John Nichols

2018, Unknown Success

8

7

Age 33

1 IUI

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

2nd of 2 Docs

2 IUI With Other Docs

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

He [Dr. Nichols] was prepared with all of my information prior to our appointment. He showed concern and sensitivity to my emotions and went over all of my options...supportive to the fact that I wanted to keep trying a few more rounds of IUI because it is covered by our insurance, but IVF is not covered. He explained in detail the IVF process and patiently answered my questions...performed my HSG test and had a calm/warm personality, which helped to calm me.

Didn't hear back from one of the doctors [at PREG] for over 2 days when waiting for instructions on what to do for my next cycle. Strengths: Almost always able to get in touch with someone on the phone, well trained sensitive/compassionate nursing staff, the 2nd doctor I saw was great, most of the secretaries are friendly and helpful, letting me schedule my IUI in advance to try and work around my work schedule

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

He performed my HSG test and had a calm/warm personality, which helped to calm me. For our consultation appointment to go over next steps, after 3 cycles with meds and timed intercourse and 2 IUI's, he was prepared with all of my previous treatment history and had already printed out information and stats IVF and how it would work for me. He was sensitive and supportive to the fact that I wanted to keep trying a few more rounds of IUI because it is covered by our insurance, but IVF is not covered. He explained in detail the IVF process and patiently answered my questions.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

He was prepared with all of my information prior to our appointment. He showed concern and sensitivity to my emotions and went over all of my options.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The two main nurses I've worked with were helpful and compassionate. One was more calm and seemed more caring than the other (but, it was probably a personality preference). Unfortunately, at our first IUI they were short staffed and someone who was filling in at the lab copied my husbands name wrong and wrote the wrong name on his sperm sample. It made for a pretty stressful and upsetting procedure, especially since it was our first time doing an IUI. The next two IUI's went really well and the calmer nurse did them. Overall, I think the nursing staff is sensitive and compassionate and do a great job.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Weaknesses: Way too cold in the clinic (especially when you're having to get undressed for procedures), have had to wait over an hour for a consultation and an IUI, unfriendly secretary when I expressed my concern about wait time (but the other two were friendly!), short window of time to get blood-work done when they were training a new staff member, Didn't hear back from one of the doctors for over 2 days when waiting for instructions on what to do for my next cycle. Strengths: Almost always able to get in touch with someone on the phone, well trained sensitive/compassionate nursing staff, the 2nd doctor I saw was great, most of the secretaries are friendly and helpful, letting me schedule my IUI in advance to try and work around my work schedule

What specific things went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Twice my meds weren't called in to the correct pharmacy, the doctor didn't get back to me for 2 days when it was time sensitive, a nurse mis-labeled a sperm sample, have had to wait over an hour for 2 appointments, way too cold!

8

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

7

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Asheville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2021 - 2022, Unsuccessful

7

10

Age 30 - 31

1 IUI

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

I have gone several months without seeing or communicating with Dr. Nichols. The majority of interactions are with his nurses and I have seen him maybe three times in the 11 months I have been a patient of his...He offers multiple options for treatment to allow me to choose what is best. He also took cost into account when recommending treatment options.

The [PREG - Greenville] clinic is great at offering appointment times that work well with my schedule. I live over an hour away and it is really convenient to have the option of getting my appointment in at 7:30 and not having to miss much work. Billing can be a weakness at times. I am self pay as my insurance has no coverage...[nurses] Kristina and Shannon have been excellent to work with. They have been calm and kind during difficult visits.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols was highly recommended to me when searching for a physician. While I know he is involved in my care, I have only seen him in person at 2-3 visits. He offers multiple options for treatment to allow me to choose what is best. He also took cost into account when recommending treatment options.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Be prepared with questions before you enter a visit if at all possible. Also, know that he is pretty straight to the point and realistic.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

I have gone several months without seeing or communicating with Dr. Nichols. The majority of interactions are with his nurses and I have seen him maybe three times in the 11 months I have been a patient of his.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

Dr. Nichols started me initially on 2mg of Letrozole for a few days. When my ultrasound showed no growth, we increased the dosage in that same cycle. We again had the same result and increased in the end to 10 mg for 5 days. Since this dose did create follicle growth, we continued with this in the following mont and added Ovidrel for OI to have better control over when I ovulated. He suggested that we could initially start with OI and TI in order to save on costs. We did this dosage for three more months which were all unsuccessful. We then decided to do the HSG which revealed that I have a unicornuate uterus. He then recommended we switch to IUI. We completed that cycle with OI and TI instead due to cost and then used the same medications for the month we unsuccessfully completed IUI. We planned for another month of IUI on the same medications but the follicle scan showed no follicle growth. He suggested that we could add goal f to the current round. However, since our firth month with medication at the start resulted in three increases in meds and three ultrasounds (all out of pocket) we decided to wait until the next cycle to add goal f. IN the last cycle we completed, we used 10 mg letrozole for 5 days and two injections of goal f 75 mg on days 7 and 9 I believe. The ultrasound again showed minimal growth so Dr. Nichols ordered 4 more days of goal f 75 mg to attempt to increase growth but not too much as too many eggs would be against medical advice given my unicornuate uterus. The second ultrasound again showed minimal growth and Dr. Nichols recommended finishing out the cycle with no IUI and attempting again the next cycle with increased medication. Dr. Nichols only recommends two more rounds with these meds as at this point, medication costs start resembling those of IVF. He recommends moving to IVF if we continue to be unsuccessful as the dosage we use in goal f will not matter as much with an egg retrieval as it does with IUI given my circumstances.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Kristina and Shannon)

Kristina and Shannon have been excellent to work with. They have been calm and kind during difficult visits. After my HSG, I was very emotional. Kristina sat with me for a while, explaining things to me, providing tissues, and offering support and time. She also supported me through the HSG by reminding me to breathe and talking through every step of the process.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The clinic is great at offering appointment times that work well with my schedule. I live over an hour away and it is really convenient to have the option of getting my appointment in at 7:30 and not having to miss much work. Billing can be a weakness at times. I am self pay as my insurance has no coverage. I have been charged different amounts for the same testing from one visit to the next but this has been corrected by bringing my receipts with me to each appointment. I have sent emails before requesting cost of certain procedures and tests and did not receive a response, though I did receive an answer when I called and left a message with the nurses.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

All of my costs are out of pocket as I am self pay. HSG was $600. Each vaginal ultrasound is $190. Progesterone test is $60. IUI costs $500 plus medications (goal-f 2 75 mg is about $200, ovidrel is around $100, and letrozole is about $9). An office visit or phone call to speak with the doctor is around $60.

What specific things went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Failed to order appropriate test

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I had a slightly elevated TSH and was started on levothyroxine before I even started cycles with treatment. I was told I would have my TSH levels rechecked and have asked on more than one occasion but still have yet to have this test ordered after being on levothyroxine for nearly a year.

7

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2021 - 2022, Unknown Success

8

10

Age 31 - 32

Unexplained

Income $50K - $99K

1st of 2 Docs

3 Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

As a patient, I would recommend Dr. Nichols. I felt that he explained everything to us and what to expect in our consultation. We live far away from our clinic and he was able to make progress with us in just a few visits. I also had to have a procedure completed and I felt like he was very compassionate and caring when I was anxious and nervous. I look forward to working with him and his facility in the future.

The Preg Asheville team have absolutely been wonderful. I feel that I am a person who has a lot of questions and I always felt like they were answered promptly and completely. The team was so compassionate to me during my loss and I have no complaints...Anytime I have ever had any questions, I always, always receive an answer back that day. They even worked me in when I felt like I needed to be seen again. I don’t have any weaknesses to mention because they have been very helpful, compassionate and understanding of my needs.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

As a patient, I would recommend Dr. Nichols. I felt that he explained everything to us and what to expect in our consultation. We live far away from our clinic and he was able to make progress with us in just a few visits. I also had to have a procedure completed and I felt like he was very compassionate and caring when I was anxious and nervous. I look forward to working with him and his facility in the future.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Just be patient, not everything happens overnight but he will work with you to find a solution.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

I felt like he took the time to explain things to me and especially took the time to talk to me after a procedure that I had to have performed.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility in early November of 2021. We started letrozole 5mg and also a trigger shot in December. We did this for 2 months and then we upped my dosage of letrozole to 7.5mg with a trigger shot. I fell pregnant that cycle. Unfortunately, the baby’s heart stopped beating around 8 weeks and I was going to have a miscarriage. I was given several options on how to treat the miscarriage. I was never pushed into any treatment that I didn’t want to do. I chose to have a D&C. After the procedure, the doctor made time to talk with me about how everything went and next steps. He called me the next week with my D&C results and what our next steps were. Even though we lost our first pregnancy, I have hope to keep trying because of Dr Nichols and his nurses in Asheville.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Wynni and Hillary )

The Preg Asheville team have absolutely been wonderful. I feel that I am a person who has a lot of questions and I always felt like they were answered promptly and completely. The team was so compassionate to me during my loss and I have no complaints.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I honestly can only say strengths for this clinic. Anytime I have ever had any questions, I always, always receive an answer back that day. They even worked me in when I felt like I needed to be seen again. I don’t have any weaknesses to mention because they have been very helpful, compassionate and understanding of my needs.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I have to pay my copay for a specialist when I see the doctor. That is $70 each visit. I also have to pay for my medication which is close to around $150 a month right now. I also paid for my D&C which was around $850

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

N/a

8

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Asheville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2021 - 2022, Unknown Success

7

9

Age 29 - 30

3 IUI

Endometriosis

Unexplained

Income $100K - $199K

Architect

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols was direct, but has never made me feel rushed. He always explains every treatment thoroughly and allows time for me to ask any question I may have. He was not very personable from the beginning, but the longer I have seen him, the more personable he has become. He always gives me all of the options available, but also gives me room to make decisions. Before I come in he has already read my chart and is ready to explain any test results and next steps...

The staff [at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group] are personable, quick to respond, and able to get me answers easily. They listen well and help me to figure out next steps. Because my insurance does not cover insurance, they always make sure to help me make decisions so that I am able to spread out costs or make sure I can bill anything that is not infertility related (for example, surgery for endometriosis) to my insurance. They have a team member on staff that has explained the in's and out's of financing for IVF and they offer programs to help with payment as well as advertising various support groups around the office...

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Strengths: Clear and Direct Communicator, Allows me to make my own decisions based on facts given, always leaves room to answer any questions Weaknesses: Can come across cold, did not seem interested in doing additional testing unless specifically requested when diagnosing unexplained infertility

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Do not expect to be coddled, Dr. Nichols is a great doctor, but is not someone I would describe as warm. Cleary explain your expectations, what you are willing to do and not do and he will stay within your set guidelines and/or boundaries.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols was direct, but has never made me feel rushed. He always explains every treatment thoroughly and allows time for me to ask any question I may have. He was not very personable from the beginning, but the longer I have seen him, the more personable he has become. He always gives me all of the options available, but also gives me room to make decisions. Before I come in he has already read my chart and is ready to explain any test results and next steps.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

My first 3 cycles with Dr. Nichols included: Day 3-5 Letrozol, Day 12 baseline ultrasound with trigger shot and IUI performed the same day: Cycle 1: 4 Mature Follicles, Cycle 2: 2 Mature Follicles, Cycle 3: 2 Mature Follicles We continued to do the same treatment as I had mature follicles each cycle. After 3 failed IUI's we did a follow up meeting to discuss the next treatment options. I was considering doing a surgery for suspected endometriosis for years. Dr. Nichols told me I could do that, proceed with up to 6 (3 more) IUI cycles, or move on to IVF. I was given an IVF packet that explained what that would look like. I chose to follow through with the surgery. I proceeded with the surgery and found stage 1+ endometriosis that was removed. In my follow up meeting post-surgery, Dr.Nichols recommended I continue treatment immediately in order to ensure that the endometriosis did not return. He gave me a range of 3 months to a year before it could return. We chose to proceed with 3 cycles of letrozol, trigger shot, and baseline ultrasound post surgery. We found follicles everytime, but were unsuccessful each time.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I usually have the same nurse, but it sometimes rotates to others. My primary nurse has always been kind and personable. She tells me exactly what is going on during follicle scans, answers my questions clearly, and gives me directions on next steps. She explains any risks associated with too many follicles or any other issues I have had.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The staff are personable, quick to respond, and able to get me answers easily. They listen well and help me to figure out next steps. Because my insurance does not cover insurance, they always make sure to help me make decisions so that I am able to spread out costs or make sure I can bill anything that is not infertility related (for example, surgery for endometriosis) to my insurance. They have a team member on staff that has explained the in's and out's of financing for IVF and they offer programs to help with payment as well as advertising various support groups around the office.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

For an IUI procedure it was ~$650 all in (follicle scan, sperm washing, insemination). Associated medication were about $150. Medicated cycles were about $150 for follicle scan, $150 for associated medications.

7

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

9

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2019 - 2020, Successful

8

9

Age 37 - 38

1 IUI

1 IVF

Male Factor

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols was blunt and straight forward during the initial consultation and while reviewing our initial work up. At the time it was jarring and concerning. The doctor did not show very much compassion...was the warmest and most personable during the egg retrieval procedure, this did help ease my nerves and made the procedure less stressful. This being said, he is good at what he does and we had success...

The clinic [Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group] was very clean and the lobby was long enough that you had privacy. The finance department was friendly and helpful...Generally, the nursing staff was friendly enough. I expected to be treated very empathetically and kindly, this was not the case. Most of the time it felt like I was at any generic doctor’s office and the staff didn’t seem happy. The lab technician was very friendly, she was my favorite person to see actually...

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols was blunt and straight forward during the initial consultation and while reviewing our initial work up. At the time it was jarring and concerning. The doctor did not show very much compassion. It felt like a business transaction most of the time. Dr. Nichols was the warmest and most personable during the egg retrieval procedure, this did help ease my nerves and made the procedure less stressful. This being said, he is good at what he does and we had success.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Be prepared for Dr. Nichols being very blunt and to the point during initial consult and when reviewing test results. This will help you to manage your emotions and not be caught off guard.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

I did at times feel like a number. It seemed that the doctor didn’t always know where I was in the process of my fertility cycle. For example, when I had an ultrasound with him, he would guess how many days post transfer instead of checking the record and knowing it for himself.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

I underwent an egg retrieval, I do not remember a lot of specifics about the medications. They did recommend a specific pharmacy that ships most of the fertility drugs to your door. Be sure to speak directly with the pharmacy after receiving the shipment. They will go over each medication, how to give it and how to store all the items. The nursing staff that set up protocols can be easily reached by email, ask questions related to protocol and medications. The long term progesterone injections were the hardest to tolerate. The injection sites were painful and sore. I had to use them for weeks after the positive pregnancy blood test.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Lynne Fowler)

Lynne took over as our coordinator from another nurse halfway through our treatment. So there was a little glitch in communication for a short time. Lynne was able to adjust the timing of a protocol when I requested it. She was not very friendly but not unfriendly, I think she was very busy. Generally, the nursing staff was friendly enough. I expected to be treated very empathetically and kindly, this was not the case. Most of the time it felt like I was at any generic doctor’s office and the staff didn’t seem happy. The lab technician was very friendly, she was my favorite person to see actually. The nursing staff that did the anesthesia and assisted with the egg retrieval were all very warm, kind and compassionate.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The clinic was very clean and the lobby was long enough that you had privacy. The finance department was friendly and helpful. I did not like the front staff, specifically the person who sat at the check-in window. She was not friendly at all (in person nor on the phone). Again, I assumed I would be treated tenderly and that was not the case. The first appointment with the doctor is going over your history and the doctor asking you a bunch of questions before recommending the first round of testing. Testing for reasons for infertility in our case.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

This clinic offered an “all included” IVF package or pay as you go. It did not include pregnancy testing, medication and did not cover new testing (we did a Mock cycle to make sure my body was reacting as intended). We chose the 3 cycle IVF (cycles must be done within 12 months) which cost $26,000, we only did one egg retrieval. I think the one egg retrieval package was around $16,500. You do have to meet certain qualifications to use these packages.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Dr. Nichols strongly recommended transferring only one embryo at a time. The paperwork related to a transfer also noted the strong recommendation for single embryo transfers.

8

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

9

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2018 - 2020, Successful

10

Age 33 - 35

1 IVF

1 Egg Freezing

PCOS

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

2 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

John Nichols is straight forward in what's going on during your process. If you're looking for a doctor with more bedside manner, then there are other doctors for that...I personally like the straight forwardness as I want to know exactly where I stand regarding my fertility outcome. He is positive and makes you feel comfortable from day 1. He is thorough on what the best outcome for your situation is.

I can't say enough about PREG from the ladies at the front desk to the medical staff everyone was always friendly. They were encouraging and always made me feel welcome even when my emotions got the best of me...We did a single embryo transfer and I was happy with the outcome...They were all organized and positive and I really enjoyed seeing them every time I went.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

John Nichols is straight forward in what's going on during your process. If you're looking for a doctor with more bedside manner, then there are other doctors for that at PREG. I personally like the straight forwardness as I want to know exactly where I stand regarding my fertility outcome. He is positive and makes you feel comfortable from day 1. He is thorough on what the best outcome for your situation is.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Listen and do what he tells you to do. If he says IVF is best for you and you try other methods, they more than likely won't work, and you'll have to do IVF eventually anyway.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

I cannot say enough about Dr. John Nichols and his staff at PREG. I created friendships that I still have to this day with one of his nurses. He was always up front and honest with me, even if it was something I didn't want to hear. The lady that does the lab work is the most compassionate person and literally holds your hand through the process.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

I have PCOS so from the start he put me on Metformin (500 MG twice a day, extended release). I also have a thin uterus lining so baby aspirin is essential. In preparation for egg retrieval, I took Femara and Gonal F trigger shots. He retrieved alot of eggs (because of my PCOS) so I suggest sending the embryos for Genetic testing.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I saw probably every nurse at PREG and they all showed the same amount of compassion. I even became friends with one of them that had also gone through IVF at PREG so we had a common ground. They were all organized and positive and I really enjoyed seeing them every time I went.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I can't say enough about PREG from the ladies at the front desk to the medical staff everyone was always friendly. They were encouraging and always made me feel welcome even when my emotions got the best of me.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

IVF was approximately $20,000 not including medications. Genetic testing was approximately $3,000.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

We did a single embryo transfer and I was happy with the outcome.

10

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2019 - 2020, Successful

9

8

Age 33 - 34

1 IVF

Endometriosis

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Income $100K - $199K

3rd of 3 Docs

6 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols is informative and to the point. He’s kind but he will give you the facts...upon my request he knew that I knew my body and let me change injectable drugs mid cycle. I requested we switch from menopur to follistim only because I was initially not responding well...Dr. Nichols provides InvoCell and he’s the only guy who does it locally....

Great doctors and great nurses [at PREG]. Also Jackie who does the blood draws is an absolute sweetheart. They call with results really quickly...Dr. Nichols provides InvoCell and he’s the only guy who does it locally....Megan [nurse] was absolutely amazing, I’d recommend her 100x over. Lindsay, the IVF coordinator, I was not a big fan of her and she let a lot of things slip through the cracks. She wasn’t a real people person....

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols is informative and to the point. He’s kind but he will give you the facts. He knows what he’s doing but he understands we as patients know our bodies. In fact, upon my request he knew that I knew my body and let me change injectable drugs mid cycle. I requested we switch from menopur to follistim only because I was initially not responding well. I have had great success in response to follistim in the past so we switched that day and I responded well.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

He’s great, his nurse Meghan is great, but look out for Lindsay the IVF coordinator. I didn’t feel like she was a real people person. You don’t have to deal with her much though.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols was wonderful and his nurse Meghan was absolutely wonderful! They always took time with me to explain/ call/ get me accommodated.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

We ended up going for an InvoCell cell cycle because I had already had a successful pregnancy and a live birth as a result from an IUI in the past. We felt minimal intervention would be the best thing for me.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Meghan )

Megan was absolutely amazing, I’d recommend her 100x over. Lindsay, the IVF coordinator, I was not a big fan of her and she let a lot of things slip through the cracks. She wasn’t a real people person. Everything seemed like a chore with her. They give every patient a special onesie when they “graduate” to the OB and I never got my onesie. The embryologist also forgot to take a picture of my embryos on the transfer day I was pretty disappointed about that.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Great doctors and great nurses. Also Jackie who does the blood draws is an absolute sweetheart. They call with results really quickly. The IVF coordinator was not a real people person which I mentioned already. Embryologist forgot to take a pic of my embryos so remind them. Mistakes happen but that was a big one.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Dr. Nichols provides InvoCell and he’s the only guy who does it locally. It was on the higher end of what I’ve seen but still lower than traditional IVF.

9

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

8

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

8

10

Age 30 - 31

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

Donor Eggs With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

I have only seen Dr Nichols twice so far. However, he has been polite and straightforward and helpful. On my initial visit, he answered my questions, and suggested alternative ideas as we were still trying to decide what route of treatment to take, but he respected my opinion. I had to drive quite far to get to the clinic, and [he] got me in for an ultrasound that same day so that I did not have to make another trip.

The [PREG] IVF coordinator is fantastic. I have spoken to her over the phone countless times and she is always polite, respectful and helpful. She scheduled all my appointments, answered questions about my schedule, helped with ordering medications etc...All of the staff has been friendly and helpful. My appointments have always been on time. The facility is clean. I have felt very comfortable there. I am also thankful that they have stayed open during the COVID-19 crisis. They have taken great precautions to keep everyone safe and this shows that they truly care about their patients, since so many clinics have opted to stop treatments.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

I have only seen Dr Nichols twice so far. However, he has been polite and straightforward and helpful. On my initial visit, he answered my questions, and suggested alternative ideas as we were still trying to decide what route of treatment to take, but he respected my opinion. I had to drive quite far to get to the clinic, and Dr Nichols got me in for an ultrasound that same day so that I did not have to make another trip.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Have an idea of your plan going in. He will give suggestions and advice, but does not want to make a decision for you.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr Nichols is friendly. At my most recent appointment, I hadn’t seen him in about 8 months. But he had obviously reviewed my chart prior to entering the room because right away he gave me important information about my embryos (from embryo adoption) and proceeded to talk through the options and listen to my opinions.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

I am currently on a drug treatment plan so I do not know the effectiveness yet.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Stephanie Biggerstaff)

The IVF coordinator is fantastic. I have spoken to her over the phone countless times and she is always polite, respectful and helpful. She scheduled all my appointments, answered questions about my schedule, helped with ordering medications etc.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

PREG has been great every step of the way. All of the staff has been friendly and helpful. My appointments have always been on time. The facility is clean. I have felt very comfortable there. I am also thankful that they have stayed open during the COVID-19 crisis. They have taken great precautions to keep everyone safe and this shows that they truly care about their patients, since so many clinics have opted to stop treatments.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

We adopted embryos and they are frozen in 2 sets of 3. Dr Nichols asked at my first cycle appointment what my thoughts were. We agreed that it will be a game-day decision to transfer 1 or 2, depending on the viability after thawing. I was going to bring this up at the appointment, but he did first and I am very thankful that we are on the same page and that he was receptive to mine and my husbands wishes.

8

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

9

10

Age 39 - 40

Endometriosis

Tubal Blockage

Black or African-American

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols is smart and showed an understanding of my body and the potential risks and rewards of following through with treatment. He presents options and is available to answer questions as needed. Dr. Nichols is not necessarily warm and fuzzy but he is welcoming and presents himself as a professional. ... I underwent diagnostic testing for fertility and an HSG. These things were done so that Dr. Nichols could determine what procedure would be best for my issues.

The clinic [Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group] is well lit and organized. It is clean and welcoming. I have not had an unpleasant experience yet. The staff is quick to schedule or complete consultations over the phone. Also, the finance department is very helpful and they go through the costs for your recommended procedures thoroughly while offering means of support. I cannot identify any weaknesses.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols is smart and showed an understanding of my body and the potential risks and rewards of following through with treatment. He presents options and is available to answer questions as needed. Dr. Nichols is not necessarily warm and fuzzy but he is welcoming and presents himself as a professional.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Be open and honest so that you can get the most accurate treatment and advice.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols and the staff of Preg have been friendly and thorough. They are always available to answer my questions. Dr. Nichols explained my test results and next steps clearly.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

I underwent diagnostic testing for fertility and an HSG. These things were done so that Dr. Nichols could determine what procedure would be best for my issues.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

It is from the nursing staff that you will get the warm and fuzzies. Everyone that I have met so far has been encouraging and very supportive. They have answered all my additional questions with patience and knowledge.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The clinic is well lit and organized. It is clean and welcoming. I have not had an unpleasant experience yet. The staff is quick to schedule or complete consultations over the phone. Also, the finance department is very helpful and they go through the costs for your recommended procedures thoroughly while offering means of support. I cannot identify any weaknesses.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

So far the only costs I have incurred have been for the diagnostic and testing fees. I have spoken with one of the clinic’s financial counselors and she provided me with an itemized cost list based on my individual insurance.

9

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2017 - 2019, Unsuccessful

7

6

Age 32 - 34

2 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

European

Latinx

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

[Protocols with Dr. John Nichols] I tried about 3 TICs, 3 IUIs (only went through with 2 due to where the follicles were), 1 IVF (no transfer - all embryos died before freezing), and a laparoscopic surgery to look at Fallopian tubes... I wish he had suggested blood testing for genetic anomalies earlier without my having to bring it up late in the process...Unfortunately he couldn’t explain why all my embryos “fell apart” and I’m not sure if it’s because he truly did not know or if he didn’t feel like he had the time to look into it further.

Some of them [nurses at PREG] were helpful and informative, especially during TIC and IUI attempts. The main nurse assigned for IVF (Lynne) could be nice at times but mostly I found her to lack compassion and felt like she talked down to me. She seemed to be annoyed with her job and got tired of repeating herself, forgetting or not caring that I was in a stressful switching and trying something (IVF) I had never experienced before.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols (when he was around) explained things very clearly and plainly throughout the TIC, IUI, and IVF process. Unfortunately he couldn’t explain why all my embryos “fell apart” and I’m not sure if it’s because he truly did not know or if he didn’t feel like he had the time to look into it further. Or perhaps because I don’t have money he knew I couldn’t pay for more experimentation. He was wishy-washy about recommending a second try which is why I haven’t pursued anything else yet. I wish he had suggested blood testing for genetic anomalies earlier without my having to bring it up late in the process.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

He speaks plainly.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

For example, the day of egg retrieval it seemed as though they were herding a large number of women through the process like animals. There were probably 4-5 women in the same room at any time and they were herded in and out of the operating area. It felt very rushed and impersonal. I would have liked to have had more time to talk with the various people around about what was happening.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

I tried about 3 TICs, 3 IUIs (only went through with 2 due to where the follicles were), 1 IVF (no transfer - all embryos died before freezing), and a laparoscopic surgery to look at Fallopian tubes which resulted in “everything looks fine and now you owe 4K that your insurance doesn’t cover too bad we couldn’t tell you that ahead of time”.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Some of them were helpful and informative, especially during TIC and IUI attempts. The main nurse assigned for IVF (Lynne) could be nice at times but mostly I found her to lack compassion and felt like she talked down to me. She seemed to be annoyed with her job and got tired of repeating herself, forgetting or not caring that I was in a stressful switching and trying something (IVF) I had never experienced before.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

They seem to run their schedule well. Most appointments were on time and lasted as expected. Weaknesses may be that a lot of the staff seemed annoyed or exhausted to be there which was challenging to deal with when I’m already facing depression about my infertility.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Drugs for TIC were fairly inexpensive due to insurance. IUI procedures were about 500 each, out of pocket. IVF including drugs was about 27,000 out of pocket. Got some refunded due to failure. Laparoscopic procedure was over 30,000 with most covered by insurance but about 4000 out of pocket.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

My doctor did not believe it was safe to transfer more than one embryo at a time and I believe he will not perform those procedures.

What specific things went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Miscommunication about costs of procedures.

7

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

6

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Asheville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2018 - 2019, Unsuccessful

0

Age 33 - 34

2 IUI

Unexplained

European

1st of 2 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

hardly ever saw Dr. Nichols except for the consultations...I didn't feel warm or welcome from the start. Neither did my husband. We should have stopped there, but we continued on because we didn't think there was anyone else in the area to choose from (we used his office in Asheville, NC). Dr. Nichols did not ever follow up with us or make us feel valued. Again, we should have stopped before we started with him and his practice...

There were LOTS of problems with Dr. Nichols and his practice (PREG). We had issues with the following: billing (unclear and they even had a hard time explaining to us- - they seemed as confused as we were), insurance claims (would not communicate with our insurance company in a rapid manner - - took MONTHS to resolve an issues from nearly 6 months ago), nurses would sometimes call, but often NOT cal to inform us of what we needed to do when, hardly ever saw Dr. Nichols except for the consultations, I have an allergy to latex and nearly 80% of the time I would have to remind the staff of this before they went to do a check-up, procedure, etc. Overall, we (my husband and I ) felt the staff was only worried about the $ and not about the humans involved. I would NEVER recommend this practice to ANYONE! We were VERY dissatisfied and when letting them know this, they didn't seem to care - - no apologies or anything. Just "hate to hear that". FIND ANOTHER PRACTICE - - DO NOT USE PREG IN GREENVILLE, ASHEVILLE, SPARTANBURG, COLUMBIA, ETC.!!!

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

There were LOTS of problems with Dr. Nichols and his practice (PREG). We had issues with the following: billing (unclear and they even had a hard time explaining to us- - they seemed as confused as we were), insurance claims (would not communicate with our insurance company in a rapid manner - - took MONTHS to resolve an issues from nearly 6 months ago), nurses would sometimes call, but often NOT cal to inform us of what we needed to do when, hardly ever saw Dr. Nichols except for the consultations, I have an allergy to latex and nearly 80% of the time I would have to remind the staff of this before they went to do a check-up, procedure, etc. Overall, we (my husband and I ) felt the staff was only worried about the $ and not about the humans involved. I would NEVER recommend this practice to ANYONE! We were VERY dissatisfied and when letting them know this, they didn't seem to care - - no apologies or anything. Just "hate to hear that". FIND ANOTHER PRACTICE - - DO NOT USE PREG IN GREENVILLE, ASHEVILLE, SPARTANBURG, COLUMBIA, ETC.!!!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Go somewhere else - - anywhere else. Do not use John Nichols!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

I didn't feel warm or welcome from the start. Neither did my husband. We should have stopped there, but we continued on because we didn't think there was anyone else in the area to choose from (we used his office in Asheville, NC). Dr. Nichols did not ever follow up with us or make us feel valued. Again, we should have stopped before we started with him and his practice.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

Because my husband I were both "normal" in ALL aspects, we started first with using Letrozole and then the timed Trigger shot. We did this three times with negative results. During this time, they found a polyp and removed that from my uterus. Then, we moved into IUI's, which we tried twice. I was having REALLY negative side effects from the drugs, and we weren't happy with PREG so we quit treatment until we could find another practice.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

There was one nurse that was AWESOME, but I don't remember her name. She was the ONLY one that would call me back, seemed to GENUINELY care, and ALWAYS remembered my allergy to latex. The rest were VERY unimpressive.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Overall, it just wasn't the clinic for us. Again, I think if we had to do it all over again, we should have stopped before we began with them and gone somewhere else. Even when we quit treatment, we had to battle with them for MONTHS afterward due to billing issues.

What specific things went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Lost or damaged samples

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The first "sample" they took of my husband they messed up. Evidently it was supposed to go to the lab in the "frozen" state and they had accidentally "thawed" it - which ruined the test. We had come back and do it again. Often they wouldn't remember what was next for me and seemed VERY confused. I would call for questions regarding my medications, etc. and they would seem VERY confused as to what they had me doing, etc. For the IUI's they would try to schedule me later in the afternoon, but my husband was giving his sample in the morning. Then, they would have the epiphany that we were scheduling an IUI. It's like no one was talking to anyone - - it was strange and they never apologized - - just continued to bill and take the money.

0

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

0

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

2

3

Age 32 - 33

3 IUI

PCOS

Unexplained

Income $50K - $99K

5th of 5 Docs

1 IUI With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols was nice at my consultation; however he did not spend a lot of time with me that day. Honestly he wanted to push IVF upfront since I had came from another doctor that did an iui already. It seemed he did not want me to try an iui. As stated before I only seem dr Nichols at my consultation as he primarily works out of the south Carolina office I was told and I went to the North Carolina office for my treatment. When the dosage of my fertility medication did not get results he didn't to my knowledge review and see if my dose needed to be increased to get better results.

The nurses [at PREG-Asheville] were wonderful, but it carried from nurse to nurse on the timing they would suggest for injections or when to preform the iui. It seemed sometimes they were doing treatments prematurely... Weakness would be re-evaluating treatment. I would suggest asking lots and lots of questions. And question things you do not understand. Ask why medication can't isn't being increased. Ask for kab work to be redone if needed.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols was nice at my consultation; however he did not spend a lot of time with me that day. Honestly he wanted to push IVF upfront since I had came from another doctor that did an iui already. It seemed he did not want me to try an iui. As stated before I only seem dr Nichols at my consultation as he primarily works out of the south Carolina office I was told and I went to the North Carolina office for my treatment. When the dosage of my fertility medication did not get results he didn't to my knowledge review and see if my dose needed to be increased to get better results. I was actually told on the days of my injections by the nurses that sometimes my follicles were on the small side, but they would go ahead and do my injections and have me come back for the iui. When I recieved my initial load result call from the nurse the only thing they found was low thyroid and low vitamin D. However after vitamin D supplements were started Dr Nichols never retested. As well I have had thyroid issues for 20 years. It seems to me that low thyroid could be a contributing factor in my infertility but they did not seem concerned about it.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Ask a lot of questions and ask for treatment to be re-evaluated through out the process. I literally felt like I flushed my money down the toilet

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

During my treatment I only saw Dr Nochols 1 time and that was during my consultation visit. After that I seen nurses on the practice. The nurses were wonderful, but I felt like when my treatment wasn't progressing that I should have seen face to face again with the doctor. So it felt like to me that I was just another number to him.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

First 3 cycles were letrozole only 7.5 mg 3 more cycles letrozole 7.5 mg and injection shot Never once was it discussed to go up on the letrozole dose. Even though I was not getting pregnant

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The nurses were wonderful, but it carried from nurse to nurse on the timing they would suggest for injections or when to preform the iui. It seemed sometimes they were doing treatments prematurely

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Weakness would be re-evaluating treatment. I would suggest asking lots and lots of questions. And question things you do not understand. Ask why medication can't isn't being increased. Ask for kab work to be redone if needed.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

My total costs were a lot out of pocket. A good guess of my costs for my treatment there would be $6,000

2

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

3

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Asheville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2015 - 2018, Unknown Success

8

Age 31 - 34

2 IVF

Anovulation

PCOS

Unexplained

South Asian

Income $50K - $99K

Accountant

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

As a patient the first round of IVF cycle I had different dr. for egg retreival, transfer and the ultrasounds [that Dr. John Nichols]. The 2nd time which I am still in the process of I have made sure to raise my questions and concerns and learning experiences from the first round to Dr. Nichols. I have ensured that all of the sessions in the second round has been performed by Dr. Nichols only. The second round so far has been less confusing since Dr. Nichols has explained the planning of egg retreival, but also added the ERA/biopsy testing this time.

[PREG- Greenville's] Strenghts: Caring staff understanding of patients needs responds to questions/concerns Weakness: Bedside care Always in a hurry The diffferent treatment plans for IVF can be very confusing.Doctor does not give any recommendation to these but rather you have to choose yourself.... 18,500 first IVF cycle 13,500 second IVF cycle Mock transfer costs routine costs during 2015-2017 Estimated total: $40,000 Total estimated:

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

As a patient the first round of IVF cycle I had different dr. for egg retreival, transfer and the ultrasounds. The 2nd time which I am still in the process of I have made sure to raise my questions and concerns and learning experiences from the first round to Dr. Nichols. I have ensured that all of the sessions in the second round has been performed by Dr. Nichols only. The second round so far has been less confusing since Dr. Nichols has explained the planning of egg retreival, but also added the ERA/biopsy testing this time.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Perhaps little bit more of followup. A phone call from one of his nurses or himself would be appreciated after egg retreival, ERA/Biopsy or even embryo transfer.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols has always been very caring and listens to my concerns and answers the questions I may have.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

Egg Retreival protocol: Start Birthcontrol pill: 6/26/2018 (last pill 7/10/2018) Ultrasound/Baseline lab 7/11/2018 Day 1-4 (7/13/2018-7/16/2018) Gonal F = 150 units HCG 15 units Keflex 500 MG (AM & PM) Asprin low dose once daily Day 5-10 (7/17/2018 - 7/22/2018) Labs & Ultrasound on 7/17/2018 Gonal F = 225 units HCG 15 units Keflex 500 MG (AM & PM) Asprin low dose once daily Day 11 (7/23/2018) Lab & Ultrasound Gonal F = 150 units HCG 15 units Keflex 500 MG (AM & PM) Asprin low dose once daily 7/24/2018 Retreival Asprin low dose. No keflex 500 MG in the AM of retreival. ERA/Biopsy/Mock transfer protocol Start Bithcontrol and asprin on 8/6/2018 Last birthcontrol pill on 9/3/2018 Lab & Ultrasound 9/4/2018 Day 1-2 (9/6/2018-9/7/2018 1 - Estradiol 1 mg tablet AM/PM Asprin low dose Day 3-4 (9/8/2018-9/9/2018 2 - Estradiol 1 mg tablet AM/PM Asprin low dose Day 5-19 (9/10/2018-9/24/2018 3 - Estradiol 1 mg tablet AM/PM 1 Estradiol 1 mg tablet vaginally at night Day 15-24 (9/20/2018-9/25/2018 Progesterone in oil 100mg/cc (3/4 cc = 75 mg) IM AM Biopsy/Mock transfer/ERA done on 9/25/2018 Asprin low dose

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Lindsay Polowczuk (IVF cord.))

excellent staff. very caring and also understanding. However, bedside care should be little better after egg retreival, mock transfer and embryo transfer. A phonecall the day after would be appreciated.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Strenghts: Caring staff understanding of patients needs responds to questions/concerns Weakness: Bedside care Always in a hurry The diffferent treatment plans for IVF can be very confusing.Doctor does not give any recommendation to these but rather you have to choose yourself.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

18,500 first IVF cycle 13,500 second IVF cycle Mock transfer costs routine costs during 2015-2017 Estimated total: $40,000 Total estimated:

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

N/A have not reached to that point yet.

What specific things went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

There has been 1 time where the prescription I needed was not called in on time on a Friday. However, CVS had the pills and after my husband showed a picture of the protocol the pharmacy gave enough to last me through the weekend.

8

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

8

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2016 - 2018, Unknown Success

4

5

Age 46 - 48

2 IUI

Donor Eggs

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Tubal Blockage

Uterine Fibroids

European

1st of 2 Docs

1 IUI With Other Docs

IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols; when we first met I felt confident that we would be able to move forward and although I was just turned 45yr, that there was still hope for my fertility and that under his care we could turn a small percent into a true pregnancy. Since then I've read many things and in realization that some things could of been done to help me more efficiently. I have felt disappointed and let down.... Protocols were same with each IUI. I have only done one IVF and one Mock cycle to fine tune the pill and shot amounts.

The staff [at PREG] for appointments are great. I never felt forgotten. They got back to me in a timely manner so i could be on time for whatever was needed. Weaknesses would be that for my IUI and IVF cycle I had too many questions after going home as to why some things weren't checked. Another important matter is what we put in our bodies. There is no information other than online searching that fertility is tied to what supplements we take and food or bad food we eat.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols; when we first met I felt confident that we would be able to move forward and although I was just turned 45yr, that there was still hope for my fertility and that under his care we could turn a small percent into a true pregnancy. Since then I've read many things and in realization that some things could of been done to help me more efficiently. I have felt disappointed and let down.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Ask for ultrasound to look for polyps before anything else. Ask to have husband tested before the day of IUI transfer.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Treatment was fine. I am aware that there are procedure that are followed in an elimination manner, however I feel that for my age I should of been tested for some things before my first IUI such as the HSG to see if my tubes were open. This was only done at my request after the #3 IUI's. Secondly, while I was having ultrasound before my first IUI set for few days later, the nurse said she thought she saw a possible polyp. That being my first visit I didn't know that polyps were a cause of failed IUI. My cycle should of been postponed till after the surgery. The office doesn't always follow through with making me aware of the next step and I have felt like I'm always chasing answers or requesting them to do extra measures that are being overlooked.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

The details for these things have changed each time as per milligrams and pill choices for fertility. Protocols were same with each IUI. I have only done one IVF and one Mock cycle to fine tune the pill and shot amounts. I also wish that I had been given a choice when it came to LUPRON injections or at least a pamphlet about the detreimental side effects before being prescribed for treatment.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The nursing staff is great. I feel as women they understand the hopes of each visit. Compassion and understanding. I was always asked, are you doing ok when undergoing ultrasound.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The staff for appointments are great. I never felt forgotten. They got back to me in a timely manner so i could be on time for whatever was needed. Weaknesses would be that for my IUI and IVF cycle I had too many questions after going home as to why some things weren't checked. Another important matter is what we put in our bodies. There is no information other than online searching that fertility is tied to what supplements we take and food or bad food we eat.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

From my reading and comparing online prices and asking other women from other clinics, the pricing associated with PREG is mostly fair and cheaper than other states. I understand these are not cheap procedures, but some do feel higher than others. However my options are limited going anywhere else due to my age. I have one embryo left with Preg clinic and hope that it results in positive pregnancy. Im meant to start soon with next cycle and will have to request a sonogram to check for polyps.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

There was no option for this with me. We purchased 6 donor eggs and only 2 viable embryos were created. The wise choice is to do one transfer to have two possibilities.

What specific things went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to convey critical information
Failed to consider drug intolerance

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I went through one IUI even though days before the insemination the nurse said there may of been a polyp. I was not educated in knowing this could stop a pregnancy. Then after nearly a year between last IUI and IVF , I requested an ultrasound to test for polyps. I was correct in seeing that a few had come back again due to all the estrogen pills in system from the previous cycles. I also requested a HSG as this had never been offered or told to me that It could be a reason for infertility. Again I was corrected in having it checked as both tubes were closed and only one side opened after extra solution was pushed through. I feel we were cheated on the 3-IUI's as to the money we spent on the procedure and the medications. These things should of been done to check before procedures for someone my age, we could of become pregnant without the IVF procedure. The other issue I had was the communication that PREG had with the egg bank where we purchased our Donor eggs. A hurricane had gone through the area, but we were not given information for over a month that this was part of the delay in embryo creations and mailing to our clinic. 9/2017- they contacted embryo clinic to have container sent to them for the sperm from husband. Over a month passed before shipping container was sent to PREG for sample from CRM. Fault is mostly from CRM clinic but our coordinator should have been on it sooner and not left me in the dark for so long as to what was going on. I had to call and get them to respond to me with details.

4

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

5

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2015 - 2018, Unsuccessful

8

10

Age 22 - 25

1 IVF

Anovulation

PCOS

European

Income $50K - $99K

Accountant

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols is extremely knowledgeable and very good at explaining what I needed him to explain...Don't expect any beating around the bush...We first tried ovulation inducing pills for a few cycles which did not help. He then recommended either IUI or IVF but the clinic was offering a new procedure called Simply IVF that we decided to try. We had to increase my Menopur dosage a couple times. Unfortunately I did not react well enough to the Menopur and we had to cancel that cycle

I just love this clinic [Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group] and believe they're so good at what they do. I was concerned when starting this journey that there may be clinics that just recommended the highest cost procedures or treated their patients cold at such a difficult time but I found the exact opposite with this clinic. I hope that one day we'll be able to send them a picture of our baby to hang on their bulletin boards!

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols is extremely knowledgeable and very good at explaining what I needed him to explain. I like that he is very straightforward but still shows empathy when called for. If there is a patient that is highly prone to getting their feelings hurt when told they should or should not pursue certain treatments then I may not recommend Dr. Nichols but if the patient strictly wants a doctor that will do their best to give them the results they want then I would highly recommend Dr. Nichols.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Even if he's giving you information you may not want to hear, he only gives you that information because he feels it will help you in achieving pregnancy. Don't expect any beating around the bush.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

He is very, very helpful and knowledgeable about everything I needed to know but was not at all afraid to be blunt if he felt the situation called for it (which it sometimes did).

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

We first tried ovulation inducing pills for a few cycles which did not help. He then recommended either IUI or IVF but the clinic was offering a new procedure called Simply IVF that we decided to try. We had to increase my Menopur dosage a couple times. Unfortunately I did not react well enough to the Menopur and we had to cancel that cycle. Dr. Nichols recommended then trying regular IVF so that I could be more closely monitored throughout my cycle but my husband and I wanted to try one more round of the Simply IVF instead due to costs. We did the same procedure one more time with a higher dosage of Menopur starting out and I still was not reacting as quickly as we hoped and we increased my dosage even more as we neared ovulation. We only got a couple follicles near the correct size, retrieved one egg, did IPSI and unfortunately that egg did not fertilize.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

They were all SO kind and helpful with any questions or concerns I had. They always treated me like a friend and not just like a patient.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I just love this clinic and believe they're so good at what they do. I was concerned when starting this journey that there may be clinics that just recommended the highest cost procedures or treated their patients cold at such a difficult time but I found the exact opposite with this clinic. I hope that one day we'll be able to send them a picture of our baby to hang on their bulletin boards!

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Simply IVF: $6000 Simply IVF Medications: $2000-$3000 each cycle, but I needed much more Menopur than most women do Femara: Covered by Insurance Birth Control Pills (to regulate before IVF): covered by insurance Consultations: $180 HCG: $500 Polyp Removals: I don't remember how much the first polyp removal was but the second polyp was removed during my egg retrieval so it was not an extra charge ICSI was also done at no charge because they were only able to retrieve one egg and they wanted to give it the best chance for fertilization.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

We never got the opportunity to transfer any embryos but Dr. Nichols does highly recommend, depending on the age and health of the patient, doing single embryo transfer.

8

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2017 - 2018, Successful

10

Age 26 - 27

Male Factor

PCOS

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols is a very good communicator and listener he also shows compassion. While going over my husbands semen analysis test with us (which was not good) he explained all our options and the different steps he would like to do to try and help us be able to conceive using my husbands sperm. Instead of just going straight to donor sperm he is trying to do what he can so we can avoid donor. He didn't give up on us and that means so much!! He knows its important to us to be able to use my husbands sperm so he is going to let him do hcg shots to see if that can improve his count. I do not have anything bad to say about Dr.Nichols because he has always been excellent every time we've seen him.

I love that the nurses [at PREG] dont treat you like you're just another patient that they're seeing. They treat you like family and it makes the stress of the situation not feel so bad. When we go 90% of the nurses have smiles on their faces. The only negative thing I could say is that a few of the nurses that check you out could be a little more friendly and welcoming.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols is a very good communicator and listener he also shows compassion. While going over my husbands semen analysis test with us (which was not good) he explained all our options and the different steps he would like to do to try and help us be able to conceive using my husbands sperm. Instead of just going straight to donor sperm he is trying to do what he can so we can avoid donor. He didn't give up on us and that means so much!! He knows its important to us to be able to use my husbands sperm so he is going to let him do hcg shots to see if that can improve his count. I do not have anything bad to say about Dr.Nichols because he has always been excellent every time we've seen him.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Be straight forward with what you want and he will do everything he can to make that happen.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr.Nichols plus his staff are absolutely amazing! They never rush us during our appointments and always make sure they answer any questions we have. They remember who we are and call us by name when they see us. I couldn't ask for a better place to go to help my husband and I during this stressful time.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I love that the nurses dont treat you like you're just another patient that they're seeing. They treat you like family and it makes the stress of the situation not feel so bad. When we go 90% of the nurses have smiles on their faces. The only negative thing I could say is that a few of the nurses that check you out could be a little more friendly and welcoming.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The staff is very nice and understanding. The office and the rooms are always clean and the waiting room always smells good. It is a easy location to get to and the suite is easy to find also. Im always taken back to be seen in less than 10 minutes.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

So far with my treatment its basically been blood work which runs me around $300. I had to have a ultra sound and dye ran into my uterus which I paid out of pocket $750. I had to have a polyp removed in the Greenville office and that was $475. The HCG shots my husband is going to start taking is going to be $320 a month.

10

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Spartanburg

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2017 - 2018, Successful

10

Age 31 - 32

1 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Male Factor

Tubal Blockage

Income $50K - $99K

1st of 2 Docs

2 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols made me feel excited about our plan with real expectations. He gives the facts and does what is best for our journey. He really does what he can to help in anyway. Although our first cycle was not a success, I would not prefer anyone else to handle my care. He is a great doctor with an abundance of knowledge and I would recommend him to everyone.... Our first cycle with Dr. Nichols was a fairly new process called simply ivf.

PREG is always prompt with appointments and emailing or calling back. I never had to wait! I was able to work with my schedule for appointment times. Financial department was very informative and helpful with everything. I cannot complain about this clinic.... All of the nurses were great throughout the process. Several were in charge of my care but felt I comfortable with all. They were compassionate and helpful with any questions.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols made me feel excited about our plan with real expectations. He gives the facts and does what is best for our journey. He really does what he can to help in anyway. Although our first cycle was not a success, I would not prefer anyone else to handle my care. He is a great doctor with an abundance of knowledge and I would recommend him to everyone.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Don’t worry! Dr. Nichols will have your best interest at heart and will guide you through the process in the best way.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr.Nichols wanted what was best for my husband and I and still does. Looking at every number before the process starts allows him to alter the cycle based on our infertility.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

Our first cycle with Dr. Nichols was a fairly new process called simply ivf. After looking at my prior history, recent blood work, ultrasound and my husbands history, semen analysis and blood work, he felt this was a good plan for us along with my own interest. The process is very controlled and monitored throughout with blood work and ultrasounds to make sure we are at an optimum for a retrieval. If my follicles were not at an optimum state for retrieval we kept going until they were with more days of medicine to get them there. We had a good number of mature eggs for retrieval however my husbands sperm were not able to fertilize my eggs properly making my number of embryos low. We transferred the one good embryo we had and ended with a chemical pregnancy. I agree with every decision made throughout the process and wouldn’t have changed the way the process went. If there is a failed treatment, the doctors come together to talk about a plan of action to get the best result moving forward. I agree with every decision and plan made for our journey.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

All of the nurses were great throughout the process. Several were in charge of my care but felt I comfortable with all. They were compassionate and helpful with any questions.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

PREG is always prompt with appointments and emailing or calling back. I never had to wait! I was able to work with my schedule for appointment times. Financial department was very informative and helpful with everything. I cannot complain about this clinic.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Monitoring appointments worked perfect with my schedule and I have a full time job. I never had to wait. I never felt like I was rushed. Very efficient office.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Simply ivf cost a standard $5000 plus $1000-$2000 of medicine. That covered monitoring appointments, retrieval, transfer, freezing etc. Stephanie in the financial department was amazing with helping me understand and went above and beyond to break everything down. VERY HELPFUL!!!

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Dr. Nichols does recommend a single embryo transfer is most cases, however will consider all things to allow he best option for the best outcome. I agree with his approach.

10

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2017 - 2018, Unknown Success

9

10

Age 33 - 34

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

Surrogacy With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols is very good at relating your individual condition with statics. He has a neutral way of communicating and helping one understand their condition what could take place after treatment begins....Be prepared for no nonsense and no sugar coated communication. Dr. Nichols will guide you through everything, but you have to be willing to let him do so....Dr. Nichols can be blunt at times, but you know he is only trying to convey all of the possible outcomes-- the good, the bad and the ugly.

The clinic [Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group] as a whole is 100% spot on. Every employee is very friendly and prepared for you when you come in. I always follow up to make sure that things have been followed through with, i.e. payments documented, appts scheduled, etc., but I really feel they don't need any checking up on!... Each and every person that we have come in contact with from the front desk staff to Dr. Nichols himself have been wonderful! It's a warm and inviting atmosphere, and that is so very important when you are going through somethings so emotionally and physically involved.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols can be blunt at times, but you know he is only trying to convey all of the possible outcomes-- the good, the bad and the ugly. We all know that IVF has all of the above!! At one time, Dr. Nichols was especially compassionate when I broke down while talking about having to ask another woman to carry my child. I always look forward to my visits because I feel I am being treated and cared for by a very knowledgeable doctor.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Be prepared for no nonsense and no sugar coated communication. Dr. Nichols will guide you through everything, but you have to be willing to let him do so.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols is very good at relating your individual condition with statics. He has a neutral way of communicating and helping one understand their condition what could take place after treatment begins. He is stern but caring, and you know when you leave that he knew exactly which patient he was working with and has a plan for you as an individual/couple.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

I will be taking birth control to start followed by Menopur and Lupron. I have not actually started the meds yet so I feel I cannot give much insight on this at this time.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Kelsey Forbes)

The staff at PREG are amazing!! That may sound cliche, but the first RE's office we visited could not hold a candle to them! We love going to our appointments because they are prepared for us. They have our files out ready and waiting for when we walk in the door! Each and every person that we have come in contact with from the front desk staff to Dr. Nichols himself have been wonderful! It's a warm and inviting atmosphere, and that is so very important when you are going through somethings so emotionally and physically involved.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The clinic as a whole is 100% spot on. Every employee is very friendly and prepared for you when you come in. I always follow up to make sure that things have been followed through with, i.e. payments documented, appts scheduled, etc., but I really feel they don't need any checking up on! They're really great!

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

We are using the Simply IVF method, and I know the promotional rate that we were given is no longer available, but it is still just have the cost of traditional IVF-- between 5,000 and 6,000. Of course, we will have to use our gestational carrier for the transfer, and this will be an additional $8000 plus her medications.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

This office does allow you to chose whether you want to implant one or two embryos-- not more than two, but they do recommend only transferring one.

What specific things went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Lost paperwork
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

We were given an initial cost sheet, and then at a future visit, after the new year, we were given a new one due to some changes that had taken place, but we had already been assured that we could keep the original cost provided so I had to scan back in the original cost sheet to the financial coordinator so that it would be correct in our file before I made the payment. That is the only negative thing that has occurred, and I believe that was only due to changes in staff and pricing for the new year that cause a little bit of confusion when things carried over from 2017 to 2018.

9

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Asheville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2018, Consult

4

6

Age 43

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

1 Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Be prepared to receive news in a “tell it like it is” manner. There’s no sugar coating or interest in getting to know you as a person. He [Dr. Nichols] seems to want to get you in and then out and on to the next patient...The only thing we discussed on the consultation appointment is that I needed to come back and get Cycle day 3 blood work done to make some determinations...The doctors bedside manner needs work. He seemed very rushed and a little disorganized. He could have been a bit more gentle with his delivery of words. He did not seem terribly concerned with me as a patient.

They [nurses at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group] were friendly and seemed caring, although they seemed VERY disorganized. They would call me to come back, then send me back to the front again while they sorted out a few things. It’s unprofessional and embarrassing really, seeing a staff being disorganized...It’s very clean looking and visually appealing on the inside on the front end. From the outside, it looks like an old Rite Aid or CVS converted into a clinic. The front end staff was very friendly and caring. The nurse who took my vitals was very loud and does not respect patient privacy.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

The doctor did not seem very concerned about me as a patient. He does not have a gentle manner with the way he communicates. I can say he was definitely a straight-shooter with what he had to tell me as far as my chances being lower of becoming pregnant due to age. I did appreciate him being candid and honest, but I feel a doctor should always be compassionate and show a genuine caring interest in his patients.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Be prepared to receive news in a “tell it like it is” manner. There’s no sugar coating or interest in getting to know you as a person. He seems to want to get you in and then out and on to the next patient.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

The doctors bedside manner needs work. He seemed very rushed and a little disorganized. He could have been a bit more gentle with his delivery of words. He did not seem terribly concerned with me as a patient.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

The only thing we discussed on the consultation appointment is that I needed to come back and get Cycle day 3 blood work done to make some determinations.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

They were friendly and seemed caring, although they seemed VERY disorganized. They would call me to come back, then send me back to the front again while they sorted out a few things. It’s unprofessional and embarrassing really, seeing a staff being disorganized.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

It’s very clean looking and visually appealing on the inside on the front end. From the outside, it looks like an old Rite Aid or CVS converted into a clinic. The front end staff was very friendly and caring. The nurse who took my vitals was very loud and does not respect patient privacy.

What specific things went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Lost paperwork

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I selected lost paperwork because I don’t know what the deal was with why they kept calling me to the back and them dismissing me back up to the front, while they sorted out their issues on the back end.

4

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

6

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Columbia

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2015 - 2017, Unsuccessful

3

6

Age 27 - 29

1 IUI

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Marketer or PR

1st of 3 Docs

5 IUI With Other Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Before even doing any testing infertility testing [Dr. Nichols] said we should skip right to embryo donation. Without knowing any of my history, I felt like skipping straight to embryo donation would help his clinics numbers rather than actually trying to help my husband and me conceive...creates the treatment plan, but any doctor performs the treatment. It’s the luck of the draw on who you get. He only treated us for one IUI. I hardly saw him at all during our IVF. He was blunt and to the point with treatment options, which is what I initially thought I wanted, however this process is emotional and he comes off very cold after failures, which wasn’t encouraging for us.

I just wasn’t kept in the loop on any of my bloodwork results [at PREG]. I never got far enough along for them to have to call me for a pregnancy result, but I’m sure if I had gotten pregnant with them, I would have. One doctor would tell me one thing, the other doctor another. It already makes a very emotional time, no need to add more confusion or hurt on the patient... expect to pay anywhere from $2-3k for testing, $1k per IUI and $12-15k for IVF (including drugs)

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Nichols creates the treatment plan, but any doctor performs the treatment. It’s the luck of the draw on who you get. He only treated us for one IUI. I hardly saw him at all during our IVF. He was blunt and to the point with treatment options, which is what I initially thought I wanted, however this process is emotional and he comes off very cold after failures, which wasn’t encouraging for us.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Be prepared, he’s not warm and fuzzy

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Before even doing any testing infertility testing Nichols said we should skip right to embryo donation. Without knowing any of my history, I felt like skipping straight to embryo donation would help his clinics numbers rather than actually trying to help my husband and me conceive.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

Initially he starts you on the lowest dosages and then works his way up. After 3 cycles if the protocol doesn’t work, he changes the protocol for the next 3 in relations to IUIs. For IVF he had me on Menopur and Lupron.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Lindsay Polowczuk & Lynn Fowler)

The entire nursing staff was fantastic, couldn’t praise them more

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The clinics strengths would be the fantastic nursing staff. They are compassionate and really care about you, from your first experience until your last. I’ve had one really great doctor there and two not so great doctors in terms of bedside manner. As far as the doctors keeping you in the loop on your numbers (AMH, FSH, TSH, etc), they don’t tell you unless you ask. Front desk is nice, keep in mind they are very busy when you try to schedule appointments via phone, so have patience with them.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

No insurance coverage, expect to pay anywhere from $2-3k for testing, $1k per IUI and $12-15k for IVF (including drugs)

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

He does it based on age, 30 and younger he only likes to transfer one and for 30 and above he will do 2.

What specific things went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

I just wasn’t kept in the loop on any of my bloodwork results. I never got far enough along for them to have to call me for a pregnancy result, but I’m sure if I had gotten pregnant with them, I would have. One doctor would tell me one thing, the other doctor another. It already makes a very emotional time, no need to add more confusion or hurt on the patient.

3

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

6

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2016 - 2017, Successful

10

Age 31 - 32

1 IVF

Tubal Blockage

European

Native American

Income $50K - $99K

Sales Representative

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr Nichols was straightforward with us, gave us the facts and our options, and the likelihood of those options working. He never made us feel rushed during our appointments and explained everything thoroughly. We felt very lucky to have had him as our doctor. ... . Once it was time to decide on a course of action, he clearly laid out our different options and the success rates of each of those options.

Kelsey was amazing. She’s the kind of nurse I always wish to have. She answered all of our questions, never left us waiting during our appointmentments, and was always super friendly. ... The [PREG] clinic in Asheville was small, though I think they moved locations since we last went. It was always clean and the staff friendly. We never had to wait long for our appointments and any questions we thought of after leaving were answered promptly by phone or email.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr Nichols explained the results of all of our testing thoroughly and in ways we could clearly understand. Once it was time to decide on a course of action, he clearly laid out our different options and the success rates of each of those options. When our first embryo transfer failed he gave us a few options moving forward and didn’t push us to go a specific way, he just laid out the options and left it up to us to decide. Our second transfer was successful and we now have a beautiful baby boy.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Ask a lot of questions and trust in his medical expertise.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr Nichols was straightforward with us, gave us the facts and our options, and the likelihood of those options working. He never made us feel rushed during our appointments and explained everything thoroughly. We felt very lucky to have had him as our doctor.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

We didn’t do a fresh transfer because we wanted to do genetic testing on our embryos. After testing we were left with 7 frozen embryos. Our first cycle I was on 7 estrogen pills a day, 6 oral and 1 vaginal, and .5cc of PIO. That cycle failed even though my lining and hormone levels were all excellent. The second FET cycle we did Dr Nichols advised us to do a scraping of the uterine lining to promote new cell growth so we did that. My progesterone was a little low so in addition to the 7 estrogen pills a day, he upped my PIO dosage to 1cc and I was also on a progesterone suppository. That cycle resulted in a live birth.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Kelsey Forbes)

Kelsey was amazing. She’s the kind of nurse I always wish to have. She answered all of our questions, never left us waiting during our appointmentments, and was always super friendly.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The clinic in Asheville was small, though I think they moved locations since we last went. It was always clean and the staff friendly. We never had to wait long for our appointments and any questions we thought of after leaving were answered promptly by phone or email.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Egg retrieval through the first pregnancy test was around $15,000. The second FET was $3000 not including the cost of medications. We paid for everything out of pocket.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Dr Nichols advised us to transfer one embryo at a time. My only issue was tubal blockage so he seemed pretty confident that we wouldn’t have any issues getting pregnant by FET. He advised that transferring multiple embryos could result in a multiple birth which is higher risk. We opted to only do a single embryo for each transfer because of his advice.

10

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Asheville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2017, Unknown Success

2

7

Age 39

Black or African-American

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

I wanted tubal reversal, and thought maybe we were going that route. But by my next visit, he [Dr. John Nichols] strongly suggested IVF. I wish he would have elaborated more on why he didn't want to do a tubal reversal on me. It is like everything shifted, on my next visit. I know it was a few months after my initial work up, but I felt & still feel like I still have a chance with tubal reversal. He was excellent with my ultrasound though. He also explains things very well despite his being blunt. I can deal with that.

[PREG- Greenville's] Strengths: Courteous, calm, professional, they followed up with any requests I had. I met with a lady in the back (I cannot remember her name at present), but she was very understanding and told us about options as far as payment plans/options. She also shared with us that she had IVF. She went into detail about how sometimes the hormones have certain side effects, but it was well worth it bc she has her child now.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

I wanted tubal reversal, and thought maybe we were going that route. But by my next visit, he strongly suggested IVF. I wish he would have elaborated more on why he didn't want to do a tubal reversal on me. It is like everything shifted, on my next visit. I know it was a few months after my initial work up, but I felt & still feel like I still have a chance with tubal reversal. He was excellent with my ultrasound though. He also explains things very well despite his being blunt. I can deal with that.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Know that he is smart, yet blunt. My only hang up is that he just didn't want to really hear about doing a tubal reversal by the second visit with me. My situation was a little different. My husband (fiancé at the time) was working in Maryland, and we didn't want to actually do a lot until he moved to SC. But by this time, like I mentioned earlier, Dr. Nichols didn't want to do a tubal reversal on me.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

For the most part, I felt like a human. He is, however, very blunt.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

I didn't make it to any treatments. I only had an ultrasound. He was excellent at the Ultrasound.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Everyone I came in contact with was extremely friendly and professional.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Strengths: Courteous, calm, professional, they followed up with any requests I had. I met with a lady in the back (I cannot remember her name at present), but she was very understanding and told us about options as far as payment plans/options. She also shared with us that she had IVF. She went into detail about how sometimes the hormones have certain side effects, but it was well worth it bc she has her child now. Weaknesses: None that I can think of at the moment.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Some of my labs and I think my ultrasound was covered under insurance. I believe everything else was out of pocket.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

N/A

2

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

7

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2016 - 2017, Successful

10

Age 42 - 43

1 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Tubal Blockage

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols was very honest and very caring during my treatments. With Diminished Ovarian Reserve the prognosis of having a baby was slim. Dr. Nichols allowed me to choose to continue the IVF, even though he thought our chances were only 10%. He not only helped create one baby - but twins with one egg!!... Dr. Nichols is a very knowledgeable and compassionate doctor of infertility. He thoroughly explained my situation and grim outlook on becoming pregnant. However, grim the outlook- Dr. Nichols allowed us to try IVF to conceive.

The clinic [Piedmont Reproduction Endocrinology Group] is very together. They handled all my needs effectively and efficiently. T Staff was very friendly. The clinic has all the necessary lab equipment there, so you didn't have to go other places to get labs done. They were even there on Saturdays and Sundays if needed.... The nursing staff was excellent, caring and compassionate.... Cost was reasonable. Medication, which they have not control over, was very expensive.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols is a very knowledgeable and compassionate doctor of infertility. He thoroughly explained my situation and grim outlook on becoming pregnant. However, grim the outlook- Dr. Nichols allowed us to try IVF to conceive. I have DOR and only produced 6 eggs the last cycle. 3 were retrieved and one was transferred. We ended up pregnant with twins. I am so grateful that Dr. Nichols allowed us the opportunity to help in the decision to try to conceive. He was very straight-forward in my diagnosis and prognosis. Yet when we decided to try, he did everything in his power to help us be successful in becoming pregnant.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Trust him. He knows what he is doing.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols was very honest and very caring during my treatments. With Diminished Ovarian Reserve the prognosis of having a baby was slim. Dr. Nichols allowed me to choose to continue the IVF, even though he thought our chances were only 10%. He not only helped create one baby - but twins with one egg!!

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

My treatment strategies were IVF without birth control for stimulation because of DOR. unfortunately don't remember the medicines used.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The nursing staff was excellent, caring and compassionate.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The clinic is very together. They handled all my needs effectively and efficiently. T Staff was very friendly. The clinic has all the necessary lab equipment there, so you didn't have to go other places to get labs done. They were even there on Saturdays and Sundays if needed.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Cost was reasonable. Medication, which they have not control over, was very expensive.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

Because we only harvested 3 eggs, and because of my DOR Dr. Nichols was open to transfer more embryos. Only one embryo made it to day 5 and was transferred.

10

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2016 - 2017, Unknown Success

8

9

Age 29 - 30

2 IVF

2 Egg Freezing

Anovulation

PCOS

Poor Egg Quality

European

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols has been a great doctor. I was previously at another clinic and one of the first things I noticed here is that I actually get to see my assigned doctor quite a bit. I feel he is familiar with my situation. He takes time to answer all of my questions and even came in on a day he was not scheduled to work to perform an unexpected surgery. He is open to hearing my suggestions and feedback as well.

I cannot say enough good things about the staff at PREG. From my very first phone call inquiring about the practice, to now having gone through a year of treatment, they have been an absolute blessing. The staff at my previous clinic were cold and robotic, and nothing could be further from the truth here. I love that I have the ability to reach my nurse via phone at most times without having to leave a message and wait for a call back. Emails are returned promptly. Scheduling is easy as my nurse is able to do that as well. The nursing staff that draws blood and the nurses who are in the room during ultrasounds, egg retrievals, and transfers are all so warm and caring. They actually know who I am and remember me when I come back in for my next visit. I drive out of state for treatment at PREG and the staff is definitely one of the reasons that it's worth it.

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols has been a great doctor. I was previously at another clinic and one of the first things I noticed here is that I actually get to see my assigned doctor quite a bit. I feel he is familiar with my situation. He takes time to answer all of my questions and even came in on a day he was not scheduled to work to perform an unexpected surgery. He is open to hearing my suggestions and feedback as well.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

You will get good medical care but you will also feel like you are more than a number, which is very important.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

I had previously come from a large fertility center in Atlanta where I was just a number to most of the staff. Coming here, I felt that the clinic was small enough that everyone knew who I was. That includes everyone from front desk staff all the way up to my assigned doctor. I can get questions answered quickly because the staff is friendly and is familiar with me as a patient.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

I first had an antagonist protocol using gonal-f and low dose HCG. I transferred 1 embryo fresh, it led to a chemical pregnancy. We PGS tested and transferred one of the tested embryos. That led to an ectopic pregnancy. We then went into our 2nd retrieval, again using an antagonist protocol with gonal-f and low dose HCG. This time at higher doses of gonal-f.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Lindsay)

I cannot say enough good things about the staff at PREG. From my very first phone call inquiring about the practice, to now having gone through a year of treatment, they have been an absolute blessing. The staff at my previous clinic were cold and robotic, and nothing could be further from the truth here. I love that I have the ability to reach my nurse via phone at most times without having to leave a message and wait for a call back. Emails are returned promptly. Scheduling is easy as my nurse is able to do that as well. The nursing staff that draws blood and the nurses who are in the room during ultrasounds, egg retrievals, and transfers are all so warm and caring. They actually know who I am and remember me when I come back in for my next visit. I drive out of state for treatment at PREG and the staff is definitely one of the reasons that it's worth it.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

PREG is a smaller clinic. I personally have loved this because I get a lot of personalized attention and have easy access to my doctor and nurse. They also have great people on staff who are warm and caring. On the occasions when I don't see my doctor, I am typically seen by one of the other doctors (Dr. Payne). At my old clinic, it was not uncommon to just see a nurse or a nurse practitioner. I like that I am typically seen by a physician here. I also have to say that Dr. Payne is an amazing doctor as well and I feel just as comfortable with him as I do with Dr. Nichols.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

the cost for IVF at PREG was significantly lower than at clinics in Atlanta

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

My doctor was willing to transfer more than one embryo, but suggested one, especially once we had PGS tested. My husband and I agreed with his recommendation.

8

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

9

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Greenville

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

2014 - 2016, Unsuccessful

10

Age 30 - 32

2 IUI

Male Factor

PCOS

Income $0 - $49K

5th of 7 Docs

Donor Sperm

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Dr. Nichols wanted to hear what other doctors have done or not done then he explained to me the different options that he could do for me to help me achieve my goal of having a baby. Then he asked me were I felt comfortable starting and how many times we would like to try that option before deciding to move on to the next option.... I have PCOS so he started me on metformin I think 2,000 mg a day and Provera to help start my period and when I started my period I would call in and the nurse would call Clomid in to the pharmacy and tell me what day to take it and when to check for ovulation and when to come in for ultrasounds and when to have intercourse or when to come in for the IUI.

Everyone in both Preg offices are amazing and compassionate.... There offices are amazingly beautiful, clean and welcoming. I love seeing pictures on the walls of previous miracle babies conceived with help of the amazing staff at PREG. The rooms are nicer then most doctors office rooms they really try to make you as comfortable as possible.... The IUI I believe was $550 each try plus I paid $800 for donor sperm....

How was your experience with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols wanted to hear what other doctors have done or not done then he explained to me the different options that he could do for me to help me achieve my goal of having a baby. Then he asked me were I felt comfortable starting and how many times we would like to try that option before deciding to move on to the next option. He made me very comfortable and I completely trusted everything he said he knows what he’s talking about. He was the first doctor that I’ve seen that took the time to listen to me and value my opinion.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

He is amazing and he wants nothing more than you to end up with your miracle baby at the end of everything and he will do everything in his power to help you.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group?

Dr. Nichols wanted to hear what other doctors have done or not done then he explained to me the different options that he could do for me to help me achieve my goal of having a baby. Then he asked me were I felt comfortable starting and how many times we would like to try that option before deciding to move on to the next option.

Describe the protocols John Nichols used in your cycles at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group and their degree of success.

Well I have PCOS so he started me on metformin I think 2,000 mg a day and Provera to help start my period and when I started my period I would call in and the nurse would call Clomid in to the pharmacy and tell me what day to take it and when to check for ovulation and when to come in for ultrasounds and when to have intercourse or when to come in for the IUI. The first couple times the clomid wasn’t helping so he upped my dose and I also did gonal-f and it helped we did IUI with donor sperm my choice to try and better my odds of conceiving. It unfortunately did not work either. I decided to take a break and think of my next options and I really feel like IVF is the next best option.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group. (Assigned nurse: Stephanie Biggerstaff )

Everyone in both Preg offices are amazing and compassionate.

Describe your experience with Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

There offices are amazingly beautiful, clean and welcoming. I love seeing pictures on the walls of previous miracle babies conceived with help of the amazing staff at PREG. The rooms are nicer then most doctors office rooms they really try to make you as comfortable as possible.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Nichols at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

The I Ovadril shots were not to pricey in the office I think maybe $50 for one shot and my insurance covered all but $10 of the clomid and all but $5 for the metformin. The IUI I believe was $550 each try plus I paid $800 for donor sperm.

Describe John Nichols's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group.

We never got that far.

10

Doctor

John Nichols

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

Spartanburg

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

John Nichols Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

John Nichols

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

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Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group
Rated 8.8

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John Nichols

Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

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Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology GroupRated 8.8Strongly recommend: 76%Neutral: 12%Don't recommend: 11%8.8

159 patient reviews

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Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group
Rated 8.8