Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
2020 - 2023, Unsuccessful
Dr. de Mola is incredibly patronizing and assumes very little medical knowledge...Avoid him. I understand the desire to have a baby, but I feel like he capitalizes on couples' desperation and gives advice that benefits his pocket book rather than your family planning goals. I just wish we never went to him or stayed there for three years. Such a waste of time, money, & energy...We had a powerpoint read to us for the cost of $100, and he then explained that he almost always goes the eSET route except in rare cases.
They [Southern Illinois University Clinic] are pretty quick at answering your messages on the app, and they are always pleasant in person. Unfortunately for me, those qualities don't compensate for poor operational procedures and honestly the worst medical clinic I've ever experienced...I have never had such an awful experience with a clinic. They [Southern Illinois University] would schedule an appointment just for me and request that my husband come, but then they would charge us for two appointments without telling us up front. Additionally, they charge you both for an ultrasound and then for an "appointment" that occurs immediately after the ultrasound to tell you the results... with an additional charge of course. We have gone through the same procedures for almost 3 years and have been told the entire time that "we're young & healthy & have time." Fast-forward three years of subpar medical advise and still no move towards IVF, but don't worry, we got an appointment charge for that advise.
How was your experience with J. Ricardo Loret de Mola at Southern Illinois University?
Dr. de Mola is incredibly patronizing and assumes very little medical knowledge. While that treatment might be helpful for some, I found it incredibly frustrating to be given the definition of a laparoscopic surgery after stating I understand what the procedure is and how it works. At said surgery, de Mola checked in with my husband while I was in recovery and told him that I was at a high risk of ovarian cancer later in my life. He never checked in with me in recovery, but when I saw him at my follow-up appointment, I asked him what I should do to be proactive with my increased risk. He claims never to have stated that. I told him that I would be sending my files to my primary gynecologist just for a second opinion, and these records have never made it to my gynecologist after a year of repeatedly asking for them. De Mola never consulted my husband's chart during our two years of seeing him, assuming that I was the only one with fertility problems despite our statements to the contrary. When he wanted us to do timed intercourse for the 6th month instead of moving up to IUI, I asked him to check my husband's chart and the recommendation for his male-factor infertility issues. He never apologized for giving us bad advice for over a year at that point and quickly over-prescribed my husband to attempt to help quickly raise his sperm counts after over a year of poor medical advice. For some reason, we continued with the clinic for another year, and we never saw him again. We've had no appointments with him, no communication from him, no advice from him. We have communicated entirely with nurses & office schedulers since that moment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of J. Ricardo Loret de Mola at Southern Illinois University?
Avoid him. I understand the desire to have a baby, but I feel like he capitalizes on couples' desperation and gives advice that benefits his pocket book rather than your family planning goals. I just wish we never went to him or stayed there for three years. Such a waste of time, money, & energy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with J. Ricardo Loret de Mola at Southern Illinois University?
I have never had such an awful experience with a clinic. They would schedule an appointment just for me and request that my husband come, but then they would charge us for two appointments without telling us up front. Additionally, they charge you both for an ultrasound and then for an "appointment" that occurs immediately after the ultrasound to tell you the results... with an additional charge of course. We have gone through the same procedures for almost 3 years and have been told the entire time that "we're young & healthy & have time." Fast-forward three years of subpar medical advise and still no move towards IVF, but don't worry, we got an appointment charge for that advise.
Describe the protocols J. Ricardo Loret de Mola used in your cycles at Southern Illinois University and their degree of success.
We initially were told that we were young and should just focus on timed intercourse (even after I was diagnosed with PCOS & my husband had documented low-sperm count with a referral for IUI or most likely IVF). Those charts were never opened unless we asked for him to check our records when the advice seemed misguided & based on false medical assumptions. After 1.5 years, he began us on a cycle of IUI, but we never saw him during this time. IUI was repeatedly done even when they themselves said that my husband's count was lower than they would prefer for IUI. With my PCOS, it seemed as though I would always get a cyst the cycle after failed intercourse, so I would have to take BC for a month before rechecking for no cysts. We are currently signed up for an IVF cycle in the summer after we requested it (of course, they would have let us continue IUI and its billing ad nauseam) , but I honestly do not think I can trust this clinic based on their surprise billing tactics and lack of knowledge of my chart.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern Illinois University. (Assigned nurse: Rebecca (APN) & Jessica (RN))
The nurses probably have the worst skills for blood draws that I've ever been exposed to. They often tear off the finger tip of their glove to "help" find the vein, but they've finally stopped doing that at my request that they stay sanitary. The nurses never seem to check my chart prior to seeing me again, so they struggle to answer my questions about changing their methods when its proven not to work over a number of cycles. They get confused on dosing & medications, so I always have to clarify with them and my pharmacist twice each to make sure. They are friendly, but I do worry about the advice and treatment that they give trusting, less medically knowledgable, hopeful parents.
Describe your experience with Southern Illinois University.
The clinic takes vacations and days off that are wild for a doctor's office, especially one that is so locked into women's cycles. They had over two weeks off during the Christmas season, which moved my cycle by over three weeks as I was on BC longer to work around their vacation. Their ultrasounds are ONLY offered from 7-11:30 AM, and if you have a 7 AM appointment, you won't be seen until 7:15 as they all slowly mosey into the clinic to open. The phones don't let you connect to the office until 8 or 8:30 and shut off at 4 PM, even though they are open earlier and closed later. Their billing is out-of-this-world delayed. I didn't charged by them for almost a year after my surgery despite my insurance verifying that they cashed their check three months after the surgery. Each month of cycled visits will get billed to you in about three months, which is really fun when they raise their rates at the start of the year without disclosing it. Then they also have you come in for five separate ultrasounds within the month of increased rates, all without disclosing it to you. They are pretty quick at answering your messages on the app, and they are always pleasant in person. Unfortunately for me, those qualities don't compensate for poor operational procedures and honestly the worst medical clinic I've ever experienced.
Describe the costs associated with your care under J. Ricardo Loret de Mola at Southern Illinois University.
Office visits typically cost me $80 out of pocket (my insurance covers 80% cost). Ultrasounds cost my $190 each (they used to only charge me once a month for all of my ultrasound scans-- baseline during period, day 9-14, & additional if needed; but now, it is for each ultrasound). In January of 2023, their costs raised so significantly that my normal monthly out of pocket of between $80-$300 was $1300. Reba in their billing is a trooper though. She was always so kind and helpful on the phone, and she really advocated for my husband and me in this journey. She is hands down the single person in the office who redeems all other experiences.
Describe J. Ricardo Loret de Mola's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern Illinois University.
We had a powerpoint read to us for the cost of $100, and he then explained that he almost always goes the eSET route except in rare cases.
What specific things went wrong at Southern Illinois University?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost appointments
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
- Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Southern Illinois University.
After an ovarian tumor removal surgery, de Mola spoke with my husband about my increased risk for ovarian cancer. He never communicated that to me and denied saying that at my follow-up appointment. When I asked that my records be sent to my main gynecologist because of his conflicting information, it has yet to be sent after a year and multiple re-signed release of records. I also have to remind them each month to send in prescriptions or else they won't get sent in. I've had to extend BC weeks longer than necessary in order to prevent my period starting during one of their several weeks of closures.