Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
2019 - 2020, Successful
8
10
we were asked what our preferred learning style is (ie. hearing it, seeing it, doing it) and that information was utilized by Dr. Schirmer and every member of our treatment team to ensure that we understood each step of the process...When a treatment cycle seemed to not be going as planned, he met with us to "regroup"...continue with the current treatment plan or move to a more aggressive approach. We have felt valued and heard throughout this entire process.
Emory is a teaching hospital and they pride themselves on having a great working relationship with each patient, which is very evident in their approach. Each doctor makes you feel so at ease and understood...[nurse] made sure to stay in contact with me via Patient Portal as well as telephone calls and she answered any questions I had...provided us with a full itemized break-down of all of the costs...
How was your experience with David Austin Schirmer III at Emory University Reproductive Center?
Dr. Schirmer has shown compassion throughout our entire fertility treatment journey. He has informed us of our odds, the clinic's success rates, and our personal success rates and he has gone above and beyond to make sure that we are comfortable with every step we have taken. He has been transparent about every procedure, cycle, step, and possible outcome and he has diligently worked to develop a treatment plan specific to our needs.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Austin Schirmer III at Emory University Reproductive Center?
Don't be afraid to ask questions! Dr. Schirmer is very open to answering every single question you have. I went into our IVF orientation with a LONG list of questions and he gladly took all the time needed to answer each and every question I had. I have never felt "rushed out of the door" or like he is "too busy to see us" because Dr. Schirmer goes out of his way to make sure we are fully informed and feel comfortable with each step.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Austin Schirmer III at Emory University Reproductive Center?
Dr. Schirmer took as much time as needed to meet with us for any questions and concerns. He presented all of the information in a way that I could understand yet allowed me to have the final say in my treatment plan. During our initial consultation, as well as our IVF orientation, we were asked what our preferred learning style is (ie. hearing it, seeing it, doing it) and that information was utilized by Dr. Schirmer and every member of our treatment team to ensure that we understood each step of the process. Our transfer cycle is cancelled/postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but our treatment team has reached out to updated us throughout this process to make sure we are as much at ease as possible during this waiting time.
Describe the protocols David Austin Schirmer III used in your cycles at Emory University Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
Dr. Schirmer, like most Reproductive Endocrinologists, started with "conservative" treatments due to my age (26 years) and the length of time my husband and I had been trying to conceive at the time (1 year). During our initial consultation he reviewed possible treatment plans for us but ultimately let us decide what we wanted to do. As a team, we chose to do Timed Intercourse with Injectables which we did for several complete cycles before we decided to move to IVF. After every failed cycle, Dr. Schirmer met with us to discuss our next steps and what our desired treatment plan would be going forward. He never pressured us to move to a more aggressive (expensive) plan but laid out the facts and statistics of every fertility treatment (timed intercourse, IUI, IVF, etc.) and ultimately allowed us to have an open and honest conversation with us about our specific plan. When a treatment cycle seemed to not be going as planned, he met with us to "regroup" and figure out whether we wanted to continue with the current treatment plan or move to a more aggressive approach. We have felt valued and heard throughout this entire process.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Emory University Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Tadzia Toote)
Tadzia was very compassionate and caring throughout each step of the process. She calmed me down on so many different occasions because going through infertility is something that is very stressful and often overwhelming. She made sure to stay in contact with me via Patient Portal as well as telephone calls and she answered any questions I had.
Describe your experience with Emory University Reproductive Center.
I don't have a single negative thing to say about Emory Reproductive Center! Every single nurse, doctor on call, financial counselor, front desk personnel, and "medical fellow" has gone above and beyond to ensure that our experience has been outstanding. Emory is a teaching hospital and they pride themselves on having a great working relationship with each patient, which is very evident in their approach. Each doctor makes you feel so at ease and understood, which is SO important for someone struggling with infertility. I am connected to other women who are patients at Emory Reproductive Center and there is nothing but positive, glowing reviews.
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Austin Schirmer III at Emory University Reproductive Center.
Before each treatment plan was initiated, Dr. Schirmer and an Emory Reproductive Center Financial Counselor sat down with us to review the costs associated with our care. They reviewed different payment methods, options, and third-party companies for financial packages (particularly for IVF) that were available to us. They provided us with a full itemized break-down of all of the costs that we would be responsible for in that chosen treatment plan and worked with us to make sure we could get the desired fertility treatment.
Describe David Austin Schirmer III's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Emory University Reproductive Center.
Dr. Schirmer prefers an elective single embryo transfer but ultimately let me make the final decision. He laid out all of the facts and statistics and informed us of the increased risks to me and the babies, should we get pregnant with multiples. However, it was a discussion that we were able to talk through and voice our opinion and Dr. Schirmer let us make the ultimate decision about the number of embryos to transfer. Our clinic grades each embryo and transfers the best quality embryo first to increase the chance of a viable pregnancy. Due to conversation we had, the recommendation of Dr. Schirmer, and the results of my own research, we have chosen to transfer only one embryo and we are so happy that Dr. Schrimer heard our concerns and talked them through with us.