Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
2021 - 2022, Successful
Dr. Keefe Smith really got to know me and thought deeply about my case and cared a lot about my outcome...She often runs a few minutes late but thats just because she is so thorough and takes her time with her patients (even when she's running behind you never ever feel rushed)...Antagonist protocol did not work well for me. I had the most success with the very low dose lupron (VLDL) and ultra low dose lupron (ULDL) protocols (this one is BWH-specific)...
BWH is a big clinic with a lot of providers and a lot of patients, but you still get excellent personalized care. I think the major strengths are that it is an academic center that uses evidence based medicine and there is a whole team of REIs who will meet to review difficult cases, so you feel like you are getting the input of many experts (not just your individual doctor)...I didn't love that the lab/ultrasounds are in a different part of the hospital and I wish my own doctor could have done my scans after my successful transfer, but on the whole the strengths significantly outweigh the weaknesses...
How was your experience with Kimberly Keefe Smith at Brigham & Women's Hospital?
Dr. Keefe Smith is an exceptional doctor. She does an excellent job of communicating her thought process and really felt like a partner throughout our whole time working together. She listened to what was important to us and happily answered all of our questions. She never rushed us or made us feel bad for asking (a lot of) questions. Most importantly, I felt so cared for during a very difficult IVF journey. After two failed rounds we did seek a second opinion at another clinic (which she was completely understanding about!) but the experience there was much worse and we went back to Dr. Keefe Smith. I just felt that I could trust her to be honest with us and I knew she always had our best interest in mind. I knew if we had success, I wanted it to be with her and if we didn't, I also knew we could count on her to be compassionate and help guide us through next steps. We ultimately did have a successful FET, but I would write the same review even if we hadn't had success.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kimberly Keefe Smith at Brigham & Women's Hospital?
She often runs a few minutes late but thats just because she is so thorough and takes her time with her patients (even when she's running behind you never ever feel rushed). So it's worth it (but maybe plan ahead for that).
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kimberly Keefe Smith at Brigham & Women's Hospital?
I felt like Dr. Keefe Smith really got to know me and thought deeply about my case and cared a lot about my outcome. I didn't at all feel like just a number.
Describe the protocols Kimberly Keefe Smith used in your cycles at Brigham & Women's Hospital and their degree of success.
Antagonist protocol did not work well for me. I had the most success with the very low dose lupron (VLDL) and ultra low dose lupron (ULDL) protocols (this one is BWH-specific).
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brigham & Women's Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Ellen)
My nurse was amazing-she was good about communicating instructions both verbally (and written when they were important). I did not like it when I had to communicate with other nurses in the practice which did happen on occasion.
Describe your experience with Brigham & Women's Hospital.
BWH is a big clinic with a lot of providers and a lot of patients, but you still get excellent personalized care. I think the major strengths are that it is an academic center that uses evidence based medicine and there is a whole team of REIs who will meet to review difficult cases, so you feel like you are getting the input of many experts (not just your individual doctor). The egg retrieval experience at BWH is also much better than at CCRM Boston (much more professional nursing and anesthesia staff, I felt better being in a real hospital). Like most other Boston-area clinics, they use a doctor of the day model, so you aren't guaranteed to have your own doctor do your retrievals or transfers. I didn't love that the lab/ultrasounds are in a different part of the hospital and I wish my own doctor could have done my scans after my successful transfer, but on the whole the strengths significantly outweigh the weaknesses.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kimberly Keefe Smith at Brigham & Women's Hospital.
Mostly covered by insurance, we paid out of pocket for PGT-A.
Describe Kimberly Keefe Smith's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brigham & Women's Hospital.
strong preference for eSET