Dr. McQueen spent as much time as needed to answer all of my questions...She's so cheery and kind, and was patient with all of my questions on Spruce and in-person. She was upfront about the statistics, success rates, and risks, and was even thoughtful about the fact that we were paying out-of-pocket and found some small ways we could reduce our costs. At first, we were deciding between IUI and IVF because I was intimidated by how invasive IVF would be, and Dr. McQueen patiently talked through the tradeoffs without being pushy in any way...
the clinic [RMA of Northern California] is open 24/7 and monitoring starts as early as 7am. They were flexible to start retrievals and transfers whenever I wanted (we even timed the transfer for the exact date I wanted). Communication and responsiveness were fantastic -- we could always get a response on Spruce, even at 10pm at night from the on-call doctor. We had clear instructions on medications and for each procedure. I didn't necessarily see my doctor on every monitoring visit, but I actually liked that since it was way easier to fit appointments into my work schedule way easier...
How was your experience with Dana McQueen at RMA of Northern California?
I had an amazing experience with Dr. McQueen. She's so cheery and kind, and was patient with all of my questions on Spruce and in-person. She was upfront about the statistics, success rates, and risks, and was even thoughtful about the fact that we were paying out-of-pocket and found some small ways we could reduce our costs. At first, we were deciding between IUI and IVF because I was intimidated by how invasive IVF would be, and Dr. McQueen patiently talked through the tradeoffs without being pushy in any way. The whole journey was so smooth and I ended up pregnant much sooner than I had allowed myself to expect at the beginning.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana McQueen at RMA of Northern California?
Do your own research too, so you can come prepared with questions. She'll patiently answer them and ensure you're comfortable.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana McQueen at RMA of Northern California?
Dr. McQueen spent as much time as needed to answer all of my questions... and I had a lot of them! I felt she really cared about me, even though my protocols themselves were pretty straightforward.
Describe your experience with your nurse at RMA of Northern California.
Overall I had a great experience with the nursing staff. Especially blood draws -- I usually have a terrible time with blood draws (multiple sticks, bruising) and every single blood draw with the RMA staff was successful on the first try. Nurses were also friendly and warm.
The only issue I had was with my initial primary nurse, who gave me incorrect medication instructions over Spruce multiple times. Fortunately, Dr McQueen quickly corrected it each time and I believe this nurse is no longer with RMA. These are pretty serious mistakes, and I think RMA did a good job of quickly resolving this. My primary nurse after that was great - responsive, knowledgable, and detail-oriented.
Describe your experience with RMA of Northern California.
RMA provided the best medical experience I've ever had. I love that the clinic is open 24/7 and monitoring starts as early as 7am. They were flexible to start retrievals and transfers whenever I wanted (we even timed the transfer for the exact date I wanted).
Communication and responsiveness were fantastic -- we could always get a response on Spruce, even at 10pm at night from the on-call doctor. We had clear instructions on medications and for each procedure. I didn't necessarily see my doctor on every monitoring visit, but I actually liked that since it was way easier to fit appointments into my work schedule way easier.
Everyone I met was kind and warm, and it was almost enjoyable to go in each time. The location was also very convenient - right next to BART, important given how often I was going!
My only (small) gripes:
1. Morning monitoring visits can get busy. It was hard to know whether I should plan for a 30min wait or no wait, and just made scheduling a little trickier.
2. Billing. The billing department called me a couple times telling me I had an overdue payment when I hadn't even received a bill. I did need to pay for a visit, so call me petty, but I didn't like being told it was overdue when I had already been asking for a bill and it wasn't getting sent.
Overall, I had a fantastic experience with RMA and would 100% be back.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana McQueen at RMA of Northern California.
Our out-of-pocket cost was ~$26k for one round of egg retrieval, including meds and PGT testing, and ~$5k for one transfer including meds. They did a good job explaining the costs upfront so we knew what to expect.
Describe Dana McQueen's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of Northern California.
Dr McQueen only talked to us about transferring a singleton. I didn't consider multiple at all.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of Northern California?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of Northern California.
As mentioned earlier, I had an issue with my initial nurse who gave me incorrect medication instructions that the doctor quickly corrected. I'm glad the situation was resolved quickly.
I loved working with Dr. McQueen. She was very upbeat and optimistic, which is something I needed during this process after having gone through two miscarriages last year (before I decided to try IVF). My body responded really well to the treatment, and she was very thorough in explaining each step along the way...super responsive throughout the process. She would often message me back after hours and even wished me good luck on my first night of injections...
The clinic [RMA of Northern California] is run like a well-oiled machine. From scheduling to lab draws to actual procedures, everything was on time for the most part. I think the team was very positive and welcoming...Everyone was super responsive through the Spruce app. I have nothing but positive things to say about their communication and care throughout such an intensive process...Insurance did not cover our treatment, so from beginning to end, it cost about $28k to have a live current pregnancy, and that included all the medications we had to buy...
How was your experience with Dana McQueen at RMA of Northern California?
I loved working with Dr. McQueen. She was very upbeat and optimistic, which is something I needed during this process after having gone through two miscarriages last year (before I decided to try IVF). My body responded really well to the treatment, and she was very thorough in explaining each step along the way.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana McQueen at RMA of Northern California?
Get extra clarity about when you need a specific medication, so you don't over-order or under-order medications. Alto Pharmacy offers same-day delivery, and I didn't realize how last-minute I could make an order and still get it in time for my treatment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana McQueen at RMA of Northern California?
Dr. McQueen was extremely helpful. She explained everything thoroughly and was super responsive throughout the process. She would often message me back after hours and even wished me good luck on my first night of injections.
Describe the protocols Dana McQueen used in your cycles at RMA of Northern California and their degree of success.
We decided with Dr. McQueen to go for IVF the same night as our consultation because it was perfect timing in our cycle. We went straight for injections, and my body responded well to treatment to the point that I had my egg retrieval on the earlier side. It was very helpful to have a doctor with such a positive attitude from beginning to end.
Describe your experience with your nurse at RMA of Northern California. (Assigned nurse: Liz)
Everyone was super responsive through the Spruce app. I have nothing but positive things to say about their communication and care throughout such an intensive process.
Describe your experience with RMA of Northern California.
The clinic is run like a well-oiled machine. From scheduling to lab draws to actual procedures, everything was on time for the most part. I think the team was very positive and welcoming, and I really can't think of any weaknesses. My main piece of advice is related to medication and just confirming the exact timing of when you need everything so you don't over-order. I run a bit anxious, so I ordered more than I needed at times.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana McQueen at RMA of Northern California.
Insurance did not cover our treatment, so from beginning to end, it cost about $28k to have a live current pregnancy, and that included all the medications we had to buy.