Sandy Li

Boston IVF

Rated 7.8
Strongly recommend: 45%Neutral: 43%Don't recommend: 12%7.8
45% strongly recommend
4 reviews
Humanity
8.1
8.1
Humanity

Ratings of 1 mean patients felt this doctor treated them as "a number."

Ratings of 10 mean patients felt this doctor treated them as "a human."

Communication
9.7
9.7
Communication

Ratings of 1 mean poor communication.

Ratings of 10 mean excellent communication.

Frequency Seen
4.4
4.4
Frequency Seen

Ratings of 1 mean patients only saw this doctor once or twice during treatment.

Ratings of 10 mean patients saw this doctor at every appointment.

Responsiveness
5.7
OK
Responsiveness

Scale is "poor, ok, good, excellent" and measures how responsive a care team was when patients needed to speak to them.

Education

Medical School
Drexel University
Residency
Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital
Fellowship
Duke University

How Doctor Communicates

nurse available by email
doctor, nurse available by directline
doctor, nurse available by directline
not available by personal cell phone
not available by personal cell phone
Sandy Li works in 2 offices at

Boston IVF
Rated 8.3
Strongly recommend: 65%Neutral: 19%Don't recommend: 17%8.3

Explore Clinic
Stoneham
2 Main Street Suite 150
Stoneham, MA 02180
Downtown Boston
One Liberty Square
Boston, MA 02109

4 patient reviews

Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018 - 2020, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 30 - 32
1 IVF
Male Factor
European
Income $50K - $99K
Graphic Designer
2nd of 2 Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Li has been positive and kind from the beginning...The overall strategy was what came from my baseline and test of bloodwork. I believe my baseline for estrogen is not high enough so I was on Menopur 75 which moved up to 150 on the 7th or 8th day, Gonal stayed at 250 both retrieval’s. For my second retrieval Menopur went up to 150 right away...
My monitoring appointments [at SGF] are always consistent I know what to expect and know I will always get my results within a few hours of the appointment...Always welcoming, efficient and professional. I love the Rockville office more than the DC, and Arlington not because of the people but it’s bigger and feels like a safe haven...Global package IVF #1 $8,000 Storage $1,800 last year fee plus $35 every month FET #1 $4,600 Shared risk program IVF #2 $20,000 Medication total $5,000
How was your experience with Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility?
Doctor to patient I would love to see her face to face more. I think in a total 2.5 years we have seen her 3 times. I haven’t seen her yet this year and I’ve done a IVF cycle, retrieval and ERA with transfer approaching. I understand with covid-19 now but I don’t think we met up her her face to face last year either. Would love more of that.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility?
To compile all questions and concerns up front in your consultation because even though Dr. Li has a team of nurses it’s always better to hear your concerns coming straight from your doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Li has been positive and kind from the beginning. Even with her positivity she tells it how it is in her soft sweet voice. It’s comforting and encouraging to know she really does care about us as soon to be parents (one day) and just as hopeful as we are to create a family.
Describe the protocols Sandy Li used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
The overall strategy was what came from my baseline and test of bloodwork. I believe my baseline for estrogen is not high enough so I was on Menopur 75 which moved up to 150 on the 7th or 8th day, Gonal stayed at 250 both retrieval’s. For my second retrieval Menopur went up to 150 right away (maybe on day 3) this was successful I believe because we got 17 eggs, 15 mature. Whereas first cycle was 12 eggs, 9 mature. My protocol for my second IVF was to do a ERA and PGS testing since we had 2 failed transfers on good lookin embryos. Waiting on ERA results and PGS testing gave us all 5 genetically normal embryos. So happy and would say my protocol has been successful.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Jenny Wang, Priscllia, Alana)
I had Jenny Wang for 2 years, she was incredible and always on top of it. She left, and now I have a team of 3, I honestly don’t like it that much now I feel like a number because I don’t know who I’m talking to or who will reply. And even though there are 3 this cycle has felt less organized than when Jenny was my only nurse. They are nice and I’m not trying to complain about them they do there job but like I said I’m a number now.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
They are amazing as a whole. No complaints. Always welcoming, efficient and professional. I love the Rockville office more than the DC, and Arlington not because of the people but it’s bigger and feels like a safe haven. I could be bias though because that was were I started and now I live in Virginia so Fairfax or Arlington is closer. All are great.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Shady Grove Fertility.
My monitoring appointments are always consistent I know what to expect and know I will always get my results within a few hours of the appointment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility.
Global package IVF #1 $8,000 Storage $1,800 last year fee plus $35 every month FET #1 $4,600 Shared risk program IVF #2 $20,000 Medication total $5,000
Describe Sandy Li's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
No I completely understand, I’m under 35 I know the risk.
What specific things went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility?
  • Lost appointments
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility.
A few times I had an appointment and they didn’t see. Which resulted in me waiting a couple times over 45 mins.
10
Doctor
Sandy Li
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Shady Grove Fertility
Rockville
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Unsuccessful
NPS
7
NPS
6
Age 40
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
European
Income $100K - $199K
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
Dr Li was very up front with her recommendation given our medical profile, and was confident IVF would yield the best outcome for us. She educated us on the data and the treatment protocol that was recommended. She answered all of my questions and used visual aids to help explain the science and process of IVF and PGT-A testing.
A huge bonus is that the [Boston IVF] clinic has several monitoring sites and I have never had an issue with scheduling an appointment or getting testing completed. There is little to no wait time at the clinic. The only weakness I would say is that the monitoring sites do not know a lot about your protocol, and only perform the necessary tests.
How was your experience with Sandy Li at Boston IVF?
Dr Li was very up front with her recommendation given our medical profile, and was confident IVF would yield the best outcome for us. She educated us on the data and the treatment protocol that was recommended. She answered all of my questions and used visual aids to help explain the science and process of IVF and PGT-A testing.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sandy Li at Boston IVF?
Go into every meeting with questions prepared for her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sandy Li at Boston IVF?
Dr Li made extra time in her schedule to meet with us for additional consultations. She helped answer any questions we had and made us feel heard.
Describe the protocols Sandy Li used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
Antagonist protocol with PGT-A testing due to diminished ovarian reserve, recurrent pregnancy loss and age factor. Gonal-F and Meopur at max dosing, added in Centrotide day 5 due to concerns of pre-ovulation. Lupron Trigger 36 hours before retrieval. Produced 8 eggs, 4 mature, 1 fertilized and frozen but came back abnormal from PGT-A testing.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Boston IVF.
Dr. Li has a team of nurses, but you are never assigned to just one. They all do an excellent job with their response time. You are never able to speak to a live nurse when you call, the system is set up for the patient to leave a message and someone from the team calls back. I had the pleasure of connecting with a floating nurse on the team named Heidi and she was the most compassionate nurse I worked with. She advocated on my behalf when I felt like I needed more time with the Dr., and helped maximize my savings for prescription medications since I was self-pay. Heidi also called to check on me several times and corrected errors others made on the team.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
A huge bonus is that the clinic has several monitoring sites and I have never had an issue with scheduling an appointment or getting testing completed. There is little to no wait time at the clinic. The only weakness I would say is that the monitoring sites do not know a lot about your protocol, and only perform the necessary tests.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sandy Li at Boston IVF.
I have insurance but it did not cover IVF. My out of pocket costs were 12,571 which included monitoring, egg retrieval, and PGT-A testing. Medications were 5,000 and if I have an embryo transfer that would have been 3,400.
Describe Sandy Li's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Boston IVF.
It was clear and agreed up from the beginning that we only want a eSET!
What specific things went wrong at Boston IVF?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
  • Lost appointments
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Boston IVF.
The nursing team accidentally canceled monitoring appointments, and another time scheduled them on the wrong day (past date vs future date). They also did not complete paperwork that was needed for a prescription discount program and were not knowledgeable on that process.
7
Doctor
Sandy Li
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
6
Clinic
Boston IVF
Stoneham
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
3 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
2020 - 2021, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
8
Age 39 - 40
1 IVF
Poor Egg Quality
Unexplained
East Asian
Income $100K - $199K
Consultant
3rd of 3 Docs
3 IUI With Other Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Neutral
Successful
[Dr. Li] is an expert, but she is also very compassionate. She cares about her patients like her own family, not some cold numbers on the balance sheet. We had one failed transfer, but she encouraged me, adjusted the whole protocol, and was on top of each procedure. I respect her opinion and trust her judgement and professionalism...I was advised to do eSET because I had a high-risk pregnancy before.
The monitoring appointments are generally easy to schedule and on time. Occasionally it runs late...[our nurse] is a clear communicator, and you know she cares about you. We never had any issues working together...I think Shady Grove Fertility has great facility, doctors and nurses. The only weakness they have is the financial team and billing team. I wasn't happy with them. They made a lot of mistakes in my case.
How was your experience with Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility?
I would recommend Dr Nair to any close friends or relatives. She is an expert, but she is also very compassionate. She cares about her patients like her own family, not some cold numbers on the balance sheet. We had one failed transfer, but she encouraged me, adjusted the whole protocol, and was on top of each procedure. I respect her opinion and trust her judgement and professionalism. I finally got pregnant under her care after almost four years of trying. My husband and I thank her with our whole heart.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility?
If you are looking for a down to the earth, no fluffy and compassionate doctor with great expertise, she is your doctor to go.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr Nair is very compassionate with her doctor. You can feel it when talking to her.
Describe the protocols Sandy Li used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
I was put on antibiotics to repress my immunity before transfer. She also used Lovenox to help with implantation. I think these two things finally helped me conceive.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Lana)
I love my nurse Lana. She is the best. She is a clear communicator, and you know she cares about you. We never had any issues working together.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
I think Shady Grove Fertility has great facility, doctors and nurses. The only weakness they have is the financial team and billing team. I wasn't happy with them. They made a lot of mistakes in my case.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Shady Grove Fertility.
The monitoring appointments are generally easy to schedule and on time. Occasionally it runs late.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility.
My insurance covered main costs, but I still paid about $12,000 including treatment and medication.
Describe Sandy Li's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
I was advised to do eSET because I had a high-risk pregnancy before.
10
Doctor
Sandy Li
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
8
Clinic
Shady Grove Fertility
Rockville
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Unsuccessful
NPS
3
NPS
3
Age 33
Endometriosis
Tubal Blockage
Uterine Fibroids
Black or African-American
Income $100K - $199K
1st of 2 Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
Soon as she [Dr. Sandy Li] realized my husband had siblings with sickle cell she and her nurse sent repeatedly asked me to reconsider undergoing genetic testing. I declined initially due to the timing of the test. I am not a carrier and am not opposed to genetic testing. Even with a signed decline form, they asked 3-4 times for me to reconsider. Dr. Li herself called and asked me to reconsider taking the testing and that later on, I might not want to keep embryos that have the trait for sickle cell anemia. These delays brought us from October to December. Then they told me they won't start a cycle in December due to the lab undergoing quality assurance. I never heard from her or the nurse again. I reached out and requested a different team in February.
Advocate for yourself [at Shady Grove Fertility]...They had me repeat initial workup tests and then stalled my treatment when I declined genetic testing...Initial workup was 2000 for the testing and repeated tests. Mostly covered by insurance. They quoted me 10000 for IVF...A strength is that they have multiple locations in the DMV area. There are many doctors. Ideally, if one doctor is not a good fit you may switch to another doctor. Weaknesses are that they push hard for eSET, they treat you like a number, be prepared to ask them to explain their protocol.
How was your experience with Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility?
Strengths are that she makes herself available to her patients. Weaknesses is that she doesn't review charts appropriately and has patients repeat the same tests multiple times. She also allows her personal bias to cross ethical boundaries. She essentially delayed my treatment because I refused to approve genetic testing. I am African-American they screen for sickle cell anemia at birth. She heard my husband say he has a history of it on his side of the family and took it upon herself to tell me she wouldn't select an embryo with sickle cell trait or sickle cell anemia for transfer. This is beyond medical advice and crossed into telling a client what they should and shouldn't do with their own embryos. At this point imaginary embryos that have not possibility of developing sickle cell anemia. I essentially was discarded to the side because I didn't sign a consent form for genetic testing.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility?
Advocate for yourself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility?
Dr. Li treated my like a sub-human. She had me repeat initial work-up testing 2 to 3 times and never approved of a treatment cycle. Soon as she realized my husband had siblings with sickle cell she and her nurse sent repeatedly asked me to reconsider undergoing genetic testing. I declined initially due to the timing of the test. I am not a carrier and am not opposed to genetic testing. Even with a signed decline form, they asked 3-4 times for me to reconsider. Dr. Li herself called and asked me to reconsider taking the testing and that later on, I might not want to keep embryos that have the trait for sickle cell anemia. These delays brought us from October to December. Then they told me they won't start a cycle in December due to the lab undergoing quality assurance. I never heard from her or the nurse again. I reached out and requested a different team in February.
Describe the protocols Sandy Li used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
Didn't make it this far. Dr. Li and her nurse gave me the runaround and then disappeared before the lab closed for quality assurance.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Jenny Wang)
Same as Dr. Li. They had me repeat initial workup tests and then stalled my treatment when I declined genetic testing.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
A strength is that they have multiple locations in the DMV area. There are many doctors. Ideally, if one doctor is not a good fit you may switch to another doctor. Weaknesses are that they push hard for eSET, they treat you like a number, be prepared to ask them to explain their protocol.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sandy Li at Shady Grove Fertility.
Initial workup was 2000 for the testing and repeated tests. Mostly covered by insurance. They quoted me 10000 for IVF.
Describe Sandy Li's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility.
N/A
What specific things went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility?
  • Failed to order appropriate test
  • Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
3
Doctor
Sandy Li
NPS
Humanity
2 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
2 of 5
Compassion
2 of 5
Explained risks
3 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
3
Clinic
Shady Grove Fertility
Washington DC
NPS
Operations
3 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
1 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
1 of 5
Educational Resources
1 of 5