Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
2018 - 2019, Successful
Dr. Hill was the one who personally contacted me after our results came back letting us know we had 1 healthy embryo. Dr. Hill did a great job answering all my questions and was very knowledgeable on how transfer would go and what my next steps were. He made me feel more comfortable in an otherwise chaotic slightly chaotic environment doing fertility treatments through military hospitals...
The downside is the communication behind clinic [ART Institute of Washington] and patient is not always great. As the patient you find you are doing a lot more of the leg work and planning and unless you’re the one to do the research and ask questions not all doctors or nurses will fill you in. Sometimes it felt as though you were a cattle in a cattle car line up, one after another. However, the clinic does service the entire military infertility family.
How was your experience with Micah Hill at ART Institute of Washington?
Being treated at Walter Reed’s military ART Institute of Washington is a very different experience from a private fertility clinic. That being said I only had the chance to see Dr. Hill twice in my cycle and they were on the day of Egg Retrieval and soon to be Transfer in May. He was the one who’s name I saw on everything so I knew he was important. We see a lot of doctors throughout our care at ART. On the day of my Egg Retrieval Dr. Hill took his time explaining everything also noting that this was my second cycle with ART and had knowledge of my history. With so many doctors and so many patients to handle this fact meant a lot to me. After Retrieval we did PGS testing on our embryos that made it to Day 5 due to a history of RPL. After a two week wait for the results, Dr. Hill was the one who called me to tell us our results. We got one normal healthy embryo. He was very kind and answered all my questions as well as telling me who would be contacting me with next steps. His tone of voice indicated that he knew how special this was for my husband and myself and that meant a lot.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Micah Hill at ART Institute of Washington?
To be persistent with the clinic. Know that you will not always see the same doctor, if ever at all. But know that the doctors do talk and decide on your treatment as a whole. It’s good to have one doctor as a point person but knowing you won’t always see or hear from that doctor keeps expectations in check for a military clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Micah Hill at ART Institute of Washington?
This was my second round of IVF with ART at Walter Reed. Though I had never met Dr. Hill before he is one that presided over the REs at Walter Reed. He was there the day of my Egg Retrieval and he was very kind and went over everything with my husband and myself. We did PGS testing due to my RPL diagnosis and Dr. Hill was the one who personally contacted me after our results came back letting us know we had 1 healthy embryo. Dr. Hill did a great job answering all my questions and was very knowledgeable on how transfer would go and what my next steps were. He made me feel more comfortable in an otherwise chaotic slightly chaotic environment doing fertility treatments through military hospitals.
Describe the protocols Micah Hill used in your cycles at ART Institute of Washington and their degree of success.
After one failed IVF cycle due to poor response to medication and BC before start, I only two eggs retrieved first cycle. After a consultation with ART they tweaked my protocol and was put on an estrace priming protocol with no BC and Microdose Lupron. This protocol made a huge difference in the outcome. I still didn’t produce as many eggs as other women but I had 11 retrieved and 7 were mature and fertilized. The small change in protocol made a huge difference in my outcome. I now know what my body responds to better which I’m happy with.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at ART Institute of Washington.
There are three nurses I saw many times during my two IVF cycles at ART. Darshana and Val did all of the blood work and contact in person and email. I spoke with Darshana most often and she was wonderful at returning phone calls and emails. Giselle is the nurse who you saw on day of Egg Retrieval and she was always upbeat and fun to talk to. She always made you feel comfortable and made sure things flowed as they should.
Describe your experience with ART Institute of Washington.
The knowledge behind ART Institute of Washington is great. So the quality of care you are getting is top notch and leading in the field. The downside is the communication behind clinic and patient is not always great. As the patient you find you are doing a lot more of the leg work and planning and unless you’re the one to do the research and ask questions not all doctors or nurses will fill you in. Sometimes it felt as though you were a cattle in a cattle car line up, one after another. However, the clinic does service the entire military infertility family. There are only three in the United States. They care for so many patients at one time and they are cycling through over 40-50 patients a cycle. Once you realize the atmosphere and how things work you become more accustomed to the environment and how to get what you need. That being said I still believe communication could be worked on so that the patient feels more connected with the process and next steps.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Micah Hill at ART Institute of Washington.
It was different because we were military. My husband is In the service so we were able to go to ART Institute of Washington. We paid for the IVF procedure, ICSI, freezing costs and additional PGS costs. The hospital had medication that you are able to get from the onsite pharmacy.
What specific things went wrong at ART Institute of Washington?
- Failed to call with results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at ART Institute of Washington.
With communication they don’t always call you with the results of certain things, sometimes you have to be the one checking in and seeing where you are in the process.