I've met with Dr. Kim (only 3 times, I mostly deal with her nurses), she's had to refresh her memory on my case in front of me. I know she sees a lot of people, but it would be nice if she did that before coming in the room to see me. ... Dr. Kim is very no nonsense. She's doesn't come off as the most compassionate person, but she knows her stuff. She's very black and white. I appreciate it because I don't need someone to sugar coat things, but other people may not appreciate her abrupt style.
As someone with an office job, I appreciated the early monitoring hours for ultrasounds and blood work. And they [Northwestern Medicine] really get you in and out as quickly as possible. ... The receptionists are always really friendly. ... They are very upfront on all the costs when you meet with the financial consultant. ... The nurses are GREAT!
How was your experience with Helen Kim at Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine?
Dr. Kim is very no nonsense. She's doesn't come off as the most compassionate person, but she knows her stuff. She's very black and white. I appreciate it because I don't need someone to sugar coat things, but other people may not appreciate her abrupt style.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Helen Kim at Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine?
She's going to tell you like it is, whether you want to hear it or not.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Helen Kim at Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine?
Northwestern in general sees a lot of patients, so it feel like a lot of the time you're one of many. But each time I've met with Dr. Kim (only 3 times, I mostly deal with her nurses), she's had to refresh her memory on my case in front of me. I know she sees a lot of people, but it would be nice if she did that before coming in the room to see me.
Describe the protocols Helen Kim used in your cycles at Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine and their degree of success.
I've done 2 IUIs with Dr. Kim. Both were 100 mg of Clomid with monitoring and Ovidrel trigger shot. My insurance doesn't cover fertility treatment, and since I'm older, with unexplained fertility, she advised 2 IUIs before moving on to IVF. I've only had the consult for IVF with her to date.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine.
The nurses are GREAT! They are the ones you communicate with the most, so they are really responsive and easy to talk to and very understanding.
Describe your experience with Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine.
Northwestern sees a lot of patients. A lot of people will mention the "cattle call" feel of it. I didn't feel that way. As someone with an office job, I appreciated the early monitoring hours for ultrasounds and blood work. And they really get you in and out as quickly as possible. The waits aren't long at all, even on the weekends. And that they do that 7 days a week. The receptionists are always really friendly. The clinic itself is good.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Helen Kim at Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine.
My insurance doesn't cover anything, so it's all out of pocket. They will bill insurance, but most is not covered. IUIs are $700. The self-pay for IVF is $10,000, which doesn't include meds and PGS testing. They are very upfront on all the costs when you meet with the financial consultant.
Describe Helen Kim's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine.
In my consult, she's told me about multiple transfer vs. single and has told me the risks and the odds, based on my age.
What specific things went wrong at Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine.
I self-pay and no one told me that I had to pay for the IUI up front. It's not an insignificant amount of money and to be told that as you're getting ready for the procedure was jarring. I wish they would be more upfront with those kinds of things.
I also had lost paperwork on one monitoring ultrasound and ended up waiting a lot longer than normal. But once I spoke up, I was taken right back and told if it ever happens again in the future, to speak up sooner.
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Clinic
Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine
Chicago