Massachusetts General Hospital

Dr. Souter always had our information in front of her and could recall our treatment plan. It’s clear she sees a lot of patients, but she took the time to look at our file before any appointments...don’t be afraid to slow her down and ask questions. She will gladly explain things if you ask...Dr. Souter herself was fine at caring for me as a member of the LGBTQ community. She treated me just like she would treat anyone else

The nurses vary. Most of them are excellent, very compassionate, take the time to answer your questions, etc. The thing is that it’s sort of like an assembly line here...It was easy to transfer my donor sperm to the clinic from the Cryobank...MGH needs to improve its treatment for LGBTQ patients by making the process more inclusive and training staff on how to work with LGBTQ patients. The phlebotomy team and front desk staff need a better process for alerting them of which patients are waiting for blood draws

How was your experience with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr. Souter is very straightforward and clearly extremely knowledgeable about her field of work. You get the sense that she could do this job in her sleep from the way she can easily rattle off information and decide on the best treatment plans. She’s not going to coddle you or hold your hand, but she’s amazing at her job and knows how to do it well. Whenever we had setbacks she remained very optimistic and that was really helpful. She didn’t perform any of our actual procedures, as that gets done by whichever doctor is on call.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr. Souter talks fast because she knows what she’s doing, but sometimes she might not realize that YOU don’t know what you’re doing. So don’t be afraid to slow her down and ask questions. She will gladly explain things if you ask.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr. Souter always had our information in front of her and could recall our treatment plan. It’s clear she sees a lot of patients, but she took the time to look at our file before any appointments.

Describe the protocols Irene Souter used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

We did an egg retrieval (6 embryos) followed by a fresh transfer. This resulted in an ectopic pregnancy. After that, we did a modified natural cycle ending in a frozen transfer, which resulted in successful pregnancy.

How competent was Irene Souter at LGBTQ+ care?

Dr. Souter herself was fine at caring for me as a member of the LGBTQ community. She treated me just like she would treat anyone else, and I didn’t feel like the fact that I’m gay affected my treatment with her. However, MGH as a whole needs improvement with LGBTQ care. Many of their forms still contain heteronormative/gendered language, many staff members assumed I had a husband, and my information was even mixed up with my wife’s on occasion.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Kaitlin )

The nurses vary. Most of them are excellent, very compassionate, take the time to answer your questions, etc. The thing is that it’s sort of like an assembly line here. They do this day in and day out and I think it can be easy to lose your individuality in the shuffle. They are very responsive to questions via patient gateway. Also, only a few of the nurses are good at drawing blood.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

MGH needs to improve its treatment for LGBTQ patients by making the process more inclusive and training staff on how to work with LGBTQ patients. The phlebotomy team and front desk staff need a better process for alerting them of which patients are waiting for blood draws. Staff who perform ultrasounds should take the time to verbalize to the patient what they’re seeing. All that being said, it’s MGH - meaning it’s top quality in terms of actual procedures and results.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital.

My insurance covered IVF because I had first done 6 unsuccessful IUI’s. I did have to pay some for the medication and testing. It’s very expensive.

How competent was Massachusetts General Hospital at LGBTQ+ care?

Everyone was nice and didn’t make a big deal about me being gay, but I wouldn’t say they were entirely knowledgeable about the needs of LGBTQ people. It can be a very heteronormative process.

Describe your experience using 3rd party reproduction (donor eggs, donor sperm, or gestational carrier) at Massachusetts General Hospital.

It was easy to transfer my donor sperm to the clinic from the Cryobank. But the storage fees to keep it at MGH are very expensive. And the process to transfer it back to the Cryobank is a bit more annoying.

What specific things went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Failed to order appropriate test
Lost results
Scheduled the wrong procedure

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital.

MGH once confused me with my wife because we are both women with similar names. In doing this, they ordered blood tests for her that were actually meant for me. It led to unnecessary bloodwork for her and a huge snafu with the billing department trying to get the charges for those tests waived. The interactions with the billing department were terrible and frustrating.

Doctor

Irene Souter

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

LGBTQ+ Care

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

LGBTQ+ Care

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Sabatini Morris Massachusetts General Hospital

2023, Unknown Success

Age 37

Black or African-American

Income $100K - $199K

Marketer or PR

Only Doc Seen

Egg Freezing With Other Docs

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Dr. Morris was very kind and supportive during our initial consult. I am pursuing egg freezing...I felt like she was very supportive of my decision to keep my options open as a single woman even though it seems she traditionally works with those who are diagnosed as infertile. I also appreciated her teaching style and her walking me through the odds of pregnancy with this process...I have primarily interacted with the nurses at MGH at this time. But, all of my meetings with Dr. Morris have been helpful

I had a few early miscommunications with the nurses [at Massachusetts General Hospital] in terms of next steps, but after following up, they were very helpful and supportive. Especially when I called to express my concerns about cost and blood work, which did end up being covered by my insurance. In general, they're very responsive via the app...their billing team is not great though, and has been difficult to hunt down cost estimates and billing codes

How was your experience with Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

All of my interactions with Dr. Morris have been great so far. I am still in the early process, so I have primarily interacted with the nurses at MGH at this time. But, all of my meetings with Dr. Morris have been helpful. She's been honest and upfront with me on the likelihood of pregnancy if I do decide to fully pursue the treatment.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Come prepared with all your questions and do your research. She was very kind and answered all of my questions during my appointment, but you primarily interact with nurses during the follow-ups. And to my understanding, the facility works as a team, so you may see multiple doctors throughout your treatment, which they do have you sign a disclosure for in the beginning.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr. Morris was very kind and supportive during our initial consult. I am pursuing egg freezing so that I can have children later in life when I am ready. I felt like she was very supportive of my decision to keep my options open as a single woman even though it seems she traditionally works with those who are diagnosed as infertile. I also appreciated her teaching style and her walking me through the odds of pregnancy with this process. I left our first meeting feeling empowered and less afraid.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

I had a few early miscommunications with the nurses in terms of next steps, but after following up, they were very helpful and supportive. Especially when I called to express my concerns about cost and blood work, which did end up being covered by my insurance. In general, they're very responsive via the app, which I love, and incredibly helpful and personable.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

Though it was a bit difficult to find, the facility is located in a nice area of the hospital, a well-lit and quiet area. I did have my initial appointment near the holiday, but overall it felt stress-free and right on time. They had me in and out as scheduled. My only complaint, and this seemed a concern in other reviews, the intial woman who checked me in, was possibly a student? Normally, not a concern, but the the two women I saw for testing that day were not able to answer any of my questions, and even though I was booked with a doctor, you don't actually see or communicate with a doctor at all.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Still in the early process. I will say their billing team is not great though, and has been difficult to hunt down cost estimates and billing codes. I understand they are a small team, but they were not very helpful. And it sounded like they frequently don't actually call to verify insurance details. The larger MGH billing team was much more helpful in getting me the information I needed.

Doctor

Mary Sabatini Morris

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Sabatini Morris Massachusetts General Hospital

2021 - 2022, Unsuccessful

Age 40 - 41

1 IUI

2 IVF

Male Factor

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

1st of 2 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Things I would tell new patients, my home office was Newton Wellesley but some procedures needed to be completed at MGH. Also they schedule the lab, ultrasounds without giving you an option for time...Since I was 40 and 41 during this process, my doctor suggested I transfer 2 at a time. My doctor gave medical reasons for this, and I was ok with this decision...Zuzanna was my primary nurse and Carol would also reach out if Zuzanna had the day off. Both were very caring and knew history. Zuzanna was very organized and always made sure I had everything I needed

How was your experience with Jan Shifren at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr Shifren was my RE for 2 years. She was kind and straight forward. She was able to set expectations with each procedure. She completed my first egg retrieval and afterwards she came to my bed side and excitedly told me the number of eggs retrieved. Her reaction showed me she was invested in my outcomes and not just my doctor. My second egg retrieval was on December 24th. Dr Shifren also completed this one as well. Christmas eve is not a day anyone wants to be in the hospital and away from the festivities. Dr. Shifren showed compassion. Appointments with Dr. Shifren after miscarriages she would always give me a hug. She showed empathy not pity during these difficult appointments.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jan Shifren at Massachusetts General Hospital?

When you are doing blood test monitoring for a round of IVF that could proceed to a fresh transfer, ask for your progesterone levels to be tested.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jan Shifren at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr. Shifren when she met with me would always discuss all the possibility. She was able to have difficult conversations while being kind. She was realistic and didn't give us false hope.

Describe the protocols Jan Shifren used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

My first treatment was an IUI. I would be turning 40 during this cycle. We decided we would try an IUI cycle and then move on to IVF if it didn't produce a live birth. I used Gonal F 75 units and a trigger shot. After transfer I did Crinone (progesterone) Had a MC at week 11. My second treatment was IVF. I did a month of birth control and then used Gonal F 300 units, Menopur 75 unit with ultra sounds and blood work. After about 15 days I took a trigger shot and 36 hours later I have a retrieval. I did a fresh transfer. After transfer I took a pregesterone shot nightly until pregnancy test and did an estradiol patch for a week. MC at week 7.5. Third treatment was a frozen transfer. I prepped with Gonal F 150 units and a trigger shot. After transfer used progesterone until pregnancy test. This transfer failed. My fourth treatment was another IVF cycle. Did not use birth control this time. Took Gonal F 300 units and Menopur 75 units nightly for about 15 days before trigger shot. Had ultrasound and blood test monitoring. Had a fresh transfer and took progesterone shot nightly. This transfer failed.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Zuzanna )

Zuzanna was my primary nurse and Carol would also reach out if Zuzanna had the day off. Both were very caring and knew history. Zuzanna was very organized and always made sure I had everything I needed. I would also like to mention Grace who was always a caring person in the office. She would help with the blood tests and help prep any procedure that was done in the office. She was smiling face you needed during these during ties. I have switched doctors because I moved and daily monitoring would be too difficult. And I didn't realize that not every IVF office had nursing staff like this one.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

Things I would tell new patients, my home office was Newton Wellesley but some procedures needed to be completed at MGH. Also they schedule the lab, ultrasounds without giving you an option for time.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Jan Shifren at Massachusetts General Hospital.

My employer offered insurance had rich fertility benefits when I was with Dr Shifren. I only had copays.

Describe Jan Shifren's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Since I was 40 and 41 during this process, my doctor suggested I transfer 2 at a time. My doctor gave medical reasons for this, and I was ok with this decision.

Doctor

Jan Shifren

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Jill Attaman Massachusetts General Hospital

2020 - 2022, Unsuccessful

Age 41 - 43

3 IUI

PCOS

Uterine Fibroids

Unexplained

Black or African-American

Income $100K - $199K

Lawyer

1st of 2 Docs

Donor Sperm

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Doctor Attaman is really compassionate and takes her time to explain her approach to treatment...Though I didn’t get the results expected, I trust Dr Attaman’s judgment and the way she managed my expectations. We found some fibroids in the end, I am not sure what could have been done to discover those earlier as I believe these are responsible for the failures of my IUIs.

I have never had a bad experience at the [Massachusetts General Hospital] clinic. Everybody was always cordial and compassionate. The front desk staff never have an attitude as I have experienced in some other clinics and they really try to accommodate my needs. Also, you never have to wait very long to be seen which is always a plus in my book...Everybody was always kind and compassionate. There could sometimes be a slight delay in communication but as far as I am concerned nothing ever fell through the cracks. So overall I am satisfied with the level of care I received

How was your experience with Jill Attaman at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Though I didn’t get the results expected, I trust Dr Attaman’s judgment and the way she managed my expectations. We found some fibroids in the end, I am not sure what could have been done to discover those earlier as I believe these are responsible for the failures of my IUIs.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jill Attaman at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Manage your expectations and handle failure with a positive mindset

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jill Attaman at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Doctor Attaman is really compassionate and takes her time to explain her approach to treatment

Describe the protocols Jill Attaman used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

We started with medicated cycles with CLOMID and Ovidrel for IUIs based on my age. Dr Attaman decided that time was of the essence since I had turned 40. I was referred to a MFM specialist to assess risks based on age and medical conditions. Unfortunately all IUIS were unsuccessful and Dr Attaman was thinking on switching to IVF when some fibroids were discovered inside of the uterus cavity likely to require removal before proceeding with treatments. Scheduled to see a reproductive surgeon in May 2022.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Everybody was always kind and compassionate. There could sometimes be a slight delay in communication but as far as I am concerned nothing ever fell through the cracks. So overall I am satisfied with the level of care I received.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

I have never had a bad experience at the clinic. Everybody was always cordial and compassionate. The front desk staff never have an attitude as I have experienced in some other clinics and they really try to accommodate my needs. Also, you never have to wait very long to be seen which is always a plus in my book 😀

Describe the costs associated with your care under Jill Attaman at Massachusetts General Hospital.

My health insurance pays for clinic visits and test. All other procedures or treatments were out of pocket. For example, the cost for one IUI Procedure would be about $1000 for the donor sperm and $1000 for clinical fee.

Describe Jill Attaman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

N/A

Doctor

Jill Attaman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Jill Attaman Massachusetts General Hospital

2020 - 2022, Successful

Age 30 - 32

3 IUI

2 IVF

Male Factor

PCOS

European

Income $200K - $499K

Engineer

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Mary Sabatini Morris Massachusetts General Hospital

[Dr. Mary Sabatini Morris] was always happy to see me, knew my case and details about my life I had shared...She made sure that as I had more failures and became a more complicated case that I had appointments with her every 3 weeks so I could ask questions and keep things moving...I know she really cares about us. I appreciated that Dr Morris was never one to push tests or treatments that aren’t scientifically proven to be significant in improving clinical outcomes. When I had preferences about my treatment, like supplementing progesterone bc I felt mine was low, she was amenable.

Dr Morris [at Massachusetts General Hospital] suggested single embryo transfer until we had two failed transfers...When I had failed transfers, she made time to see me so I could start new cycles right away even when it wasn’t on one of her normal appointment days. When I had OHSS after my first retrieval, she made sure I was seen by her in the office for scans daily and iv fluids...Given I’ve been at the clinic 2 years, the nurses all know me and are very caring and supportive. They are very quick to respond in the gateway portal.

How was your experience with Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr Morris was always happy to see me, knew my case and details about my life I had shared. Sometimes I’d remember exact details (like what my lining measured 2 transfers ago) that she might not remember off the top of her head, but I’d never expect her to keep that level of detail in mind, that’s what records are for. She made sure that as I had more failures and became a more complicated case that I had appointments with her every 3 weeks so I could ask questions and keep things moving. When I had failed transfers, she made time to see me so I could start new cycles right away even when it wasn’t on one of her normal appointment days. When I had OHSS after my first retrieval, she made sure I was seen by her in the office for scans daily and iv fluids. When I had a complication days before my second retrieval that could make retrieval risky, she made sure she was there for the retrieval to support Dr Seuter. She called to make sure I was ok after the complication and to talk through the risks of moving forward with the retrieval. Now that we’re finally pregnant, she made sure to come up during our first scan so she could see the heartbeat. I know she really cares about us. I appreciated that Dr Morris was never one to push tests or treatments that aren’t scientifically proven to be significant in improving clinical outcomes. When I had preferences about my treatment, like supplementing progesterone bc I felt mine was low, she was amenable. Despite the fact that she did not expect our case to take so long to conceive, she was always encouraging that we just needed to keep trying. That there was no reason it shouldn’t work for us. So far she was right, as we are in our first pregnancy now!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Get the direct number of her scheduler Carol and be vigilant in reaching out to schedule appointments. Dr Morris wants to see you, it’s sometimes just the bureaucracy of MGH that slows things down.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Describe the protocols Mary Sabatini Morris used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

We first used clomid 7 times for 3 IUI cycles. I had difficulty ovulating, and then had a second ovarian torsion. It basically took a year to get me to safely ovulate. 3 IUIs failed. We did a OCP low dose Lupron cycle for first egg retrieval. We retrieved 28 eggs, 23 mature, 8 fertilized with conventional insemination, 5 frozen. We had to do freeze all because I was in severe pain and showing signs of ohss. I did ultimately have ohss for 2 weeks after retrieval. First frozen single embryo transfer we did a medicated cycle. It resulted in a chemical. My lining was thin despite an extra week of estrogen so we moved on to a modified natural protocol using Gonal F. We did this for transfers 2-5. No embryos from our first round of IVF stuck, despite transferring two in our fourth transfer. After two failed transfers we did a test for CE which was negative. After four failed transfers we did karyotype testing, also negative. Our second round of IVF we did an OCP antagonist cycle with Lupron trigger to avoid OHSS. Three days before retrieval I had an ovarian torsion and needed surgery. We missed one night of stims but carried on with retrieval. We got 15 eggs, 11 mature, 10 fertilized with ICSI, and 6 embryos frozen. Our fifth transfer with two new embryos was also a modified natural protocol with Gonal F. We are now 7 weeks pregnant with a singleton.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Given I’ve been at the clinic 2 years, the nurses all know me and are very caring and supportive. They are very quick to respond in the gateway portal.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

You need to advocate for yourself. Be on top of scheduling follow up appointments with your Dr in case your treatment fails. Otherwise you’ll be waiting weeks for an appt and then weeks longer to start again. Insurance approvals take a while and add annoying bureaucracy but the coverage is great. MGH will go above and beyond for you. If you need extra tests or scans just ask. Get direct phone numbers for schedulers and finance office so you can get in touch more easily.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital.

I only paid co pays because my insurance covered once I hit my deductible of $250.

Describe Mary Sabatini Morris's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr Morris suggested single embryo transfer until we had two failed transfers. Because we had 5 embryos, we decided to do eSET for the first three transfers then move to multiple embryo transfer for the fourth. When that failed we continued with multiple embryo transfer.

Doctor

Mary Sabatini Morris

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Sabatini Morris Massachusetts General Hospital

2021 - 2022, Unsuccessful

Age 38 - 39

2 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Poor Egg Quality

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

She [Dr. Souter] is caring, compassionate, and incredibly smart. She has adjusted my protocol during stims to meet my needs. She never gave up when I was a poor responder to medication...Take notes during visits with her! She is extremely detailed when explaining things which is fantastic. It's nice to be able to refer back later...First cycle was Flare protocol with OCP priming. (No eggs retrieved) Second was antagonist protocol with estrogen priming. (2 eggs retrieved, both immature)...

nurses Emily and Olivia [at Massachusetts General Hospital] are amazing. They are always prompt to respond to my messages or calls. They are always compassionate and thorough. And no question is too silly for them...They always have convenient appointment times available between their Boston and satellite locations. Whoever the on call doctor is is always fantastic and friendly. For morning monitoring appointments I'm always in and out within 15-20 minutes...

How was your experience with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr Souter (Dimitraidis) is an amazing RE. She is caring, compassionate, and incredibly smart. She has adjusted my protocol during stims to meet my needs. She never gave up when I was a poor responder to medication. I would recommend her to anyone that is looking for a caring and compassionate RE.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Take notes during visits with her! She is extremely detailed when explaining things which is fantastic. It's nice to be able to refer back later.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

MGH Fertility always talks to me with so much compassion. They are realistic in their expectations, however I feel they are invested in this fight with me. They always encourage me to keep going and not to give up.

Describe the protocols Irene Souter used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

First cycle was Flare protocol with OCP priming. (No eggs retrieved) Second was antagonist protocol with estrogen priming. (2 eggs retrieved, both immature)

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Emily & Olivia )

Her nurses Emily and Olivia are amazing. They are always prompt to respond to my messages or calls. They are always compassionate and thorough. And no question is too silly for them!

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

No complaints. They always have convenient appointment times available between their Boston and satellite locations. Whoever the on call doctor is is always fantastic and friendly. For morning monitoring appointments I'm always in and out within 15-20 minutes.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Pre pay for PGT-A testing ($2500) and ICSI ($1500). Everything else is fully covered by insurance.

Describe Irene Souter's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

When doing a frozen transfer they will only transfer one embryo. For fresh transfer they will do 2 embryos or more depending on quality.

Doctor

Irene Souter

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mitchell Rein Massachusetts General Hospital

2021, Unsuccessful

Age 39

1 Fertility Medications

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Though he [Dr. Mitchell Rein] was direct, some would say blunt, I appreciated him explaining my infertility and how the data from testing on several different metrics added up to indicate low fertility. He explained the option of using an egg donor if and when I should want to discuss it I could call him...He is direct - if you like someone really delicate go elsewhere.

[Massachusetts General Hospital] strengths: you get in quickly for the testing and they call you back quickly. doctor was direct, fair, and gave the time. nurses were all nice, I don't remember any names at this point. weaknesses: not sure, maybe a suggestion to not put trainees on blood draws for anxious people - especially since i had to get so many and that was hard anyway!

How was your experience with Mitchell Rein at Massachusetts General Hospital?

I only saw him over Zoom twice, but he explained everything thoroughly and set expectations appropriately. I was sad but not surprised I had DOR as my mother and grandmother went through early menopause naturally. I liked that he was direct and didn't sugarcoat things, but also acknowledged I might need time to process the news before really diving into egg donation.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mitchell Rein at Massachusetts General Hospital?

He is direct - if you like someone really delicate go elsewhere.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mitchell Rein at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Though he was direct, some would say blunt, I appreciated him explaining my infertility and how the data from testing on several different metrics added up to indicate low fertility. He explained the option of using an egg donor if and when I should want to discuss it I could call him.

Describe the protocols Mitchell Rein used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

we did the clomid challenge which I failed. I also had a hard time emotionally with the clomid. I had a total of like 1-3 eggs from what I remember and it wasn't likely any IVF would be fruitful. also, my plan had been to freeze my eggs as my male partner was not sure about kids. Dr. Rein said if my partner was willing to do 1 round of IVF with me before age 40 insurance would cover it. Unfortunately the timing was bad/too rushed for my situation. I was glad he was candid about the financial piece. In my situation, I decided to move towards fostering and potential adoption through the state.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

they were all nice and things ran efficiently. I did have a training nurse who did not do one of my blood draws correctly which was unpleasant for me, but a nurse walked by and helped

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

strengths: you get in quickly for the testing and they call you back quickly. doctor was direct, fair, and gave the time. nurses were all nice, I don't remember any names at this point. weaknesses: not sure, maybe a suggestion to not put trainees on blood draws for anxious people - especially since i had to get so many and that was hard anyway!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mitchell Rein at Massachusetts General Hospital.

around 4K which was much more than I expected

Describe Mitchell Rein's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

n/a

Doctor

Mitchell Rein

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mitchell Rein Massachusetts General Hospital

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 40 - 41

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Endometriosis

Income $50K - $99K

Professor

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

I first met Dr. Petrozza when I schedule an appointment with him to perform endometriosis surgery...He did an excellent job with my surgery and I owe my reproductive health to him. I’m currently in the process of doing my first IVF cycle with him...Even though I don’t see him at every appointment (for example, ultrasounds, etc.) I know I’m in great hands and at the end of the day Dr. Petrozza is the one reviewing my charts during my visits with him.

The clinic [at Massachusetts General Hospital] is really busy but well organized. Since starting my stims, I’ve been in and out in less than 30 minutes for both bloodwork and ultrasound...The nurses in the clinic have always been prompt. When I send an email I usually get a response within an hour. The financial department helped me with my insurance and always kept me in the loop.

How was your experience with John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital?

When I was first diagnosed with stage IV endometriosis the GYN said she would have to remove my ovaries and since the endometriomas were so large, laparoscopy wasn’t an option for me. I ran away from her and the scheduled surgery. After a lot of research I decided Dr. Petrozza was the best doctor for me. He did an excellent job with my surgery and I owe my reproductive health to him. I’m currently in the process of doing my first IVF cycle with him. The most important thing is that I trust Dr. Petrozza with my health. Before the cycle started he ordered a number of tests and bloodwork so he can come up with the best treatment plan. What I love the most about him is that he explains everything in detail, tells me all the possible options with their advantages and disadvantages and then tells me his recommendation. With covid all my appointments with him have been virtual. He is always on time and when we meet, he has reviewed my labs and test results. I’m not sure if my IVF will work or not due to my advanced age and endometriosis. What I do know is that I’m in the best care possible and if I do end up pregnant, it will be because of Dr. Petrozza and his outstanding level of care. Even though I don’t see him at every appointment (for example, ultrasounds, etc.) I know I’m in great hands and at the end of the day Dr. Petrozza is the one reviewing my charts during my visits with him.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital?

For me personally, I prefer facts and a doctor who is brutally honest and doesn’t give false hope. In all my interactions he has had great bedside manner. What I do recommend if making appointments in advance since he is extremely busy. For example, the day I finished my last test he had ordered, I called to make my follow up appointment knowing the results would be in by the time I see him. So be proactive when it comes to making appointments.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital?

I first met Dr. Petrozza when I schedule an appointment with him to perform endometriosis surgery. He took the time to explain all the different techniques he uses and which one he felt was the best option for me and why. Since the surgery, he’s always taken the time to explain things and provide me with the best treatment possible. He is smart, caring and compassionate. I never felt like another number. He always remembers me and my medical history.

Describe the protocols John Petrozza used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

I’m currently doing the estrogen priming patch protocol. In the middle of stims at the moment. He recommended this protocol due to my age and history of endometriosis.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Carol )

I cannot being to say how wonderful all the nurses and coordinators are. Carol always follows up immediately after my appointments. She is extremely helpful and organized. The nurses in the clinic have always been prompt. When I send an email I usually get a response within an hour. The financial department helped me with my insurance and always kept me in the loop. I had a lot of issues with my insurance and all the staff were extremely supportive during the process.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

The clinic is really busy but well organized. Since starting my stims, I’ve been in and out in less than 30 minutes for both bloodwork and ultrasound. I think the most I waited was 10 minutes. Most of the phlebotomists are great (this for me is a big plus since I don’t like needles). My best advice is to be on top of scheduling follow up appointments with your doctor and don’t wait for them to call you with an appointment. Like I said, they do get really busy. The test, u/s and bloodwork appointment are easy to get so you need not worry about that.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital.

I have insurance coverage

Doctor

John Petrozza

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2019, Successful

Age 34

3 IUI

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Operations

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

While Dr. Souter is an extremely busy professional, we always felt like she made quality time for us during our visits. She reviewed any new results, was clear about our expectations, and patiently addressed any questions or concerns we had. We felt very well taken care of under her treatment... Because everything appeared relatively normal, Dr. Souter suggested 3 courses of IUI with Gonal-F before moving on to IVF. The first IUI resulted in me getting my period before the two week wait was up. The second course was a little odd - my body didn’t respond as quickly to the Gonal-F and appeared to wind up ovulating on its own, so we did an IUI without a trigger shot. I didn’t get my period for 26 days after the IUI, but tested negative for pregnancy. The third cycle went smoothly and I received a positive pregnancy beta test 16 days after the transfer. I’m now 13 weeks along with a healthy baby!

We called [Massachusetts General Hospital] in January 2019 and were going through our first IUI cycle by early May. (First consult was February, followed by all sorts of testing for both of us, followed by an additional consult to review the treatment plan). The only issue is how busy the clinic is - when coming in for blood and ultrasounds, I’d always recommend getting the earliest possible appointments, as the waiting room can fill up! But I was never there for more than an hour.

How was your experience with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

As discussed earlier, Dr. Souter’s manner while meeting with her was consistently supportive, educational, and clear. We felt we always understood what our next steps would be, what risks were involved, and what chances we had of success. The only minor issue was how long we needed to wait between appointments to see her, but that’s just a product of how busy she is providing all of her patients with the same quality treatment.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Be proactive in scheduling any future consults. When our second IUI wasn’t successful, we preemptively scheduled our IVF consult to coincide with the third cycle of IUI, just to keep the ball in motion if the third cycle wasn’t successful.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Describe the protocols Irene Souter used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

All of our tests came back pretty normal, with the exception of some mild male factor issues (which improved with diet changes). Because everything appeared relatively normal, Dr. Souter suggested 3 courses of IUI with Gonal-F before moving on to IVF. The first IUI resulted in me getting my period before the two week wait was up. The second course was a little odd - my body didn’t respond as quickly to the Gonal-F and appeared to wind up ovulating on its own, so we did an IUI without a trigger shot. I didn’t get my period for 26 days after the IUI, but tested negative for pregnancy. The third cycle went smoothly and I received a positive pregnancy beta test 16 days after the transfer. I’m now 13 weeks along with a healthy baby!

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The nursing staff were consistently pleasant and understanding. I felt extremely comfortable with them.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

The clinic is organized and for as busy as it is, you can get moving with treatment pretty quickly. We called in January 2019 and were going through our first IUI cycle by early May. (First consult was February, followed by all sorts of testing for both of us, followed by an additional consult to review the treatment plan). The only issue is how busy the clinic is - when coming in for blood and ultrasounds, I’d always recommend getting the earliest possible appointments, as the waiting room can fill up! But I was never there for more than an hour.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Our insurance is excellent - we only paid copays of $30/visit, including transfers and testing. The medicines were most expensive, at about $300/cycle.

Describe Irene Souter's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

We didn’t get to this point, but because I’m still under 35, with IVF we would have done just a single embryo transfer per IVF cycle.

Doctor

Irene Souter

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2018, Successful

Age 34

3 IUI

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Graphic Designer

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

She [Dr. Jan Shifren] stressed that she works hard to not have patients become pregnant with multiples as it’s a high risk pregnancy...Listened to our history, walked through each step with us...She was very thorough at intake and checked in after every treatment. She made us feel very comfortable and met with us after each treatment to make sure that we knew what the next steps would be. She explained any and all risks when going through IUI and what the next steps would be if we did not conceive after the third IUI.

The clinic [Massachusetts General Hospital] had a lot of strengths: they were very flexible schedule, on time for all my appointments, really great communication and made themselves available for all my questions, and they made the process as a good as it could be. One thing to note is that the first appointment is very long. Expect to be there for at least 2 hours...The nursing staff was fantastic. Reassuring, positive and warm, they all made the process as good as it could be.

How was your experience with Jan Shifren at Massachusetts General Hospital?

She was very thorough at intake and checked in after every treatment. She made us feel very comfortable and met with us after each treatment to make sure that we knew what the next steps would be. She explained any and all risks when going through IUI and what the next steps would be if we did not conceive after the third IUI.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jan Shifren at Massachusetts General Hospital?

She can be a little tough in the beginning, but so very thorough and we felt like she listened to all of our concerns.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jan Shifren at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Listened to our history, walked through each step with us

Describe the protocols Jan Shifren used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

Based on my age and how long we had been trying, she recommended that my husband get tested since I had a normal period. His tests came back normal so we decided to go through IUI as it was less Invasive and a good starting point. If after three cycles we did not conceive, we would have moved to IVF. She stressed that she works hard to not have patients become pregnant with multiples as it’s a high risk pregnancy, but we became pregnant with twins. Come to find out we have twins on both sides of the family so that could have been the luck of the draw.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Judy)

The nursing staff was fantastic. Reassuring, positive and warm, they all made the process as good as it could be.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

The clinic had a lot of strengths: they were very flexible schedule, on time for all my appointments, really great communication and made themselves available for all my questions, and they made the process as a good as it could be. One thing to note is that the first appointment is very long. Expect to be there for at least 2 hours.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Jan Shifren at Massachusetts General Hospital.

I had great insurance so it was all covered.

Doctor

Jan Shifren

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Sabatini Morris Massachusetts General Hospital

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful

Age 38 - 39

1 IVF

1 Egg Freezing

Male Factor

Uterine Fibroids

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

We found Dr. Sabatini very caring and knowledgable. At our first several visits, she explained in detail our issues and advised of next steps (IVF) and the process. As we progressed further into the cycle, we were seen by various drs on the staff and that is where we ran into issues. We often left these appts feeling confused/uninformed and that no-one was "managing" our care.

Many of the procedures/appointments were with other members of the MGH staff and we were not pleased with the level of patient care with the other staff. We often left appointments where we felt uninformed about the next step and procedures we not explained.... We worked with various nurses throughout the process. During the monitoring phase, speaking to multiple nurses was not an issue. However, when we started experiencing issues after miscarriage it was challenging because we had to recap our situation each time we spoke to someone.

How was your experience with Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Schedule all appointments directly with Dr. Sabatini if at all possible

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr. Sabatini seemed very kind and appeared genuinely invested in our outcome, however, we had limited visits with her. Many of the procedures/appointments were with other members of the MGH staff and we were not pleased with the level of patient care with the other staff. We often left appointments where we felt uninformed about the next step and procedures we not explained. Again, we truly felt Dr. Sabatini was caring but as an MGH fertility patient, you are not always seen by your primary doctor.

Describe the protocols Mary Sabatini Morris used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

Our treatment was IVF with ICSI and PGS testing. We went straight to this treatment due to advanced age and male factor infertility (morphology). Treatment resulted in pregnancy but subsequent miscarriage. Reason for miscarriage unknown.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

We worked with various nurses throughout the process. During the monitoring phase, speaking to multiple nurses was not an issue. However, when we started experiencing issues after miscarriage it was challenging because we had to recap our situation each time we spoke to someone.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

We were very pleased with our Dr but were not impressed with how the overall clinic was run. We had several issues with scheduling appointments, long wait times between appointments, oftentimes could not communicate directly with our doctor, and clinic staff was not as responsive as we would have liked.

What specific things went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Lost appointments

Doctor

Mary Sabatini Morris

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Sabatini Morris Massachusetts General Hospital

2017, Successful

Age 37

1 IVF

Unexplained

Income $200K - $499K

2nd of 2 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Doesn't Recommend

Successful

Review of

Dr Souter was always very upfront and positive with us. We had had lots of frustration before (a failed pregnancy and multiple failed IUIs, one failed IVF) and were grateful to start anew with her...We had been utilizing Dr Styer and I moved to Dr Souter. Personality wise, I just cliqued with Irene better. My husband liked both. After multiple failed IUIs, I just needed to change something up and moving clinics felt like a huge undertaking. Irene was like a breath of fresh air I needed.

MGH had recommendations on how many to use [Eset] given how many times we had tried and my age. We elected for one both times...I often had to inquire if they had forgotten me because they were running so late...You do not see the same nurse, although all were compassionate...I felt getting responses back from nurses before they closed was always a huge undertaking. And oftentimes, you need the medication called in before a certain time. The experience was very stressful for me. It seemed that they were understaffed.

How was your experience with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

We had been utilizing Dr Styer and I moved to Dr Souter. Personality wise, I just cliqued with Irene better. My husband liked both. After multiple failed IUIs, I just needed to change something up and moving clinics felt like a huge undertaking. Irene was like a breath of fresh air I needed.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Stay positive!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr Souter was always very upfront and positive with us. We had had lots of frustration before (a failed pregnancy and multiple failed IUIs, one failed IVF) and were grateful to start anew with her.

Describe the protocols Irene Souter used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

I don't remember exactly but this was our final IVF shot before I moved clinics. The retrieval went well this time and I knew that the transfer was good, the doctor who did it exclaimed it went really well and felt it had a great chance. This positivity helped me as well thinking things went well.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

You do not see the same nurse, although all were compassionate. Often MGH is running late and getting there with traffic and work is a stressful experience.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

Traffic, parking, and tardiness were a constant with MGH for me. At the time we were living in Brookline so not too far away but I came to despise going to the hospital in the mornings. The earlier appointment the better as less people have been given the chance to be late and push back appointments. I always felt that the person working behind the desk (there was some turnover) was not always the friendliest and sometimes not organized. I often had to inquire if they had forgotten me because they were running so late.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Our insurance didn't cover any treatments.

Describe Irene Souter's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

MGH had recommendations on how many to use given how many times we had tried and my age. We elected for one both times.

What specific things went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital.

I felt getting responses back from nurses before they closed was always a huge undertaking. And oftentimes, you need the medication called in before a certain time. The experience was very stressful for me. It seemed that they were understaffed.

Doctor

Irene Souter

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016 - 2017, Successful

Age 29 - 30

3 Fertility Medications

PCOS

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Aaron is very warm, hopeful, straightforward about diagnosis/options and clear about expectations. He is completely focused on the patient and is happy to either sit and answer questions/talk through things or get started with the treatment plan....He is an ideal choice for MD. He is kind, warm, patient, willing to sit and talk through options. He is super straightforward and clear with facts and comprehensive in the workup he prescribes to get a full picture of a couple's fertility.

Because the clinic is through MGH and they have such a high volume of patients, wait times can be brutal, but they do try to move along as fast as they can to get you in for your appointment....The nursing staff was kind. During my first two rounds of treatment that did not result in pregnancy, they acknowledged the disappointment and encouraged moving forward with another month...One day, when the wait was egregiously long, they gave out free parking stickers (a little treat in a place like Boston, ha!) and free coffee gift cards for the hospital cafeterias.

How was your experience with Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

He is an ideal choice for MD. He is kind, warm, patient, willing to sit and talk through options. He is super straightforward and clear with facts and comprehensive in the workup he prescribes to get a full picture of a couple's fertility. We never felt rushed with Aaron, but we were eager to move forward with a treatment plan and he was happy to oblige. He was hopeful and positive and even encouraging when I became pregnant and didn't want to get my hopes up. I would recommend him to anyone--he was really wonderful.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Feel free to be honest with him about your hopes and expectations. Because he is very straightforward and thorough in his explanations he will help to adjust expectations if necessary (I was not optimistic, and he encouraged my optimism) and fully explain the results of a workup to back up his opinions about treatment plans.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Describe the protocols Aaron K. Styer used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

I have PCOS, but I ovulate regularly. When my husband and I wanted to try to conceive, knowing I had the PCOS diagnosis, I proactively went to Aaron Styer for a workup as soon as I had my IUD removed. Aaron offered to let my husband and I try to conceive naturally for a while, but mentioned that we might derive some benefit from the use of Clomid (to help guarantee well matured eggs and time ovulation) and a trigger shot to help with timing. We were eager to conceive, so we wanted to start with that. He said that we would try that protocol for 6 months. Before the third cycle of Clomid and the trigger shot, I mentioned that my luteal phases seemed short (~10 days), so he suggested trying progesterone vaginal inserts which I would use every night after ovulation was confirmed 2-3 days after the trigger shot. On our third cycle of Clomid + trigger shot and the first cycle in which I used progesterone, we conceived our daughter. That pregnancy resulted in a live birth.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The nursing staff was kind. During my first two rounds of treatment that did not result in pregnancy, they acknowledged the disappointment and encouraged moving forward with another month, if I was comfortable and ready. Once I became pregnant, they were encouraging and friendly, very knowledgable and eager to support me in the early weeks before I was transferred to the OB/Midwife team.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

The doctors and nursing staff are AMAZING. Because the clinic is through MGH and they have such a high volume of patients, wait times can be brutal, but they do try to move along as fast as they can to get you in for your appointment. One day, when the wait was egregiously long, they gave out free parking stickers (a little treat in a place like Boston, ha!) and free coffee gift cards for the hospital cafeterias. It doesn't solve the annoyance of having to wait for a long time, but it is something and I know they try hard. I do think they're worth waiting for, though!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

A few $15 co-pays for MD visits and some small prescription medication co-pays. My treatment and all medication was covered by my insurance.

Describe Aaron K. Styer's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

We never got to IVF, but Aaron Styer had a strong preference for transferring a single embryo for several transfers in women under 35--which he discussed with me, should we have gone the IVF route. He was more open to multiple embryo transfer after subsequent IVF failure or in women over 35.

Doctor

Aaron K. Styer

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Sabatini Morris Massachusetts General Hospital

2017, Unsuccessful

Age 33

1 IVF

Male Factor

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 3 Docs

2 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Dr sabatini took over my care when my initial doctor left. I met with her once via a video chat, never in person and never saw or spoke with her again after that conversation. During my cycle I had to bring up details of the cycle which should have been known and scheduled into our plan which in the end caused complications. The cycle ended in a miscarriage, I never received a follow up call or an appointment. There was no concern from her about my well being, no concern if medically I was ok or to discuss future steps to help make our family

I would not recommend [MGH - Boston] due to the outcome of my results and the non compassionate non existent care/ follow up concern received/ not received...Nurses were friendly for the most part. I did receive extra medication from the nurse while at an appointment due to the concern of possibly running out prior to my trigger shot ...Monitoring appointments were quick. Scheduled time was provided but I would often be seen early...

How was your experience with Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

I would not recommend her

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Poor cycle planning. No follow up or concern for my well being or what steps to take post miscarriage

Describe the protocols Mary Sabatini Morris used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

I do not remember which medications were used this cycle. There were no complications with the medications

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Kind and compassionate

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

I would not recommend due to the outcome of my results and the non compassionate non existent care/ follow up concern received/ not received. I did not feel like my individual case and situation was carefully reviewed or planned out. Nurses were friendly for the most part. I did receive extra medication from the nurse while at an appointment due to the concern of possibly running out prior to my trigger shot .

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Monitoring appointments were quick. Scheduled time was provided but I would often be seen early

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Sabatini Morris at Massachusetts General Hospital.

More expensive than previous clinics used. My husband and I are both currently on a payment plan and still owe $4,000

Describe Mary Sabatini Morris's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Despite previous failed results we were allowed to transfer only 2 embryos and The remaining embryos were not able to be frozen

Doctor

Mary Sabatini Morris

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Mary Sabatini Morris Massachusetts General Hospital

2015 - 2017, Successful

Age 37 - 39

1 IVF

Endometriosis

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Dr. Styer always seemed genuinely pleased to see me/us. Even if I was just there for blood work or an ultrasound and he saw me in the waiting room he'd come by to say hello. He was thorough and his explanations and thoughts on treatment seemed to be thoughtful and based on research.... We used an antagonist protocol. After a failed fresh transfer and an FET that ended at 8 weeks in a miscarriage, we asked Dr. Styer about PGS testing for the remaining two frozen embryos. He agreed, and the next PGS-tested FET embryo was a success.

MGH is a busy clinic and you won't always get to see Dr. Styer for ultrasounds or routine visits, or even perhaps your transfer. If it's important to you that you stick with one doctor, a smaller clinic might be the way to go.... MGH was professional, organized, clean, new. It was also busy, the phlebotomists were occasionally surly as was the front desk staff (some were great though), and it's in downtown Boston, which presents its own challenges.

How was your experience with Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr. Styer was great at in-person meetings. His demeanor was warm and inviting and he asked multiple times if I had any questions about any of the results he discussed with me and my husband.

Describe the protocols Aaron K. Styer used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

We used an antagonist protocol. After a failed fresh transfer and an FET that ended at 8 weeks in a miscarriage, we asked Dr. Styer about PGS testing for the remaining two frozen embryos. He agreed, and the next PGS-tested FET embryo was a success.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Cheryl)

Cheryl was great during in-person meetings and setting up cycle calendars. She was not easy to get hold of any other time, as she didn't email. It was usually an on-call nurse that would get back to me when I called with questions, unless it was something directly related to my treatment plan.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

MGH was professional, organized, clean, new. It was also busy, the phlebotomists were occasionally surly as was the front desk staff (some were great though), and it's in downtown Boston, which presents its own challenges.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

My insurance luckily covered everything except the deductible and the co-pay for the pharmacy costs.

What specific things went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Failed to send your chart to another clinic

Doctor

Aaron K. Styer

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2014 - 2017, Unsuccessful

Age 34 - 37

4 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

When I see Dr Styer he has a lot of patience, compassion, and answers all questions fully. I wish we had done some of the tests he recently ordered sooner in the process but really that is my only complaint...Dr. Styer is often too busy given his schedule that I only speak with him at the end of IUI/IVF...Initially Dr Styer wanted me to try IVF but we were looking for the least invasive option. It seemed like it was more our decision than his recommendation that took precedence at that time.

It seems that they [MGH] are very busy and at sometimes disorganized. They are always running a little late and I often do not get phone calls back...When I'm traveling, I have a hard time getting in touch with the nurses to get in touch with medication implications. Also during an IUI, I had a very upsetting appointment where I was waiting so long I was nervous that the thawed sperm was impacted...

How was your experience with Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

He is difficult to schedule time with so be sure you do it far in advance.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

I have had problems getting the medication straight and people to call me back in a timely fashion. Also I have had to come back for blood draw that I could have the day before when I was there. Dr. Styer is often too busy given his schedule that I only speak with him at the end of IUI/IVF.

Describe the protocols Aaron K. Styer used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

Initially Dr Styer wanted me to try IVF but we were looking for the least invasive option. It seemed like it was more our decision than his recommendation that took precedence at that time. Since getting to IVF, he recommended ICSI and he was very familiar with our past as to what he felt was best emotionally for us. Due to insurance/our past history, we tried one embryo (Day 5 transfer) which did not work.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Cheryl)

When I can get in touch with the nurses on the phone (which is difficult to do) they are very caring. They are very friendly and helpful when I'm in the office.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

It seems that they are very busy and at sometimes disorganized. They are always running a little late and I often do not get phone calls back.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Expensive especially when paying out of pocket.

Describe Aaron K. Styer's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

I have not had a multiple embryo transfer yet but hope to next cycle.

What specific things went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital.

When I'm traveling, I have a hard time getting in touch with the nurses to get in touch with medication implications. Also during an IUI, I had a very upsetting appointment where I was waiting so long I was nervous that the thawed sperm was impacted. Being hormonal, I was crying when they were doing the IUI which is not the right frame of mind. They said they have since updated the processes which I struggled with.

Doctor

Aaron K. Styer

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016 - 2017, Unknown Success

Age 42 - 43

4 IUI

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Donor Sperm

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Dr. Souter is direct, no-nonsense and matter-of-fact, which I liked. She's pleasant enough, but not super warm and fuzzy if that's what you're looking for. I saw her a couple times before starting my IUIs, but will not see her again until I have done six unsuccessful IUIs (at which time I am eligible for IVF)...If you want a straight shooter, you'll probably like Dr. Souter....For IUIs, I never saw my doctor (the nurses did the IUIs), but they were all warm and pleasant. For ultrasounds, I would see the fertility doctor on call (there are several).

In general, the nursing staff at the MGH Fertility Center have been pleasant. They have done all my IUIs, and I have interacted with them the most throughout my course of treatment. I have had a few negative experiences with Pam, Dr. Souter's primary nurse. She seems a bit scatter-brained, and once left me a voicemail about someone else's test results! She also never remembers my situation or course of treatment, so I always have to explain it to her each time we talk...Strengths: Top success rates in Boston, part of one of the country's best hospitals. Weaknesses: It doesn't always feel very personal.

How was your experience with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

If you want a straight shooter, you'll probably like Dr. Souter.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

The MGH Fertility Center is part of a large hospital and sees many patients, so they have many systems and routines for patients. For IUIs, I never saw my doctor (the nurses did the IUIs), but they were all warm and pleasant. For ultrasounds, I would see the fertility doctor on call (there are several). So far, I don't have anything negative to say about any of the doctors that i have seen. When you call the fertility center about something, they take your number and you have to wait for a call back from a nurse.

Describe the protocols Irene Souter used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

So far, I have done four unsuccessful IUIs. Given my situation, I have to do six IUIs unsuccessfully before my insurance will cover IVF -- so that is the treatment plan I am currently on. I am doing natural cycle IUIs (no medication) with ultrasound monitoring and a trigger shot.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Pam)

In general, the nursing staff at the MGH Fertility Center have been pleasant. They have done all my IUIs, and I have interacted with them the most throughout my course of treatment. I have had a few negative experiences with Pam, Dr. Souter's primary nurse. She seems a bit scatter-brained, and once left me a voicemail about someone else's test results! She also never remembers my situation or course of treatment, so I always have to explain it to her each time we talk. Perhaps that's part of being seen at a larger hospital-based clinic.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

Strengths: Top success rates in Boston, part of one of the country's best hospitals. Weaknesses: It doesn't always feel very personal.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital.

IUIs are $880 each. My medications and ultrasounds were covered by my insurance, as were my office visits.

Doctor

Irene Souter

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017, Successful

Age 44

Uterine Fibroids

Latinx

Income $0 - $49K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 2 Docs

IVF With Other Docs

1 Egg Freezing With Other Docs

1 Embryo Freezing With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

She [Dr. Souter] is extremely knowledgeable and friendly and takes her time with you answering all questions. However she ups your anxiety about when I got a positive for a possible genetic issue that was not big deal when I went to genetic counseling. She was also pretty pessimistic about my 15% of getting pregnant...Dr answered all my questions and took ample time, she was friendly...I just didn't have a partner.

You get more personalized care because it's small [MGH - Boston]. The doctors are extremely knowledgeable. They don't do more extreme procedures....[nurses] They responded quickly to calls but did not provide a video to teach you how to inject meds. I had to watch YouTube videos to learn...When I complained about error was rudely told I should not come here if I was not prepared to pay all out of pocket.

How was your experience with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

She is extremely knowledgeable and friendly and takes her time with you answering all questions. However she ups your anxiety about when I got a positive for a possible genetic issue that was not big deal when I went to genetic counseling. She was also pretty pessimistic about my 15% of getting pregnant. Statistics include both when with issues and women who are just older. Many women in my family got pregnant naturally in their 40's. I just didn't have a partner. I was not surprised when I got pregnant on the first ivf try.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Go to her because she is good but know that she can make you a bit anxious and is overly cautious to not get your hopes up.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

The clinic is small, the nurses call you back quickly, Dr answered all my questions and took ample time, she was friendly.

Describe the protocols Irene Souter used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

Standard ivf - patches, suppositories, and PIO injections.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

They responded quickly to calls but did not provide a video to teach you how to inject meds. I had to watch YouTube videos to learn.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

You get more personalized care because it's small. The doctors are extremely knowledgeable. They don't do more extreme procedures like other places but I think that's a good thing because the priority is to keep you healthy.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital.

$10000

Describe Irene Souter's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

She said to transfer two embryos to give me a chance.

What specific things went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital.

I specifically asked how much treatment would cost and was told insurance would cover it all so I started treatment and mid treatment told me they made a mistake and insurance would only cover most of meds but not transfer and other procedures so I had to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket. When I complained about error was rudely told I should not come here if I was not prepared to pay all out of pocket.

Doctor

Irene Souter

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2016, Unsuccessful

Age 34

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Income $200K - $499K

Consultant

1st of 2 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

My IVF cycle was cancelled. I suggested perhaps I just can't tolerate high levels of gonadotropins but Dr P [Dr. Petrozza] insisted this is "impossible" and said my next cycle should be flare not antagonist with again 450 Gonal F. I got no sense that he wanted to figure out what went wrong...he has a very bad bedside manner. Delivers things like "IVF just might not work for you" with absolutely no sympathy ...

I think MGH is very poor for treating diminished ovarian reserve...often running late...

How was your experience with John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital?

As stated earlier, he has a very blunt bedside manner. Generally, I want a competent not nice doctor. I'm not sure he is either, at least if you have DOR. Zero sympathy, zero optimism (even when docs at other clinics were like "I don't even know that you have DOR") .... also, after that first appointment, he disappears

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Go with him if you have a straightforward case and not DOR.... do not expect him to have a "hmmm how interesting let's see why this odd response happened" approach

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital?

I think MGH is very poor for treating diminished ovarian reserve. I had a very strange situation happen, which is that I responded well to clomid and low doses of Gonal F (eg 75 and 112), like getting 3 eggs, but at high doses (eg 450)--which is what they insisted i needed for IVF--my body shut down and I had 0 follicles grow. My IVF cycle was cancelled. I suggested perhaps I just can't tolerate high levels of gonadotropins but Dr P insisted this is "impossible" and said my next cycle should be flare not antagonist with again 450 Gonal F. I got no sense that he wanted to figure out what went wrong. i was clearly a number. and btw, he has a very bad bedside manner. Delivers things like "IVF just might not work for you" with absolutely no sympathy ... bear in mind my AMH is over 2, I naturally conceived a child 2 years ago, etc. Again, no desire to problem solve. they want you in and out. If you are an easy/textbook case, that's fine. But if you are a puzzling case, I see no indication you're going to get attention at MGH.

Describe the protocols John Petrozza used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

antagonist protocol IVF with no suppression

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

often running late

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital.

insurance co=pays only

Doctor

John Petrozza

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015 - 2016, Unsuccessful

Age 33 - 34

1 IVF

Male Factor

European

Income $100K - $199K

Lawyer

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

He [Dr. Petrozza] explained our issues in detail, explained the risks, and really understood our goals. But as soon as the process started he fell off the radar. I never saw him for any of my check in ultrasounds, he didn't do my retrieval, and then sat on genetic test results for two weeks. I felt like we got sold a personable bill of goods and then was just another number in the pile...

If I called [MGH - Boston] I had to leave a message for her and she would call me back. It was frustrating because the entire process was never really explained to us, we dealt with insurance issues which never got resolved and everything frustrated me. I'm a fairly smart human being and they made me feel stupid for asking questions. When I said I wanted a class on injections they told me to keep watching the videos until I got it.

How was your experience with John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital?

As the head of the clinic I thought he was fabulous and he was also great to us in the beginning of our process. He explained our issues in detail, explained the risks, and really understood our goals. But as soon as the process started he fell off the radar. I never saw him for any of my check in ultrasounds, he didn't do my retrieval, and then sat on genetic test results for two weeks. I felt like we got sold a personable bill of goods and then was just another number in the pile.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Be aware that you won't see him during the process and that you'll be dealing with his assistant and other Dr's throughout.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital?

I barely saw my Dr during the process, which I guess is not unusual when there are several Dr's in a practice and they rotate days. The one issue I had with him is that he sat on my genetic testing results for 2 weeks before giving them to me. It was the longest two weeks of my life. And then zero empathy when he relayed that no embryos were viable and all had genetic issues.

Describe the protocols John Petrozza used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

ivf with ICSI. I'm sorry I don't remember the details

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Carol H. )

My main point of contact was Carol. If I called I had to leave a message for her and she would call me back. It was frustrating because the entire process was never really explained to us, we dealt with insurance issues which never got resolved and everything frustrated me. I'm a fairly smart human being and they made me feel stupid for asking questions. When I said I wanted a class on injections they told me to keep watching the videos until I got it.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

They get you in, the process is set up but you're a number and it's a business to them.

Describe the costs associated with your care under John Petrozza at Massachusetts General Hospital.

10000+ with genetic testing

What specific things went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital?

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

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Delay in relaying protocol, I had asked for an overview as a first time IVF patient and was basically told that I needed to wait until they were ready to talk to me. Dr failed to relay genetic test results in a prompt manner. Insurance coverage was misleading as was payment options. Unclear communication as to when to start the pill at the beginning of my cycle which took 3 phone calls to straighten out.

Doctor

John Petrozza

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Margaret Lippincott Massachusetts General Hospital

2015 - 2016, Successful

Age 31 - 32

1 IUI

Anovulation

PCOS

European

Doctor

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

She [Dr Lippincott] is conservative--I consider this a good thing in her approach, but it may be something that some people are concerned about. Personally, I felt very comfortable with her--she was not cavalier about risks to either my health or that of my potential children. I'm in the medical field, and have seen severe side effects of fertility treatment, as well as bad outcomes in premature multiples--because of all of this, I felt much more comfortable with someone who tends towards the conservative end. It's also possible that I did not see the full range of what she would be willing to do, as my fertility issues were (thankfully!) resolved with treatments that were on the simpler end.

I honestly felt very comfortable with the clinic. Initial wait times were long, but I called back and lucked into a cancellation within 2 weeks. Dr Lippincott and Judy Adams were both very available and I felt very much that I was in good hands. Only limitation--and thankfully I did not have to deal with this much--the MGH lab is incredibly slow, and I have sat for more than an hour's wait to get blood drawn. Thankfully they very rarely asked bloodwork except right at the beginning of my workup and at the end, when confirming pregnancy.

How was your experience with Margaret Lippincott at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr Lippencott was always thorough and detail-oriented, but warm. I always felt like she wanted me to understand all of the possibilities and pros/cons of our decisions, but it really felt like I was a partner in the decision making. She was very accessible (although of course I tried not to abuse this!) and answered any questions fully. I never felt rushed by her. I worked more directly with the ultrasound technologist, but Dr Lippencott would always be available for consultation regarding the plan.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Margaret Lippincott at Massachusetts General Hospital?

She is conservative--I consider this a good thing in her approach, but it may be something that some people are concerned about. Personally, I felt very comfortable with her--she was not cavalier about risks to either my health or that of my potential children. I'm in the medical field, and have seen severe side effects of fertility treatment, as well as bad outcomes in premature multiples--because of all of this, I felt much more comfortable with someone who tends towards the conservative end. It's also possible that I did not see the full range of what she would be willing to do, as my fertility issues were (thankfully!) resolved with treatments that were on the simpler end.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Margaret Lippincott at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr Lippincott was always thorough and detail-oriented, but warm. I always felt like she wanted me to understand all of the possibilities and pros/cons of our decisions, but it really felt like I was a partner in the decision making. She was very accessible (although of course I tried not to abuse this!) and answered any questions fully. I never felt rushed by her.

Describe the protocols Margaret Lippincott used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

I had previously done 3 cycles of unmonitored Clomid (1 cycle on 50mg and 2 on 100mg), and only ovulated on the last cycle (2 follicles). Dr Lippincott diagnosed me with PCOS based on my US and confirmed that I probably had not ovulated in the prior year (I had been using urine ovulation tests without ever getting a positive line, until the last cycle of Clomid). With Dr Lippincott, she had me come in for ultrasounds on day 3 (confirm ovulation and how many follicles ovulated) and day 12-13 (confirm if a dominant follicle present). Based on the size of the dominant follicle, I would either come back in on day 16-17 (if it was not large enough to be able to confirm what day it would be mature), or they would estimate the date of follicle maturity from the day 12-13 scan. I would then administer HCG and do timed intercourse. I did this for two cycles. On my 3rd cycle with Dr Lippincott, we decided to add on an IUI; again, I did US on day 3 and day 12-13; because my follicle was still too small, we repeated an US on day 16, did HCG injection on day 16, then did an IUI on day 18. Thankfully this was enough for us!

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Judy Adams (actually the ultrasonographer, who was usually my point person if not Dr Lippincott))

I did not actually work with any nursing staff. My primary point person was Judy Adams, the ultrasonographer, who was great--warm and very responsive, and also very good.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Margaret Lippincott at Massachusetts General Hospital.

We were lucky- covered by insurance. We have a high-deductible plan; after the discount from the insurance, we paid ~$200 per US (so $400 per cycle) plus $500 for the IUI. (With the high-deductible plan, until we meet our out of pocket, we expect to pay $150-$200 per doctor's appointment--so don't take this as the amount you would pay if you had a more conventional plan.) Clomid is pretty cheap.

Doctor

Margaret Lippincott

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Margaret Lippincott Massachusetts General Hospital

2014 - 2015, Successful

Age 35 - 36

2 IUI

2 IVF

2 Egg Freezing

Unexplained

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Marketer or PR

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr Styer provided an exceptional experience for my husband and myself. He always took the time to explain the procedures, options and provide a recommendation. He was compassionate to the situation but not overly coddling...Take notes in your initial appt. he provides many options and details on what can be done. It is quite overwhelming in nature and in hindsight I should have taken notes vs remembering from memory.

MGH IVF was an all inclusive practice with everything from your appts, lab work, and surgery procedures happening right at Yawkey which made it extremely convenient....Dr Styers team is a pod you consistently seen by at your appts. Cheryl is the primary nurse and Amazing. She felt like my mom was with me at my appts. Extremely warm and attentive.

How was your experience with Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

As per my previous comment, Dr Styer provided an exceptional experience for my husband and myself. He always took the time to explain the procedures, options and provide a recommendation. He was compassionate to the situation but not overly coddling. I 100% would recommend him to anyone needing fertility treatments.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Take notes in your initial appt. he provides many options and details on what can be done. It is quite overwhelming in nature and in hindsight I should have taken notes vs remembering from memory.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Dr Styer always took the time to explain or options, how and why treatments went the way they did and provided a recommendation on what he would do next if he was in our situation. We had seen a female dr in the practice initially and struggled with her overly coddling personality. We were recommended to Dr Styer for his bedside manner and direct personality and were exceptionally pleased.

Describe the protocols Aaron K. Styer used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

I had two potential ectopic pregnancies before seeking fertility treatment. Dr styer started with a round of clomid, then two iuis with different drug doses and ultimately moved to Ivf.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Cheryl )

Dr Styers team is a pod you consistently seen by at your appts. Cheryl is the primary nurse and Amazing. She felt like my mom was with me at my appts. Extremely warm and attentive.

Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.

MGH IVF was an all inclusive practice with everything from your appts, lab work, and surgery procedures happening right at Yawkey which made it extremely convenient.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Aaron K. Styer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

I was very fortunate to have insurance cover my entire procedure with the exception of my deductible.

Doctor

Aaron K. Styer

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2014 - 2015, Successful

Age 35 - 36

2 IVF

2 Embryo Freezing

Unexplained

European

Income $200K - $499K

1st of 2 Docs

4 IUI With Other Docs

Egg Freezing With Other Docs

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

She talked too fast, used lots of jargon, and because I had come to her from another clinic (for IUIs) I think she thought I knew more than I did about IVFs, which can be very different... Dr. Souter leans more towards pragmatic and blunt and could improve her bedside manner, but I have not doubted her decisions, protocols or care.

My care team was wonderful, even the receptionist remembered my name. They were always current on my case, got excited when news was good, and called to check on me when news was bad. I received hugs and tender touches when I needed them. My personal circumstances aside, almost every interaction I had with team members was extremely positive.

How was your experience with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

I will say, my first interaction with Dr. Souter was not ideal. She talked too fast, used lots of jargon, and because I had come to her from another clinic (for IUIs) I think she thought I knew more than I did about IVFs, which can be very different. Occasionally her accent was hard to understand. I am in healthcare and was a little lost. My husband was totally overwhelmed! My second meeting with her one-on-one went much more smoothly and she even turned her computer monitor to show me actual numbers and details, something I very much appreciated. Dr. Souter leans more towards pragmatic and blunt and could improve her bedside manner, but I have not doubted her decisions, protocols or care.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Do your homework. Learn about IVF terminology and the process. Bring a notebook to take notes and go prepared with questions since your time with her is limited. Also, do not be afraid to ask for further clarification if you don't understand something. She is very straightforward. If you are overly sensitive (not that I am not...because who isn't?) then maybe think about another doctor, though I don't know who would be best, maybe Dr. Sabatini. Call to ask the clinic.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Irene Souter at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Describe the protocols Irene Souter used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.

Cycle #1: OCP/Low Dose Lupron. 21 days of Apri birth control. Lupron injection 10 units x 10 days. Lupron injection 5 units x 10 days. Gonal-f 150 IU and Menopur 150 IU injections x 10 days. HCG injection. Ampicillin, Cefoxitin, Methylprednisolone, baby aspirin (81mg), 50 mg IM injection Progesterone. Valium for transfer. Vivelle dots 2 patches every other day. Personally, I did not respond well to this protocol. I only had 5 eggs, 4 were mature, and only 1 fertilized normally. This was transferred and the cycle was not successful. Cycle #2: OCP/Antagonist. 21 days of Apri birth control. Gonal-f 300 IU and Menopur 150 IU injections x 11 days. Ganirelix Acetate pre-filled syringe 250 mcg x 6 days. HCG injection. Ampicillin, Cefoxitin, Methylprednisolone, baby aspirin (81mg), 50 mg IM injection Progesterone. Valium for transfer. Vivelle dots 2 patches every other day. I had a drastically improved response on this protocol . 18 eggs retrieved (even from my quiet ovary), 9 went on to ICSI, 7 fertilized normally, 4 made it to day 5. 1 was transferred and 3 were frozen. I became pregnant, but unfortunately it was ectopic and I had to have surgery to remove my tube. There is a slight increased risk of ectopics with IVF. Cycle #3: Cryopreserved Blastocyst Transfer. 21 days of Apri birth control. Lupron injection 10 units x 28 days. Vivelle dots varying patches every other day x 24+ days. Endometrin tabs 100mg. Ampicillin, Methylprednisolone, baby aspirin (81mg), 50 mg IM injection Progesterone. Valium for transfer. "Textbook cycle and transfer" with 1 frozen embryo, results TBD.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Their compassion and genuine interest in your success!

Doctor

Irene Souter

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of