How was your experience with Amy Dhesi at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?
Dr. Dhesi treated me for our infertility issues since Jan 2018 - at first, I had a misdiagnosis of diminished ovarian reserve after a blood test showed low AMH levels. This left me absolutely devastated and it took Dr. Dhesi and Kaiser doctors 5 months to realize that my AFC didn't match my AMH, so they re-tested my AMH and it came back normal. My diagnosis was switched to unexplained infertility. I think Dr. Dhesi did her best to be attentive and personable with me, and I believe her treatment for the second IUI was the most personable and thorough - she followed through with all our appointments, and she even sent a kind note after the negative pregnancy test after the 2nd IUI didn't work. However, our first and third IUIs with her were a bit cold and distant, which I attribute to her being extremely overworked and overbooked, and she didn't see us for some of our appointments. She also didn't follow through after our 3rd IUI failed, and when she ordered more tests and bloodwork to determine what other issues might be going on (e.g. endometrial biopsy, sonohysterogram) - she wasn't very forthcoming with information - again, likely due to being stretched too thin and having too many patients and commitments. For example, in a follow up appointment after my failed 3rd IUI, Dr. Dhesi noticed that I had an AFC of 30+ follicles, and she was concerned I might have PCOS - she ordered blood tests and never followed up with me to let me know that I did *not* have PCOS after all. I had to ask her to interpret the lab results and what that meant. Again, I do really like Dr. Dhesi as a person and she is a very knowledgeable doctor and when she has the time, does give proper attention, information and answers all my questions. But because of the way Kaiser operates and is structured, close and personal care at their Infertility clinic is just not possible.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amy Dhesi at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?
I would be ready to see multiple doctors during any treatment cycle if you have Kaiser - Dr. Dhesi herself is a wonderful and caring, competent doctor, however, it is unlikely that you will only be seeing her throughout your IUI cycles. I would prepare yourself for dealing with a very very busy and understaffed clinic, and very little one on one attention.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amy Dhesi at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?
I believe Dr. Dhesi is a wonderful, attentive and competent doctor, however, the facility of Kaiser isn't conducive for one-on-one patient care. When dealing with infertility, it is hard to deal with a clinic that is overbooked, overwhelmed and understaffed, which is what happened during my care with Kaiser. Dr. Dhesi was as attentive as she could be with me given the circumstances, but in the end, I do not believe I got the best one-on-one care because she was so stretched thin at the Kaiser Sunset clinic and other Kaiser clinics in the city. I felt like a human when Dr. Dhesi saw me, but in general, Kaiser's Infertility clinic operates more like a corporate hospital churning patients in and out of clinics.
Describe the protocols Amy Dhesi used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente SoCal and their degree of success.
I did 3 IUIs with Dr. Dhesi - my case was unique, as I started off with DOR and then ended with many follicles after my 3rd IUI. My first IUI I just did chlomid and insemination, which was terrible on my lining and gave my horrible side effects. I would stay away from chlomid especially if the patient is over 35 years old. The 2nd and 3rd IUIs were injectable medication cycles, and this was much better on my lining, however, I produced too many follicles and they weren't large enough for a successful insemination. For my situation personally, IVF is a better treatment plan than IUI as I tend to over-produce and over-respond to stimulating drugs. Dr. Dhesi did say that she would definitely change the medication dosage so that I don't over-respond, however, I am not willing to go through another IUI cycle and we are moving on to IVF.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente SoCal. (Assigned nurse: Rebecca Lopez)
I loved Dr. Dhesi's staff and the NPs that worked at the clinic - it was obvious that they all cared for their patients and took the time to answer all my questions, my emails, and phone calls. Similar to Dr. Dhesi, they were extremely overworked and understaffed so any of their shortcomings were due 100% to Kaiser's unwillingness to provide more staff at their Sunset location.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente SoCal.
Kaiser Infertility clinic on Sunset has/had many structural shortcomings and oversights. I was almost unable to be seen for a 2nd IUI because they did not have enough staff to cover the baseline appointments. This caused a lot of emotional stress and strain, and I did actually file a grievance with Kaiser - the administration's decision to not provide more funding and hire more staff for the infertility clinic directly affected my ability to receive treatment, along with many other patients. I was eventually able to be seen for my 2nd IUI, but I could see how the infertility department was not given the funds or staffing resources necessary to have it operate at its full potential. The benefit, however, is that I did have all my IUI treatments and medications covered through my Kaiser insurance, which was a huge financial benefit for me and my husband. It does feel that you are just one of hundreds of patients, and it seems like this clinic needs way more resources and funding to help expand it and cater to the needs of their (many) patients.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amy Dhesi at Kaiser Permanente SoCal.
My costs were covered through insurance - the only great thing about Kaiser!
Describe Amy Dhesi's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente SoCal.
N/A
What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?
- Failed to call with results
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente SoCal.
I have addressed these issues in previous questions, but Kaiser Infertility clinic on Sunset has major structural and staffing issues. They are underfunded, understaffed, and this leads to little one-on-one care with patients who are going through very emotionally trying, difficult process of infertility. I was misdiagnosed with DOR and the doctors could never really explain why I had an AMH of .96 and then an AMH of 4. They didn't think to retest me until 5 months later, which led to 5 months of me dealing with emotional drain, depression, etc. The way they handle their pregnancy blood tests is TERRIBLE - they ask you to come in for a beta/blood test 2 weeks after your IUI, but instead of having a nurse call with results, Kaiser sends you an informal, impersonal email letting you know the results of your beta test. This is NOT followed up with a call from your doctor or nurse - I only received one email from Dr. Dhesi after a negative pregnancy test expressing her condolences. I think that system is terrible! I also had a very terrible experience with another doctor there, Dr. Snunit Ben-Ozer who warned me and my husband of the risk of multiples and having to possibly do selective reduction, which my husband and I were fine with. She said that "no, you will not be okay, you will not be okay killing your babies once you see them dancing on the [ultrasound] screen." She was projecting her ethical, moral, cultural beliefs on us in a very inappropriate way. I will be filing a grievance against her treatment. In essence, I had an overall okay experience at Kaiser - my IUIs were covered 100% by insurance which was great, but not very good one-on-one treatment.