Laurence Jacobs

Both my husband and myself have interacted with a few different nurses [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] and have nothing but positive things to say. ... I love the flexibility of visiting the clinic that work for you and your schedule. We specifically wanted to work with Dr. Jacobs but have an office much closer to home that works for monitoring/lab work. Everyone you come in contact with is extremely kind and friendly and puts you at ease during what can be an uncomfortable time. I also appreciate the ability to communicate with the nursing staff and scheduling staff via the online portal.

Appointments [at FCI] generally run on time. ... Financial office is not very helpful and very uninformed. ... Visits for ultrasound and labs take apx. 15-20 minutes. They open as early as 6am for ultrasounds and labs which is convenient. ... Nurses seem to be very busy. They answer all questions via the portal but rarely do they actually call you even when a call is requested. I had had to follow up multiple times on my own when I am waiting for information prior to the treatment cycle.

Front desk staff [at FCI- Hoffman Estates] is just ok, except Nora, she is awesome! Ultrasound tech Vita is the best!! Weaknesses lie in time management and scheduling. Allow yourself extra time for appointments, because they tend to get backed up quickly.... I’m all for the single embryo transfer just because I know multiples carry many risks. Dr. Jacobs always recommended only a single embryo transfer for me every time.

Front office staff at Hoffman Estates [Fertility Centers of Illinois] are lovely, especially Nora! Kind, compassionate and willing to help when trying to fax, schedule appointments etc. Very helpful especially with out-of-state patients...18 eggs, 14 mature, 8 fertilized, 6 made it to day 5 blastocyst and 3 were PGS normal. Transferred 1 single embryo and resulted in live birth...They [nurses] both are very nice and knowledgeable however Mary is more organized. For those patients that are high anxiety, I would recommend requesting Mary as your primary nurse. All techs are wonderful especially Vida (one of the ultrasound techs).

Costs [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] were very clear and up front and we had no issues...the front desk staff is extremely nice. The phlebotomists and ultrasound techs are alsoreally great and kind. The one area for improvement I can suggest is I think the communication with the nurses could use some improvement. I felt a lot of the responses I received to questions or concerns felt rushed and not always thorough. I'm sure they're just very busy and overloaded but with the high emotions involved in all of this I would have appreciated extra support.

I love that FCI has a patient portal. With having a full time job and not always being able to make a phone call it’s been such a stress reliever to be able to send a quick message when I have a question or need. ... The staff differs by location and some locations are definitely more empathetic, understanding and easier to work with than others. For the most part everyone is welcoming and encouraging. I do wish there was better communication with their billing department ...

Even when full they [Fertility Center of Illinois] - Hoff Est] will double book so I do not have to drive far to another clinic and I do appreciate that. The staff is talkative and it does help when I am nervous. They know you by a name basis too when you go in....Cindy is quick to respond to each of my emails, if she cannot fully answer something she will tell me and then I will confirm with the doctor.... [Cost Of Treatment] 9500 for a freeze all cycle, 1200 to freeze and 3500 to transfer... Doctor Jacobs took the time to email me back whenever I needed.

My only complaint is sometimes I feel there is a disconnect when your in a IVF cycle as you work with a different team to manager you rmeds and cycle. The onl other weekness I see is that my Dr. only has certain days in the hosptial to complete the procedures so I feel they [Fertility Ctr of IL - Lindenhurst] adjust my hormones to work around the days the Dr. is in the opperation room.... Very efficient. I was in and out normally in 15 to 20 mins.

The clinical staff [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] were always very nice and efficient. However the business practices of the office were horrible. I was charged for services and medication I didn't receive. I tried to get my records sent to another doctor's office for continuity of care because my insurance required it and they refused to send the records until I paid for them...I had to pay quite a bit of money to obtain my records, myself. Due to the unprofessional manner & delay to my treatment, I left the group.

Overall, the clinic [FCI] is efficient, organized, and friendly. I visited the Buffalo Grove location for my weekly monitoring. The phlebotomist and ultrasound tech are super nice and explain things as you need if you speak up about concerns or questions. The receptionists at the location are hit or miss. Some seem like they would rather be working elsewhere, some are obviously new and uninformed, and some are magical. However, there are some very specific issues. The aParent IVF financial coordinator, Cindy Tracy, is an absolute nightmare to work with. If you are required to do PGD testing, your default lab is with Reprogenetics. They contract directly with Global Genetics (the genetics team within aParent) so Global Genetics hikes up their rates to make a substantial profit. My first year with them, I just said yes and opened my check book. The second year, after reluctantly returning post-miscarriage, I wanted to speak with Cindy directly to see if there was any wiggle room in pricing since I was a return patient, second year veteran, etc. Email after email, phone call after phone call...nothing was ever returned. She only responded if I copied Dr. Jacobs...which was my last resort. Dr. Jacobs started contracting with a second lab, and it put Cindy's team in a bind since they couldn't price gouge anymore. The second lab bills the patient directly so there are no hidden fees. Without haggling anything I am saving four weeks of set-up time and $3,000. aParent IVF, Global Genetics, and CryoVault do not contract with insurances and are not recognized with NPI numbers. You will not be reimbursed for anything, even if your specific situation is medically necessary. An explanation regarding this type of information would have been extremely necessary when trying to budget for the year. One more suggestion to the financial team at aParent. FCI is willing to bill the biopsy portion for their patients, and should advocate to do so. This fee is $2,000 each retrieval and IS covered with insurance if the clinic makes the request. It is so much harder getting a claim reimbursed, if at all, when the patient pays out of pocket. Why do we have insurance if the clinic won't help?

The biggest issue I had was feeling like a number. At the buffalo grove office [FCI] they kept taking more and more and more patients and never added more appointments. They double booked and took at least an hour to get ultrasound and blood work. When it got to be standing room only in the waiting room I left, enough is enough. I want to feel like a patient not a number. Not to mention it’s hard enough for all of us to go through this and try time after time to get pregnant and the ones that were pregnant the front desk would celebrate with them in the front lobby.

The offices [FCI - Lindenhurst] are always PACKED! It is so hard to get a time that is needed as the offices are short staffed for all patients. The equipment is old and need to be updates as my technicians would sometimes have to shake the machines!... At the Highland Park office I once was not called back and communicated as to what medication I needed to take for the day. I had to call them after hours which is stressful.... I always felt like a number in the waiting room, at times I had to wait 45 minutes to 1 hour for my apt! Often time you cannot get an apt early in the morning for the people who have to get to work this is important!

The ultrasound tech at Crystal Lake (Roberta) was very compassionate, but she missed one of my twins on the first OB ultrasound! The med techs were ok, the nurses were rude, and Dr Jacobs got the job done, but I wouldn't go back.... They did not tell me what to expect for embryo retrieval and storage. When only 4 of 8 embryos survived to day 5, I was disappointed. It was only then that they told me those results are typical. They also did not explain to me why they prescribed Valium for and IVF procedure and did not let me opt out of taking it.

I sometimes felt stupid for asking questions and asking a lot of questions [of the nurses at Fertility Center of Illinois]. Fertility is very complicated and I sometimes felt guilty for asking what they thought was an obvious question...Reception staff are great. Always greet you warmly. Never seem to be kept waiting, always running on time. They fit you in when you need o be there and will work to your schedule. Call backs are always done in a timely fashion too. Lab girls are awesome too, friendly and chatty.

The office [FCI] was always warm and welcoming and I really felt like they all cared. The billing department was a little challenging. Bills were paid but they didn’t always post on their end right away....Helen was there from start to finish. Every time I saw her, she greeted me with a hug. She would email me with all of my results and just to let me know that ‘I was doing great’ and providing so much support. She was a advocate for me and when I was struggling during the process, she listened to me cry and helped me through.

I was not as thrilled with his office staff [at FCI- Buffalo Grove] . Very cold and impersonal at the Buffalo Grove facility. At one point they got me and another patient confused and almost proceeded with a test for the wrong thing. Another time, after our 3rd failure with IVF an ultrasound tech said "Wow, I can't believe you're still trying" and not in a good way. I called Marcia, Dr. Jacob's nurse coordinator, and she was very apologetic. It still was very hurtful though, without any compassion or thought.

Really have no complaints about this office [Fertility Centers of IL], other than wish they had weekend hours. The staff is very friendly and it is easy to get appointments, they also call peomptly with results. They explain every test and why they are doing it.... During IUI there were some bills that I didn’t understand and no one in the office could provide me with an answer but they do give you a financial advisor to contact

She [nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois] was wonderful and also very caring and compassionate. Her calls were always timely and she always called when she said she would...It [monitoring] was very efficient and went very quickly with very little wait...My whole experience at FCI was amazing and i now have a beautiful 5 month old daughter. The whole process is scary and at times you dont think you can do it, but the reassure you and make you feel so comfortable through the whole process. We will be going back to FCI and to Dr. Jacobs for our next child as well.

Not everyone sees things the way you do or gets your struggles they was you do but Jacobs team [at FCI-Highland Park] made me feel like they got me and were there to hold my hand the entire way. So I would say if you don’t like the doctor just try another one or interview them to see who best fits you... I honestly called and talked to her once a week, she [the nurse] was amazing

The clinic [Fertility Ctr of IL] is very well organized and knows what they are doing. I never had any problems making appointments and getting what I needed done. I honestly cannot think of any weaknesses we were very satisfied with the service provided by the clinic and will be going back very soon.... Everyone was very compassionate and helpful.... he [Dr. Jacobs] is no longer in our insurance network and we are going to pay out of pocket just to be able to continue to work with him.

[The nurses at Fertility Centers of Illinois were] Easy to get a hold of and very helpful with all of my questions...honest. Easy to schedule appointments. Good hours. Friendly people. Billing department isn’t always the best with some errors but quickly rectified and taken care of. Rates are very comparable...Ask him [Dr. Laurence Jacobs] any questions you have he is very honest

I love Dr. Jacobs and especially the nurses at the clinic...I love Helen [nurse at FCI - Highland Park location]. She is warm, friendly, and compassionate. She's also very responsive to calls and emails...The only issue is to be prepared to wait when you go. Because he [Dr. Jacobs] takes time with each person there can be a wait to see him.

I had many set backs and she [my nurse] knew it was going to be hard to tell me. She took the time to call me and understood when I was upset.

[FCI-Hoffman Estates is a] Great clinic! They genuinely care about you and understand that everything going on is important to you. They are great with communication and are readily available when you need something. They are very busy, so it is best to book in advance.... Elena [a nurse] is the sweetest person. She is amazing.