Marcelle Cedars

It can sometimes feel like you get lost in the shuffle, as there's not a lot of support like you might receive from smaller clinics. For example, when we were waiting to see what embryos made it to blastocyst, while some clinics would call you on Day 1, 3, 5, 6... we didn't get a call until Day 7 with the results. So its definitely less personal that way.. but I find the knowledge of the doctors far outweighs the support I may receive during the process. This is however something they could majorly improve on.

A huge strength is that it's near my house. The previous clinic was in Irvine (I'm in the bay area). The actual clinic is in a very newly constructed, modern facility. Everything feels new and clean. I haven't done very much other than meet with Dr. Cedars and the care team, so I cannot speak to the treatment rooms as much. I will say that I would strongly advise against meeting with Dr. Laurie Pasch, the clinic psychologist, and meet with Dr. Holley instead.

Very clean and upscale/modern feels. The office has separatewaiting areas depending on what procedure you're there fkr (u/s, specimen collection, IUI). The "checkout" process was sort of confusing having to back to the front desk staff anticipating they know what your next schedule will be. When paying for services (we decided to pay cash) they staff was somewhat unprepared to handle that process. They do not have a cash register and are unable to give change.

The facilities have to be the best in the country. The Mission Bay Campus is incredible. I never had to wait more than 5 minutes for any of my appointments and I loved finding a book of notes for patients by patients that made me feel understood and less lonely going through the process.

This is my fourth fertility clinic (third one for treatment) and I love everything about UCSF. Yes it’s a huge research institution and there can be a lot of patients in the waiting areas and treatment lounges, but I feel like each interaction with me directly is personalized for my protocol.

UCSF is amazing because its a not for profit fertility center, with a large volume of patients, meaning lots of experience, and motivation to learn more and be at the forefront of research and new treatment, while also not trying to necessarily make money, like many fertility centers do. Knowing this makes you feel very assured that they are looking out for your best interests, and not their own! They won't be pushing any treatment you don't actually need. They offer mini-stim IVF for a fraction of the price of IVF at most places, which is a big reason I traveled from MT for my treatment. Also, everyone I dealt with there was so nice. Even the people who were way overworked made me feel like they really cared about me in our interactions. The one thing I will say they fall short of is communicating and getting the ball rolling quickly with starting your care. It can take months to get your first appointment, and we had to be persistent and annoying to get things going in our treatment. Once things start though, it's a pretty smooth engine.

I am very grateful to CRH. I learnt a lot from the staff. The process of going through six IUIs over two years, as a clinical trial patient, meant I paid $0 for this treatment, and received great care. It was so nice not to even think about insurance or payment during this part of our treatment. My final round of IUI in 2017 resulted in a positive test. My blood HCG tests were low and rose slowly. For a while we were in limbo, anxious especially about an ectopic pregnancy. All throughout, Becca was available and supportive. I met with Dr Cedars at this time too, who was candid about the chances of the pregnancy going to term. When it was clear we were undergoing a missed miscarriage, Dr Cedars performed the manual aspiration. When we moved over to IVF, a few things fell through the cracks. Becca had advised I have my OB order some blood tests, including for STDs, and immunity to several diseases. Nobody told me that my varicella (chicken pox) immunity was low and I ought to be re-vaccinated. It wasn't until Jill was running through the pre-IVF checklist that she asked me the result of these tests. (I had allowed my OB's office to share the results with UCSF CRH, so I was under the impression they'd already seen them). The two vaccines and a month "on the bench" pushed back our start date. Also: at one point Dr Cedars mentioned we'd be eligible for a study which would cover the cost of our stimulation medications. I'd done some research and knew this was potentially a large cost. A few months went by (see above) and I asked the study's coordinator if we were enrolled. He responded that we were ineligible, and that he'd told us that several months ago. This obviously wasn't the case. Fortunately, we were able to buy our meds from Disco Rex, the Walgreens Speciality Pharmacy in Palo Alto, for under $300 total. This was thanks to the 340B Network Pharmacy Program, as cash-paying outpatients of UCSF. Nobody mentioned this program to me at any point until I was prescribed the drugs, and it would definitely have influenced our clinic selection decision. I wish CRH made a bigger deal of it! The only other complaint I have is a very minor one: the IVF calendar I received was ugly and a little bit confusing. It looked unprofessional, with no branding, lots of different fonts/text sizes, etc. Random reminders were scattered on various days. Other paperwork we received was also oddly-formatted or a copied copy. I feel sure UCSF has communication staff who would be able to create more professional templates.

The clinic has 2 different offices. The one of Illinois St in Mission Bay is FAR superior than the old Mt. Zion clinic. I'm sure they are both perfectly clean and sanitary but the Mission Bay Clinic is just so much more inviting, clean looking, and also I think they have more advanced technology but I could be wrong about that.

Clinic is clean, organized and a well oiled machine. They can see well over 100 patients on any given day and so they have a nice routine and professional set up. The receptionists, nurses, and staff are all super friendly and nice. They know what they are doing and they do it very well. The finance team was more difficult to work with and less responsive. The most consistent problem I had was dealing with finanacial counselors who were hardly available and again not very available or accommodating.

Beautiful space Affordable compared to private clinics Great care all around Quick to call with test results Private post op rooms Views of the Bay Waiting rooms got a little crowded and the reading materials could be updated but who cares, really.

Strengths- certain doctors like Dr cedars are really great, personable , make the process a little easier to get thru. Some of the admin staff though are a challenge to work with . One nurse was inconsistent , gave contradictory info from past nurses and could not explain why the differences, was not helpful in answering questions and did not give clear calendars. One cycle she gave me 3-4 versions because she had to keep fixing items. The genetic counselor Molly Dunn was incompetent and rude. She was incentive and careless and gave us the wrong info, initially telling us we had 3 Pgs normal embryos when the reality was our 3 embryos were aneuploidy. She corrected herself but did not even apologize acknowledging how hurtful her mistake was. She refused to schedule a call with us to discuss results and only sent emails . She argued with me on the phone when trying to explain herself.

The front desk can be frustrating to deal with. They feel much more institutional than the rest of the staff, and it's here that you really realize you're dealing with a university hospital. Finance in particular can be a big pain. If you have a partner or friend who can advocate for you to deal with the finance people and even for scheduling, that may save you some stress.

Clinic coordinators are fantastic- very supportive and helpful. Lots of time with primary Dr before transfer, but random nurses each visit after. Overall very positive experience, would strongly recommend.

The clinic is newly constructed and feels like a spa. The lab and embryology suite are state of the art which is in part why we chose UCSF. I appreciated how easy it was to get an appointment and how early the appointments start (6:30am) so I could be seen before work

I like the new location. Front desk staff super attentive and sweet. Nurses too. All-around excellent.

Already did.

Big, can feel impersonal at times, but excellent care and caring doctors.