on her birthday) to conduct an ultrasound.

Most of the staff was very nice and personable but never overstepped their boundaries by asking questions or making comments. This was much appreciated as they never know why you are visiting (such as first visit, follow up to failure, miscarriage etc)

Dr. Pegidas was an amazing doctor filled with knowledge but also realistic. She did not give false hope but was honest about chances and outcomes. She was "real." She was warm and had a good bed side manner but didn't gush or go on and on about details. She had a timer for each appointment but that let me know she was conscious of her time, my time and other patients time.

We have a male factor. We used ICSI in all rounds. Our rounds were very similar because egg collection was good both times. No birth control Lupron Gonal F - 200 - never adjusted Ovidrel trigger Suppositories and PIO depending on frozen vs. fresh Both rounds were almost identical - 14-15 eggs collected - 12 mature - 10 fertilized

Procedures (not including medications) - $17,000-$17,500 for ICSI IVF - no testing of embryos Embryo testing would have run another $5,000

Because we had only a few good looking embryos we did 3 day transfers. She was ok with us transferring 2 embryos in fresh and frozen. She actually approved our request to implant 3 (3 day embryos) on our last fresh which resulted in a singleton pregnancy.

It's a lovely, professional clinic. You almost never have to wait and everything is very streamlined. They seem to have a lot of success and they are careful to do all necessary tests. I never feel concerned about the level of care I will receive.

He's not the warmest doctor, and he does talk quickly. But he takes time to explain everything and listens to concerns.

Dr. Frishman got us the results we wanted (a beautiful baby boy on our first round of IVF). He definitely knows what he's doing and, while not rushing us to IVF, was quick to adjust treatments when things didn't work. He is very professional and not super warm, so if I had had a long and difficult journey he may not have been my first choice. But I have nothing to complain about in my experience.

Come prepared to take notes, and bring a list of questions. He talks fast and it is easy to feel rushed.

We had insurance coverage for 80%, so it actually ended up being very affordable. I think that the billing department had some tricks to make sure we got covered for most things, and we didn't pay for much except the drugs.

He strongly prefers to transfer single embryos.

Everything was done at the location in Providence. The nursing staff was well organized and managed. Wait times were minimal most of the time. It is a teaching facility. There are some less experienced people on staff. The finance / insurance people confused us more than helped.

We were passed off to less experienced staff immediately. We only saw Dr. Wheeler for the initial consultation and for the final consultation after the cycle failed. We had many questions at this meeting and felt completely brushed off.

They ran like a well oiled machine. Barbara was great.

Carol Wheeler was good at explaining the facts. She shows no compassion. She was not involved with any of our procedures. We only saw her for the initial consult and the post failure consultation. She showed no empathy and made us feel that all of our concerns were unwarranted. We only found out later that some of them were.

Ask for another doctor.

Lupron flare and birth control suppressants. (Lupron 2 week kit, follistim, endometrium) 11 eggs retrieved, 10 fertilized, 0 made it to blast, 4 transferred on day 3. Negative Beta relsult.

The monitoring appointments were run well. Very efficient.

The clinic staff was responsive and always returned calls promptly. They delivered test results as soon as they were received. I always felt like a human being and not a number with every member of the team.

Dr Frishman always took time to answer all questions and really listened to us to develop a treatment plan that worked for us.

Dr Frishman was amazing at each visit. He shared information candidly but with compassion and warmth. He made sure we fully understood everything and answered all our questions without getting annoyed. I felt like he was as invested as we were in our outcome. He was able to adjust treatment to make sure that we had a plan we were comfortable with and took the time,-l after conception, to make sure we connected with an OB who was right for us.

He goes over information quickly so come prepared with questions and take notes.

He removed two uterine polyps then we tried to conceive naturally for about three cycles after I had time to heal. Then we did two rounds of femara. I conceived during the second cycle.

Insurance covered costs.

W&I is awful. All they care about is making money. They "accidentally" thawed the last vial of my son's donor and refused to accept accountability for it. They missed my ovulation in 3/8 monitored cycles.

W&I appeared to have one protocol for IVF and were unwilling to try new things (I.e. Estrogen priming protocol, antagonist protocol). They also refused to believe me that I ovulated early on injectable IUI cycles and missed ovulation in 3/8 cycles.

I saw a different nurse every time. Some were great, some were awful.

She had one protocol had would not veer from it. When the clinic accidentally thawed the last remaining vial of my first son's donor, she refused to accept accountability, would not refund the money that I paid for it, and took a "wait and see what happens when we thaw it a second time" stance. She deemed the vial going from 40 million to 10 million sperm acceptable. I did not.

Do not go to her

8 injectable IUIs. She would not increase my dose when I failed to respond. She also did not tell me that repeated injectable cycles could make endometriosis worse.

Ridiculously overpriced, as I was paying out of pocket. I didn't know any better at the time.

Ease of contacting them and the clinic contacting you back was helpful. I think overall the clinic was very well run...during IVF there really is no planning but when you discuss all aspects with your doctor you can figure out an ideal start time for treatment, although certain factors may change that timeline in the end you just have to trust your doctor

Cardoza took the time to explain the process thoroughly. Also when I was at risk of OHSS she called me and discussed the best option to freeze all embryos.

The majority of the nursing staff was very compassionate and caring

I thought she was very upfront and honest. I understood every step of the process well, also the nurses were great and helped me feel more confident during the process. Although we never had a fresh transfer, I believe the route we took with the frozen transfer is why we are now expecting a little boy in august.

Ask as many questions as you can

Antagonist IVF protocol

They recommended single embryo xfer which we believed was best for us as well

Clinic is small and accessible

Dr. Wold explained everything in east to understand language, on our "level" so that we knew everything that would happen and why it would happen.

Dr. Wold is incredibly knowledgeable about fertility issues and thoroughbred explains the whole process.She addressed financial concerns and even offered coupons when possible for medication. She continues to be very accessible as we look to try again. She possesses an outstanding bedside manner while striving to educate is about the course of treatment and other facts of birth and pregnancy.

Ask her anything you have concerns or curiosity about. She is eager to share her knowledge and put patients at ease with full disclosure.

Covered by insurance