Heather Huddleston

UCSF

Rated 8.7
Strongly recommend: 65%Neutral: 24%Don't recommend: 11%8.7
65% strongly recommend
23 reviews
LGBTQ+ Competent Care
LGBTQ+ Competent Care

Based on reviews from the LGBTQ+ community.

Humanity
9.3
9.3
Humanity

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

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

Communication
9.4
9.4
Communication

Ratings of 1 mean poor communication.

Ratings of 10 mean excellent communication.

Frequency Seen
5.1
5.1
Frequency Seen

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

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

LGBTQ+ Care
10
10
LGBTQ+ Care

Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory LGBTQ+ care.

Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent LGBTQ+ care.

Responsiveness
7.4
OK
Responsiveness

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

Education

Medical School
Harvard
Residency
Harvard
Fellowship
Harvard

How Doctor Communicates

doctor, nurse available by email
doctor, nurse available by directline
doctor, nurse available by directline
not available by personal cell phone
not available by personal cell phone
Heather Huddleston works at

UCSF
Rated 8.4
Strongly recommend: 69%Neutral: 15%Don't recommend: 17%8.4

Explore Clinic
San Francisco
499 Illinois Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94158

23 patient reviews

LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+
2022 - 2023, Unsuccessful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 38 - 39
Uterine Fibroids
Income $100K - $199K
2nd of 2 Docs
IUI With Other Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
1 Egg Freezing With Other Docs
1 Embryo Freezing With Other Docs
Donor Sperm With Other Docs
LGBTQ+
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Unsuccessful
dr. Huddleston is amazing. I was so lucky to work with her...listened and took time to work with me and my care...so good at what she does. Skilled in research and in care...she cared for me. Explained options and routs and really supported me...advanced scarring and fibroids...saw her for 3 separate procedures to “fix” my uterus...she is a well Know scar specialist...After all of my procedures and time to heal I was cleared by her to pursue embryo transfer at my original clinic
I should have chosen [UCSF] to begin with...center for reproductive health is awesome. It’s advanced with care and doctors. The facilities are great and I am impressed with everything about them...I never felt overlooked and never had to reexplain to them I’m a lesbian. They always where respectful and welcoming...Very kind staff and good at what they do. I felt comfortable with them. And never had any problems.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
dr. Huddleston is amazing. I was so lucky to work with her. She listened and took time to work with me and my care. And she also was so good at what she does. Skilled in research and in care. I want her as my regular obgyn. I didn’t get the rests I was hoping for. But she cared for me. Explained options and routs and really supported me. I would recommend her in a scoundrel to anyone.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Go see her. She is worth it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
I felt cared for and heard. Dr. Huddleston took time to speak with me, plan care and really help me understand everything.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
I came to Dr. Huddleston to get care and try and fix advanced scarring and fibroids. I saw her for 3 separate procedures to “fix” my uterus. She made sure I was well cared for. And got good restyles with scar tissue removal, fibroid removal and I posted my cavity. She was very very helpful and knowledgeable with all of these surgeries. All where out patient. She made sure I was very in pain and did her very just to fix things. After all of my procedures and time to heal I was cleared by her to pursue embryo transfer at my original clinic. I went to her because she is a well Know scar specialist and I was giving it a good old collage try with her an advanced specialist. I consulted with her a number of times about my possible peen net and in the end my other fertility Dr said they would not proceed with a transfer. And when I spoke to DR. Huddleston for another op ion she agreed and encouraged me to have my wife carry my embryos and to not move the embryos to her clinic she didn’t want anything to happen to them. She is not interested in statists or numbers of pregnancies she can help produce she care about the patient and the family.
How competent was Heather Huddleston at LGBTQ+ care?
She was so knowledgeable and never made a mistake or made me remind her I had a wife. She knew our story and was also checking in with us and our life. So kind and caring.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
Very kind staff and good at what they do. I felt comfortable with them. And never had any problems.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
I should have chosen them to begin with. I’m not sure why I didn’t. But I like everything h they do. Ucsf center for reproductive health is awesome. It’s advanced with care and doctors. The facilities are great and I am impressed with everything about them.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
Insurances covered most but I have paid out of local $1000 for all my surgeries
How competent was UCSF at LGBTQ+ care?
I never felt overlooked and never had to reexplain to them I’m a lesbian. They always where respectful and welcoming.
Describe your experience using 3rd party reproduction (donor eggs, donor sperm, or gestational carrier) at UCSF.
I didn’t see them for any of this
10
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
LGBTQ+ Care
5 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
LGBTQ+ Care
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2015 - 2017, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 30 - 32
1 IVF
Unexplained
Latinx
Income $200K - $499K
Operations
1st of 8 Docs
1 IUI With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Huddleston was empathic and made sure I understood the process...was caring and always put my needs first...one IVF cycle and multiple FET cycles with different protocols...was always there to listen, provide guidance, and offer encouragement, even during the most challenging times
UCSF Center for Reproductive Health is truly exceptional in every way...Having multiple MDs involved in my treatment plan made a world of difference...The entire team at UCSF is dedicated, knowledgeable, and compassionate. From the front desk staff to the nurses and doctors, everyone we encountered made us feel supported
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
We cannot express enough gratitude to Dr. Huddleston for the incredible care and support she provided throughout our fertility journey. After more than 10 years of fertility treatments, we were blessed with our two beautiful daughters, all thanks to Dr. Huddleston and her expertise in IVF. From the very beginning, Dr. Huddleston was nothing short of amazing. Her positivity and kindness made every step of the process more bearable. She always put me first, ensuring that I felt like a human being, not just a patient. Her compassion and understanding were evident in every interaction, making us feel truly cared for. Dr. Huddleston's dedication to her patients is unmatched. She was always there to listen, provide guidance, and offer encouragement, even during the most challenging times. Her knowledge and expertise were crucial in helping us achieve the family we had dreamed of for so long. We are forever grateful to Dr. Huddleston for making our dream of parenthood a reality. She is an exceptional doctor and a wonderful person who will always hold a special place in our hearts.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Takes notes
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston was empathic and made sure I understood the process. she was caring and always put my needs first
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
We did one IVF cycle and multiple FET cycles with different protocols
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Brittney)
Absolutely amazing
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Memory updated Here's a review for the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health: The UCSF Center for Reproductive Health is truly exceptional in every way. After many years of trying to conceive, we finally found success here, and we couldn't be more grateful. One of the standout aspects of this clinic is its group practice model. Having multiple MDs involved in my treatment plan made a world of difference. Instead of relying on just one doctor's opinion, I had the benefit of several highly experienced professionals weighing in on my care. This collaborative approach gave me confidence that I was receiving the best possible treatment tailored specifically to my needs. The entire team at UCSF is dedicated, knowledgeable, and compassionate. From the front desk staff to the nurses and doctors, everyone we encountered made us feel supported and cared for throughout our journey. Their expertise in reproductive health is unmatched, and their commitment to helping families achieve their dreams is evident in everything they do. If you are looking for the best fertility clinic, look no further than the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health. They are simply the best at what they do, and we are forever grateful to them for helping us build our family.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at UCSF.
Well oiled machine.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
Self pay patient
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
eSET is better as twins is not good for the risks
10
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2015, Unsuccessful
NPS
4
NPS
4
Age 33
2 Fertility Medications
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Unexplained
European
Income $200K - $499K
Teacher
1st of 3 Docs
2 IVF With Other Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
Dr. Huddleston is extremely sympathetic and kind. ... But she is quite conservative in her treatment protocols. ... My greatest critique of Dr. Huddleston however, was her insistence that we did not need to test my husbands sperm before Femara cycles with timed intercourse ,because I had had 2 pregnancies (and miscarriages). As it turns out, his sperm motility and count were quite low, but we didn't find this out until much later, wasting a ton of time.
a few tests that were supposed to be ordered were left off of the lab request. And in one case the wrong test was ordered ... Overall the clinic [UCSF] seems to have decent, if conservative, doctors. ... The administration and nursing staff were chaotic. ... I would double check everything you are told, or you may end up wasting a lot of time. I only had medicated cycles with this clinic. When it came time to move on to IVF, I went elsewhere. There are just too many moving parts with IVF to risk administrative errors.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston is extremely sympathetic and kind. She is also knowledgeable in the field of recurrent pregnancy loss. But she is quite conservative in her treatment protocols. For example, while other doctors might try metformin, a blood thinner or immune treatment speculatively, Dr. Huddleston strictly follows the research literature. This could be a good or a bad thing depending on your outlook. She was willing to try metformin for my mild case of PCOS, after I delivered her a bunch of my own research. My greatest critique of Dr. Huddleston however, was her insistence that we did not need to test my husbands sperm before Femara cycles with timed intercourse ,because I had had 2 pregnancies (and miscarriages). As it turns out, his sperm motility and count were quite low, but we didn't find this out until much later, wasting a ton of time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
She is not likely to think very far outside of the box. So do your own research and advocate for yourself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston is very nice and has a good bedside manner. However, her nursing and administration team was a nightmare. It was difficult to get in touch with anyone. At one point they ordered the wrong tests for blood work, and left out other tests. If I wasn't constantly double checking their work major things would have been missed.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
We did 2 cycles of Femara with timed intercourse. The second cycle we also had ultrasound monitoring, at my request. Dr. Huddleston believed that I could get pregnant on my own and that my 2 miscarriages were likely "bad luck." So, we just tried Femara to get a "stronger ovulation" which would hopefully trigger a more robust hormonal response. Neither cycle resulted in a pregnancy.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
The administration and nursing staff were chaotic. They are juggling a lot of patients, and things often seemed to fall through the cracks. I had to follow up with them constantly to clarify instructions. Once they ordered the wrongs tests, and I had to get blood drawn multiple times. If I hadn't been double checking things they never would have caught this on their own
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Overall the clinic seems to have decent, if conservative, doctors. But the administration needs a lot of improvement. I would double check everything you are told, or you may end up wasting a lot of time. I only had medicated cycles with this clinic. When it came time to move on to IVF, I went elsewhere. There are just too many moving parts with IVF to risk administrative errors.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Lost paperwork
  • Failed to order appropriate test
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
I had a large number of tests ordered to try to get to the bottom of my recurrent pregnancy loss. However, a few tests that were supposed to be ordered were left off of the lab request. And in one case the wrong test was ordered (the name sounded similar to the correct test). If I didn't know exactly what tests I was supposed to be getting, I wouldn't have been able to catch all of this and correct it.
4
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
2 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
4
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
1 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
2 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2023, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
9
Age 42
European
Income $500K+
Business Executive
Only Doc Seen
Donor Eggs With Other Docs
Surrogacy With Other Docs
LGBTQ+
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Huddleston was polite, engaging, respectful, and listened to both my concerns and those of my partner...was very honest and willing to work with a more compressed timeline due to insurance coverage limits...she is the head of the egg donor program at UCSF, so that positions her incredibly well to help us as a gay male couple
[UCSF] -Best providers you can find on the west coast. -High quality egg donor program -Great psychologists -Once you are admitted to the practice they are very accomodating -Wish the egg donor program were a little more automated...They were so incredibly accommodating
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
She was very honest and willing to work with a more compressed timeline due to insurance coverage limits. Also, she is the head of the egg donor program at UCSF, so that positions her incredibly well to help us as a gay male couple
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
If you have a specific timeline in mind and you are using mostly donor material then I would encourage you to let her and the team know.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston was polite, engaging, respectful, and listened to both my concerns and those of my partner.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
They were so incredibly accommodating. Also, willing to accelerate the process for the easier steps that involve bloodwork and testing.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
-Best providers you can find on the west coast. -High quality egg donor program -Great psychologists -Once you are admitted to the practice they are very accomodating -Wish the egg donor program were a little more automated
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
Her initial consult was a bit high, but likely commensurate with her expertise. My insurance covered most of it after meeting my out of pocket max.
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
No concerns as we aren't there yet.
10
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
LGBTQ+ Care
5 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
3 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
LGBTQ+ Care
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 31 - 32
1 IVF
Unexplained
European
Income $200K - $499K
Nurse or HC Services
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Not sure
Dr. Huddleston sticks with evidence based practice. If there isn't a lot of research on it, she doesn't recommend it. If you're interested in some super new, cutting edge approach you'll have to bring it to the table yourself. She generally sticks with the tried and true fertility treatments...checked in with me personally by either scheduling an office chat or a simple phone call...She did encourage us to transfer 2 fresh embryos
[UCSF] is a big clinic. Very difficult to get an appointment and their initial onboarding paperwork and insurance stuff was such a nightmare. I almost gave up before I started. However- once you complete your initial consult, you're like family there...there are tons of appointment times and chances for procedures, tests etc...She [the nurse] was great with emailing back promptly and answering my million questions. My only complaint is the fact that I didn't get to meet her in person until after my egg retrieval when I was prepping for FET
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Every meeting along the way has felt like a friendly conversation. She asks what I'm thinking/feeling about the next step. I share my concerns and questions. She offers a breakdown of the options with the pros and cons of each option. My husband and I side chat for a minute while she waits patiently. She always tells us to think it over and email her our decision about anything. I always feel important to her and I feel like she genuinely cares about us and wants us to succeed. She is a big reason I've decided to keep going on this difficult journey.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston sticks with evidence based practice. If there isn't a lot of research on it, she doesn't recommend it. If you're interested in some super new, cutting edge approach you'll have to bring it to the table yourself. She generally sticks with the tried and true fertility treatments. Which honestly is reassuring because I never felt like I was one of her experiments or getting unsold on fancy extras. She's an awesome doctor with amazing bedside manner.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Throughout my IVF journey, Dr. Huddleston has checked in with me personally by either scheduling an office chat or a simple phone call. When I hit an emotional road block and sent a crazy emotional email to the clinic saying I didn't want to do another cycle that month, she called me to ask how I was doing and what was going on that changed my mind. I was so touched- I asked her, "did you really just call to check on me?" She said "pretty much!". She's repeatedly encouraged me to do self-care and acknowledged how difficult this journey is.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
We did estrogen patches for 7 days leading up to the egg retrieval month. Started injections on cycle day 1 (gonal F 150units, menopur daily). Office ultrasounds were cycle days 1,5,7. On cycle day 7 I began cetrotide in the morning. I then had ultrasounds days 9, 10, 11. Triggered with HCG on day 11. Egg retrieval was on day 13.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Brittany)
She was great with emailing back promptly and answering my million questions. My only complaint is the fact that I didn't get to meet her in person until after my egg retrieval when I was prepping for FET. Lab techs are all very nice and professional. Front desk folks are warm and kind. Everyone is really great at CRH.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
It is a big clinic. Very difficult to get an appointment and their initial onboarding paperwork and insurance stuff was such a nightmare. I almost gave up before I started. However- once you complete your initial consult, you're like family there. Its nice that its a big clinic because there are tons of appointment times and chances for procedures, tests etc. The facility is clean, peaceful, and modern. There is a nice restaurant/ bar within the building which makes for a great pit stop when you're not pregnant! Ha :)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
$12,800 for egg retrieval + ICSI $1,800 for embryo biopsy $2,000 PGS testing (ending up being free because of a study) $350 for injection meds $3,400 for frozen embryo transfer
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
We were very firm about doing single embryo transfer. (We only had 2 frozen pgs normal embryos total). She was totally fine with this and never pushed us. On our second IVF cycle, we decided we would do a fresh transfer. She did encourage us to transfer 2 fresh embryos. I told her I was still very against transferring 2. She was fine with my decision but did tell me it would take longer for me to get pregnant.
10
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Unknown Success
NPS
8
NPS
7
Age 33
1 IUI
Unexplained
Consultant
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Not sure
[Dr. Huddleston] took the time to answer any questions we have. But I’m pretty sure she will not remember me if I were to speak with her today...never felt like she was rushing us out the door...set a plan for us in place that was easy to follow. I don’t think she made us do anything too extreme or unnecessary as she knew we were paying out of pocket...recommended that we keep trying naturally or can do an IUI...
It’s [UCSF] a huge clinic. Without the coordinator, one can get lost quite easily...expensive if you have to pay out of pocket...answer questions promptly thought email...able to book appointments quickly...[staff] made my husband wait while her “computer loads” so he can pay - while he was holding a specimen cup...had doctors tell me that this is a world class facility/doctors...But I’m still not pregnant yet...
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
She answered any questions we had and stated that she has high hopes for us, but still no success yet. I never felt like she was rushing us out the door. She set a plan for us in place that was easy to follow. I don’t think she made us do anything too extreme or unnecessary as she knew we were paying out of pocket. I think she has good bedside manner and overall a good fertility doctor. I will continue to see her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
My advice would be to prepare any questions ahead of time - write them down.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Huddleston took the time to answer any questions we have. But I’m pretty sure she will not remember me if I were to speak with her today.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
We first did a consultation. She then recommended my partner to do a sperm analysis and I do multiple labwork and hsg. We then had another consultation with her and she gave us the results. She recommended that we keep trying naturally or can do an IUI. A few months later, we tried our first cycle of IUI but it was negative. Then this covid thing happened and my partner and I decided to hold off for now. Huddleston never pushed any procedures on us and I really appreciate that.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Janlyn)
I really like Huddleston’s staff. They answer questions promptly thought email. They are able to book appointments quickly. I never had any issues with the coordinating team. However, there was one lady who works front desk that both me and my partner do not like. Every time I get her, she has me standing 5-10 mins to check me in. Other front desk staff had me checked in within 1 minute. Another time, she made my husband wait while her “computer loads” so he can pay - while he was holding a specimen cup. Couldn’t we just pay after the drop off? Yes, it may be a policy issue but her slow pace work style didn’t help the situation.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
It’s a huge clinic. Without the coordinator, one can get lost quite easily. It is also very expensive if you have to pay out of pocket as we do. I have had doctors tell me that this is a world class facility/doctors and it’s literally the best place to go for treatment. But I’m still not pregnant yet.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
$290 for each consultation/clinic visit, $29 for semen analysis, $1200+ for HSG, $1566 for the basic IUI package (ultrasound and insemination), bloodwork was covered by my insurance.
8
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
7
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Consult
NPS
8
NPS
10
Age 26
Latinx
Native American
Income $50K - $99K
3rd of 3 Docs
7 Fertility Medications With Other Docs
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
My husband was concerned about me becoming the new Octomom and our doctor [Dr. Huddleston] reassured us that she would only be transferring one embryo because multiple embryos means more chance for complications...was very kind and understanding . She answered all of my husband and my questions with great care...was very intelligent and broke down the whole process of IVF even drew pictures so we completely understood what was going on she was very empathetic to our situation and also offered to enroll us into a case study if we wanted to because it could possibly be a little less expensive route . She was very patient and gave detailed explanations to us and asked if we had questions along the way.
Parking was a little expensive [at UCSF]...it is a beautiful facility very clean and warming...you are instantly greeted when you walk in . We didn’t have to wait to be seen we were seen exactly on time!!...Our care coordinator was awesome explained everything answered all my what if questions and worked with our schedule ...My husband was concerned about me becoming the new Octomom and our doctor [Dr. Huddleston] reassured us that she would only be transferring one embryo because multiple embryos means more chance for complications
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr.Huddleston was very intelligent and broke down the whole process of IVF even drew pictures so we completely understood what was going on she was very empathetic to our situation and also offered to enroll us into a case study if we wanted to because it could possibly be a little less expensive route . She was very patient and gave detailed explanations to us and asked if we had questions along the way.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
To be open and honest with her and due to her willingness to explain come in with a list of questions prepared.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Heather was very kind and understanding . She answered all of my husband and my questions with great care.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
I am currently undergoing treatment with Dr.Huddleston. She did explain in our first appointment why we needed to do the sonogram because my husband and I were hesitant due to us not having coverage for it and did not want to pay for something that was unnecessary at the time but she explained the reasoning why we needed it which was Because she needed to get an initial look at the female reproductive System as well as a current egg count to know an approximation of how many eggs could be produced in retrieval and to see if there were any anatomical abnormalities.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Janlyn kong)
Our care coordinator was awesome explained everything answered all my what if questions and worked with our schedule .
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Parking was a little expensive and there is construction around the area currently so it was a little difficult getting there but the contractors were very nice and gave directions but other than that it is a beautiful facility very clean and warming the security helped us find what floor to get to and you are instantly greeted when you walk in . We didn’t have to wait to be seen we were seen exactly on time!!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
So far nothing yet but looking over the bill it’s going to be +$10,000
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
My husband was concerned about me becoming the new Octomom and our doctor reassured us that she would only be transferring one embryo because multiple embryos means more chance for complications and she wants us to have a healthy pregnancy so she transfers only one embryo at a time. Unless your over 40 and your egg quality is lower she only does o e embryo.
8
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
3 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018 - 2019, Successful
NPS
7
NPS
6
Age 38 - 39
1 IVF
European
Income $100K - $199K
Only Doc Seen
Donor Sperm
LGBTQ+
Neutral
Doesn't Recommend
Successful
Generally when I saw Dr. Huddleston I was treated very well. However, I often saw other doctors or residents and sometimes they were not aware of my specific situation until I brought them up to speed. ... Almost all of my interactions with Dr. Huddleston were excellent. She is a good listener, is calm and explained things in great detail when I asked. ... she presented pros and cons of both and I elected to transfer one embryo
UCSF CRH is a big clinic. People won't remember you from visit to visit and you are essentially moved through the process without many personal touches. ... The financial coordinators are very difficult to reach, and I was not told that I could have an in person meeting with them until after I'd already started treatment. ... My first nurse was Anne who I had several negative experiences with. My second nurse (I asked to be switched) was Olga and she was great and a very good communicator.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Almost all of my interactions with Dr. Huddleston were excellent. She is a good listener, is calm and explained things in great detail when I asked. She was also fairly responsive when I asked my nurse or coordinator to ask her questions between visits. She was also willing to work with me to accommodate my disability.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Go with a list of questions prepared ahead of time. Advocate for yourself - you are your own best advocate and you have the most invested in your treatment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Generally when I saw Dr. Huddleston I was treated very well. However, I often saw other doctors or residents and sometimes they were not aware of my specific situation until I brought them up to speed. That made me feel more like a number. Also my interactions with the front desk staff and clerical staff and some of the nurses and coordinators made it obvious that I was more of a number to them.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Dr. Huddleston treated my DOR and recommended ICSI since I was using donor sperm (not related to infertility but because I do not have a partner with sperm). We also did PGS testing on the embryos that were created.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Janlyn, Anne, Olga)
My coordinator was Janlyn. She got more responsive as my treatment progressed. My first nurse was Anne who I had several negative experiences with. My second nurse (I asked to be switched) was Olga and she was great and a very good communicator. I should note that Dr. Huddleston's main nurse (I think her name is Brittany) was out while I was in treatment.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
I was paying out of pocket and I looked at UCSF's statistics and prices and compared to other local clinics they are impressive. The clinic is also near my office and I was able to get early morning and lunchtime visits for monitoring. UCSF CRH is a big clinic. People won't remember you from visit to visit and you are essentially moved through the process without many personal touches. I was able to participate in a few interesting research studies (two of which that saved me a bit of money). The financial coordinators are very difficult to reach, and I was not told that I could have an in person meeting with them until after I'd already started treatment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
I paid about $25,000 for one retrieval and one transfer. I had two PGS normal embryos, transferred one, it split, and am pregnant with twins.
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
I did not get the sense that Dr. Huddleston had a strong preference. She presented pros and cons of both and I elected to transfer one embryo (that split into twins). She supported me in transferring one.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to call with results
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
For each of my three betas, the lab results were released in the morning in the online portal (10-11am). I would call the clinic multiple times to try and speak to a nurse or doctor about the results, but wouldn't hear back until 4-6pm in the evening. This was very frustrating for me. There were a couple of times that I was billed extra costs unexpectedly, which I think was more about my not being able to meet with the financial counselors ahead of time than any sort of shady business practices. I also had one nurse who had terrible communication skills. I was switched to progesterone in ethyl oleate after getting pregnant because I became allergic to the sesame oil, and I still haven't been able to get reimbursed because I was "self pay" at UCSF and so they did not submit a prior authorization to my insurance. (I do not have infertility coverage but do have coverage after getting pregnant.)
7
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
3 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
6
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
3 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
3 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018, Successful
NPS
8
NPS
10
Age 42
Donor Eggs
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Poor Egg Quality
Latinx
Income $100K - $199K
2nd of 2 Docs
1 IUI With Other Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Successful
He l[Doctor Sauer] leaved the clinic [UCSF] in the middle of the process but we continue with doctor Heather Huddleston and she was very professional too, the change was not an issue for us. ... Please bring her all questions and discuss possible scenarios with her. She is very professional, once she did her assessment her team will handle your case, trust them, they are awesome!
Appointments were ON TIME in ALL cases. Nurses, admin and rest of professional were very professional and yet nice. Facilities are top-notch. The only cons is financial services, I know it is the same in all clinics...in my case I am still following up charges more than one year later, it is impossible to contact financial coordinators, etc... There were several nurses during the whole process, one for diagnosis, another for treatment, another at the end...quite confusing but all of them answered or refer to proper contact.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Doctor Sauer was very professional, understood our situation and explained our options dedicating necessary time. There was not much detail of the process, nurses were later very explicative about that. He leaved the clinic in the middle of the process but we continue with doctor Heather Huddleston and she was very professional too, the change was not an issue for us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Please bring her all questions and discuss possible scenarios with her. She is very professional, once she did her assessment her team will handle your case, trust them, they are awesome!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
During my whole journey in UCSF we felt very comfortable knowing 1) experts were handling our case 2) procedures and protocols were very clear 3) Drs were taking into account our specific case. Although I never met the same person twice (except for the nurse coordinator) everyone was very polite, understanding and explain in detail every step.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Brittney Bates)
The nurse staff was very professional, they explained all details and answered all my questions. It was easy to find them and they responded by email or phone within hours. There were several nurses during the whole process, one for diagnosis, another for treatment, another at the end...quite confusing but all of them answered or refer to proper contact.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
The clinic is amazing! Appointments were ON TIME in ALL cases. Nurses, admin and rest of professional were very professional and yet nice. Facilities are top-notch. The only cons is financial services, I know it is the same in all clinics...in my case I am still following up charges more than one year later, it is impossible to contact financial coordinators, etc...
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
Around 30k USD
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Doctors preferred and suggested elective single embryo transfer.
8
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
3 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018, Unsuccessful
NPS
6
NPS
6
Age 35
1 IVF
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Unexplained
European
Latinx
Income $100K - $199K
Marketer or PR
Only Doc Seen
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
Dr. Huddleston is fabulous — I loved her bedside manner, her ability to make recommendations, and her willingness to customize treatment. She was willing to fit me in early mornings for extra tests like saline sonograms and laparoscopies just to make sure that we could hit our goal transfer dates.... I think she's lovely. I don't love that I didn't get to work with her more directly, but UCSF is a group practice and we knew that going in.
Billing [UCSF] is a nightmare... We'd often get emails at 7 pm the night before a procedure that had our bill (typically for thousands of dollars) and the bill would be due early the next morning or else they would discontinue the cycle.... Strengths: top-notch, everything is brand new and the technology is superb. We always felt like we were getting the highest level of care. Weaknesses: it's group care, which can feel like you don't have one person to be your "point person."
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston is fabulous — I loved her bedside manner, her ability to make recommendations, and her willingness to customize treatment. She was willing to fit me in early mornings for extra tests like saline sonograms and laparoscopies just to make sure that we could hit our goal transfer dates. However, we are yet to be successful, so I don't know how much any of that matters. Also, the lead-in times for treatments felt extremely long (6-8 weeks for a transfer); I'm not certain if that was just Huddleston or a UCSF rule. But it did make everything feel like it took forever.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
This is a hard one. I think she's lovely. I don't love that I didn't get to work with her more directly, but UCSF is a group practice and we knew that going in.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston is incredibly kind and bright. After meeting with countless doctors she felt like a breath of fresh air. Throughout our treatments she listened to our concerns and tried to customize protocols to fit within our desired timelines or requirements.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
During retrieval, I was on Gonal-F and Menapur. There were some specific drugs that I trigged with, but I don't recall those. During the transfer, there was a month of birth control followed by several weeks of Estridol patches with Letrazol and then progesterone in oil shots (IM) for 5 days leading into the transfer. PIO was continued until the Beta HCG blood test. I didn't seem to have any negative side effects or reactions to the medications. During retrieval I had 20 mature eggs, so stims seemed to work well. I didn't love taking so many drugs for so long during the transfers, but I didn't necessarily have adverse effects.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Brittney)
Brittney was the nurse coordinator and she has been amazing. She recently left on leave, and so far I don't have a single point of contact but the team is good at getting back to me quickly. The remaining nurses and staff are kind, funny, nice and thorough.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Strengths: top-notch, everything is brand new and the technology is superb. We always felt like we were getting the highest level of care. Weaknesses: it's group care, which can feel like you don't have one person to be your "point person." Also, getting new appointments can take forever, and the protocols for treatments are extremely long (6-8 weeks for a transfer and just 8+ weeks for a retrieval).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
Retrieval = Approx $16K Meds = $200 (UCSF has a grant with the government for self-pay people) Transfers = $5k each
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Dr. Huddletson always went with the default of 1 embryo based on my age. But when we pressed her to consider two, she had no issue with letting us choose. We ultimately decided on one, but the decision was ours to make.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
Billing is a nightmare; from what I've heard it is like this at every IVF clinic. We'd often get emails at 7 pm the night before a procedure that had our bill (typically for thousands of dollars) and the bill would be due early the next morning or else they would discontinue the cycle. Often these letters included language along the lines of "you're going through a hard time and this is a lot of money. You need to sign that you understand everything in this letter. You're 100% responsible for all of the complex fine print here. If you don't understand you need to have a meeting with our billing team prior to signing." Considering we were getting complex bills with legal agreements attached to them — getting them late the night before they were due was extremely stressful. Also, we learned to read the bills carefully because often the amounts were wrong.
6
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
6
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2015 - 2018, Successful
NPS
9
NPS
9
Age 36 - 39
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Male Factor
European
Income $100K - $199K
Teacher
3rd of 3 Docs
7 IUI With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
As a doctor, I really liked her [Dr. Heather Huddleston] candor and willingness to treat our case specifically to our diagnosis. We didn't have many eggs or embryos to work with, but she never made us feel like it was an uphill battle to conceive and bring home a healthy child. 2 previous REs were much more negative about our situation. I think it took someone like Dr. Huddleston, with a ton of experience, who was willing to tailor our protocol exactly to our situation.
Strengths [for UCSF]: really amazing, experienced doctors. I have seen 3 between my initial consult, retrievals and transfers. Excellent nursing and coordinating staff. The new facility is very nice, though a bit cold (it just felt less intimate that their previous location). As far as treatment, they are top notch. Not a "one size fits" all type of clinic. They really look at your case individually. Weaknesses: The financial coordinating team wasn't super responsive the second time around. If you are paying OOP, it can be tricky to navigate cost and how to use your insurance coverage in the best way.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
As a doctor, I really liked her candor and willingness to treat our case specifically to our diagnosis. We didn't have many eggs or embryos to work with, but she never made us feel like it was an uphill battle to conceive and bring home a healthy child. 2 previous REs were much more negative about our situation. I think it took someone like Dr. Huddleston, with a ton of experience, who was willing to tailor our protocol exactly to our situation.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Just be prepared that you may not see her beyond the first consult, but she is in charge of your protocol and monitoring your cycle, and her nurses are exceptional.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
UCSF is a very large clinic, so often "your doctor" isn't the doctor you get to see regularly for monitoring, retrievals, or transfers. I got lucky with my first cycle in that Dr. Huddleston was on call for monitoring, but she didn't do my retrieval or either of my transfers. During our consults though, she was very up front and pragmatic about our odds of success, and treated my case with a protocol very specific to my diagnosis, which neither of my previous doctors did. She was the only doctor who ran a morphology-specific test on my husband, which uncovered that this may have been a bigger issue than we thought.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
She used a "low and slow" approach to my DOR diagnosis. I can't remember the exact dosage of FSH/Menopur, but the goal was not to overstimulate my ovaries to the point of getting a lead follicle, which I think is often the case with doctors who deal inappropriately with DOR diagnoses. We also did estrogen-priming and ICSI.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
At UCSF you are assigned a specific nurse to work with during your cycle, which I really appreciate. I actually never met either of mine in person, but they were really wonderful in communicating via email and phone when I needed them to. They are extremely organized.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Strengths: really amazing, experienced doctors. I have seen 3 between my initial consult, retrievals and transfers. Excellent nursing and coordinating staff. The new facility is very nice, though a bit cold (it just felt less intimate that their previous location). As far as treatment, they are top notch. Not a "one size fits" all type of clinic. They really look at your case individually. Weaknesses: The financial coordinating team wasn't super responsive the second time around. If you are paying OOP, it can be tricky to navigate cost and how to use your insurance coverage in the best way.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
We used a package through ARC for our fresh cycle. It was around $12,000 for a fresh and frozen transfer (the frozen being a backup that we didn't need). 3 years later (this year) we paid $4,000 for an FET cycle.
9
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
2017 - 2018, Successful
NPS
6
NPS
10
Age 37 - 38
1 IVF
2 Embryo Freezing
Poor Egg Quality
Uterine Fibroids
Income $500K
Business Executive
Only Doc Seen
Doesn't Recommend
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Huddleston is clear and honest but if you prefer an empathetic “bedside manner,” she might not be the right choice. ... Aside from an initial consult in each round, we did not see Dr. Huddleston during the retrievals or transfer. This was fine for us - but if the 1:1 relationship is key to you, might not be a good choice. ... She was patient, clear and frank - I appreciated her approach tremendously.
UCSF is a cutting-edge practice and made us feel that we had access to the most advanced approaches in the field. The facility is excellent and the care team is superb. We also had the opportunity to defray the cost of treatment by participating in research during our treatment. ... The care coordinator was pretty disorganized - critical that we were organized on our own behalf. The nursing staff on-site are universally excellent.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston is clear and honest but if you prefer an empathetic “bedside manner,” she might not be the right choice. UCSF is also a group practice, so you see whichever doctor is on rounds that day, not your own provider. Aside from an initial consult in each round, we did not see Dr. Huddleston during the retrievals or transfer. This was fine for us - but if the 1:1 relationship is key to you, might not be a good choice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Write everything down, particularly about logistics / details of treatment. Ask lots of questions and take the time to ensure you are clear on the answers.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston took the time I needed to understand my options and likely outcomes. She was patient, clear and frank - I appreciated her approach tremendously.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF.
The care coordinator was pretty disorganized - critical that we were organized on our own behalf. The nursing staff on-site are universally excellent.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF is a cutting-edge practice and made us feel that we had access to the most advanced approaches in the field. The facility is excellent and the care team is superb. We also had the opportunity to defray the cost of treatment by participating in research during our treatment. Overall, I would highly recommend this clinic.
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
UCSF strongly prefers eSET and spends time explaining their rationale to prospective patients. We had no concerns.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
We experienced some turnover in care coordinators and on one instance, a gap in coverage resulted in the team failing to call in prescriptions on time - however we had enough time to fill the prescription once the error was discovered.
6
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
3 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2017, Successful
NPS
8
NPS
10
Age 36
1 IVF
Anovulation
European
Income $200K - $499K
2nd of 2 Docs
3 IUI With Other Docs
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Successful
I saw Dr. Huddleston twice - once at my initial consultation and again for my first pregnancy ultrasound after one round of IVF and a successful FET. I also had one phone appointment with her following my egg retrieval. I found her to be personable and thought she did a great job explaining all the procedures, her reasoning behind protocol decisions, and answering our Qi questions.
The clinic is very clean, quiet and comfortable. They do a nice job of creating a calm and quiet space. The people at reception are nice. You see different doctors and nurses because it’s a teaching hospital, but I knew this going in and was fine with it. My doctor was still the person who determined my protocols and treatment. ... I don’t remember the name of the care coordinator we were assigned, but she was great. Immediately after our consultation she took us to another room and started to book blood work and organize paperwork. My nurse was Rachel - I don’t know if she is still with the clinic - but I thought she was fantastic. She easy to reach, always responsive, had a great demeanor and was really helpful with getting my medications and going over my treatment protocols.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
I saw Dr. Huddleston twice - once at my initial consultation and again for my first pregnancy ultrasound after one round of IVF and a successful FET. I also had one phone appointment with her following my egg retrieval. I found her to be personable and thought she did a great job explaining all the procedures, her reasoning behind protocol decisions, and answering our Qi questions. She doesn’t sugar coat things, but I liked this because I wanted direct answers and for my expectations to be reasonably set. She did not perform my retrieval or my FET, but I knew going in that UCSF’s model would mean that I would likely see other doctors throughout my treatment. We were incredibly fortunate that we didn’t encounter many setbacks and had a successful transfer after one IVF cycle so the level of interaction and communication I had with Dr. Huddleston was completely satisfactory. And I trusted her treatment protocol.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
No matter who your doctor is, be a self-advocate. Never be afraid to ask questions and push for answers if you’re not getting them. Dr. Huddleston was great with us, and if you like a straight shooter, you’ll probably like her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
I felt the clinic did a very good job of organizing my care. After our initial consultation with Dr. Huddleston, who was kind and sympathetic but also direct and help set realistic expectations, we were assigned a care coordinator who explained and facilitated the next steps/tests that we needed to take before we could start treatment. We were also assigned a nurse who was very kind, communicative and responsive. UCSF is a teaching hospital and even though you see different doctors and residents throughout your treatment, everyone we encountered was kind and positive.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
I don’t remember exactly what our protocol was, but my diagnosis prior to seeing Dr. Huddleston was anovulation. I did I believe 10-11 days of stims followed by a trigger shot and we retrieved 19 eggs of which 14 were mature and 11 fertilized using ICSI. By day 3 we still had 11 embryos so we opted to continue to grow those embryos to see how many blastocysts we could get in order to do PGS testing. By day 6 we had 3 remaining embryos which we biopsies and then froze. Of the 3, 2 were PGS normal. About 2 months later I started the FET process, beginning with birth control pills then followed by Lupron shots, estrogen patches and progesterone in oil shots. Dr. Rosen at UCSF performed by single FET and that resulted in pregnancy and the live birth of our son. We have one PGS normal embryo left that we hope to transfer in the next year.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Rachel)
I don’t remember the name of the care coordinator we were assigned, but she was great. Immediately after our consultation she took us to another room and started to book blood work and organize paperwork. My nurse was Rachel - I don’t know if she is still with the clinic - but I thought she was fantastic. She easy to reach, always responsive, had a great demeanor and was really helpful with getting my medications and going over my treatment protocols.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
The clinic is very clean, quiet and comfortable. They do a nice job of creating a calm and quiet space. The people at reception are nice. You see different doctors and nurses because it’s a teaching hospital, but I knew this going in and was fine with it. My doctor was still the person who determined my protocols and treatment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
We purchased a two cycle package through ARC fertility that was also part of their success program. The two cycle package included two retrievals and four fresh/frozen transfers. One cycle was considered one retrieval and 2 transfers; you couldn’t move on to the next cycle until you used up all the embryos you had from the first (meaning, no embryo banking before doing a transfer). If the first cycle results in a live birth, you get a partial refund (this was the success program piece). I don’t remember the exact costs, but I think the package was about $29K and since we did have a life birth after the first cycle, we were refunded about $11K. I should note that the $29K included ICSI, which was an add-on. Medications were not included, but since we didn’t have any insurance to cover IVF we qualified for a government discount program and our medications only totaled about $700.
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Going into treatment, we knew we wanted to only transfer one embryo and Dr. Huddleston supported this decision. She said that at my age, if we had a PGS tested normal embryo her recommendation would be to transfer one. If we didn’t have enough embryos to test, then she would recommend transferring two.
8
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020, Successful
NPS
9
NPS
10
Age 33
4 Fertility Medications
Anovulation
PCOS
Latinx
Income $100K - $199K
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
We did TIC so I took Letrozole and a trigger shot of Ovidrel. Because of PCOS, Letrozole was preferred over Clomid. We had to change the dose of Letrazole after the first cycle because it was too successful (5 mature eggs), so Dr. Huddleston gave me the choice of lowering the dose. I liked that she recommended 2 different dosages and at the end it was my decision...
At UCSF there is a team of nurses and coordinators for each doctor. So I always talked to the same people, there was excellent follow up to communication and everything was explained thoroughly...I started my treatment during COVID so they had a lot of measures in place. I always felt safe when going to the clinic and being seen there. The wait time was never a problem, I was always seen right at my time or earlier. They have a lab on-site which was helpful if you needed any lab work done.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston was caring and understanding of our case. We were clear on what we wanted to try and what we were not willing to try and she respected that. I would continue to see her if we hadn't moved out of the state.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
As with every doctor, ask questions, clarify things that you are in doubt with.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Everyone from the front desk staff, to the ultrasound technicians, to the nurses, to Dr. Huddleston were all a pleasure to interact with. They would answer all the questions I had and they would take their time so I wouldn't feel rushed.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
We did TIC so I took Letrozole and a trigger shot of Ovidrel. Because of PCOS, Letrozole was preferred over Clomid. We had to change the dose of Letrazole after the first cycle because it was too successful (5 mature eggs), so Dr. Huddleston gave me the choice of lowering the dose. I liked that she recommended 2 different dosages and at the end it was my decision.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Raven)
At UCSF there is a team of nurses and coordinators for each doctor. So I always talked to the same people, there was excellent follow up to communication and everything was explained thoroughly.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
I started my treatment during COVID so they had a lot of measures in place. I always felt safe when going to the clinic and being seen there. The wait time was never a problem, I was always seen right at my time or earlier. They have a lab on-site which was helpful if you needed any lab work done.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
Insurance covered the costs but their out of pocket prices are decent.
9
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Unknown Success
NPS
9
NPS
10
Age 48
European
Income $100K - $199K
2nd of 3 Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
I expected a very brief consultation on the first visit and a standard protocol, but Dr. Huddleston and her team spent an hour and 20 minutes with me discussing my case before we proceeded...She was very friendly and patient. I didn't feel rushed at all, and I felt that she was really looking at me and my situation uniquely and deliberating on a course of action that she thought would be best rather than simply applying a formula...As lining prep for an FET, we used estrogen patches, gradually increasing from 1 to 4 patches, then adding vaginal estrogen. This was followed by progesterone vaginal suppositories as I did not need progesterone injections because we did not do a transfer.
It took quite a while to get in as a new patient [at UCSF], but once established there, the care was excellent and getting follow-up appointments was easy and convenient. I always found the nursing staff, phlebotomists, and medical assistants to be very kind and friendly...Brittney [nurse] is an excellent and efficient communicator. She was always very prompt in responding to emails and phone calls with clear instructions...As lining prep for an FET, we used estrogen patches, gradually increasing from 1 to 4 patches, then adding vaginal estrogen. This was followed by progesterone vaginal suppositories as I did not need progesterone injections because we did not do a transfer.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
She was very friendly and patient. I didn't feel rushed at all, and I felt that she was really looking at me and my situation uniquely and deliberating on a course of action that she thought would be best rather than simply applying a formula.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Book ahead. There was a 3-month wait for an appointment with her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
I expected a very brief consultation on the first visit and a standard protocol, but Dr. Huddleston and her team spent an hour and 20 minutes with me discussing my case before we proceeded.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
As lining prep for an FET, we used estrogen patches, gradually increasing from 1 to 4 patches, then adding vaginal estrogen. This was followed by progesterone vaginal suppositories as I did not need progesterone injections because we did not do a transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Brittney Bates)
Brittney is an excellent and efficient communicator. She was always very prompt in responding to emails and phone calls with clear instructions.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
It took quite a while to get in as a new patient, but once established there, the care was excellent and getting follow-up appointments was easy and convenient. I always found the nursing staff, phlebotomists, and medical assistants to be very kind and friendly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
My insurance covered everything but the $25 office visit co-pays.
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
N/A
9
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful
NPS
7
NPS
9
Age 37 - 38
1 Embryo Freezing
Poor Egg Quality
Uterine Fibroids
Unexplained
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income $500K
Investor
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Unsuccessful
Dr. Huddleston was extremely knowledgeable and professional. She listened closely and gave us a pragmatic course of action, which we appreciated very much. I would note that I felt she changed her assessment of our chances (and her assessment of the quality of our results) regularly. For example, she’d say on one call that the results were entirely in line with expectations - and then on the next call that she was disappointed with the results.
Beautiful and brand-new clinic. Excellent nursing staff, great attention to me as a patient. Every experience at UCSF felt both cutting-edge and caring. Saw range of doctors during my care, which I had initially been concerned about, but all seemed fully-informed and compassionate. Overall an excellent experience.... Fantastic, responsive nursing staff. Excellent.... Second round will be out of pocket and roughly $13K before medicine
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston was extremely knowledgeable and professional. She listened closely and gave us a pragmatic course of action, which we appreciated very much. I would note that I felt she changed her assessment of our chances (and her assessment of the quality of our results) regularly. For example, she’d say on one call that the results were entirely in line with expectations - and then on the next call that she was disappointed with the results. None of this changed the quality of care or outcomes, but it left us feeling a little confused about how to interpret the experience.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Make a complete list of questions to ask her - she’ll make the time with you during your visit, but hard to get her after that. Really try to push her for specifics around timing, probabilities, etc.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
She took the time to get to know me and really paid attention to our experience.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
Fantastic, responsive nursing staff. Excellent.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Beautiful and brand-new clinic. Excellent nursing staff, great attention to me as a patient. Every experience at UCSF felt both cutting-edge and caring. Saw range of doctors during my care, which I had initially been concerned about, but all seemed fully-informed and compassionate. Overall an excellent experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
Insurance paid for first round. Second round will be out of pocket and roughly $13K before medicine
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Froze embryo - did not transfer
7
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
2 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
3 of 5
Adaptability
2 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2017 - 2018, Unknown Success
NPS
9
NPS
8
Age 37 - 38
Unexplained
South Asian
Income $500K
Accountant
2nd of 2 Docs
4 IUI With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Not sure
The Drs seem pretty busy but our initial sit down meeting went well and she [Dr. Heather Huddleston] gave me a clear path...For each IUI procedure, I had a different doctor/nurse which was as expected...She spoke from the heart and gave experiences of her own. She asked the right questions...I was pregnant on my very first IUI so when I went back to UCSF to try for #2, I met with Dr. Huddleston. She had more availability than Dr. Rosen at the time. She recommended 3 IUI cycles since she felt I could get pregnant but rather it was a timing issue of the egg meeting the sperm. After 3 cycles (waiting on results on the 3rd now), I am going to meet with Dr. Huddleston again to determine the next course of action. I scheduled my meeting with the Dr. when I started the 3rd IUI cycle so I can see her asap.
Good facilities [at UCSF] but very busy. Not very personal. It seems like they have very experienced doctors but you don't actually see your own doctor much or talk to them. Most nurses are friendly and so far billing has been okay... For each IUI procedure, I had a different doctor/nurse which was as expected. Some are more articulate than others. The nurse practitioner that did each ultrasound exam was pleasant and showed compassion.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
The Drs seem pretty busy but our initial sit down meeting went well and she gave me a clear path. After 3 IUI attempts, we should sit down and discuss alternatives. The difficulties would be scheduling an appointment with her for the follow up. For each IUI procedure, I had a different doctor/nurse which was as expected. Some are more articulate than others. The nurse practitioner that did each ultrasound exam was pleasant and showed compassion.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Be proactive in making your appointments and following up.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
She spoke from the heart and gave experiences of her own. She asked the right questions.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
I was pregnant on my very first IUI so when I went back to UCSF to try for #2, I met with Dr. Huddleston. She had more availability than Dr. Rosen at the time. She recommended 3 IUI cycles since she felt I could get pregnant but rather it was a timing issue of the egg meeting the sperm. After 3 cycles (waiting on results on the 3rd now), I am going to meet with Dr. Huddleston again to determine the next course of action. I scheduled my meeting with the Dr. when I started the 3rd IUI cycle so I can see her asap.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Good facilities but very busy. Not very personal. It seems like they have very experienced doctors but you don't actually see your own doctor much or talk to them. Most nurses are friendly and so far billing has been okay.
9
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
3 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
8
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
3 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2013, Successful
NPS
9
NPS
10
Age 34
1 Fertility Medications
Anovulation
PCOS
East Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Marketer or PR
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Infertility is daunting and can leave you questioning everything...Dr. Huddleston was a great. She has a direct and no-nonsense personality...
I truly felt like I had a solid care team behind me...Susan Craigg was just very attentive and sensitive to my needs.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston was a great. She has a direct and no-nonsense personality, but her confidence in my treatment made me feel positive about the possible outcomes. When dealing with infertility, how you feel about your treatment and the confidence in the treatment is important. Infertility is daunting and can leave you questioning everything -- a positive attitude is important and finding a doctor that can help foster that is critical. Thanks to Dr. Huddleston I was able to get pregnant!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
In my experience, she wasn't the type of doctor who would give out the "warm and fuzzy" vibe. Don't let that deter you from her seeking her as a doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
The entire care team at UCSF was great. In addition to the care from Dr. Huddleston, patients are assigned a nurse who are there for you at all times. Any question I had, I simply called my nurse -- any question she wasn't able to answer, she would consult with Dr. Huddleston. I truly felt like I had a solid care team behind me.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Susan Craigg)
Susan Craigg was just very attentive and sensitive to my needs. She understood the stress that comes with fertility treatment so she was very patient with anyswering my questions and providing insight to any concerns I had.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
Nothing major. They just never sent my medical records to my current OB/Gyn.
9
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
5 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
3 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+
2006 - 2010, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 35 - 39
8 IUI
1 IVF
Unexplained
Ashkenazi Jewish
2nd of 3 Docs
10 IUI With Other Docs
Donor Sperm
LGBTQ+
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
She is smart, sensitive, and knowledgable -- when we asked a question about genetic testing of embryos pre-transfer, she explained in clear, not-dumbed down language why this was not a great choice for us.
She [Dr. Huddleston] is smart, sensitive, and knowledgable -- when we asked a question about genetic testing of embryos pre-transfer, she explained in clear, not-dumbed down language why this was not a great choice for us.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
She is smart, sensitive, and knowledgable -- when we asked a question about genetic testing of embryos pre-transfer, she explained in clear, not-dumbed down language why this was not a great choice for us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
If you don't get pregnant it's not your fault!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
I transferred my fertility care to Dr. Huddleston after a bad experience with another San Francisco doctor (she was incredibly un-caring when I had a miscarriage). Dr. Huddleston talked to my partner and I like intelligent humans; she was sympathetic to our loss, clear about our needs, and sensitive to our questions about how to minimize the risk of future miscarriages. When I did miscarry under her care, she was very, very sympathetic - polar opposite of the treatment I received at CPMC.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
1 cycle of Femara (miscarriage of identical twins) with IUI, two cycles of Clomid (negative pregnancy test) with IUI, a few other cycles of unmedicated IUIs. Had an HSG and a saline sonogram along the way. (We were using donor sperm so the IUI was a given.) After 18 cycles, 2 years, and two miscarriages, we went to IVF without ICSI. Got pregnant with twins after transferring 2 embryos in my first and only IVF procedure; one stopped developing at 11 weeks. Carried the other to term. I was 36 at the time. I also did a lot of acupuncture but this was not Huddleston-directed.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
Sorry, can't remember much other than they were nice.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Busy and successful clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
I had amazing insurance.
10
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
2018, Unknown Success
NPS
8
NPS
9
Age 37
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income $100K - $199K
Consultant
Only Doc Seen
Egg Freezing With Other Docs
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Not sure
Dr. Huddleston really sat with me and wanted to hear the full context of my story: why I was there, what motivated me, and my concerns. She was frank about the possible risks but told me she felt like this was a good choice for me, and gave me specific reasons why. I felt very comfortable with and heard by her....I would have liked more follow-through and explanation of every step and what to expect, though.
You'll get great care [at UCSF], but you often see and hear from different people every time. However, they are very timely in their appointments and everyone you meet there is positive and kind. I did sometimes feel rushed and like things were not fully explained, but when I pushed for clarity it was always offered gladly...Brittney helped me with all of my concerns from the logistical to the emotional to the explanatory. She was compassionate, well organized, and timely in her responses.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
I love how compassionate, clear, and real Dr. Huddleston is. I trust her great track record, especially with some of my close friends. I would have liked more follow-through and explanation of every step and what to expect, though.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Know that you may not have total clarity at every step about what comes next, but trust that Dr. Huddleston has good instincts and experience.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston really sat with me and wanted to hear the full context of my story: why I was there, what motivated me, and my concerns. She was frank about the possible risks but told me she felt like this was a good choice for me, and gave me specific reasons why. I felt very comfortable with and heard by her.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Brittney Bates)
Brittney helped me with all of my concerns from the logistical to the emotional to the explanatory. She was compassionate, well organized, and timely in her responses.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
You'll get great care, but you often see and hear from different people every time. However, they are very timely in their appointments and everyone you meet there is positive and kind. I did sometimes feel rushed and like things were not fully explained, but when I pushed for clarity it was always offered gladly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
I haven't paid yet in full, but it was estimated about 15K.
8
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2014, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 33
3 IUI
Uterine Fibroids
Unexplained
South Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Business Executive
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
She explains everything in detail (even drawing us pictures of basic anatomy!). Her style is not overly aggressive but seems rational. Her bedside manner is excellent... She ran tests early that seemed appropriate for our situation and really informed the process, but avoided other tests that didn't seem necessary for us.
Everyone certainly seemed to care about the outcome. Response time on questions was fast and I always felt like the team was taking my situation into account... She [my nurse] always responded to our questions quickly. She was always available by phone.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr Huddleston is wonderful. We had a fantastic experience with her. She explains everything in detail (even drawing us pictures of basic anatomy!). Her style is not overly aggressive but seems rational. Her bedside manner is excellent - warm and caring while still being professional. I have nothing but good things to say about her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Everyone certainly seemed to care about the outcome. Response time on questions was fast and I always felt like the team was taking my situation into account. She ran tests early that seemed appropriate for our situation and really informed the process, but avoided other tests that didn't seem necessary for us.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Susan Kregg)
She always responded to our questions quickly. She was always available by phone. She was very patient.
10
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
2012 - 2013, Successful
NPS
9
NPS
9
Age 31 - 32
3 IUI
2 IVF
PCOS
Unexplained
European
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income $100K - $199K
Only Doc Seen
Egg Freezing With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
She [Dr. Huddleston] was the right doctor for me. Direct, smart, caring, ready to take the next steps. She spends time with you, explains as much as you need and feels like she's doing everything she can to get you results. [UCSF] is an IVF clinic, they are going to want to do IVF. If you don't want that, you're going to need to talk about going slowly, trying other things first.
[UCSF] is an IVF clinic, they are going to want to do IVF. If you don't want that, you're going to need to talk about going slowly, trying other things first...I felt like my care mattered, that she [Dr. Huddleston] was paying attention to my case and coming into my appointments having reviewed my charts.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
She was the right doctor for me. Direct, smart, caring, ready to take the next steps. She spends time with you, explains as much as you need and feels like she's doing everything she can to get you results.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
It's an IVF clinic, they are going to want to do IVF. If you don't want that, you're going to need to talk about going slowly, trying other things first.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
I felt like my care mattered, that she was paying attention to my case and coming into my appointments having reviewed my charts.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
They were available on the phone, called back and were sweet.
9
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2023 - 2024, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
9
Age 37 - 38
1 IVF
Uterine Fibroids
Graphic Designer
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Huddleston was warm and confident—the perfect combination—throughout our entire treatment...multiple hysteroscopies and then an evaluation of my ability to carry a pregnancy, before we went through IVF, was practical, thoughtful...We had a great experience and would recommend her fully.
Pros [of UCSF] : doctors are top notch, I fully trust their decisioning, facilities are nice and new. Cons: no direct access to your doctor except in the appointments themselves and it's a group practice, so appointments are not always with your doctor In my opinion, the pros outweigh the cons.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
I already covered this in a previous question. Dr. Huddleston was warm and confident, a perfect combination. We had a great experience and would recommend her fully. I already covered this in a previous question. Dr. Huddleston was warm and confident, a perfect combination. We had a great experience and would recommend her fully.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
My situation was tragic. Dr. Huddleston was warm and confident—the perfect combination—throughout our entire treatment. I appreciated that she was more conservative than the OB and MFM I had seen previously. Her approach of multiple hysteroscopies and then an evaluation of my ability to carry a pregnancy, before we went through IVF, was practical, thoughtful, and gave me confidence to proceed.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Brittney)
Brittney was a lovely person and super helpful to our journey. At first I felt like it was a struggle to communicate. Her responsiveness is very fast but I didn't always feel like I completely understood the instructions and it would take a few messages back and forth. In time, and especially after we met in person, this issue improved significantly and I had no further issues.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Pros: doctors are top notch, I fully trust their decisioning, facilities are nice and new. Cons: no direct access to your doctor except in the appointments themselves and it's a group practice, so appointments are not always with your doctor In my opinion, the pros outweigh the cons. I would recommend the clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
Mostly covered by insurance, except my partner's appointments and some medication cost
10
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
3 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5

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