Alexis Melnick

the [Weill Cornell Medical College] coordinators and they're always quick to answer messages and schedule appointments...Some of my monitoring has been done at the main York Ave office. It's a much larger, more hospital-like setting. I've had a few minor appointment delays at that specific office, but it was manageable...Each monitoring appointment was billed at $125-300. Each IUI was billed at $725-800

During the IVF cycle, I received a call from the [Weill Cornell] nursing team every day I had gone in for monitoring with next step instructions before 2pm so I had a good understanding of what to do that evening...I had appointments in both locations. Dr. Melnick's office is smaller and quiet--the staff are really responsive and friendly. The main office is a little more of what you may expect from a hospital doctor's office however, I felt like everything moved quickly and the staff were responsive there as well.

My insurance was billed $15,000 at the end of treatment...There is a nursing email address that you can reach out to any questions and I always received an answer that same day, sometimes within a few hours...At times, it [Weill Cornell] could feel factory-like when you're sitting in a waiting room with 30+ women waiting for daily monitoring but every time you interact with a person, you feel like you're getting the 1:1 attention you need. At times, it can be difficult to get in touch with their pre-authorization team which was frustrating at the start of treatment

Holly, Lindsay, Connie and Jersey [nurses at Weill Cornell] are the best. The treat you like family and not just a number. They care about your success and are always positive even when you are going through the worst...I only had one instance where I didnt get a call on my directions for the following day but the on call Dr gave me a call back within minutes to update me...While it is no secret that the Hospital Waiting room can feel cold and "factory" it is a small price to pay for what expertise they have

The facilities [Weill Cornell] are great. The waiting area has nice light and comfortable seating. The clinic is quite big and feels very different from seeing Dr. Melnick at her office, which is a few blocks away and quite small (but, also new and very nice!). Even though there are comfortable couches, due to it’s size - it feels like a hospital. I have had to wait quite a while a few days. My first trigger shot, I somehow ended up waiting for like 2 hours (there was a class

This clinic [Weill Cornell Medical College] has been on the forefront of research and development for reproductive medicine. It's a very large clinic that has been partitioned into small practices around the city. Monitoring can take place at multiple locations. When I call I don't get to speak with someone right away but they are very consistent with calling back within a couple of hours.... All nursing staff has been very professional, compassionate and knowledgeable.

[Weill Cornell Medical College is] an assembly line of care - you are a number. You won't see your doctor more than once a cycle. But they take insurance and have a good lab. I would recommend finding something smaller with care that is more attentive...In her [Dr. Melnick's] own words, our very first round of IVF was a 'total bust.' she called it too early and we didn't get enough mature eggs. Only 3 mature, didn't do ICSI cause she didn't explain it to us, only one fertilized and transferred day 3 and didn't take. The second round, we only got 3 eggs out of what looked like 10 follicles growing. I think I ovulated the eggs early, but of course, she wouldn't tell me that. And she allowed me to believe it was a problem with my eggs. Those two rounds of insurance covered IVF went up in smoke due to her lack of experience and attention to detail. I always sensed I had a carrying issue, cause I've had chemicals and not real miscarriages. I asked for the receptivity and ERA tests on my lining - Melnick told me those tests weren't necessary. My second private doctor (with YEARS more experience than Melnick) has been able to retrieve 11 eggs, with at least four making it to day 5 blasts. I got these numbers two retrievals in a row. Melnick only retrieved a total of 5 eggs over two retrievals. My current doctor also did the biopsies on my lining and discovered I have endometriosis - something Melnick didn't think to look into - even after requesting testing. I lost valuable time and money with Melnick. I would recommend finding a doctor with much more experience who will treat your infertility like a medical case to be figured out.

It was about $1,200 per IUI [at Weill Cornell Medical College]... in a convenient location and runs on time. Unfortunately the procedures take place at the Center for Reproductive Medicine, which is huge and does feel like a factory. Dr. Melnick did not actually perform any of my IUIs, and the location of the hospital is not convenient. This was not properly explained to me at my initial visit, and I didn't know Dr. Melnick would not be doing the actual procedure.

Weill Cornell is an well-functioning machine. It is extremely efficient - I was amazed by the smoothness in which monitoring hours operated and followup calls with instructions were all timely and professional. Everyone was pleasant and nice. My only critique is that it felt a tad impersonal, you know you’re one of many...no Nurse is going to remember your name or face specifically. So something to keep in mind if that’s important to you. I never felt that care or attention was lacking though.

[Weill Cornell Medical College is] A well-oiled machine! Busy but efficient. If you are in a hurry, best to come in at 6:30 when monitoring begins if you'd like to be seen quicker. When Dr. Melnick wasn't available, I knew I was in good hands with the rest of the Cornell doctors and staff...The nursing team was phenomenal. Holly answered all my questions with patience, compassion and expertise...We used an antagonist protocol for IVF stimulation followed by a natural FET. My fresh transfer failed. I took 1 month off then I got pregnant with my first frozen embryo transfer.

Cornell is highly organized and efficient. I am constantly amazed at how well things are run. Monitoring hours are convenient to those of us that work and usually move fast. I had some issues with Billing/insurance but everything was eventually resolved...I was told to go straight to IVF since I have a low Amh. I chose to do 2 IUIs first and I found Dr Melnick to be supportive of my decision and encouraging. I am now going to try a cycle of IVF and she seems genuinely eager to do it and hopeful it will work.

[Weill Cornell Medical College] Strengths include the staff's skills at lab draws and the access to the clinic (including early mornings and 7 days a week). Their weaknesses include poor communication regarding pricing so be sure to ask upfront about all costs...I had a $15k benefit through my employer and went over my max by $19K after 2 retrievals, 1 fresh transfer and 2 rounds of genetic testing

I would say the strength is that’s they [Weill Cornell] are on top of everything. Weakness is that embryologist don’t always give as much updates as you would like. I want always aware of some of my embryos not making it to freeze. My husband had to call to find out. I would really love to speak to embryologist directly to understand what’s going on.... My nurse was very sweet. I absolutely adore her. She’s patient, she’s honest and she’s compassionate. I like that she takes her time during our conversations.

The clinic [Weill Cornell] is large but not too large that it feels impersonal. I will say that I had a negative experience with the billing department. A week before retrieval, I was told that I owed a rather substantial amount of money that was not covered by insurance. I was told that unless I paid it all in advance, the doctors would not proceed with retrieval. This was a very stressful time for me and I resented being treated that way.

Holly is my assigned nurse [at Weill Cornell Medical College] and she is the perfect complement to Dr. Melnick. She is also very receptive to questions and answers everything with a positive and very helpful attitude. She makes you feel like you're in safe hands!...The clinic itself can feel cold, but the nurse I was assigned to is a blessing. The The mandatory IVF class is extremely helpful and you can ask all the questions you need to while practicing to handle your medications properly.

Cornell is a BIG machine and it can feel very impersonal and business-like at times. That said, everyone is very professional. The waiting room is a bit overwhelming and can be anxiety-provoking... I didn't love some of the other providers I saw when Dr. Melnick was available, but the techs were always very warm and professional. The billing department can be a bit disorganized, but they seem willing to answer questions.

Like most fertility clinics in NYC, it's [Weill Cornell Medical College] very busy. When I'm working directly with Dr. Melnick, its a more personal vibe, but when I'm at the Center, its much more of a clinical process; in, wait, see someone maybe new to draw blood, sit in a room for awhile, have exam and out within 15 min...

The clinic [Weill Cornell Medical College] can feel very busy at times but...The doctors are the best of the best and all of the treatments are evidence based. The team really cares about outcomes for each patient and they don’t push unnecessary and expensive extras on patients. The nurses are smart caring and will bend over backwards for their patients...The nursing staff is highly organized and manage hundreds of patients. They do this while remaining compassionate.

Hours for monitoring [Weill Cornell] are good. Doctors almost always are available. Good with working with billing and help to work with insurance. They provide a lot of documentation to help you navigate the entire process. Very good about contacting you.... Going to see Dr Melnick was like going to see a friend. A real partner in the whole process. I never felt like just another patient - she really cares and wants to make sure I am comfortable through the whole process.