Anitha Nair

The nurses and staff were very nice, communication through the portal was responsive. Our non-IVF treatment was not successful, and when our first few cycles failed there seemed to be an expectation that we would continue to IVF, even though it wasn’t a good option for us. Over about seven months of treatment we only spoke to the doctor once after the initial consultation. It was a lonely, impersonal, and disappointing process for the most part, and there didn’t seem to be much available in the way of support groups or other support resources.

The appointment system is pointless for walk in blood work and ultrasound, it didn't matter if you had an appointment or not, it was only dependent on how many people were there. Also, I needed to call the clinic at least twice for my nightly dosage because I didn't receive a note through the portal or a call. The emergency hotline is good and I used it a few times.

The “shared risk” program is not advertised accurately on their website. They have reviews stating that you don’t have to worry about “paying a penny” for 6 cycles of IVF. In reality, you are responsible for all medication costs and Shady grove can choose to terminate you from their shared risk program at any time. I know several couples who this has happened to, and it is not clear how these cases are counted in their overall advertised numbers of “success.” I fear that they are not included, this leading to artificially elevated numbers.

Shady Grove’s many positives include efficiency, a proven track record, multiple locations and ease of access, and great historical data on outcomes. Despite this “Big Center” status (for lack of a better term), I have never felt like “just” a number or “just” a source of revenue.

1. Always schedule the earliest appointment you can. They are efficient for sure, but if you have to get to work by a certain time, it can be very stressful on the days when they are not running on time. 2. Know your health insurance and DOUBLE CHECK everything that you are quoted from the financial counselors. And monitor your bills very closely. If I didn't understand what I do about health insurance, I think we would be out of a lot of money. There are 3 different people I've dealt with regarding payment and insurance on the exact same issue and no one seems to be communicating with one another, or really trying all that hard to fix any problems. I still have a credit on my account after I paid for a service that they assured me I owed - turns out I was right. But they won't let you start your treatment until you are financially "cleared" and you have paid in full. Just watch all of that very, very closely. And don't be afraid to second guess when someone else is asking for money - like the desk when you check out - the communication between parties is terrible there. I've paid I don't know how many co-pays that we unnecessary until I smartened-up and realized I could just speak up.

It was easy to get an appointment, and the locations are convenient. All of the staff were competent and kind. I did have to call to remind the insurance/billing specialist about my authorizations, after not hearing from them before a procedure.

The clinic has more strengths than weaknesses for sure. Most weaknesses are just small inconveniences such as location and parking situation. In my opinion their main weakness is that the receptionist fails to answer and return phone calls. In person she is very unfriendly. The clinical staff at Shady Grove is absolutely wonderful. They go above and beyond to satisfy patient needs. They even provide visuals to help further understand procedures. The financial counselor is thorough in explaining what is covered by insurance and what is owed. They offer a generous 25% off discount for military families, and a 5%-25% off discount for qualifying patients who make under 95k per year. Overall i’m high Satisfied.

Something to strongly consider when selecting a clinic is the quality of the embryologist and labs. Before I went through this process, I focused a lot on the doctor but having been through the process I now truly understand and appreciate the vital role the embryologist play in your IVF success. Once egg retrieval happens, they take over, carefully caring for each of the embryos and ensuring they develop properly. Also, I did acupuncture with Autumn at SGF throughout the cycle. She was so kind and knowledgeable. Each treatment I felt really helped me physically and emotionally and I would highly recommend it. On a personal note, I really appreciated that several members of my IVF team had been patients themselves. This allowed me to feel supported and understood during each phase. The only department at SGF I was not impressed with was the financial department. They were extremely disorganized and created a lot of unnecessary confusions in terms of treatments, cost, payments, etc. They tried to get me to pay for things that I didn't have to or had already paid for. Also, our insurance covered none of the treatment so we paid a lump sum for one IVF cycle. Despite the fact that all care was included, they billed my insurance for some of the appointments and procedures. I caught the claims and it was a headache to reverse but I felt it was so wrong for them to do that.

Shady Grove has good equipment and many locations but there are some staffing challenges that likely relate it's set up as a baby making factory rather than a caring physician's office. In the Shady Grove location, one front staff member is regularly rude to patients, expressing how clearly she did not want to be there or she did not want you there. That said, the blood draw staff, run by an excellent head nurse, were professional while also friendly. The nursing staff who performed my sedated HCG were disengaged with me as a human being. They tried to rush me out of the center, and I was not yet then able to stand without help. Again, the facility is run like a baby-making machine and with machines this large, a few bad pieces will likely get in. I did officially complain about the staff's conduct for the HCG procedure. I was not told what resulting follow up there was but I hope some retraining was done.

Shady Grove is what I assume all clinics are like when you are undergoing elective and extremely profitable medical procedures-cold and focused on payment. Their financial services staff was extremely frustrating. They were unable to answer basic questions and would often tell us contridictorary things. It's the doctors and nurses that make the treatment process survivable.

The clinic has the process down pat. It is extremely efficient and that is great when you still have a full time job. They are timely with getting your results, and overall very friendly. I honestly cannot think of any weaknesses at this time.

Shady Grove is a big practice but the staff tries to get to know everyone and there tends to be some consistency in who you see for your ultrasounds. The wait times are sometimes long but I always felt I was getting first-rate care and attention.

This clinic is the largest one in the DC area. I was a bit wary that it would feel like a factory given its size, but I found the clinic to be very well run, efficient, and caring. The front desk staff and lab technicians quickly came to know me by name, and I always felt like I was in good hands. Although I never made it to IVF, I was impressed by the size and quality of the embryology lab compared to others in the area, and their cutting edge research and adapting protocols.

People complained to me that the Office felt like a cattle call during the morning blood draws, but whenever I would go (including first thing in a.m.), I was usually the only one there, or one of maybe 2-3 patients. So I always zipped in and out and had personal attention.

Strengths - Best front desk staff, great monitoring hours, very organized, very compassionate. Mostly kept appointments on time. Good success statistics, and an ideal result for me. Weaknesses - sometimes ran very late for morning monitoring. So many women doing IVF at the same time! Always saw a different doctor for monitoring appointments -- somewhat stressful, but you get used to it.

Shady Grove has multiple clinics in the DC metro area. Testing is very process driven, which I appreciated. I knew exactly what and when things were going to happen and I simply followed that process. Some folks might not appreciate being another cog in the fertility factory but I found it comforting; this is all very normal, well managed, and well understood.

The weaknesses are how busy it can be in the mornings for blood draws and exams but they are quick and understand everyone is busy. Bring something to do and be patient. Be kind to the staff because you will see them every morning for a long time and you get to know them.

The clinic is nice, clean, and equipment is new. The facility is nice, I don't have any issues with scheduling an appointment. I like how the clinic is near a metro which was great because it was on my way to work.

Shady Grove is fantastic. Everyone is compassionate and good at what they do. Get used to truly being cared for by a team. You will see a lot of faces. This is an adjustment if you expect to see the same doctor’s face every day, but this clinic setting works extremely well.

Strength- the LAB weakness- it can feel like a factory at times or a Big Business. You really have to keep track of your own care, or no one else will.