She [Dr. Devine] used numbers and statistics to explain her reasoning for decisions and for her overall optimism for us...she is direct and appointments feel quick - come with questions ready and prioritize their importance...Dr Devine showed up to do our second transfer even though she wasn’t on call for transfers that day, which was a lovely surprise...Dr Devine almost always recommends eSET vs multiples...
The Rockville office [Shady Grove Fertility] is calm and the facilities are modern. The nurses and nurse anesthetist for egg retrieval were stellar...Despite having many patients, they seem to get everyone scheduled when they need to be...sometimes appointments can start late esp for bloodwork and ultrasound. Sometimes it feels like until you’re an IVF patient, you’re low priority. Sometimes I felt like the coordination between the andrology lab and the other areas was lacking...
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine is the director of research and I trusted that she had up to date, accurate, and thorough information to guide us. She presented options and answered our questions. All the while, she was reassuring about our prospects. She is direct, so we felt that she would have told us if she weren’t optimistic. Dr. Devine seems busy - we had 3 zoom appointments with her and then met her in person when she came to do our second transfer (which was a pleasant surprise)! We would go back to her for baby #2.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Know that she is direct and appointments feel quick - come with questions ready and prioritize their importance.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr Devine was kind and reassuring to us right off the bat. She used numbers and statistics to explain her reasoning for decisions and for her overall optimism for us. Although we had previously only met her on zoom, Dr Devine showed up to do our second transfer even though she wasn’t on call for transfers that day, which was a lovely surprise. The nurses helped me feel like a human because every time we talked on the phone, they were willing to answer all of my questions and I knew they were in contact with Dr. Devine.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
We were not quite at a year so Dr Devine recommended starting with unmedicated IUIs. We did 3 without success. At that point, we were at a year and she gave us the option of medicated IUI or straight to IVF. She did not push us either way, but told us why a couple might opt for one or the other. We went straight to IVF because of its higher likelihood of success. My stims cycle was pretty straightforward, with a Lupron trigger prescribed over hcg due to worries about OHSS (which I didn’t ultimately get). I opted for a freeze all cycle and we did PGT-A testing for our 9 embryos, 5 of which came back normal. We did two medicated transfers, the first of which failed and the second of which has resulted in a current pregnancy. The first cycle, we did estrace 3x daily plus PIO every third day and endometrin inserts twice daily. For the second cycle, I think dropped the inserts and did PIO daily (my preference). She offered us a modified natural cycle which we would have tried except that we had a lot of travel that precluded it. That would have been our next choice of transfer 2 had not worked.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Stephanie, KC, Vanessa were my main 3)
The nurses were lovely. In particular, Stephanie was always so kind, reassuring, and willing to answer my MANY questions along the way through messages and on the phone.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
Strengths: multiple facilities in the area, relatively easy to make appointments once you’re a patient, top notch doctors and care team. The Rockville office is calm and the facilities are modern. The nurses and nurse anesthetist for egg retrieval were stellar. Dr Humm did my retrieval and was superb. Despite having many patients, they seem to get everyone scheduled when they need to be!
Cons: there are a lot of patients and they do seem busy at times, sometimes appointments can start late esp for bloodwork and ultrasound. Sometimes it feels like until you’re an IVF patient, you’re low priority. Sometimes I felt like the coordination between the andrology lab and the other areas was lacking.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
IVF was about $7000 after insurance. FET cycles were about $1000 plus a $645 “thaw fee” not covered by insurance. Embryo storage is $60/month per retrieval cycle.
Describe Kate Devine's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
Dr Devine almost always recommends eSET vs multiples. Multiples was not an option for us, which we didn’t mind.
Dr. Devine is very knowledgeable and gave advice in probabilities/estimates of success which I found to be very helpful when I needed to make a decision about how I wanted to proceed. She proactively consulted with another dr who had more experience with a more novel treatment plan for my adenomyosis. I appreciated her thorough approach to managing my care.
[Shady Grove Fertility - Washington DC] Strength - success rates. Weakness - factory feel, financial billing department is not responsive and gives inaccurate information, you rarely interact with your dr after your treatment plan is finalized. A different dr will do your egg retrievals, and most other procedures you may need along the way.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine is very knowledgeable and gave advice in probabilities/estimates of success which I found to be very helpful when I needed to make a decision about how I wanted to proceed. She proactively consulted with another dr who had more experience with a more novel treatment plan for my adenomyosis. I appreciated her thorough approach to managing my care.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Get your emotional support from your partner, friend, or therapist, don't expect to get it from Dr. Devine. She is very knowledgeable but isn't very warm or empathetic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine was not particularly warm, but she was compassionate when I experienced miscarriages or set backs.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
I don't remember the specifics. I had 2 IVF cycles which yielded a total of 3 PGT tested normal embryos.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility.
Generally I had positive experiences with my nurses but found the nursing team approach to be frustrating and ineffective. Information would get lost between the nurses, I would get asked the same questions by multiple nurses on the team. I wished I had one point of contact instead of multiple.
The staff who draw your blood and perform your ultrasounds were kind and skilled.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
Strength - success rates. Weakness - factory feel, financial billing department is not responsive and gives inaccurate information, you rarely interact with your dr after your treatment plan is finalized. A different dr will do your egg retrievals, and most other procedures you may need along the way.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
My insurance covered 80% of my fertility treatment costs.
What specific things went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility?
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility.
I have a history of sexual trauma and Dr. Devine was very sensitive to that history. She did everything she could to minimize triggers and adapted procedures in order to make me feel comfortable...Dr. Devine was very warm, but also straightforward. She actually listened to how my past experiences had shaped my anxiety about treatment and made adjustments to accommodate me. To the extent that was possible, she had her staff schedule my appointments for when she was on the monitoring floor and she came to my monitoring ultrasound appointments.
This location [Shady Grove Fertility] is in the middle of downtown DC and parking was always a challenge. It was difficult to find metered street parking, and garage parking was $22 per day, which could add up when you have to go in for daily monitoring. The waiting room is very busy for the morning monitoring appointments and sometimes the wait was up to 45-50 minutes past the appointment time.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine was very warm, but also straightforward. She actually listened to how my past experiences had shaped my anxiety about treatment and made adjustments to accommodate me. To the extent that was possible, she had her staff schedule my appointments for when she was on the monitoring floor and she came to my monitoring ultrasound appointments. She was warm and reassuring and made me feel confident in her decisions as a provider.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Be very honest about any of your treatment concerns with her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
I have a history of sexual trauma and Dr. Devine was very sensitive to that history. She did everything she could to minimize triggers and adapted procedures in order to make me feel comfortable.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
My diagnosis was an anovulation due to PCOS. Dr. Device prescribed 7.5 mg letrozole taken on days 3-7 with follicle monitoring starting on day 11. When the follicle was mature, she had me do an Ovidrel trigger shot followed by timed intercourse, and then progesterone suppositories for the remainder of the cycle. She was able to successfully induce ovulation three times and I got pregnant on the third month.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Vanessa)
Dr. Devine's nursing team were very responsive to all of my messages. I didn't interact with them much in person, but they were friendly over the phone.
The medical assistants that I encountered every morning for monitoring appointments left much to be desired. They never read my chart, which specifically said that I was only to have transabdominal ultrasounds, and they routinely argued with me when I told them I did not need to get undressed for the ultrasound. They were often rude when I declined to get undressed, and multiple times I could hear them standing on the other side of the door telling the doctor/ultrasound tech that I "wasn't cooperating." My history of sexual trauma was written as a warning in my chart as was a very clear "TAUS only" warning.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
This location is in the middle of downtown DC and parking was always a challenge. It was difficult to find metered street parking, and garage parking was $22 per day, which could add up when you have to go in for daily monitoring. The waiting room is very busy for the morning monitoring appointments and sometimes the wait was up to 45-50 minutes past the appointment time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
My insurance covered only 50%, so every single monitoring appointment was approximately $115 out of pocket, and there are a lot of monitoring appointments.
Describe Kate Devine's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
N/A - I did not do IVF
What specific things went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility.
The medical assistants that I encountered every morning for monitoring appointments left much to be desired. They never read my chart, which specifically said that I was only to have transabdominal ultrasounds, and they routinely argued with me when I told them I did not need to get undressed for the ultrasound. They were often rude when I declined to get undressed, and multiple times I could hear them standing on the other side of the door telling the doctor/ultrasound tech that I "wasn't cooperating." My history of sexual trauma was written as a warning in my chart as was a very clear "TAUS only" warning.
Dr. Devine is also the head of research at Shady Grove so she knows ALL the data...Any clinical questions that had to go to her were usually answered within a matter of a few hours, shorter if urgent. She also encouraged me to continue taking my mental health scripts which was a huge relief...She remembered even the smallest details related to my ‘case’. She never seemed in a rush and took incredible care to answer all my questions
Despite being rotational, which actually means you can always reach someone, [the nurses at Shady Grove Fertility] were all totally up to speed on my case and seemed completely apprised and like my case mattered to them...I wish the messages in portal system was better; you can’t see the thread when writing a message...Insurance covered injections in DC! (Blue cross..Id called and they even said no. But my nurses must’ve done something... I paid less than $200 in co-pays for allllll my meds.)......I wish the nursing line would ring to a human. You have to leave a voicemail
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine is also the head of research at Shady Grove so she knows ALL the data. Bring up a random supplement, and she can tell you ‘oh that was shown in one clinical trial to do XYZ’. I appreciate that rather than doctors shooting from the hip. She’s extremely current on national research, as well, so isn’t just working from a MD she got 20 years ago. She also predicted *exactly* the number of eggs I would get, based on this research!
Dr. Devine took nearly an hour with me each time we met and never hurried me. She listened thoughtfully to my questions and adjusted my treatment plan as necessarily. I had a SUPER easy process all around. No post-op recovery besides laying low one day. No bonkers hormones, etc. Throughout the process, she set good healthy expectations so I wasn’t surprised by any of it or the results despite being completely new to this. I had been told several times she would be completely honest with me and she really was. Honest but compassionate - I think that’s the best kind of bedside manner. Any clinical questions that had to go to her were usually answered within a matter of a few hours, shorter if urgent. She also encouraged me to continue taking my mental health scripts which was a huge relief.
If you want to go to someone who’s truly a subject matter expert and has likely read (and even conducted!) the most research on everything from typical egg freezing or IVF to breaking research on something relatively obscure that might relate to your situation, pick Dr. Devine. I think we underestimate the importance of being really curious and well-educated but in a field that is evolving daily, this would be crucial. Friends of mine across the country have had difficult IVF processes and I wish they were in DC and could see Dr. Devine. She would be real with them and would probably be MOST aware, of all the doctors in this space, if there was emerging data on something impacting their situation.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
I believe she’s also a professor. I learned SO much about the human body in the process because I spent time researching myself in advance. Then I felt like when we met, I would get a personalized tutorial that helped things click. To make the most of your one on ones, come with questions and don’t be shy. She was happy to answer all mine and is fantastic at it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
She remembered even the smallest details related to my ‘case’. She never seemed in a rush and took incredible care to answer all my questions. Her team was exactly the same.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
Estrogen priming protocol with patches and cetrotide a few days before my period. Then stims which included gonal-f and menopur. Cetrotide halfway through followed by lupron trigger. (Btw If you’d told me 6 months ago, I’d be rattling these off easily, I would’ve been shocked!! Haha)
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Vanessa)
Ahhhh I truly adore Vanessa. And Toyin! Really the whole team but I spent the most time talking to Vanessa. Despite being rotational, which actually means you can always reach someone, they were all totally up to speed on my case and seemed completely apprised and like my case mattered to them. Awesome, helpful, knowledgeable and compassionate.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
I wish the nursing line would ring to a human. You have to leave a voicemail. They do call you back in 30 minutes but answering the phone would be helpful. The clinic itself re scheduling and appts is a truly well-oiled machine. I wish the messages in portal system was better; you can’t see the thread when writing a message - so say your nurse writes some questions and you click reply to respond. They disappear.
On a separate topic, do you hate bloodwork? Me too. It’s my Mt Everest. I came to love the women in the bloodwork room. Damn. They knew exactly what I needed to make it less daunting and painful. I really felt like they were cheering me on. Alexis in particular is just incredible.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
$7,500 for one retrieval cycle which seemed to include nearly everything. Insurance covered injections in DC! (Blue cross! Can you imagine?! I was shocked. If you live in DC with BC, use CVS specialty pharmacy and see if it works. Could be because I was 39 when I did it so geriatric in BC minds 😉 Id called and they even said no. But my nurses must’ve done something... I paid less than $200 in co-pays for allllll my meds.)
She strongly encouraged us to transfer one embryo at a time, citing the risks of twin pregnancies and preferring to give each tested embryo its best chance at survival...[Dr. Devine] is a researcher at her core--something we have both respected and appreciated throughout this process. She is consistent in her approach: compassionate, particularly during our repeated losses, and at the same time straightforward. She was also always available for a call
I preferred the more patient-centered, primary nursing approach to the [Shady Grove Fertility] Team-based approach and found this shift alternatively disappointing and frustrating...You can get a same-day appointment if you need to. It's also nice to have a one-stop-shop--they were managing my thyroid meds, providing surgical treatments (e.g., my hysteroscopy) and holding my hand throughout my treatments, pregnancies and miscarriages.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
I will start this by saying that I have had a long and traumatic journey to get to my SGF graduation--I was a patient for over two years and suffered two miscarriages, a corneal ectopic pregnancy, and at least six negative pregnancy tests. And with every setback, Dr. Devine was sympathetic, encouraging, and confident that we would achieve success. And while I'm not sure when I'll stop holding my breath, I can close my eyes as I write this and hear the rhythmic thudding of my baby's heartbeat on the ultrasound machine.
I am also trained as a psychologist and understand the value of evidence-based treatment; my husband is an attorney and finds solace in rules, numbers and facts. Dr. Devine is a researcher at her core--something we have both respected and appreciated throughout this process. She is consistent in her approach: compassionate, particularly during our repeated losses, and at the same time straightforward. She was also always available for a call (or, since COVID, a video call). I never felt like she was being anything less than honest with me. No upselling, no B-S.
And when I wanted to explore my options, she was responsive--balancing her clinical opinion with a willingness to try it my way, if that's really what I wanted to do. For example, when I wanted to explore transferring two embryos, she shared with me the statistics (Yes, it would increase the probability of a live birth, but the probability a live birth per embryo was drastically lower.) and her clinical reasons for preferring singleton pregnancies, particularly for women with my BMI. We also explored the research on using more Progesterone (PIO) prior to/during transfer; Adding Prednisone and/or Lovenox to my transfer protocol (which may have been the magic bullet); and the risks of PGS testing on an embryo's viability.
We were excited to say goodbye to Dr. Devine as we 'graduated' to an obstetrician--not because she wasn't a great doctor, but because we are elated to FINALLY be closing a door on what has been a painfully long chapter in our lives and marriage. Should fertility continue to be an obstacle (which I expect it will), we plan to return to Dr. Devine for any/all attempts at future siblings for baby M.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Do not be afraid to ask for her time and come to the appointment armed with questions. She will take her time to answer all of them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine is very results-, data-driven, but I really appreciate that about her. At the same time, I felt she has been truly involved and invested in our journey and has been cheering us on throughout all of our trials and tribulations.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
IUI #1 - Clomid - Cancelled due to over-response
IUI #2 - Femera + Estrace (lining support) - Not pregnant
IUI #3 - Femera + Menopur (1/2 vial) - Not pregnant
IUI #4 - Femera - Not pregnant
IUI #5 - Femera - Not pregnant
IUI #6 - Femera + Menopur (1/2 vial) - Not pregnant
IVF Retrieval #1-3 - Follistim, Menopur, Gannirelix, Lupron, Zithromax
--all produced 12-16 eggs; 6-8 embryos, 2-4 PGS-normal embroys
FET #1 - Estrace (2mg) 3x/daily + PIO (50mg) - Miscarriage at 6 weeks
FET #2 - Estrace (2mg) 3x/daily + PIO (50mg) - Corneal ectopic
FET #3 - Estrace (2mg) 3x/daily + PIO (50mg) - Miscarriage at 5.5 weeks
FET #4 - Estrace (2mg) 3x/daily + PIO (100mg) *for implantation support* + Baby asprin + Prednisone (7.5mg) *for implantion support / immunosuppression* - Not pregnant
FET #5 - Estrace (2mg) 3x/daily + PIO (50mg) + Baby asprin + Prednisone (7.5mg) + Lovenox *for implantation support* - Currently Pregnant
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Kelsey Weigel, BSN, RN)
Kelsey was my rock throughout this process. Unfortuantely, SGF's K Street Office changed to a Nursing Team halfway through my treatment, which meant that I stopped hearing from Kelsey primarily. While every other nurse I interacted with was highly professional, competent, and responsive, my case got complicated and Kelsey seemed to know me and my particulars best.
I preferred the more patient-centered, primary nursing approach to the Team-based approach and found this shift alternatively disappointing and frustrating.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
Even internally, SGF will joke that it's a 'factory.' There are good things about being at a factory though -- you never have to wait long to be seen or have someone call you back. You can get a same-day appointment if you need to. It's also nice to have a one-stop-shop--they were managing my thyroid meds, providing surgical treatments (e.g., my hysteroscopy) and holding my hand throughout my treatments, pregnancies and miscarriages.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
I have amazing insurance. The vast majority of my costs have been for co-pays, embryo testing, and cryopreservation.
Describe Kate Devine's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
She strongly encouraged us to transfer one embryo at a time, citing the risks of twin pregnancies and preferring to give each tested embryo its best chance at survival.
What specific things went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine takes a very empathetic, yet straightforward, approach. We appreciate that she always takes the time to walk through the statistics and doesn't try to sugar coat them, yet she is also very sensitive to the needs and stresses that her patients are going through....we have truly appreciated how Dr. Devine never tires of our questions...Dr. Devine was with us through each step
In addition to the doctors and nurses, who are extremely competent and compassionate, SGF offers infertility workshops and support groups, which we have found to be very helpful in our journey...financial services department is likely overstretched and does not operate with quite the same responsiveness as the medical team...The nurses at Shady Grove now operate as a team.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
I have been a patient of Dr. Devine's for several years. First, in my late 30s I was diagnosed with an early stage breast cancer. I saw Dr. Devine to undergo a round of egg freezing before beginning a long-term medication to prevent a recurrence. I had a successful round of egg freezing at that time. Several years later I returned to Dr. Devine with my husband to thaw and inseminate the eggs. At the time of our consultation, Dr. Devine presented us with the most recent statistics on egg freezing and let us know that our prospects of a successful pregnancy with the frozen eggs were only just above 50%. Although this was disappointing news, we truly appreciated Dr. Devine's ability to be direct, honest, and clear about our chances, while remaining compassionate and cautiously optimistic. Unfortunately, this set of eggs did not result in viable embryos for transfer. My husband and I then decided to proceed with a new round of IVF. Again, Dr. Devine took the time to walk us through the statistics and provide us with guidance. Ultimately, this round of IVF did not result in embryos for transfer, but Dr. Devine was with us through each step. She took the time to personally call us as results were coming in about the growth of our embryos and discuss what this would mean for our future options. In particular, we have truly appreciated how Dr. Devine never tires of our questions (sometimes with both my husband and I on the phone line) and always takes the time to provide detailed answers. We had planned to continue to the next step in our fertility treatment with Dr. Devine until we were interrupted by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
You should know that you are in extremely good and capable hands with Dr. Devine. She is not "selling" fertility treatment to you. She wants you to have the agency to make choices with her guidance. This means that she has a very science-based approach - meaning to say, she is personable and has a good sense of humor, etc. but she will ensure that you know the facts and chances you are dealing with, even if they are uncomfortable to hear. Given how much financial and emotional capital you are about to spend, that kind of no-nonsense honest approach is extremely important.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine takes a very empathetic, yet straightforward, approach. We appreciate that she always takes the time to walk through the statistics and doesn't try to sugar coat them, yet she is also very sensitive to the needs and stresses that her patients are going through.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
Femara, Gonal-F/Menopur, Cetrotide
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Kelsey)
The nurses at Shady Grove now operate as a team. Our care coordinators alternate between Kelsey, Toyin, and Candace. We have found each of them to be extremely competent and responsive. That said, their communication styles are somewhat different, but we have found that they operate seamlessly as a team.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
In addition to the doctors and nurses, who are extremely competent and compassionate, SGF offers infertility workshops and support groups, which we have found to be very helpful in our journey. The social worker who runs the K St. group is excellent.
The financial services department is likely overstretched and does not operate with quite the same responsiveness as the medical team.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Shady Grove Fertility.
Monitoring appointments are pretty convenient. Although a time is set the day before with your nurse, I've found that earlier appointments require a lot less waiting then appointments in the later part of the morning.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
Costs at SGF are high. Unfortunately, we do not have any insurance coverage for fertility treatment so the expenses have been extraordinary.
She [Dr. Devine] is extremely intelligent and cares for her patients, I have no doubt she's a leader in the field, but I do have some outstanding questions on how involved she was every step of the way...called me to discuss options and next steps and really wanted the best for me. The hard part is that she didn't perform any of the procedures and did most of the evaluation of my progress in the background, so I'm not entirely sure how involved she was. I also would have appreciated her educating us on all of our options earlier on and on how IVF works. You don't know the correct questions to even ask during the first couple of meetings.
SGF is a great, professional clinic. That said, it can feel very impersonal at times. I would insist on one nurse contact and to have your doctor perform procedures. I'm not sure that the doctors fully understood my unique situation...You must ask questions, do TONS of research early on, even if some of these treatments won't apply to you, it's important to know and ask about them...Kelsey [nurse] was fantastic. The hiccup occurred when Shady Grove moved to a shared nursing model midway through my treatment. Kelsey is the only nurse I know or met, so when other nurses call me (especially to deliver bad news), it just sounds like a stranger on the line. I would have had an even better experience if Kelsey had been the main point of contact all the way through. I would have felt more comfortable asking questions and feeling supported.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
I can't answer this in full yet because I'm still undergoing treatment. She is extremely intelligent and cares for her patients, I have no doubt she's a leader in the field, but I do have some outstanding questions on how involved she was every step of the way.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Be educated and ask questions up front. Ask questions and get specific answers and talk statistics.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine called me to discuss options and next steps and really wanted the best for me. The hard part is that she didn't perform any of the procedures and did most of the evaluation of my progress in the background, so I'm not entirely sure how involved she was. I also would have appreciated her educating us on all of our options earlier on and on how IVF works. You don't know the correct questions to even ask during the first couple of meetings.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
I don't remember the specifics.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Kelsey)
Kelsey was fantastic. The hiccup occurred when Shady Grove moved to a shared nursing model midway through my treatment. Kelsey is the only nurse I know or met, so when other nurses call me (especially to deliver bad news), it just sounds like a stranger on the line. I would have had an even better experience if Kelsey had been the main point of contact all the way through. I would have felt more comfortable asking questions and feeling supported.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
SGF is a great, professional clinic. That said, it can feel very impersonal at times. I would insist on one nurse contact and to have your doctor perform procedures. I'm not sure that the doctors fully understood my unique situation. I can't fully answer since I'm still undergoing treatment. You must ask questions, do TONS of research early on, even if some of these treatments won't apply to you, it's important to know and ask about them.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
it went through insurance, so i'm not sure of the negotiated rates.
Describe Kate Devine's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
Dr. Devine recommends SET, as does Shady Grove and we followed that guidance.
[Dr. Devine] definitely has a direct communication style but I have never felt like a number. During my appointments with her, she was always patient enough to answer my questions, and I tend to have a great deal of questions. :) She also provides advice that seems to come from a place of care and concern. I felt more “connected” with her after the first meeting. That also might have been because I was overwhelmed about the process.
I am on round one of IVF with donor sperm [at Shady Grove Fertility]. My protocol includes birth control pills and IVF “shots” to include the trigger shot. I have had to increase my Vitamin D. I also elected for PGA testing. Going straight to IVF instead of IUI made the most sense for my age (42)...[nurses are] very knowledgeable about the process and allowed for extra discussions about it. I’ve asked them both at different times to walk me through a notional timeline.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Divine, from the beginning, has been honest and candid about my fertility options. Given that I am over 40, she shared the scary statistics without making them feel daunting. Instead, she highlighted all possible options including ones I had never considered (e.g., using donor eggs if mine are not viable). Although she has a direct communication style (think: straight, no chaser), I found her candor to be refreshing. You definitely know where you stand, both with her, and your fertility options. After every appointment, I was clear on what to do next. She has been thorough, rigorous and quick minded I implicitly trust that she will do everything possible to ensure that I have the best possible options during this journey. Given that I struggle financially and, like many, juggle other life stresses, it is a relief to have a doctor and medical team who don’t add unnecessary stress due to lack of bedside manner, incompetence, etc. Overall, I am pleased with Dr. Divine and I look forward to having her continue to guide me through this process!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Ask as many questions as you would like. She is patient and thorough! She’s extremely knowledgeable! She will also guide you to nurses for questions they can address.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Divine definitely has a direct communication style but I have never felt like a number. During my appointments with her, she was always patient enough to answer my questions, and I tend to have a great deal of questions. :) She also provides advice that seems to come from a place of care and concern. I felt more “connected” with her after the first meeting. That also might have been because I was overwhelmed about the process.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
I am on round one of IVF with donor sperm. My protocol includes birth control pills and IVF “shots” to include the trigger shot. I have had to increase my Vitamin D. I also elected for PGA testing. Going straight to IVF instead of IUI made the most sense for my age (42)
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Shiela and Kelsey )
I started with Sheila and ended up with Kelsey when Sheila left SGF. Both were very knowledgeable about the process and allowed for extra discussions about it. I’ve asked them both at different times to walk me through a notional timeline. They literally walked through each step very slowly and deliberately. I felt like I was not alone when we talk through the process. They were also very reassuring. I have appreciated working with them both
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
SGF is huge so it is ideal to have questions prepped in advance before making a phone call or laying a visit. Some appointments move very quickly. I would say that if you need to slow them down, advocate for yourself and slow the conversation down. It’s your money, your baby and your experience!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
23,500 for the two round bundle deal. 5,000 for PGS testing, 5,076 for medication. Also approx 2,000 for donor sperm. This is all out of pocket for me unfortunately. No insurance coverage outside of the initial visits
Describe Kate Devine's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
No comments on this actually. She mentioned preferring single and it makes sense to me.
Dr. Devine is very knowledgeable in her field of practice. It is clear that she wants results and hold herself to high standards. She is direct and no-nonsense while still offering hope and I really appreciate this quality in a doctor. Because of these strengths I found it really disappointing that I had almost no contact with her. I had much more contact with the nurse assigned to me...When I walked in for my first IUI cycle I was dismayed to see a woman I had never met. I asked her where my doctor was and she said that Dr. Devine would not be performing my IUI.
I love that the clinic [Shady Grove - DC K St] has 7 am monitoring hours. I am able to make these appointments while being only minimally late for work. I also like that you can be in and out in the morning without long forms to fill or people to meet with during monitoring....I ask a lot of questions and because I have VERY limited access to my Doctor, many of the ppl I am asking are nurses or Ultrasound tech or PA's. So depending on who I ask I get a totally different answer.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine is very knowledgeable in her field of practice. It is clear that she wants results and hold herself to high standards. She is direct and no-nonsense while still offering hope and I really appreciate this quality in a doctor. Because of these strengths I found it really disappointing that I had almost no contact with her. I had much more contact with the nurse assigned to me-Sheila Ormond who is a phenomenal nurse and support to me during my cycles.
When I walked in for my first IUI cycle I was dismayed to see a woman I had never met. I asked her where my doctor was and she said that Dr. Devine would not be performing my IUI. I really wanted to see Dr. Devine and get her real time insights on my cycle. Same thing during my 2nd IUI cycle. Doctor Devine was nowhere in sight. I was assigned a Physicians Assistant who did the IUI.
During my 2nd cycle I ran into some complications --my trigger shot did not work! I was sure of it and I needed to speak to Dr. Devine desperately. The nurses did not seem concerned by my pleas to speak with her. They told me that they would handle it and that I should speak to her through them. At that point I reminded them that I am a self-pay patient and I deserved to speak with my doctor. After several hours, she called and we talked at length and she was able to devise a new plan of action.
Again, I respect Dr. Devine and her expertise and it is this respect that I have for her that leaves me wanting more contact with her, especially during a complicated cycle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Have all of your questions written down in advance. She does a great job answering them but you must offer them. If not, she keeps it short and sweet. Also feel free to contribute your thoughts and ideas, after all you are an expert on your own body. She is willing to work with patients when devising treatment plans.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
I feel that Dr. Devine treats me like a human being. When she was forced to cancel my first IUI cycle due to over-stimulation she called me personally to tell me and to go over next steps. Since I was paying completely out of pocket she was able to work with me to do my next IUI at no cost, even the meds were provided for me. I really appreciated this gesture.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
1st cancelled IUI cycle protocol: Clomid 100 mg CD 2-7, Gonal -F 75 CD7-9, trigger, vaginal prometrium 200 mg twice a day. Result: cancelled due to overstim
2nd IUI Cycle: Femera CD 2-7, Menopur CD 7-8, HCG trigger,Estrace due to thin lining, prometrium 200 mg twice a day. Result BFN
3rd Cycle: Femera CD 2-7, Menopur CD 7-8, HCG trigger (trigger failed), 2nd trigger novarel administered intramuscular, Estrace due to thin lining on femera, prometrium 200 mg twice a day. Result TBD
I was started out on a high dose protocol due to an elevated day 3FSH, I overstimmed and I also had strange visual side effects with the clomid so I was switched to femera. Not sure why I was switched to menopur but my nurse said something about it being helpful to my lining? (not sure whether that is coming from any real wisdom or if it was a way to get me to stop asking questions) I was switched to novarel trigger during my 3rd cycle because I did not respond to the Ovidrel.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Sheila Ormond)
Sheila Ormond is a sweet, and helpful Nurse. She answers my questions and lets me know when she cannot and when she cannot she always follows up with Dr Devine in order to get me an answer.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
I love that the clinic has 7 am monitoring hours. I am able to make these appointments while being only minimally late for work. I also like that you can be in and out in the morning without long forms to fill or people to meet with during monitoring. The staff keeps the flow of patients moving quickly.
The clinic is closed at 4 and for an hour midday for lunch (12-1) I think given its high capacity functioning and sheer number of patients, it should be open for scheduling and calls during the lunch hour. It should also close at 5 (6 even). Other than the morning monitoring hours, the rest of the day's schedule isn't very convenient.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
base IUI fee $1800
Meds: $500
What specific things went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility.
Admittedly, I ask a lot of questions and because I have VERY limited access to my Doctor, many of the ppl I am asking are nurses or Ultrasound tech or PA's. So depending on who I ask I get a totally different answer. For example, I asked whether progesterone can be measured in my blood the day after ovulation. I was told by the PA who administered my IUI that it could not. But I knew that it could. It may not be at peak but it would still begin to slowly rise. I pushed for a blood test and sure enough it hadn't moved and that is how Dr. Devine confirmed that I had not in fact ovulated from the trigger.
Things I like about Dr. Devine: she always takes the time to talk to you extensively about results (good and bad) and about the prognosis. She is really, really good at setting expectations (low ones in my situation). She is the first doctor who said I might need a gestational carrier...Dr. Devine is not warm and fuzzy, as noted above. But she is really really good at setting expectations and I appreciate that....you end up seeing whoever is there that day so I didn't always see Dr. Devine. She will call you to follow up
Shady Grove is kind of run like a factory, but I think there are totally upsides to that depending on what you are being treated for...I think the doctors, nurses, and other staff there really know what they are doing and you get great care overall. Everything is convenient and efficient. However, if you want your hand held by a specific doctor, this is not the place to go....I would say that the nurses are highly variable. ...Shady Grove is really good about preparing you for the costs of things in general.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine is not warm and fuzzy, as noted above. But she is really really good at setting expectations and I appreciate that. I went to her to preserve my fertility because I had a difficult time getting and being pregnant with my first child. That evolved into me actually trying to get pregnant with a second child - this has not happened yet and we've moved onto getting a gestational carrier and will be working with Shady Grove to do this. We decided it would be a good idea to create embryos right away after having our first child (in part because my insurance actually covered it and I had the time). I got amazing results from the one IVF cycle that I did at Shady Grove: 28 eggs retrieved, 24 were mature, 21 fertilized, 16 made it to day 5 embryos and were frozen, and 8 were genetically normal (2 of the 16 were re-biopsed because they didn't get conclusive results and one was normal and the other was not). That was awesome. However, during the IVF cycle, we discovered that I had "Asherman's Syndrome" still or again - I had it before my first child was born but thought it was treated. It either wasn't totally treated or it recurred from a c-section. We then discovered that even when the scars sticking the sides of the uterus were cleared I still seem to have an abnormally thin lining that tends to collect fluid during treatments that raise my estrogen level - there seems to be a trade-off between thickening the lining and increasing the fluid. Neither of these things is good for implantation. Ugh. I've now had 3 more hysteroscopies since doing IVF (I had 3 prior to having my first child)and done 2 questionable transfers of genetically normal embryos to suboptimal lining conditions at Shady Grove (under the theory that I got pregnant before with a very thin lining - 4mm). My lining does not make it out of the 4mm range. We've now called it quits on the transfers and we are officially moving onto a gestational carrier, as noted above. Dr. Devine actually thought I should go straight to a GC the first time I met with her based on the trauma of my first pregnancy (di-tri triplets, multi-fetal pregnancy reduction, debilitating nausea, intrauterine growth restriction, c-section at 36 weeks and 3 pound 11 ounce baby). But I insisted on trying again to get pregnant. I am calling it quits because it's been 4 years of infertility taking over my life, more than 5 different fertility doctors (not to mention the other ob/gyns and MFMs involved), 2 miscarriages, 2 partial ovarian torsions, 1 botched D&C, 1 multi-fetal pregnancy reduction, 1 c-section, 1 amazing baby with scary terrible pregnancy, 6 hysteroscopies, 2 unsuccessful frozen embryo transfers, and countless random doctors and nurses telling me that my uterus doesn't look good on ultrasound. I can honestly say that the least stressful part of this whole experience was actually my IVF cycle at Shady Grove. That was a total nothing. Worked out great. Can't ask for better results.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
If you want someone warm and fuzzy, I would not go to Dr. Devine. If you want someone who will be straight with you, Dr. Devine is amazing. I must tell you that because of how Shady Grove works, you end up seeing whoever is there that day so I didn't always see Dr. Devine. She will call you to follow up but sometimes it's not at a convenient time for you so you end up relying on what other doctors and nurses are saying. This is not a problem with Dr. Devine; this is more just about how the Shady Grove practice works. Everything is high quality, but you don't get your hand held by one person. You have A LOT of access to your nurse, but not as much access to your doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
It is so hard to review doctors when you are still in the process of being treated by them and don't know what will result! Things I like about Dr. Devine: she always takes the time to talk to you extensively about results (good and bad) and about the prognosis. She is really, really good at setting expectations (low ones in my situation). She is the first doctor who said I might need a gestational carrier and I was actually able to hear that. HOWEVER, Shady Grove is kind of run like a factory, but I think there are totally upsides to that depending on what you are being treated for. So I do sometimes feel like a number there. It's not a warm and fuzzy place. But I'm in a spot with my fertility issues where I don't really need warm and fuzzy right now. I just need the care to be good and I do think Shady Grove has an excellent lab. One thing to watch for is that you have a ton of access to nurses and other ancillary staff at Shady Grove but it can be hard to schedule time to actually talk to your doctor. On the other hand, I don't really need to talk to my doctor all of the time now anyway. I am not having any medical emergencies, etc. Mixed feelings. But yes, when I talk to Dr. Devine, she treats me very much like a human.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
I actually don't remember the specifics of the drugs I took for my one IVF cycle with Dr. Devine. She was concerned about over-stimulating me (I have PCOS and am very responsive to fertility drugs and have had partial ovarian torsion twice). She managed to maximize the number of mature eggs while not over-stimulating me which was great. The rationale for doing IVF was to preserve my fertility since I was 36, my insurance covered it, and I had a hard time conceiving my first child due to Asherman's Syndrome. It's now totally awesome that we have the embryos because we are pursuing a gestational carrier. Okay, here's the complicated thing that happened while I saw Dr. Devine: I wanted to get a hysteroscopy from my old doctor in San Francisco because he had already performed 2 hysteroscopies. I went to him in December of 2016. On hysteroscopy, he thought my uterus looked pretty good and put me on an estrogen therapy protocol. Every single time I went in to have my lining checked at Shady Grove during the estrogen therapy protocol, the lining was still really thin and my California doctor thought I should keep taking the estrogen. Dr. Devine didn't think the estrogen therapy was working. I went with the California doctor's advice because he had helped me in the past and I had had a successful pregnancy. Dr. Devine might be right that it wasn't working. I don't really know. Anyway, I did the estrogen therapy for 3 months. Then I did two unsuccessful frozen embryo transfers. Both cycles were really confusing because my lining didn't look great (still thin and fluid-filled), I was in the process of moving to New York City and was doing outside monitoring and seeing random clinicians for the measurements/assessments of my uterine lining. I would take a picture on my phone of the image of my uterus and send it to Dr. Devine's nurse because outside monitoring does not actually send the images (just a written report). I don't even know what to say about that experience. Outside monitoring is just a really really terrible experience if you have a uterine lining problem. It was terrible but not because of anything Dr. Devine did. She was very clear about the likelihood of success with these transfers not being great (as mentioned above, she is very good about setting expectations - and in my case, setting them low). This all prompted me to actually get another doctor in New York City. This New York doctor partnered really well with Dr. Devine and that was great. They knew, liked, and respected each other and I felt like I was in much better hands once that occurred. I really wish someone at Shady Grove had encouraged me to actually see a doctor in New York sooner (and not just do outside monitoring). I only got another doctor because I took the initiative. The nurse at Shady Grove made it seem like it was no big deal to do outside monitoring and let me tell you it really really was for me. It was expensive, time-consuming, and frustrating.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Shady Grove Fertility.
I would say that the nurses are highly variable. I had a few nurses who were absolutely amazing (Sheila Ormond, most notably). They are so responsive and compassionate and because of how the practice is run you end up interacting with them a lot and they really know and understand your situation. However, it's uneven - I randomly had a nurse for a few weeks during a time when I was doing outside monitoring who was unresponsive and had no idea what was going on with my case. She got re-assigned (perhaps after I complained, though I'm not sure). I now have a gestational carrier coordinator who seems great. But yeah, I would say it's variable. The nice thing about a "factory" place is that because of the sheer volume of nurses, you can probably complain and get re-assigned easily to someone really good.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
I'm repeating myself. Shady Grove is a "factory" and there are pluses and minuses to this. I think the doctors, nurses, and other staff there really know what they are doing and you get great care overall. Everything is convenient and efficient. However, if you want your hand held by a specific doctor, this is not the place to go. I am happy with Shady Grove because I did a successful cycle of IVF there and I feel like they have adapted well to my evolving situation (moving to New York, involving another doctor, moving onto a gestational carrier).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
They weren't too bad. My insurance actually covered a round of IVF so that was minimal cost. We also had a physician discount of 20% (my husband is a physician) on other procedures. The thing that was really expensive was actually the outside monitoring that I did in New York City. So be prepared for that. Shady Grove is really good about preparing you for the costs of things in general. But I was not prepared for the cost of outside monitoring.
Describe Kate Devine's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
Dr. Devine is a huge advocate of eSET. I'm sure there are specific situations where she would be okay with a multiple embryo transfer. But not for me!
What specific things went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility.
A couple of issues - because you are always seeing different nurses and doctors, sometimes they don't know the whole history and things get lost in translation. My situation is legitimately confusing so I'm not blaming anyone. However, I had a saline ultrasound test where the doctor (not Dr. Devine) flipped what side of my uterus was collapsed and this mattered because it made me feel like I now had scarring on the opposite side. We figured out that it was a mix up. Also, when I had a random nurse for a few weeks who I did not like, I found her to be unresponsive so it was harder to do things like get prescriptions sorted out.
Dr. Devine expressed empathy and spoke clearly to me- she would explain the medical terminology then break it down into more digestible language. She ALWAYS called me back same day and sometimes on weekends. ...I felt that Dr. Devine was most effective in the times that I was struggling, nervous, or unhappy...She isn't a hand holder, so when she gives you information, think carefully about what questions you need to ask to feel comfortable.
I really only have good things to say [about Shady Grove]. The practice runs like a well oiled machine. They are efficient and effective...Alison Loffredo was the best nurse of the three and I also dealt with her during my OHSS so it was a bit more complicated. She explained the test results well - what my results were and what the normal range was...In all of the monitoring appointments for four cycle, I only had one time where I had to wait for a while
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
I was under Dr. Devine's care for over a year. At every step she would lay out the plan then we would talk it through. After a surprisingly unsuccessful first IVF, we regrouped and she presented a new plan. When that plan didn't work, I asked if she would ask other SGF doctors what they thought. I thought I was being a little pushy and that she might have felt that I was losing confidence in her. I wasn't, I just wanted a little additional reassurance. She did exactly as I asked and called me to discuss their thoughts as well as her own. When she presented her own opinion, I felt even more confident because she had the input of her colleagues. She was very responsive and supportive, but struck the right balance as my doctor. Even after two failed cycles, she said, "we will keep going and we will get this to work." When I had a successful third cycle that produced 2 genetically normal embryos, I asked for her guidance in whether or not to do another cycle. She gave me really helpful advice and I decided to do another cycle to produce more embryos. I was glad that I did. One of the things I liked most about Dr. Devine is that when I was frustrated, she was frustrated and when I was successful, she felt successful. We worked as a team and I have a high degree of trust in Dr. Devine and the entire practice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine is direct but nice. She isn't a hand holder, so when she gives you information, think carefully about what questions you need to ask to feel comfortable. She has all the information for you, but you need to be proactive in sharing it and also expressing how you are feeling about the process. Don't be afraid to speak up. I felt that Dr. Devine was most effective in the times that I was struggling, nervous, or unhappy. If you ask for help and guidance, she will absolutely provide it, but she is cautious to not assume what you need from her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine expressed empathy and spoke clearly to me- she would explain the medical terminology then break it down into more digestible language. She ALWAYS called me back same day and sometimes on weekends. She would occasionally just check in and the one time I needed some reassurance from her, she told me to come in right away. She was responsive and caring, but without being overly emotional or warm. She struck the right balance as my doctor.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
Cycle 1- standard protocol, Menopur and Gonal F, Lupron trigger (suggested because my test results were very good). This cycle produced 1 embryo that did not implant.
Cycle 2- Lupron microdose flare- suggested for poor responders. Still not a great response, only 1 embryo that did not transfer.
Cycle 3- high dose Menopur, Gonal F, and HCG trigger. Worked much better and produced 2 PGS normal embryos, unfortunately, I developed OHSS.
Cycle 4- same protocol as #3, slightly lower HCG. Great results. 4 PGS normal embryos.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: I had three: Liz, Alison, Jennifer)
Alison Loffredo was the best nurse of the three and I also dealt with her during my OHSS so it was a bit more complicated. She explained the test results well - what my results were and what the normal range was. While I had the OHSS, she was extremely responsive and checked in with me often.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
I really only have good things to say. The practice runs like a well oiled machine. They are efficient and effective.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Shady Grove Fertility.
In all of the monitoring appointments for four cycle, I only had one time where I had to wait for a while and it was on a weekend at 9am, when patient load is heavy. This part is well run.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
I was able to squeeze insurance coverage for 3 cycles and paid for one out of pocket ($15,500 for IVF with ICSI and a FET).
Describe Kate Devine's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
Yes, Dr. Devine was very clear that only 1 embryo was appropriate for me given my age. I agreed.
We did not directly speak with Dr. Devine for about 2 months when starting the IUI process. We were assigned a nurse coordinator who would handle our questions and act as a liaison. I would come in frequently for monitoring and be seen by different technicians and nurses each time. There were many women lined up outside the clinic each morning waiting to be cycled through for blood work and ultrasounds. There were times when I just wanted to speak with the doctor directly because I didn't feel the nurse our technicians really knew me individually. I will say though that by the third cycle of IUI, Dr. Devine did a better job of calling me directly to discuss the results and options.
We just had a lot of times that we weren't sure what we were supposed to do next. And the decision was left to us and we didn't know what the best decision was and there was no one to talk it through on the weekend...We originally had a nurse coordinator [at Shady Grove], Allison, who responded to emails but never checked in on me after procedure or test results on her own. She eventually moved to another clinic and was no longer our coordinator, but she never emailed to tell us so much. We found out from Dr. Devine after the fact. Our new nurse was the same way in that she never reached out to check on me on her own. During our third cycle, it was over a weekend, and I didn't know what to do as far as refill the FSH medication again or not. It is expensive and I didn't want to do it if not necessary but I would absolutely do it if it would help. I was told, I could do it if I wanted to. There was no one to talk to since it was the weekend and it was so incredible stressful. I spoke with one nurse who was on call and she was very comforting but didn't have a great answer for me either. The whole day was filled with waiting for a phone call about the results of my monitoring that morning and stressing over whether or not to refill the prescriptions before the pharmacy closed. I emailed both Allison and Jennifer hoping for some guidance. I understand that they do not work on the weekend and so that's why I didn't hear back, but I also never heard from anyone on Monday or ever after that just to check in and see how it all turned out. Or just to say I'm sorry that was so stressful and we'll be in touch with next steps.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
I do feel that Dr. Devine is a good person. I just felt like there were maybe so many patients that I couldn't get the individualized care that I was hoping for. I had to be my own advocate. The first round of IUI was a fire drill. I came in for day 12 monitoring as scheduled and we realized we needed to quick give myself the trigger shot and come back for IUI the next morning. For the second cycle, I was asked to come in on day 12 again. I requested to come in on day 9 since it seemed I ovulate sooner than most people. They said okay and on day 9 I was ready for my trigger shot and were able to follow the typical schedule better by having a day between the trigger and the IUI. In addition, I also felt I had to be the one to ask questions about "is this the right medication for me?" The first round I took Clomid which produced multiple follicles, but thinned my lining. The second round the nurse did not mention anything would be different and I had to say that I did not want to do the exact same thing as it did not work well the first time. Dr. Devine may have already been thinking she would change the medicine too but this was not communicated to me and I had to make that request. The third round of IUI, I had to request again to come in even earlier. The plan was to give additional shots to help follicle growth if needed. I was asked to come in on day 8. Since previously I was ready to ovulate on day 9, I had to request to come in on day 6 so that we had time to give the shots if needed. It seemed like common sense to me (and all the monitoring was included in our price), but it felt like I was not be treated individually based on my previous responses to the medications and IUI. I felt frustrated a lot of times that I needed to be the one to raise questions and change the course rather than the experts helping guide me through the best course for me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Ask questions and request frequent communication with Dr. Devine. She eventually responded well to this and had better communication with us towards the end of our 3 months.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
We did not directly speak with Dr. Devine for about 2 months when starting the IUI process. We were assigned a nurse coordinator who would handle our questions and act as a liaison. I would come in frequently for monitoring and be seen by different technicians and nurses each time. There were many women lined up outside the clinic each morning waiting to be cycled through for blood work and ultrasounds. There were times when I just wanted to speak with the doctor directly because I didn't feel the nurse our technicians really knew me individually. I will say though that by the third cycle of IUI, Dr. Devine did a better job of calling me directly to discuss the results and options.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
As previously mentioned, my first round of IUI was using Clomid. It produced multiple follicles but it thinned my lining and resulted in a negative pregnancy test. There was a standard protocol for all rounds of IUI, which was ultrasound on day 3, medication day 3-8, and monitoring day 12, with usually IUI day 14. Because I seemed to ovulate early, I had to request to come in earlier than the protocol recommended. I also eventually (3rd IUI cycle) had to begin medication on day 2. For my second cycle I was switched to Letrozole. For my third cycle, I continued with the same dose of Letrozole, but gave myself FSH injections multiple times while being monitored each day. Both the second and third cycles of IUI resulted in only one follicle for ovulation and both resulted in a negative pregnancy test.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Alliosn Lofferdo and Jennifer Wood)
We originally had a nurse coordinator, Allison, who responded to emails but never checked in on me after procedure or test results on her own. She eventually moved to another clinic and was no longer our coordinator, but she never emailed to tell us so much. We found out from Dr. Devine after the fact. Our new nurse was the same way in that she never reached out to check on me on her own. During our third cycle, it was over a weekend, and I didn't know what to do as far as refill the FSH medication again or not. It is expensive and I didn't want to do it if not necessary but I would absolutely do it if it would help. I was told, I could do it if I wanted to. There was no one to talk to since it was the weekend and it was so incredible stressful. I spoke with one nurse who was on call and she was very comforting but didn't have a great answer for me either. The whole day was filled with waiting for a phone call about the results of my monitoring that morning and stressing over whether or not to refill the prescriptions before the pharmacy closed. I emailed both Allison and Jennifer hoping for some guidance. I understand that they do not work on the weekend and so that's why I didn't hear back, but I also never heard from anyone on Monday or ever after that just to check in and see how it all turned out. Or just to say I'm sorry that was so stressful and we'll be in touch with next steps.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
They are a clean facility with friendly front desk staff. They can get you in and out in the morning which is nice when you're trying to get to work. The weakness is that you don't particularly feel connected to anyone and when you have questions you may not have access to someone who can answer them. There is a MD on call, however you will be charged if you use them and its not an emergency.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
$1800 for each IUI cycle + $50-150 for medications
Describe Kate Devine's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
I know that Dr. Devine preferred single embryo transfer to reduce the risk of multiples and the complications that can occur with multiple births (prematurity, CLD, etc.)
What specific things went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility.
We just had a lot of times that we weren't sure what we were supposed to do next. And the decision was left to us and we didn't know what the best decision was and there was no one to talk it through on the weekend.
We met Dr. Devine in 2019 for a LGBTQ Fertility overview/consultation. She was incredibly warm, inclusive, and informative. She put us at ease to begin our fertility journey at SGF... began the consultation with a warm welcome and was very thorough in her explanation of IUI processes for queer couples - unlike anything we’ve seen before. She helped us weigh our options and provide options for us that cater to our needs as clients... we did not receive treatment strategies but she did offer a variety of options for us in our fertility journey.
We loved the inclusivity of SGF. They offer a LGBTQ-friendly session for folks considering treatment and did a great job of making us feel included in their mission. We recommend SGF for all folks that can’t find a safe space elsewhere for their LGBTQ fertility journey...We met Dr. Devine in 2019 for a LGBTQ Fertility overview/consultation. She was incredibly warm, inclusive, and informative. She put us at ease to begin our fertility journey at SGF... began the consultation with a warm welcome and was very thorough in her explanation of IUI processes for queer couples - unlike anything we’ve seen before. She helped us weigh our options and provide options for us that cater to our needs as clients... we did not receive treatment strategies but she did offer a variety of options for us in our fertility journey.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Devine began the consultation with a warm welcome and was very thorough in her explanation of IUI processes for queer couples - unlike anything we’ve seen before. She helped us weigh our options and provide options for us that cater to our needs as clients.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
Be open and honest with her. She will hear your concerns and address them with a realistic plan.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
We met Dr. Devine in 2019 for a LGBTQ Fertility overview/consultation. She was incredibly warm, inclusive, and informative. She put us at ease to begin our fertility journey at SGF.
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
Since we only had our consultation/LGBTQ session with her, we did not receive treatment strategies but she did offer a variety of options for us in our fertility journey.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Shady Grove Fertility.
N/A
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
We loved the inclusivity of SGF. They offer a LGBTQ-friendly session for folks considering treatment and did a great job of making us feel included in their mission. We recommend SGF for all folks that can’t find a safe space elsewhere for their LGBTQ fertility journey.
Describe Kate Devine's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
in consult [Dr. Devine] suggested that due to lower AMH that a hormonal patch would be used at the beginning of the egg retrieval process rather than birth control to synch my menstrual cycle in order to maximize eggs... I have not proceeded due to predicted costs being higher than expected and inability to get information at this point about other options that I believe might be available to me
I was given an estimate of at least $60,000 (about half of which would be medication) for 4 cycles of egg freezing that I would recommended to pursue...A lot of enthusiastic interaction from clinic in moving me forward with consult and beyond but little to no outreach in response to my confusion about the financial parts and the details of that.
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
consult was informative but I have not proceeded due to predicted costs being higher than expected and inability to get information at this point about other options that I believe might be available to me
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
in consult it was suggested that due to lower AMH that a hormonal patch would be used at the beginning of the egg retrieval process rather than birth control to synch my menstrual cycle in order to maximize eggs; did not follow up to get more details
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
they seem to be a well oiled machine of processing patients. due to high volume of patients this probably translates to good treatment based on their experience. they behave in a very profit-driven manner, where time is of the essence for them to move a new patient forward quickly through the process for their monetary gains rather than an individual's window of fertility. A lot of enthusiastic interaction from clinic in moving me forward with consult and beyond but little to no outreach in response to my confusion about the financial parts and the details of that.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
I was given an estimate of at least $60,000 (about half of which would be medication) for 4 cycles of egg freezing that I would recommended to pursue
We were fortunate to have Dr. Devine leading our fertility journey as she answered our many questions and guided us through our treatment options and care. Given her research background I felt confident in her protocols and advice...zoom calls to discuss protocols and answer questions before treatment were very comforting during the care process...clomid and progesterone for thin uterine lining following fibroid removal...
I was assigned a care team [at Shady Grove Fertility] who were accessible through the portal or by phone and they were responsive to my questions and scheduling needs...cost estimates were unfront and without insurance coverage IUI cycles were $1800 plus medication costs...The downtown office was a very convenient location...Scheduling can be a little hectic and it has a bit of 'factory line' feeling but I appreciated the efficiency and it was convenient...
How was your experience with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
We were fortunate to have Dr. Devine leading our fertility journey as she answered our many questions and guided us through our treatment options and care. Given her research background I felt confident in her protocols and advice
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
use the patient portal for questions, guidance
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility?
zoom calls to discuss protocols and answer questions before treatment were very comforting during the care process
Describe the protocols Kate Devine used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
clomid and progesterone for thin uterine lining following fibroid removal
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Shady Grove Fertility.
I was assigned a care team who were accessible through the portal or by phone and they were responsive to my questions and scheduling needs
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
The downtown office was a very convenient location and I had several positive experiences there throughout the years. Scheduling can be a little hectic and it has a bit of 'factory line' feeling but I appreciated the efficiency and it was convenient
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kate Devine at Shady Grove Fertility.
cost estimates were unfront and without insurance coverage IUI cycles were $1800 plus medication costs
