Sahar Stephens

2023, Consult

6

7

Age 43

1 IVF

Unexplained

Income $200K - $499K

1st of 3 Docs

1 IUI With Other Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Stephens was very informative in the consultation. I only saw her one time afterwards. The clinic doesnt assign you to a dr no no dr really takes accountability or charge of your plan...She is super nice but you really dont get to choose your dr so it wont matter which one you get...I actually ended up doing a mini IVF although they didnt cal it that. My doses were really low. This clinic also believes in omnitrope, so order it ahead of time because insurance nor fda approves it for ivf. My cycle did go the full 12 days although i had many large 23 follies already by cd9 and i think I should have had ER a day early.

[Northern California Fertility Medical Center] Nurse coordinator left me in the waiting room for 30 mins and never explained why. I ended up leaving that day. Other than that she was super informative, responsive and thorough. Front desk never greets me like she does other patients...It felt like the consultation was a good sales pitch but the service provided after felt like I was a number. Especially when it came to scheduling ER time. I felt like I was treated differently because I had insurance...

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Stephens was very informative in the consultation. I only saw her one time afterwards. The clinic doesnt assign you to a dr no no dr really takes accountability or charge of your plan. Your nurse coordinator does everything, from scheduling your appointments to telling how and when to take injections. I felt like the drs are really hands off.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She is super nice but you really dont get to choose your dr so it wont matter which one you get.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

It felt like the consultation was a good sales pitch but the service provided after felt like I was a number. Especially when it came to scheduling ER time. I felt like I was treated differently because I had insurance.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

I actually ended up doing a mini IVF although they didnt cal it that. My doses were really low. This clinic also believes in omnitrope, so order it ahead of time because insurance nor fda approves it for ivf. My cycle did go the full 12 days although i had many large 23 follies already by cd9 and i think I should have had ER a day early.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Christina)

Nurse coordinator left me in the waiting room for 30 mins and never explained why. I ended up leaving that day. Other than that she was super informative, responsive and thorough. Front desk never greets me like she does other patients. Not sure if it was Racial but felt like it.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I would ask all the important questions. How are patients selected for order of appointments and order of egg retrieval. Cause you are given a number you dont know about. How many egg retrievals are done daily, or if only done Fridays. If they have worked with your specific age group. Can you choose which coordinator you work with.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Dont know total cost yet. Used progyny which NCFMC didnt seem too fond of. Next in network provider is in napa. Plan on doing a bank cycle at another clinic.

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I was waiting for lab results to determine if my dose would change. Labs were done at 7:30am and was told Id get a call on afternoon. I waited till 4pm and no call so I called coordinator on duty christy. She didn’t pick up my call so i left a voicemail and called again and asked receptionist to transfer me as i needed to know if my doze was changing. She got me through to coordinator christy. She said she was going to call me but got busy.

6

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

7

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful

9

10

Age 30 - 31

Male Factor

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

1st of 2 Docs

4 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Stephens is very likable, we got to know her month after month coming in for treatments...asked us details about personal things we had shared in prior visits...always answered my emails so kindly and I have a lot of questions...never seemed annoyed by my questions. As a patient of hers I felt cared for and heard...After 6 months and 4 rounds of IUI, we re-assessed and moved on to IVF planning.

Great clinic [Northern California Fertility Medical Center] overall, kind staff, good doctors. Be prepared from the beginning to not see YOUR assigned doctor every time...things were resolved VERY quickly once they were made aware of any mistakes...prescription had been placed with the wrong pharmacy (not even their fault, my miscommunication of locations) and the doctor called from his personal cell phone and called into the correct pharmacy that night!

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Stephens is very likable, we got to know her month after month coming in for treatments. She always wished us the best of luck. She asked us details about personal things we had shared in prior visits. She always answered my emails so kindly and I have a lot of questions. She never seemed annoyed by my questions. As a patient of hers I felt cared for and heard.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I would recommend you ask her for her honest feedback and thoughts versus hopeful feedback. This may have just been our case, but I think I would have done less rounds of IUI and jumped into IVF sooner, although when consulting with friends who are OBGYN's, they agreed with her mode of Tx planning.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Stephens remembered details about our personal lives that we shared, checked in to see if it was hard to meet appointments with her because of work engagements. She was always smiling and remained hopeful while also delivering the most accurate expectations on our case.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We started with a conservative approach out of wanting to see what my body could do on its own as far as follicle growth and egg health and reduce the odds of multiples. We had established a plan for two cycles of natural IUI followed by additional medications for rounds 3 and 4 of IUI to help with follicle growth and possible number of eggs. The plan was to re-assess after 4 rounds and go for IVF if applicable. Looking back, I would have added follicle stimulating drugs on earlier rounds. One round we missed ovulation entirely which was such a dissappointment. Some rounds I had to take additional drugs such as estradiol in order to help with lining because my lining wasnt thick enough. Each month brought different timing and medical challenges but Dr Stephens did what she could to help the cycle be completed. After 6 months and 4 rounds of IUI, we re-assessed and moved on to IVF planning. I started birth control, and then COVID happened and my cycle was stopped just weeks before injectables and then egg retrieval. We are currently on pause until the clinic opens back up.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Nursing staff was overall kind, I did do more of the talking and asking questions to engage in personal dialogue but overall they were encouraging and of course we felt their hopefulness that our cycles would work.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Great clinic overall, kind staff, good doctors. Be prepared from the beginning to not see YOUR assigned doctor every time you come in, which makes sense, I was just surprised at first but I got used to it. Advocate for your specific care and case, ask lots of questions, they will work hard for you but dont be afraid to ask.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Each round of IUI was roughly $900-1300 depending on number of ultrasound visits and rounds of IUI. Medications were additional costs to the pharmacy.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

None

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The things that went wrong seem like routine and normal things to go wrong due to the nature of a fast-moving clinic with lots of patients and cases to manage. I just continued to call and things were resolved VERY quickly once they were made aware of any mistakes that were made. Even once I received a call late at night from one of the doctors because my prescription had been placed with the wrong pharmacy (not even their fault, my miscommunication of locations) and the doctor called from his personal cell phone and called into the correct pharmacy that night!

9

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019 - 2020, Successful

10

Age 33 - 34

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

When Dr Stephens wasn't sure how to move forward with the diagnosis of my scar defect she took a week to get back to me she did research and even gave me the option to go to another surgergen who could do the repair laproscopicly which she wasn't comfortable doing. I went with her and had the surgery done a different way. She was honest about the expected outcome from surgery. When I did get pregnant again after surgery I was no longer a patient but when I couldn't get into my OB she had me come in early because she wanted me seen. It was good because I ended up having a tubal ectopic and she managed that honestly and with compassion

Every nurse [at Northern California Fertility Medical Center] I spoke to was so compassionate wit my ectopic situation, when I called with a million questions they always listened and made sure to let me know they understood how I was feeling...I really haven't had any issues with this clinic. They tried to charge me once when they were not supposed to but it was quickly resolved. I have always felt important and never felt like I was a burden.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

When Dr Stephens wasn't sure how to move forward with the diagnosis of my scar defect she took a week to get back to me she did research and even gave me the option to go to another surgergen who could do the repair laproscopicly which she wasn't comfortable doing. I went with her and had the surgery done a different way. She was honest about the expected outcome from surgery. When I did get pregnant again after surgery I was no longer a patient but when I couldn't get into my OB she had me come in early because she wanted me seen. It was good because I ended up having a tubal ectopic and she managed that honestly and with compassion. She wants to do further testing before we try again to try to get the best outcome. She has always responded to my messages and never once made me feel like I was bothering her.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Don't hesitate, go see her. She really cares about her work and her patients.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

My OB didn't take my concerns about my c section scar defect and history of c section scar ectopic seriously. Dr Stephens listened to me did research and really took the time to understand this rare issue I was experiencing and didn't make me feel like I was over reacting.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

I have not done cycle treatments as my issue is more linked to miscariages and ectopics

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Every nurse I spoke to was so compassionate wit my ectopic situation, when I called with a million questions they always listened and made sure to let me know they understood how I was feeling.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I really haven't had any issues with this clinic. They tried to charge me once when they were not supposed to but it was quickly resolved. I have always felt important and never felt like I was a burden.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I was diagnosed with a scar defect and multiple misscariages and an ectopic it was all covered by insurance so I don't have a lot of the financial information.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2020, Unsuccessful

2

7

Age 32

3 IUI

Tubal Blockage

Uterine Fibroids

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Saw [Dr. Sahar Stephens] for initial consult and she was very nice and reassuring but and have not seen or been in direct contact since- I get updates from the nurses no calls or updates from the doctor herself...Gave us brief insight into what course of action she would like to take to try and conceive...It would be nice to get a phone call when my care plan is altered rather than having a nurse talk to me about it. I know it’s coming from the doctor and they are busy but it’s a little unnerving not being able to be in direct contact with the doctor.

If you are wanting a doctor that’s your primary contact of care, this clinic [Northern California Fertility Medical Center] wouldn’t be for you. Most of the doctors share responsibility it seems. I’ve seen all 4 so far...First cycle was medication 50 mg clomid, estrace, trigger shot, then IUI. I did not respond to clomid (no multiple dominant follicles). Failed IUI. Second cycle was medication 150 mg clomid, estrace, trigger, 2 consecutive day IUIs. No multiple follicles, negative IUI. Next phase will be injectable gonal F and IUI, vaginal suppositories. Awaiting stay at home Orders to be over before starting new cycle.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She was knowledgeable and kind during initial consult. Gave us brief insight into what course of action she would like to take to try and conceive. But after initial consult there has been little contact with her directly. It would be nice to get a phone call when my care plan is altered rather than having a nurse talk to me about it. I know it’s coming from the doctor and they are busy but it’s a little unnerving not being able to be in direct contact with the doctor.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

If you are wanting a doctor that’s your primary contact of care, this clinic wouldn’t be for you. Most of the doctors share responsibility it seems. I’ve seen all 4 so far.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Saw for initial consult and she was very nice and reassuring but and have not seen or been in direct contact since- I get updates from the nurses no calls or updates from the doctor herself.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

First cycle was medication 50 mg clomid, estrace, trigger shot, then IUI. I did not respond to clomid (no multiple dominant follicles). Failed IUI. Second cycle was medication 150 mg clomid, estrace, trigger, 2 consecutive day IUIs. No multiple follicles, negative IUI. Next phase will be injectable gonal F and IUI, vaginal suppositories. Awaiting stay at home Orders to be over before starting new cycle.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Very communicative and prompt.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Nurses communicate well the plan of care. Office staff and doctors were all kind and had good bedside manner. Weakness: lack of direct doctor /patient relationship. It’s more a team effort- nurses relay everything to patient.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

All cost was out of pocket. Our insurance wasn’t accepted.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

No

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Lost paperwork

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Nothing went wrong.

2

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

7

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Sacramento

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

8

Age 40 - 41

5 IUI

2 IVF

1 Embryo Freezing

Male Factor

Poor Egg Quality

European

East Asian

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Donor Sperm

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Stephens is very straight-forward, which we appreciate. Whenever we met with her (whether in-person, or phone consult), she would go over our charts and review current standings...She would answer without prejudice and with her honest opinion. She was intelligent and non-judgmental, which made it easier to ask questions about alternative treatment or wellness options. My only concern would be, I don't know if she was talking about only-her experience, or all of the experience from the clinic. There are several doctors and quite a number of patients, I would prefer to know that they collectively reviewed charts (since you see all the Doctors, eventually, anyway) and that your primary Dr gave you recommendations based off of their collective experience & input. Typically, more knowledge and more experience would get you better treatment, theoretically.

She [nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center] was extremely patient while teaching the dosage and how to best give injections. You'll always get her voicemail, if you call the clinic, but she answers/returns phone calls and e-mails in the same day...For the clinic, the meds, consultations, etc.; the IUI rounds were about $3,000 each and the IVF (extraction-only) were about $15,000 each...You'll rarely see your personal Dr (although they are available via e-mail) and scheduling appointments with your personal Doctor is 3-4 weeks out. Good to know: NCFMC has several Doctors on staff, who have their own patients and they have a "duty" type of schedule. So they rotate, when they see their personal patients, when they are in the exam room, when they have to work the

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

What I appreciated most about Dr. Stephens was the ability to talk candidly with her, about our predicament, what I've researched versus what she's worked with (or seen work). She would answer without prejudice and with her honest opinion. She was intelligent and non-judgmental, which made it easier to ask questions about alternative treatment or wellness options. My only concern would be, I don't know if she was talking about only-her experience, or all of the experience from the clinic. There are several doctors and quite a number of patients, I would prefer to know that they collectively reviewed charts (since you see all the Doctors, eventually, anyway) and that your primary Dr gave you recommendations based off of their collective experience & input. Typically, more knowledge and more experience would get you better treatment, theoretically.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Don't be afraid to be inquisitive, ask questions, and understand your case. Dr Stephens is nice and will take the time to answer your questions, but she's also not going to try to inundate you with information you may not understand or care about. She will tell you about your situation and give you her recommendations, then leave space for you to talk and ask questions. Also, be prepared to see other Doctors during your clinic appointments, you're only guaranteed to see Dr Stephens during your one-on-one appointments with her.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens is very straight-forward, which we appreciate. Whenever we met with her (whether in-person, or phone consult), she would go over our charts and review current standings. We always had a list of questions regarding our status, her experience and expectations from similar cases, possible options, and personnel + professional opinions. She answered all of our questions, remaining realistic and positive, without being overly optimistic. She would also discuss her recommended treatments and ensured we understood and were okay proceeding with her ideas, or if we wanted to something else.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

With a history of on-going birth control (Depo Provera or IUD), no past pregnancy, no other underlying issues (other than age >35) on the female side, proceeded with IUI using donor sperm. Started treatment with Clomid, with the first three IUIs varying from 2 follicles to 4 follicles. Upped the medication on rounds 4-6 to include Gonal-F, which increased the follicle count to 3-6 follicles on various attempts. Still no resulting pregnancy. When we started IVF, I was put on birth control pills to "regulate" the period, as well as Gonal-F, Ganirelix, and Menopur. This had less than stellar results, which was four follicles, four eggs, three possible embryos, but none were viable that lasted past day 5. The next round of IVF the medication eliminated the b/c pills, added estrogen patches, and increased the Gonal-F daily dosage amount. Ganirelix and Menopur dosage remained the same. This was exponentially better, resulting in nine follicles, 14 eggs, seven embryos, 2 possible embryos (were good as of day 5), but returned from the genetics lab as known defective.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney)

Courtney was fantastic! She was extremely patient while teaching the dosage and how to best give injections. You'll always get her voicemail, if you call the clinic, but she answers/returns phone calls and e-mails in the same day. She'll work extra hard with the pharmacy to get the medication you need, when you need it, and if you need an extra prescription/authorization written to get approval from the insurance, she'll work with them too. SHE will be your best friend, confidante, and mentor while using NFCMC. For the rest of the Nursing staff, they're nice & polite. The moment after you remember you need to empty your bladder before the ultrasound, and use the restroom in the lobby, is when they'll finally call your name. Every.time. Some of the phlebotomist are better than others, you'll either leave the chair with a smile, laugh, or a bruise. Overall, they've got a very good routine and you'll rarely wait more than 10 minutes in the lobby for your appointment. (Which is great when you're trying to fit your appointments in during your lunch break.)

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Strengths: The office staff have a smooth routine down in the office, friendliness of the staff, tons of experience from several doctors and lots of patients, you'll get to know all of the doctors at NCFMC (they're all personable, so you can ask them questions after/ during your exam). Weaknesses: the exam rooms are rather tight, so there's not a lot of room for your personal items or your partner. They recently moved their Roseville office into Sacramento. You'll rarely see your personal Dr (although they are available via e-mail) and scheduling appointments with your personal Doctor is 3-4 weeks out. Good to know: NCFMC has several Doctors on staff, who have their own patients and they have a "duty" type of schedule. So they rotate, when they see their personal patients, when they are in the exam room, when they have to work the weekends/ holidays, etc. As such, you'll get to know all/most of the Doctors at NCFMC during the ultrasound visits. However, You won't see your assigned Doctor unless you schedule a one-on-one appointment, or its your lucky day when they're the one to walk into your exam room.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The clinic cost were not covered by our insurance, but some of the medications were. For the clinic, the meds, consultations, etc.; the IUI rounds were about $3,000 each and the IVF (extraction-only) were about $15,000 each.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

N/A - did not have embryos to transfer. :-(

8

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

8

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2019, Unknown Success

10

Age 38

5 IUI

2 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Stephens is my primary doctor, which I am glad to see her in consultations and if I need to talk to her on the phone. I think she is the best. I really like her overall demeanor and the ways she explains things. ... Dr. Stephens has a calm and caring personality. She is good at explaining things and listing the options and pros and cons and helping guide you to the right decisions ... she did say if I had to do it again I may need more medications next time, which was true and now with better results this time around.

Clinic [Northern California Fertility Med Ctr] is great- the whole staff has been really nice. ... One thing I wish they took was Care Credit ... My nurse Courtney and all the others have been great ... Also I work in Sacramento and clinic is in Roseville, so sometimes harder to get to appts during work hours because it is a 30 min drive there and then back. ... The only bummer is when you go to appts you see different doctors each time

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens is my primary doctor, which I am glad to see her in consultations and if I need to talk to her on the phone. I think she is the best. I really like her overall demeanor and the ways she explains things. The only bummer is when you go to appts you see different doctors each time, just luck of the draw if you get her or someone else once you actually start treatments and go to appts based on your cycle.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She is great.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens has a calm and caring personality. She is good at explaining things and listing the options and pros and cons and helping guide you to the right decisions

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

My husband and I started out slowly doing 5 IUI over a 2 year period, they recommend only 3 before moving on to IVF but supported my decision to do more. I took my awhile to warm up to idea of doing IVF and did first cycle in May of 2018. I only got 7 eggs retrieved and 1 made it to day 5 freezing, we transferred the 1 egg and didn't work out. Right now in the middles of round 2 and so far got 13 eggs retrieved, 3 made it to day 5 freeze and waiting on PGS test results to come back in next week or two. I am bummed the the first round didn't work out, but happy the second round is so far going better and hopeful for a successful pregnancy with one of those 3 frozen eggs. On the first round, my I didn't have as many follicles and they would have liked and did up my meds during the cycle but she did say if I had to do it again I may need more medications next time, which was true and now with better results this time around.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney)

My nurse Courtney and all the others have been great

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Clinic is great- the whole staff has been really nice. One thing I wish they took was Care Credit, we had that credit card for an emergency pet surgery and has low interest for paying back and would have been great if they accepted it there. Also I work in Sacramento and clinic is in Roseville, so sometimes harder to get to appts during work hours because it is a 30 min drive there and then back.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

IUI were around 500 each, with some insurance coverage and then first IVF around 5,000 with insurance coverage. Insurance had a lifetime max that I hit with first IVF so now second IVF out of pocket and going to cost around 25,000 total with ICSI, PGS and 1 FET

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I only ever wanted to do single transfers so didn't get into the approach of doing multiple.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018, Unknown Success

10

Age 30

1 IUI

Unexplained

Income $50K - $99K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 2 Docs

2 Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Stephens gave us hope after two other doctors had given us discouragement. The diagnosis of unexplained infertility can be very discouraging but she showed us multiple treatment plans and gave us hope.... My husband and I felt like Dr Stephen was very patient and listened to our questions and concerns. She even took the time to explain results from a prior surgery i had had with another surgeon.... We started with a letrozole IUI cycle. We decided to start at the least invasive treatment and then work our way up.

The clinic [NoCa Fert Med Ctr] is always very clean and well kept. They are experts at what they do! From the time I called to schedule our initial consultation I knew I had made the right decision. They were quick to get me on the schedule the receptionist was very professional and able to answer all my questions. This made me feel very comfortable right from the start. The financial coordinators really know what they are doing and are able to quickly discuss coverage with you.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Stephens gave us hope after two other doctors had given us discouragement. The diagnosis of unexplained infertility can be very discouraging but she showed us multiple treatment plans and gave us hope.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She take the time to listen unlike most doctors who are watching the clock.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

My husband and I felt like Dr Stephen was very patient and listened to our questions and concerns. She even took the time to explain results from a prior surgery i had had with another surgeon.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We started with a letrozole IUI cycle. We decided to start at the least invasive treatment and then work our way up. This was what was recommended by Dr Stephens and was the best choice for my husband and I.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The nursing staff is always very professional and compassionate. They always take the time to answer questions and make you feel important.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The clinic is always very clean and well kept. They are experts at what they do! From the time I called to schedule our initial consultation I knew I had made the right decision. They were quick to get me on the schedule the receptionist was very professional and able to answer all my questions. This made me feel very comfortable right from the start. The financial coordinators really know what they are doing and are able to quickly discuss coverage with you. All of the staff are extremely knowledgeable in their profession and make you feel very comfortable. You know your in great hands at the Roseville Norhtern California Fertility Clinic.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We did a letrozole IUI cycle and are now beginning our journey with IVF. So far with IUI we have spent approx $1500 on one cylce.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We are just beginning our journey into IVF after and unsuccessful IUI.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017 - 2018, Unknown Success

10

Age 36 - 37

3 IUI

1 IVF

Endometriosis

Unexplained

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Stephens is friendly, honest, trustworthy. She explains the process and procedures in terms I understand. She genuinely wants the best for her patients. She cares about her patients and does all she can to provide the best care while hoping to achieve the best outcome.... We have unexplained infertility so we started with IUI using clomid. My first round didn’t produce as many follicles as she had hoped for so the second IUI she increased my medication. After the second failed IUI, she gave me the option of doing surgery to see if there was anything else going on inside that we were unaware of.

I honestly can’t think of a weakness at this time. They are a very busy clinic [Nor CA Fert Med Ctr] but I never feel rushed. My questions are always answered and I never have to wait long. Sometimes I wish I could see Dr. Stephens a little more regularly, but I have come to know all of the other doctors and they are all just as friendly. I feel comfortable with them all, and they come into my examination room knowing where I’m at in the process and up to date. They all work very well as a team, the doctors, nurses, and staff.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens is friendly, honest, trustworthy. She explains the process and procedures in terms I understand. She genuinely wants the best for her patients. She cares about her patients and does all she can to provide the best care while hoping to achieve the best outcome.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I’d tell them they are in good hands.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens is a great doctor. I’m so happy we found her and the NCFMC facility. She’s always been upfront and honest and showed sympathy and understanding at all times. She explains the procedures and process in terms we can understand and feel comfortable with her.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We have unexplained infertility so we started with IUI using clomid. My first round didn’t produce as many follicles as she had hoped for so the second IUI she increased my medication. After the second failed IUI, she gave me the option of doing surgery to see if there was anything else going on inside that we were unaware of. I elected for surgery. She found slight endometriosis and a cyst. Those were removed and we tried for a third IUI. The third failed. She informed me I could try for a 4th IUI or go on to IVF. WE elected for IVF at that point. The first round of IVF did not produce as many eggs as we had hoped for. We had 11 in total. My right side didn’t respond as well as she hoped and the two embryos we had remaining Cake back abnormal. We are in the process of our second IVF. This round she has increased my meds in hopes of retrieving more eggs.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Jamie Fife)

My Nurse Jamie is great. She explains everything well, returns my calls when I have a question, gives me outlines of dates and medications and instructions. All of the staff at NCFMC is very helpful and friendly.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I honestly can’t think of a weakness at this time. They are a very busy clinic but I never feel rushed. My questions are always answered and I never have to wait long. Sometimes I wish I could see Dr. Stephens a little more regularly, but I have come to know all of the other doctors and they are all just as friendly. I feel comfortable with them all, and they come into my examination room knowing where I’m at in the process and up to date. They all work very well as a team, the doctors, nurses, and staff.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I believe the average cost for the IUI process was about $1,100. For IVF, our first round was about 18k-20k. That included all of our appointments, ultrasounds, egg retrieval, genetic testing, and ICSI.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2014 - 2018, Unsuccessful

10

Age 37 - 41

5 IUI

4 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Stephens was always available to answer all questions and concerns I had. She was compassionate during difficult times.... She was available for questions regarding my cycles. I would have preferred to see her more often than other Drs in the clinic, but all doctors kept great notes so there was a good continuity of care. Each time I met with a doctor, they knew what was going on.... Ask questions, and ask to see her as much as possible.

Everyone you encounter in the office [Northern California Fertility Medical Ctr] - receptionist, finance people, nurses, drs, assistants, etc - all are very friendly and take a genuine interest in you.... Once, I had to call the clinic for results a day later than promised (when they were supposed to call me). They were surprised I didn't receive a call and apologetic. They gave me my results shortly after my call.... The nurses were not as fluid as the drs were when assisting patients that were not "assigned" to them

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She was available for questions regarding my cycles. I would have preferred to see her more often than other Drs in the clinic, but all doctors kept great notes so there was a good continuity of care. Each time I met with a doctor, they knew what was going on.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Ask questions, and ask to see her as much as possible.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Stephens was always available to answer all questions and concerns I had. She was compassionate during difficult times.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney)

Courtney was able to communicate without through email (my preferred method). This allowed almost all of our conversations to be documented and easy for me to refer back to. She was patient and throuough. Courtney's work days varied, so there would be times where she was not in the office - these times I would see a substitute nurse. The substitute nurse was not always familiar with my case, and I often had to remind them of my treatments. The nurses were not as fluid as the drs were when assisting patients that were not "assigned" to them

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I am fortunate that I have a very flexible schedule, so I can make appointment times work. I can see others having a more challenging time with scheduling if they have a more rigid schedule. Everyone you encounter in the office - receptionist, finance people, nurses, drs, assistants, etc - all are very friendly and take a genuine interest in you.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We were fortunate that we have insurance to cover a portion of our procedures. Over the last 4 years we have spent approximately $100,000 meds, procedures, etc.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

My embryos were all pgs tested, so we only transferred one at a time. Since I didn't have many "normal" embryos, I was OK with doing a single transfer - it gave me more opportunities for fet and to try to get pregnant

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Once, I had to call the clinic for results a day later than promised (when they were supposed to call me). They were surprised I didn't receive a call and apologetic. They gave me my results shortly after my call.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

5

2

Age 38 - 39

3 IUI

Male Factor

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

I thought she [Dr. Stephens] was very nice. I wish i was able to see her more often and she was a bigger part of my journey. We had very little interaction... she was technically my dr but didn't do any of my iui"s and i only saw her twice in the five month span... We started the first two rounds with a moderate dose of clomid. Unfortunately it didn't affect my body the way it was supposed to so i did another round of clomid before both of my iuis.

Each iui was about $1200 with my insurance covering a little of the dr visits.....the clinic [Northern CA Fertility Med Ctr] is always clean in the waiting room. i think that they need to work on cleanliness in the back too. I have been in for a lot of ultra sounds and the first two times i was there i got something wet on my feet at the bottom of the table.... my prescriptions were not sent in twice and my iui was canceled without any explanation...

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I thought she was very nice. I wish i was able to see her more often and she was a bigger part of my journey. We had very little interaction and i felt very awkward with her when i cried on one visit. I think we were unable to have a connection because of the lack of time between us.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Make sure to ask for her for every visit.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens was very nice but i hated that she was technically my dr but didn't do any of my iui"s and i only saw her twice in the five month span only because i asked for an extra appointment with her. My unhappiness with my experience is mostly with ncfmc not Dr. Stephens.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We started the first two rounds with a moderate dose of clomid. Unfortunately it didn't affect my body the way it was supposed to so i did another round of clomid before both of my iuis. The third time they doubled the dose of clomid and we tried to see if that made a difference, it did not. My iui was canceled and i went in the next month for a baseline ultrasound. During that visit i was told that i had a cyst on my ovaries and needed to go on birth control for a month. I did that and went back in for another ultrasound. The cyst cleared up and i was able to start injections. The injections worked and we did one more iui that was also unsuccessful.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

i was very disappointed in the call back time and how prepared she was for our conversation. i thought it was very cold and that wasnt what i was looking for when coming to a fertility clinic. I too cried in front of my nurse and felt a awkward period where she looked uncomfortable about it.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

the clinic is always clean in the waiting room. i think that they need to work on cleanliness in the back too. I have been in for a lot of ultra sounds and the first two times i was there i got something wet on my feet at the bottom of the table. The third time there was a puddle of lube at the end of the table. i am displeased with the call backs too. There have been multiple times when i call and do not hear back within two days.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Each iui was about $1200 with my insurance covering a little of the dr visits.

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

my prescriptions were not sent in twice and my iui was canceled without any explanation except that the medicine didn't work so you should talk to your dr and see where to go from here. He then left the room. Results were also given incorrectly and they had to call and tell us after we left that they read them wrong.

5

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

2

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

10

Age 36 - 37

1 IVF

Male Factor

Unexplained

Income $100K - $199K

1st of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

With Dr. Stephens we were not having a discussion on clinical facts, instead we sat down had a very personable conversation while discussing options and facts. She took all the anxiety away and allowed my husband and I to walk away with hopes for a reality of having a baby while managing expectations...We opted to go with PGS due to our ages (Husband 44, I am 37) and after additional discussion with Dr. Stephens looking at all possible pros and cons we chose genetic testing and single embryo transfers for highest percentage of results.

I really liked how they [No Cal Fert Med Ctr] have very specialized professionals to discuss all needs regarding your care and if they don't know the answer they are not afraid to say they don't know, will find out and do call you with the findings....the nursing staff is amazing, super nice and caring. They also are available to answer any and all questions you might have... Dr. Stephens and all the doctors are open and willing to answer every and all questions.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens and Dr. Murray are the primary providers overseeing my treatments and both are AMAZING. I have felt very comfortable with both and they have walked me through every step along with answering every question I have. I could not have asked for better physicians during this process.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Relax! Do your research as to better educate yourself about fertility procedures which makes for a better patient, but don't assume you know anything and don't be afraid to ask any questions. Dr. Stephens and all the doctors are open and willing to answer every and all questions.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Our first visit was one filled with anxiety, you already know you cannot conceive on your own and now you are trying to find out if IVF can be a solution. With Dr. Stephens we were not having a discussion on clinical facts, instead we sat down had a very personable conversation while discussing options and facts. She took all the anxiety away and allowed my husband and I to walk away with hopes for a reality of having a baby while managing expectations.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

Antagonist IVF Cycle all freeze due to PGS - 225 iu Gonal-f for 10 days, 75 iu Menopur for 10 days, Cetrotide 5 days, Ovidrel 10,000. ICSI, PGS. We have male factor infertility and undefined cause for myself. We opted to go with PGS due to our ages (Husband 44, I am 37) and after additional discussion with Dr. Stephens looking at all possible pros and cons we chose genetic testing and single embryo transfers for highest percentage of results.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Dottie )

the nursing staff is amazing, super nice and caring. They also are available to answer any and all questions you might have.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I really liked how they have very specialized professionals to discuss all needs regarding your care and if they don't know the answer they are not afraid to say they don't know, will find out and do call you with the findings.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I am fortunate and my insurance did cover 50% of IVF treatment, and because we did a frozen transfer due to PGS, the office gave us 50% off the 1st FET. Total out of pocket so far is $14,490.75. Our upcoming 2nd FET will cost $3,900.00

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Since we did PGS it is highly recommended to only transfer one embryo, however, I also wanted the safest possible outcome for myself and our potential baby so I only wanted to do single embryo transfers.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2014 - 2018, Unknown Success

10

Age 25 - 29

1 Embryo Freezing (cancer)

Cancer

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Each time we see Dr. Stephens, she is very personable and gives us her full attention. She makes a point of getting to know our situation and creating an open discussion of options.... With my situation, there has been a lot of “hurry up and wait” and “wait and see” time periods. Each time we see Dr. Sahar she is patient with all of our questions, and understanding and receptive of our thoughts and/or concerns. She is upfront and honest about our options and the pros/cons to each treatment.

All of the nurses [at N. CA Fertility Medical Center] I’ve interacted with have been kind and caring. They especially took EXCELLENT care of me on the day of my egg retrieval - before, during and after....Of course I wish fertility treatments were more affordable but they do their best to work with you. They are transparent about their services and pricing. There’s no pressure, they provide your treatment options, the success rates, the pros and cons, and they let you decide on the treatment you feel comfortable with.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

With my situation, there has been a lot of “hurry up and wait” and “wait and see” time periods. Each time we see Dr. Sahar she is patient with all of our questions, and understanding and receptive of our thoughts and/or concerns. She is upfront and honest about our options and the pros/cons to each treatment.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Each time we see Dr. Stephens, she is very personable and gives us her full attention. She makes a point of getting to know our situation and creating an open discussion of options.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Sue)

All of the nurses I’ve interacted with have been kind and caring. They especially took EXCELLENT care of me on the day of my egg retrieval - before, during and after.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

No complaints here. My experience has been great each time. Of course I wish fertility treatments were more affordable but they do their best to work with you. They are transparent about their services and pricing. There’s no pressure, they provide your treatment options, the success rates, the pros and cons, and they let you decide on the treatment you feel comfortable with.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The egg retrieval was around $10,000, each embryo transfer can be up to $5,000 and each IUI cycle can be up to $2,000.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Dr. Stephens has explicitly stated that she will only do eSET due to the young age of my eggs upon retrieval. I totally understand the reasoning and approach, although, I am of the mind that it would be beneficial financially to increase the chances of a successful transfer with multiple embryo transfer.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017, Unsuccessful

6

5

Age 36

3 IUI

1 IVF

Male Factor

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

1st of 2 Docs

2 IUI With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Very compassionate doctor... I was happy with her [Dr. Stephens] as an informative doctor just disappointed in the outcome... it would be nice to see more of the doctor who is handling your specific case....Hormone levels where very high through my injection process resulting in not being able to be given the proper dose of hcg which could have effected the eggg quality and possibly why so many did not get to blast. Ended up switching from a fresh transfer to a freeze all because of high hormone levels.

Their [No Cal Fert Med Ctr] front desk in the past has always felt very cold and business like, but they have recently got new front deak employees who are much more pleasant and welcoming. Sometimes in general you feel like a body just being pushed through the line based on you see so many different doctors while going theough the iui and ivf process....Some of the sperm count numbers would come back different on the day of iui in comparison to what it said on the patient portal. Maybe it was lack of communication in interpreting those results but sometimes we were left comfused as to what the actual count was

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Very compassionate doctor. Since she was the only one i went through for our ivf i can not really compare how good or bad she was because i have nothing as far as other doctors to compare her to. I was happy with her as an informative doctor just disappointed in the outcome

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Go over all different sinerios that could arise while going theough hormone injections

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She was very nurtouring when talking and i felt that she was very real with the process.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

Tried 2 iui’s with clomid, forst was very low dose, second was a normal dose from talking to orher wmen. Both iui’s unsuccessful. Then moved on to ivf. Hormone levels where very high through my injection process resulting in not being able to be given the proper dose of hcg which could have effected the eggg quality and possibly why so many did not get to blast. Ended up switching from a fresh transfer to a freeze all because of high hormone levels. Tranfered two eggs both in which neither of them took.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney Swanson)

My nurse coordinator was grat. She always resoonded very quickly to my questions both through phone and email, and i felt very comfortable with her

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Their front desk in the past has always felt very cold and business like, but they have recently got new front deak employees who are much more pleasant and welcoming. Sometimes in general you feel like a body just being pushed through the line based on you see so many different doctors while going theough the iui and ivf process. I understand the time urgency with these procedures bit it would be nice to see more of the doctor who is handling your specific case.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Insurance covered 50% of iui’s so we paid about 1,000 for two consecutive iuis. Ivf was around 12,000 for egg retrieval and transfer plus an additional 800 for having to change to a freeze all. None of the hormones where covered and that was an additional 4,000

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Some of the sperm count numbers would come back different on the day of iui in comparison to what it said on the patient portal. Maybe it was lack of communication in interpreting those results but sometimes we were left comfused as to what the actual count was

6

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

5

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017, Unsuccessful

7

8

Age 38

3 IUI

Unexplained

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

1st of 3 Docs

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Stephens has been cheerful, optimistic, realistic, and helpful. We were all hoping to see a positive result last round but she readjusted my meds and we are continue to "trouble shoot"...Dr. Stevens and the entire team at Norther California Medical Fertility Clinic has been helpful, positive, and generally reassuring.... All in all, I feel pretty comfortable with her...I would advise potential patients to get a clear picture of the treatment schedule and the financial plan.

Joann is my current nurse coordinator [at Northern CA Med] but she is newly assigned to me. I have had several coordinators in the 5 months we've been at the clinic. My current nurse coordinator has been very communicative and helpful...Overwhelmingly, they have been very professional and helpful but we did have disappointing a mix up early on in our treatments. At one point I left a message letting the clinic know I had ovulated (according to my predictor kit) but they didn't return my call for over 24 hours.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens has been cheerful, optimistic, realistic, and helpful. We were all hoping to see a positive result last round but she readjusted my meds and we are continue to "trouble shoot" with hopes of a positive result soon. All in all, I feel pretty comfortable with her.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I would advise potential patients to get a clear picture of the treatment schedule and the financial plan. This is not an inexpensive endeavor so prospective patients should look into financial aid if needed -- hence, my current grant pursuit.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stevens and the entire team at Norther California Medical Fertility Clinic has been helpful, positive, and generally reassuring. I am now on my 3rd IUI treatment and I hope for a positive result this round!

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

1) Clomid (1 pill per day) and Estrace (2 pills per day), and IUI. Only had 1 follicle so we upped it. 2) Clomid (3 pills per day) and planned IUI but had to cancel due to a cycle calculation/scheduling error Had 1 follicle but we made a mistake with the cycle scheduling so had to cancel our scheduled IUI procedures that month. 3) Clomid (3 pills), Gonal F at 75 units, IUI. TWO follicles but a BFN. 4)Clomid (3 pills), Gonal F at 75 units, IUI. Two follicles again but BFN. 5) Clomid (3 pills), Estrace (2 per day), Gonal F at 125 units (only 4 days). 1 follicle . . .

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Joanne)

Joann is my current nurse coordinator but she is newly assigned to me. I have had several coordinators in the 5 months we've been at the clinic. My current nurse coordinator has been very communicative and helpful.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The clinic is well organized with friendly staff. Because the five or so clinic doctors share cases, you never know who will be seeing you. That may be off-putting for some but it doesn't bother me. The ambiance leaves a little to be desired but that isn't really important.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Round 1 with clomid and estrace ran $1800 with meds, round 2 was $800 because we had to cancel it. Rounds 3 and 4 with Gonal F and IUI ran about $2300 each. This current round is running about $3000. All in all, we have spent about $10K with treatments and meds.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We haven't taken this step yet but we may be headed down that road.

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Lost paperwork
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Overwhelmingly, they have been very professional and helpful but we did have disappointing a mix up early on in our treatments. At one point I left a message letting the clinic know I had ovulated (according to my predictor kit) but they didn't return my call for over 24 hours. When they didn't respond again, I just showed up to the clinic to explain the situation. They were very apologetic and rushed me in for an ultrasound. Unfortunately, it confirmed that I just missed my window. That round was an expensive wash -- it cost us over $800 in meds and appointments. It was a difficult month but things have been much better since that time.

7

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

8

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2016 - 2017, Successful

10

Age 26 - 27

4 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Stephens was very warm to talk to and always explained treatment, diagnosis, and odds to a level my partner and I could easily understand. She was always realistic in expectations of procedures. She listened to us and gave us choices to enable us to have a part in directing our care.... We were diagnosed as unexplained infertility after routine infertility lab tests were performed. We did 4 rounds of IUI: 3 with clomid and 1 with injections.

[N. CA Fertility Medical Center is] Clean and organized but there were a few times they were running late with their schedule and I had to wait. But if that means they were giving quality empathetic care to all of their patients, I would not have them give that up for me to be seen on time.... All the nursing staff were fantastic: warm, friendly, understanding, and hopeful. I did not have any bad interactions with the nursing staff.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I love this doctor. She is very nice, intelligent, and portrays an understanding of the emotional aspect of going through infertility. She always explained all testing and treatment options to us. I would recommend her 100%.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Feel free to ask her about anything. She will never hurry you and will always give a direct comprehendable response.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens was very warm to talk to and always explained treatment, diagnosis, and odds to a level my partner and I could easily understand. She was always realistic in expectations of procedures. She listened to us and gave us choices to enable us to have a part in directing our care.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

We were diagnosed as unexplained infertility after routine infertility lab tests were performed. We did 4 rounds of IUI: 3 with clomid and 1 with injections. All 4 ended in negative pregnancies. Since IUIs were not working, Dr. Stephens gave us a choice of continuing with the IUIs or going to IVF; she explained to us that the rates of success after 3-4 failed IUIs declines so we chose to move forward with IVF. We had 8 embryos to start with. We were going to do a fresh transfer of 1 embryo (she recommended transferring just 1 because of our unexplained infertility diagnosis and we are young - we were totally on board with that plan) but my estrogen levels were a little bit elevated after the egg retrieval and she told us there was less of a chance of the embryo implanting with my hormone levels being off. She gave us the option and we decided to do a freeze all. We were able to freeze 6 embryos (2 of them were not high enough quality to freeze). It was another few months before we could attempt a frozen transfer due to my cycles being off and the lab being closed for cleaning during the holidays. When it came time to do the frozen transfer, she planned for me to ovulate so that my body could create its own corpus luteum to produce my own progesterone so I wouldn’t have to do the progesterone in oil shots. I became pregnant upon the first embryo transfer, was released to my regular OB after viable pregnancy was confirmed with seeing a fetal pole and heartbeat on ultrasound. I carried that baby to term and was able to deliver vaginally.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Dotty)

All the nursing staff were fantastic: warm, friendly, understanding, and hopeful. I did not have any bad interactions with the nursing staff.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Clean and organized but there were a few times they were running late with their schedule and I had to wait. But if that means they were giving quality empathetic care to all of their patients, I would not have them give that up for me to be seen on time.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I can’t recall specifics but I believe the IUIs were between $800-$1000 each and the IVF procedures were just under $10,000. My insurance covered most medications for all procedures

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I am really happy she gave us this option so my pregnancy was less high risk with 1 baby and chance of needing a c-section was lowered. I felt I was able to enjoy my pregnancy and not worry about all the high risk issues that come with having twins/multiples.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2015 - 2016, Unsuccessful

8

0

Age 32 - 33

1 IVF

Male Factor

Unexplained

Income $100K - $199K

Business Executive

1st of 2 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

We weren't really told about PGS/PGT testing as an option [by Dr. Sahar Stephens] to help balance multiple embryo transfer - but this was also back in 2015/2016 and perhaps that practice has now changed... really took the time to listen. She was compassionate, and answered all questions. I really appreciated her personally...is a very intelligent and methodical doctor. She listened well and provided compassion when necessary to the process. I never felt rushed when seeing Dr. Stephens and felt like she really cared about the our outcome.

I was constantly having to stay on top of my nurse during our cycle [at Northern California Fertility Medical Center]. Additionally, we weren't really educated on things like PGS testing...While we loved Dr. Stephens, we were less than impressed with this clinic during our time there. It was difficult to get a call back from the main nursing line and there were what I now know were pretty important pieces of information that weren't ever relayed to us. Specifically, we were never talked to about PGS testing. We were given a handout but it was really brushed over and made to sound like something people really didn't do so we didn't put much stock in it and moved on. I wish I had been more thoroughly educated on how it can improve success rates.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens is a very intelligent and methodical doctor. She listened well and provided compassion when necessary to the process. I never felt rushed when seeing Dr. Stephens and felt like she really cared about the our outcome.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I had a very positive experience with Dr. Stephens so I don't really have any advice.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens really took the time to listen. She was compassionate, and answered all questions. I really appreciated her personally.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

I do not remember the specifics of the protocol used during my retrieval.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Miriam)

Miriam is no longer there but she was very disorganized. She didn't return calls or emails and I was constantly having to keep up on her to make sure I was on the right track during my treatment.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

While we loved Dr. Stephens, we were less than impressed with this clinic during our time there. It was difficult to get a call back from the main nursing line and there were what I now know were pretty important pieces of information that weren't ever relayed to us. Specifically, we were never talked to about PGS testing. We were given a handout but it was really brushed over and made to sound like something people really didn't do so we didn't put much stock in it and moved on. I wish I had been more thoroughly educated on how it can improve success rates.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We weren't really told about PGS/PGT testing as an option to help balance multiple embryo transfer - but this was also back in 2015/2016 and perhaps that practice has now changed.

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I was constantly having to stay on top of my nurse during our cycle. Additionally, we weren't really educated on things like PGS testing.

8

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

0

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2020, Unknown Success

10

Age 30

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Talking with Dr. Stephens I instantly felt comfortable with her and she presented herself extremely knowledgeable and didn’t let em leave with any unanswered questions or uncertainty as we moved forward in the IVF process...Her approach for my IVF treatment was simple and we chose to do single embryo transfer due to me being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and not wanting to add addition high risk to a pregnancy.

Setting up my initial appointment [at Northern California Fertility Medical Center] was very easy and they were very quick to respond to me. My first visit, front desk staff was friendly and it was easy to check in and not stressful at all. I had only been to their old location as they just moved to a new location this last month...

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Talking with Dr Stephens I instantly felt comfortable with her and she presented herself extremely knowledgeable and didn’t let em leave with any unanswered questions or uncertainty as we moved forward in the IVF process.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Don’t ever feel afraid to ask more questions, she is always happy to go more in depth if you don’t understand.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She was extremely personable and always made sure I understood everything that was explained and walked me through the steps of procedures in detail.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

So far I’ve only been able to communicate with her over emails as we are in early stages of our IVF AND not able to go in office due to shelter in place.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The clinic was very inviting as I walked in the door and staff was helpful. Setting up my initial appointment was very easy and they were very quick to respond to me. My first visit, front desk staff was friendly and it was easy to check in and not stressful at all. I had only been to their old location as they just moved to a new location this last month, which I am excited to see!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

For our treatment we are choosing to do additional chromosome testing and my husband also had to do a sperm retrieval surgery so we are estimating our costs at 25k.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Her approach for my IVF treatment was simple and we chose to do single embryo transfer due to me being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and not wanting to add addition high risk to a pregnancy.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

10

Age 35 - 36

1 IVF

1 Egg Freezing

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Endometriosis

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

I love Dr. Stephens approach to care. She is knowledgeable and gentle with how she presents her knowledge. We patients are already entering this process worried and stressed about the outcome. Having a physician genuinely show they care and try to make the process easier counts so much. At the end of the day, she speaks to me like a human being and not just another woman struggling with infertility. She roots for us and we can feel that.

This clinic [N. CA Fertility Medical Center] is very friendly. They make making appointments easy. You have your nurse coordinator throughout your whole time your there. You become like a little family. When your coordinator is not available, the nurse covering is always prepped and knows exactly what is going on with your cycle/care.... [nurse] Awesome communicator. Very quick response to emails and phone calls.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I love Dr. Stephens approach to care. She is knowledgeable and gentle with how she presents her knowledge. We patients are already entering this process worried and stressed about the outcome. Having a physician genuinely show they care and try to make the process easier counts so much. At the end of the day, she speaks to me like a human being and not just another woman struggling with infertility. She roots for us and we can feel that. She’s gentle with not so god is news, but doesn’t shy away from giving us the truth. She’s the absolute best.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Expect honesty with a gentle bedside manner.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens always takes the time to explain every process and treatment. Answers questions and never appears rushed.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

My current cycle she used higher doses of stimulation based on my results from my last cycle. Higher higher gonal-F and Menopur doses

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Alyssa Schnoer)

Awesome communicator. Very quick response to emails and phone calls.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

This clinic is very friendly. They make making appointments easy. You have your nurse coordinator throughout your whole time your there. You become like a little family. When your coordinator is not available, the nurse covering is always prepped and knows exactly what is going on with your cycle/care.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

17,000

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Usually, the plan is for 2 embryo transfers at a time. However, this clinic has never made me feel like I can’t make my own decision on wether I want 1 or 2 embryo transfers.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2018, Unknown Success

10

Age 36

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr Stephens took the time to speak with me and answer any questions I have. She also suggested doing more tests to perhaps do an IUI instead of jumping straight to IVF as the first clinic I went to was going to do. She was warm to me and made me feel comfortable...She had a plan of action and didn’t want to just bypass and more tests and go straight to ivf like another clinic was going to do. She explained everything fully to us and she made sure we knew what to do next

I’ve been extremely happy so far. With the wait times to be seen, to speaking to people on the phone. I have been happy with the care I have received here [No Cal Fert Med Ctr ] on every level. I would recommend them to my family and friends...The nurses that I met with were so compassionate and caring. She kept telling me I know this is a lot of information and made sure I understand exactly what I needed to do next

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She made me feel comfortable. She had a plan of action and didn’t want to just bypass and more tests and go straight to ivf like another clinic was going to do. She explained everything fully to us and she made sure we knew what to do next

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

To ask for dr Stephens because she was great!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr Stephens took the time to speak with me and answer any questions I have. She also suggested doing more tests to perhaps do an IUI instead of jumping straight to IVF as the first clinic I went to was going to do. She was warm to me and made me feel comfortable

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

I am just starting treatment. She did have a detailed plan for me to get more baseline tests done to determine whether we can/will start with an IUI or ivf. I will be getting the test done the week to determine what our plan is next

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The nurses that I met with were so compassionate and caring. She kept telling me I know this is a lot of information and made sure I understand exactly what I needed to do next

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I’ve been extremely happy so far. With the wait times to be seen, to speaking to people on the phone. I have been happy with the care I have received here on every level. I would recommend them to my family and friends

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I’m still in the beginning phases. It was $225 for consultation and $180 for semen analysis

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I’m not that far yet

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

10

Age 27 - 28

Tubal Blockage

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 3 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

IVF With Other Docs

Egg Freezing With Other Docs

Embryo Freezing With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

She was amazing at explaining the process of IUI and medications. My hsg showed a blockage from the radiologist but she was able to find an opening giving me a sense of hope. I went home after her appointments with a smile... She started me on Clomid 50mg for my first IUI. But it only yeilded 1 nature follicle so i has to increase safely over the course of the next cycle.

One weakness [for N CA Fertility Med Ctr-Roseville] i would mention is the training of new hires, they lost my first IUI payment and thank god i had my receipt or else they would have over charged me 1000$! Make sure the new hires at the front desk are aware of how to handle money and transactions before asking for another payment.... 1200$ per IUI 13000 per IVF

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She was amazing at explaining the process of IUI and medications. My hsg showed a blockage from the radiologist but she was able to find an opening giving me a sense of hope. I went home after her appointments with a smile

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Don’t forget to ask questions! There are no dumb questions

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She was very nice and up front about my first IUI procedure. She explained everything and was comforting in how high her hopes were for a positive outcome which is something every woman needs during this hard time.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

She started me on Clomid 50mg for my first IUI. But it only yeilded 1 nature follicle so i has to increase safely over the course of the next cycle.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney )

Courtney explained everything in detail for me over the phone before i even met with her to go over my flow sheet and injectables!

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

One weakness i would mention is the training of new hires, they lost my first IUI payment and thank god i had my receipt or else they would have over charged me 1000$! Make sure the new hires at the front desk are aware of how to handle money and transactions before asking for another payment.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

20$ co pays for new patient visit. 1200$ per IUI 13000 per IVF

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I would prefer 2 or 3 embryos but she’s very certain one is all I’ll need for a healthy baby after IVF

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Lost paperwork
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

The medical assistants shouldn’t be going over genetic testing results without the providers knowing. I was told i was at a high risk when in fact i was a low risk!

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2017, Unknown Success

10

9

Age 22

Anovulation

PCOS

Latinx

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Doctor Stephens was very kind and shared a lot of information with us in regards to what’s next and what I need to work on for the future treatment. Also she explained the risks along with also giving me personal advice in regards to weight manangement and inducing period. ... even with being so young and seeking help I never flet judged by Doctor Stephens.

I would like to see improvement in communicating with patients that have not yet started treatment but have had a consultation. ... I love the clinic [N CA Fertility Medical Center] over all , whenever I have a question I immediately call them and get a response the same day. They are great. On top of that the portal communication is awesome. ... My experiences have honestly good, well just some [nurses] show more willingness than others but it’s the case in every job.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Doctor Stephens was very kind and shared a lot of information with us in regards to what’s next and what I need to work on for the future treatment. Also she explained the risks along with also giving me personal advice in regards to weight manangement and inducing period.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Please follow Dr. Stephens advice and don’t elongate your process by avoiding what needs to get done to go forward with your treatment process. I have elogated my process because I’ve been trying to control my A1C as it needs to be below a 6.5 to start treatment. You can do it !

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I felt like a human because even with being so young and seeking help I never flet judged by Doctor Stephens.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

My experiences have honestly good, well just some show more willingness than others but it’s the case in every job.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I love the clinic over all , whenever I have a question I immediately call them and get a response the same day. They are great. On top of that the portal communication is awesome. I would like to see improvement in communicating with patients that have not yet started treatment but have had a consultation.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I paid for my consultation only

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Canceled a cycle due to clinic error

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

I was suppose to start a timely intercourse cycle last year after I called in that my period had arrived and I was told by a medical assistant the same day I was not going to be able to start the cycle due to my a1c being elevated and it needed to be below 6.5. I was told on the day my medications were going to be filled to start my first cycle of treatment.

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

9

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2016, Unknown Success

10

Age 35

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Endometriosis

Male Factor

European

Income $0 - $49K

Teacher

3rd of 3 Docs

4 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

I switched to this clinic from another local clinic specifically for IVF treatment. I wanted a more innovative and customized treatment. I definitely found this with Dr. Stephens. She is very easy to talk to, ask questions, and doesn't sugarcoat anything. While she was very candid about my treatment plan and the possible outcomes, she was not without compassion and warmth. She tailored an extremely aggressive protocol for me, utilized supplements, and some alternative and innovative treatment ideas. Extremely pleased I made the switch!

It's a very busy clinic [Northern California Fertility Medical Center], and things do fall through the cracks. I have had to be flexible and do things on their time more than mine. But whenever I made a phone call or followed up I got an answer quickly...I switched to this clinic from another local clinic specifically for IVF treatment. I wanted a more innovative and customized treatment. I definitely found this with Dr. Stephens....We had insurance coverage: IVF cycle with ICSI $6,000 medications $200.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I switched to this clinic from another local clinic specifically for IVF treatment. I wanted a more innovative and customized treatment. I definitely found this with Dr. Stephens. She is very easy to talk to, ask questions, and doesn't sugarcoat anything. While she was very candid about my treatment plan and the possible outcomes, she was not without compassion and warmth. She tailored an extremely aggressive protocol for me, utilized supplements, and some alternative and innovative treatment ideas. Extremely pleased I made the switch!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Feel free to ask as many questions about the process or your possible outcome.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She always greets me with a smile and "nice to see you again" I never feel like she doesn't remember my history, my name, or where I am in the process or cycle. Very warm and caring, but without being condescending.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

CoQ10, DHEA, birth control pills for pre cycle. Microdose Lupron, Follistim 300iu, Menopur 150iu, (administered IM for better response) letrozole 5mg days 2-6 (endometriosis) 81mg Aspirin, dexamethasone (egg quality), PIO, e2 p4 suppositories. ICSI for male factor

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

It's a very busy clinic, and things do fall through the cracks. I have had to be flexible and do things on their time more than mine. But whenever I made a phone call or followed up I got an answer quickly.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

We had insurance coverage: IVF cycle with ICSI $6,000 medications $200

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2014 - 2016, Successful

10

Age 30 - 32

2 IVF

Poor Egg Quality

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

I absolutely adore Dr Stephens. She is up front and honest but treats me like a person and not just a "patient" she answers ALL my questions on appointments without making it seem like I am taking up her time a Or bugging her. She has set realistic goals for my plan for pregnancy. She answers my emails in 2 days tops! She is so sweet and kind and I feel like that is hard to come by with doctors in this field. If you are In the sac area I highly recommend her!

Strengths [at Northern California Fertility Medical Center] are the doctored and nurses. Weaknesses would be the financial coordinator. Worst communication EVER. Lost my IVF check. Wouldn't email back. Didn't keep track of payments- awful experience with them. [Monitoring is] always in and out! Very easy while working!...I love Dr Stephens. From the get go she has been up front with my treatment while also doing so with empathy. She is the reason why I switched RE's at my clinic

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I absolutely adore Dr Stephens. She is up front and honest but treats me like a person and not just a "patient" she answers ALL my questions on appointments without making it seem like I am taking up her time a Or bugging her. She has set realistic goals for my plan for pregnancy. She answers my emails in 2 days tops! She is so sweet and kind and I feel like that is hard to come by with doctors in this field. If you are In the sac area I highly recommend her!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Just ask questions and listen!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

I love Dr Stephens. From the get go she has been up front with my treatment while also doing so with empathy. She is the reason why I switched RE's at my clinic

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

My first IVF cycle I was on an antagonist plan with low dose gonal f and menopur. I ended up producing 15 eggs but due to low quality they arrested before day 5 except for two that were put in on day 3- BFN. He next cycle she upped my Meds to a higher dose to try and create more eggs, and chose a Lupron trigger to ensure I didn't develop OHSS. I got 30 eggs retrieved this cycle and 10 frozen blasts! Her plan coupled with my egg boot camp to change my quality.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Strengths are the doctored and nurses. Weaknesses would be the financial coordinator. Worst communication EVER. Lost my IVF check. Wouldn't email back. Didn't keep track of payments- awful experience with them

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Always in and out! Very easy while working!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

8k for IVF, 3-4K for Meds

What specific things went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Lost paperwork
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

It's all the financial team. They suck at communication and seem unorganized and flighty

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2015, Unsuccessful

8

9

Age 43

1 IVF

European

Latinx

Native American

Income $0 - $49K

1st of 4 Docs

3 IVF With Other Docs

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Dr. Stephens was the first female RE Dr. I had been treated by, and who I did my third fresh IVF cycle with. At our initial meeting I sensed she was a little reserved yet approachable, she had a direct approach about the cycle protocol we would be using and over the course of treatment I found her to be a caring Dr...The treatment used was Traditional IVF, beginning with ovarian suppression BCP, followed by IVF Cycle Type Mircodose Lupron, Gonal- F, Menopur. I believe the protocol used was primarily based on my previous IVF treatment at another center in 2003, it then produced positive results, a healthy pregnancy and birth. With Dr. Stephens protocol it's my opinion that do to my age (43) at the time of treatment ovarian suppression was unnecessary, in doing so this may have been a factor as to why fewer follicles developed.

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my care coordinator [at NCFMC] nurse Miriam. She made everything run smoothly, she was very friendly and most of all caring. She also understood things on another level as she too was an infertility patient...The treatment used was Traditional IVF, beginning with ovarian suppression BCP, followed by IVF Cycle Type Mircodose Lupron, Gonal- F, Menopur. I believe the protocol used was primarily based on my previous IVF treatment at another center in 2003, it then produced positive results, a healthy pregnancy and birth. With Dr. Stephens protocol it's my opinion that do to my age (43) at the time of treatment ovarian suppression was unnecessary, in doing so this may have been a factor as to why fewer follicles developed.

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens was the first female RE Dr. I had been treated by, and who I did my third fresh IVF cycle with. At our initial meeting I sensed she was a little reserved yet approachable, she had a direct approach about the cycle protocol we would be using and over the course of treatment I found her to be a caring Dr.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Don't base a permanent opinion of her on your first encounter.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Dr. Stephens has a straight forward approach yet compassionate and understanding at the same time.

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

The treatment used was Traditional IVF, beginning with ovarian suppression BCP, followed by IVF Cycle Type Mircodose Lupron, Gonal- F, Menopur. I believe the protocol used was primarily based on my previous IVF treatment at another center in 2003, it then produced positive results, a healthy pregnancy and birth. With Dr. Stephens protocol it's my opinion that do to my age (43) at the time of treatment ovarian suppression was unnecessary, in doing so this may have been a factor as to why fewer follicles developed.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Northern California Fertility Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Miriam)

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my care coordinator nurse Miriam. She made everything run smoothly, she was very friendly and most of all caring. She also understood things on another level as she too was an infertility patient.

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Strengths: I feel this clinics strengths are their staff from the Dr.'s to their nursing staff, and embryologist team. They made you feel welcomed.

Describe Sahar Stephens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

No strong approach. We had three with different grades, so all three were transferred.

8

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

9

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

2014 - 2015, Unsuccessful

10

Age 28 - 29

1 IVF

Poor Egg Quality

Unexplained

Income $100K - $199K

Sales Representative

1st of 3 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

She [Dr. Stephens] made me feel good about my body again. She made my self esteem build up again. ... She made us feel comfortable and understand that we’re not alone. ... She explained to me every step of the path we were taking. ... My first round of IVF she made sure to keep tracking my egg counts. Then after getting a negative test result she made sure that the next round she followed even more closely.

They [No CA Fertility Medical Center] always were following up and very clear and up front about all coats ... They made sure from the very first call I made into their office till the last appointment to make sure they were very professional and compassionate. Their office was very clean and made sure to keep client privacy number one. ... They [nurses] became to know me on first name basis. They were praying just as much as I was to get pregnant

How was your experience with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

She wanted to know more about my husband and I. She made us feel comfortable and understand that we’re not alone. She made me feel good about my body again. She made my self esteem build up again. She explained to me every step of the path we were taking. She made sure that I felt like it’s not just me in this and it was a team to get a result

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Give faith in her. She knows what’s she’s talking about and will help you through the whole thing

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center?

Her and her staff really took personal al interest in mine and my husbands treatment. They cared. They were very heartfelt

Describe the protocols Sahar Stephens used in your cycles at Northern California Fertility Medical Center and their degree of success.

My first round of IVF she made sure to keep tracking my egg counts. Then after getting a negative test result she made sure that the next round she followed even more closely. She made sure to keep adjusting my hormone amounts to do for injection

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

They became to know me on first name basis. They were praying just as much as I was to get pregnant

Describe your experience with Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

They made sure from the very first call I made into their office till the last appointment to make sure they were very professional and compassionate. Their office was very clean and made sure to keep client privacy number one. They always were following up and very clear and up front about all coats

Describe the costs associated with your care under Sahar Stephens at Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

Our first round of treatment was covered under insurance. Second round was out of pocket and was around $10000

10

Doctor

Sahar Stephens

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

10

Clinic

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Roseville (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Sahar Stephens Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Sahar Stephens

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Education

How Doctor Communicates

Northern California Fertility Medical Center
Rated 9.2

48 patient reviews

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Sahar Stephens

Northern California Fertility Medical Center

Education

How Doctor Communicates

Northern California Fertility Medical CenterRated 9.2Strongly recommend: 76%Neutral: 20%Don't recommend: 4%9.2

48 patient reviews

Learn from top fertility experts

Northern California Fertility Medical Center
Rated 9.2