Wen-Hui Shen
Kaiser Permanente NorCal
Available Lines of Communication
Doctor email
Not available by direct line
Not available by personal cell phone
Medical SchoolJohns Hopkins
ResidencyYale
FellowshipUCSF
Fremont
39141 Civic Center Driv
Fremont, CA 94538
(888) 331-5601
5 assessments
1
1
Age
27 - 28
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
6 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
1
1
Dr. Shen was cold and clinical, which is fine, but frequently gave incorrect information or neglected to tell me details of my treatment all together. Each appoint,met was rushed and short. I often left with more confusion and questions than when I arrived at each appointment due to Dr. Shen's poor communication. She was not receptive to any of my feedback when sharing previous IUI procedures and experiences and was set on her idea of how to proceed with IUI.
Staff [at Kaiser - Fremont] forgot to give me paperwork required for intake. I faxed and emailed them multiple times but the documents were never received. Staff never told me the timing of my HCG trigger injection and never did an injection training with me. They also failed to call my letrozole prescription in to the pharmacy. Staff told me that for my IUI procedure I could bring my sperm (from a bank) with me at the time of my appointment. I asked multiple times and they all confirmed this was true. I got a call four hours prior to my IUI from the clinic demanding that I drive to their office with the sperm immediately because they apparently want to have it prior to the appointment. I had to abruptly leave work and wait at UPS until it arrived, since Kaiser won't accept sperm bank shipments at their offices. This adds to the cost and stress. When I expressed that I was upset with the last minute stress despite asking multiple times in advance to avoid this situation, staff and Dr. Shen shrugged and said that this always happens the first time so now I will know for next time. Also the number of mobile sperm was not shared with me until after the IUI and they were a subpar number. Dr. Shen insisted that Kaiser do the sperm wash rather than purchase pre-washed IUI sperm, and I feel that the lab must have damaged the sample and that this was bad advice. Dr. Shen told me after my IUI that next month when I wanted to come back the procedure will be better - almost as if she expected it to fail, which was extremely disappointing to hear immediately following and IUI. When the IUI was not successful, she only told me that there is a higher chance of it not working so I should not be surprised. She then asked if I wanted to do the same procedure with no changes. When I asked what we could do differently moving forward, she said there is nothing that can be done differently. Needless to say, this was one of my final interactions with this doctor.
Age
27 - 28
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
1
1
How was your experience with Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Shen was cold and clinical, which is fine, but frequently gave incorrect information or neglected to tell me details of my treatment all together. Each appoint,met was rushed and short. I often left with more confusion and questions than when I arrived at each appointment due to Dr. Shen's poor communication. She was not receptive to any of my feedback when sharing previous IUI procedures and experiences and was set on her idea of how to proceed with IUI.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Be prepared to be treated like a number. Be prepared with thorough questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Shen did not acknowledge my personal situation or previous diagnosis(es) when telling me my treatment plan. My treatment plan was not a discussion and was not negotiable, and it felt as if she gave the same treatment plan to everyone who works with her. Dr. Shen only referenced statistics of people in my age range rather than specific treatment goals for someone in my unique situation.
Describe the protocols Wen-Hui Shen used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
I did one IUI using letrozole and HCG trigger shot. Dr. Shen did not explain her rationale for this medication regimen even though I had done this previously without any resulting pregnancy. The IUI I completed with Dr. Shen did not result in a pregnancy or an answer to my years of infertility.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Nursing staff were cold and dismissive, similar to Dr. Shen. When Dr. Shen frequently did not communicate steps or instructions in my IUI procedure, they shrugged it off and said that Dr. Shen frequently forgets to tell patients crucial information. I was never able to reach them by phone and at least half of the messages I left were never returned.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
I live in Oakland, so the commute was not ideal for me to Fremont. There is ample parking though so that's good. Staff don't answer phones and I left a message every time I called the office. Staff rarely returned my calls. I was not assigned a nurse or case coordinator so I just had to hope for any of the staff to follow up with me. The lack of communication was abysmal.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
I did not have insurance coverage for my procedure or medications. My HCG shot was around $150.
Describe Wen-Hui Shen's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
We did IUI so this is not applicable.
What specific things went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost paperwork
- Lost appointments
- Failed to call with results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Staff forgot to give me paperwork required for intake. I faxed and emailed them multiple times but the documents were never received. Staff never told me the timing of my HCG trigger injection and never did an injection training with me. They also failed to call my letrozole prescription in to the pharmacy. Staff told me that for my IUI procedure I could bring my sperm (from a bank) with me at the time of my appointment. I asked multiple times and they all confirmed this was true. I got a call four hours prior to my IUI from the clinic demanding that I drive to their office with the sperm immediately because they apparently want to have it prior to the appointment. I had to abruptly leave work and wait at UPS until it arrived, since Kaiser won't accept sperm bank shipments at their offices. This adds to the cost and stress. When I expressed that I was upset with the last minute stress despite asking multiple times in advance to avoid this situation, staff and Dr. Shen shrugged and said that this always happens the first time so now I will know for next time. Also the number of mobile sperm was not shared with me until after the IUI and they were a subpar number. Dr. Shen insisted that Kaiser do the sperm wash rather than purchase pre-washed IUI sperm, and I feel that the lab must have damaged the sample and that this was bad advice. Dr. Shen told me after my IUI that next month when I wanted to come back the procedure will be better - almost as if she expected it to fail, which was extremely disappointing to hear immediately following and IUI. When the IUI was not successful, she only told me that there is a higher chance of it not working so I should not be surprised. She then asked if I wanted to do the same procedure with no changes. When I asked what we could do differently moving forward, she said there is nothing that can be done differently. Needless to say, this was one of my final interactions with this doctor.
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10
7
Age
42
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
7
Dr. Shen knew my treated my husband and I like we were long time friends. She always had time to answer questions and we felt like she was personally invested in our success.... She let us make decisions and always offered candid and compassionate advice when we struggled with choices. She was extremely professional and up to date on any new discoveries. Paired with her professionalism was a modesty and humbleness which made working with her easy during a difficult time. I
Monitoring was done on specific days and in the morning. The lab for blood work was in the next building. We'd do blood work, walk to the clinic, and wait about 20 mins- 1 hour for an ultrasound. Even with an ultrasound appointment. HINT: You can make a lab appointment which they will honor.... Even signing the paperwork and the class on how to do injections was poorly organized and left me feeling unprepared. HINT: I got my medication at the Disco Rex Walgreens in Palo Alto and they gave me a private tutorial on how to do injections. Much better than the nurses at Kaiser.
Age
42
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
7
How was your experience with Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
We interviewed 4 doctors in total including doctors in Marin and San Francisco. None of them compared to Dr. Shen. She let us make decisions and always offered candid and compassionate advice when we struggled with choices. She was extremely professional and up to date on any new discoveries. Paired with her professionalism was a modesty and humbleness which made working with her easy during a difficult time. I know for a fact that Dr. Shen is the reason I am pregnant now and enjoyed (if that's possible) working with her so much, I considered using her name as our child's middle name!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
This process can be so daunting, trust Dr. Shen. She is both professionally knowledgable and down to earth. Choosing her is the one decision we never doubted.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Shen knew my treated my husband and I like we were long time friends. She always had time to answer questions and we felt like she was personally invested in our success.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
While Dr. Shen was top notch, the rest of the clinic staff had some drawbacks. I was frustrated many times by the procedures and protocols at the clinic. While they were friendly, I didn't find everyone to be as compassionate as they could be, especially considering this line of work.
I remember crying on the phone trying to set up an appointment and they had a policy which wouldn't let me. It felt to me the policy was to see as many people as possible, rather than make relationships with the clients they had.
Even signing the paperwork and the class on how to do injections was poorly organized and left me feeling unprepared.
HINT: I got my medication at the Disco Rex Walgreens in Palo Alto and they gave me a private tutorial on how to do injections. Much better than the nurses at Kaiser.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
You are there to see Dr. Shen. Unfortunately, the rest of the office is not up to her standard!
The clinic is functional, not beautiful. It's clean and the lab is right there. This is not a glamorous place, but the job gets done!
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Monitoring was done on specific days and in the morning. The lab for blood work was in the next building. We'd do blood work, walk to the clinic, and wait about 20 mins- 1 hour for an ultrasound. Even with an ultrasound appointment.
HINT: You can make a lab appointment which they will honor.
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10
8
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
5 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS
10
8
She [Dr Shen] managed my cycle beautifully. I was at risk for OHSS and was still able to do a fresh transfer and I credit a lot of that to how well she managed my response to the meds, which can be very unpredictable. She was very competent and explained everything to us in detail.
The office [Kaiser Fremont] itself is not the best at communicating as you often had to leave messages and get called back and they batch cycle which is frustrating but Dr. shen was amazing and worth the inconvenience for me....You see different nurses each time so I didn't have a point person. The communication system was a bit frustrating because it involved leaving messages and getting called back. The nurses during my procedures were wonderful and they all were very compassionate and helpful.
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Native American
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
5 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS
10
8
How was your experience with Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
She managed my cycle beautifully. I was at risk for ohss and was still able to do a fresh transfer and I credit a lot of that to how well she managed my response to the meds, which can be very unpredictable. She was very competant and explained everything to us in detail. The office itself is not the best at communicating as you often had to leave messages and get called back and they batch cycle which is frustrating but Dr. shen was amazing and worth the inconvenience for me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
The batching is worth it because it means she handles all aspects of your care. Even routine ultrasounds with her were much better than with other REs I have seen and she was wonderful throughout all our procedures.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
She does all monitoring for the cycle herself and was involved in all aspects of our ivf cycle. She listened to us and answered all of our questions when I came in with 4 pages of them and was patient and kind the whole time.
Describe the protocols Wen-Hui Shen used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
Antagonist protocol, 150 gonalf 75 menopur. I have pcos so we needed the option of a lupron trigger which we used but my ovaries tend to be resistant to stims so we did this higher dose than normal for a pcos patient and stimmed for 12 days.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
You see different nurses each time so I didn't have a point person. The communication system was a bit frustrating because it involved leaving messages and getting called back. The nurses during my procedures were wonderful and they all were very compassionate and helpful.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
It is off the kaiser campus in an office building across the street. The receptionist is great and very sweet. The price structure is clear and communicated really well.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
10k flat fee for ivf and $1190 for icsi.
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10
10
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
5 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, Unexplained
10
10
I really like Dr. Shen. She is very thorough and caring. The downside is I don’t see her often. She’s has only performed one iui and seen me for one scan, besides the initial consult. I also think after a few unsuccessful cycles it would be good to sit down again and Go over options again. ... I never have to repeat my situation ... We started with Clomid and iui. Unsuccessful. We used then did two more iui cycles with higher dosages. Still unsuccessful. We then went to letrozole and still unsuccessful.
Staff [Kaiser Permanente] is very nice. Wait times can be long. But once you are seen they do not rush and take their time. ... They were clear in my consult going over what my coverage was and how much I would pay for each service ... And all Instructions were clear. Also received printed instructions. And out of state pharmacies were used To get me the best prices. ... Nursing staff was quick to respond to phone messages. And quick at scheduling appointments when needed
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
5 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
I really like Dr. Shen. She is very thorough and caring. The downside is I don’t see her often. She’s has only performed one iui and seen me for one scan, besides the initial consult. I also think after a few unsuccessful cycles it would be good to sit down again and
Go over options again.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Ask as many questions in the consult with her because you may not see her again for awhile.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
They always follow up and have great notes on my care. I never have to repeat my situation
Describe the protocols Wen-Hui Shen used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente NorCal and their degree of success.
We started with Clomid and iui. Unsuccessful. We used then did two more iui cycles with higher dosages. Still unsuccessful. We then went to letrozole and still unsuccessful.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Nursing staff was quick to respond to phone messages. And quick at scheduling appointments when needed
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Staff is very nice. Wait times can be long. But once you are seen they do not rush and take their time. All my questions were always answered before leaving. And all Instructions were clear. Also received printed instructions. And out of state pharmacies were used
To get me the best prices.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
They were clear in my consult going over what my coverage was and how much I would pay for each service
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10
10
Age
38
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
10
Dr. Shen is good at what she does. She has years of experience and really cares for her patients. She is intent on a positive outcome. She loves to meet your baby when he/she arrives. I love her for changing my life...She was warm, compassionate and caring, but also very knowledgeable...
[Wen-Hui Shen] Clinic has good staff but it very busy. You must get on the calendar months in advance. It's worth the wait because their success rates are high...$8,700 for a fresh cycle and $3500 for drugs. If you qualified for ESET and the intital transfer failed, two additional FETs are free...
Age
38
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Accountant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
10
How was your experience with Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Dr. Shen is good at what she does. She has years of experience and really cares for her patients. She is intent on a positive outcome. She loves to meet your baby when he/she arrives. I love her for changing my life.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
Ask lots of questions, be flexible, patient and positive. Do not overthink things and stay away from Doctor Google. Rely on the doctor's advise. Trust her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal?
She was warm, compassionate and caring, but also very knowledgeable.
Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
Clinic has good staff but it very busy. You must get on the calendar months in advance. It's worth the wait because their success rates are high.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wen-Hui Shen at Kaiser Permanente NorCal.
$8,700 for a fresh cycle and $3500 for drugs. If you qualified for ESET and the intital transfer failed, two additional FETs are free.
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