Dr. Thompson's results speak for themselves...is a wealth of knowledge for us and others seeking to start a family and he made himself available to us during clinic hours and during off-peak hours...we felt like seeing Dr. Thompson was the greatest step in our fertility journey.
The Fertility Center of New Mexico treated us as humans from the very first interaction to the very last visit where we brought in our newborn for them to meet. They all love what they do...I can't say enough about the nurses at the center, they are absolutely heaven sent.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson's results speak for themselves. He proves to be one of the best in the country and the world when it comes to the subjects of fertility and fertility treatments. He has an established reputation in the medical community and travels the country giving lectures on his progresses and practice.
When combining both the levels of mastery and competence for one's profession and compassion towards others, we felt like seeing Dr. Thompson was the greatest step in our fertility journey. He doesn't mince words when it comes to the statistics, and the risks to both life and limb when talking fertility, pregnancy, infertility and odds. We felt like our consultations were informative and direct and that the execution of procedures that were discussed in consultation were completed with precision , efficiency and mastery.
Dr. Thompson is a wealth of knowledge for us and others seeking to start a family and he made himself available to us during clinic hours and during off-peak hours.
I believe really making all matters equal consultations are emotionally charged for couples in general and I know all of the couples have to be always be running those "what if" scenarios constantly. He and his entire staff were able to fill in those micro gaps and support us through those emotionally charged moments to help keep our focus on the big picture. Dr. Thompson never rushed through the appointments and he made himself available in the off times, I believe we paged him 2-3 times during both transfers and the early pregnancy stage and he contacted us immediately, all after hours late night calls. We completed a lot of the research and listed our questions before each appointment so that we could maximize the consults. Fertility treatments are not fly by the seat of your pants or winging it type of procedures.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Complete your research and do your homework when it comes to the process. The info packet they give you before you do transfers and IVF are a lot to take in, go through them, highlight information, write down questions you have, when you get there to the office you always have this tendency to be nervous and focusing on the procedures or the results that have come in and may forget to address the concerns that you had when you weren't there.
Be ready to embrace the journey, the good, the bad and the ugly. Each journey is individual and different even with the medical processes being the same.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
The Fertility Center of New Mexico treated us as humans from the very first interaction to the very last visit where we brought in our newborn for them to meet. The information given is both complicated and extensive, the procedures are high risk and the results are very varied. I feel as though our consultations with the doctors and professionals here at this clinic always presented our divergent paths with both grace and with reality. Some information was easier to digest than others, but we don't ever feel for a moment that were just a number or statistic.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
My wife has PCOS (Polysystic Ovarian Syndrome) her protocol from Dr. Thompson was to start and be on Metformin on her cycles and to be on birth control as well leading up to the trigger shots.
Our first several cycles for IUI we were given clomid to stimulate the follicle growth and when the ultrasounds were completed once those follicles got to a certain size we were given a "trigger" shot to force the follicle to produce and egg to fertilize. After several cycles the follicles seemed to become resistant to the effects of the clomid and the remaining cycles were switched to Letrosol, which was filling in to get the same reaction from the follicles, this worked the last 3 rounds we had done, but the IUI procedures were unsuccessful.
The rationale for the approach given her condition was that she did not have regular cycles at all. If she had a cycle it would be 6-9 months before one would happen and it would be a severe cycle time in which the period could last anywhere from 5-7 days of heavy bleeding before subsiding and moving on. The metformin and birth control helped to create for her a stable and predictable cycle in which the protocol for stimulating the follicles and releasing eggs could be produced to complete the IUI process.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
We didn't have a specific nurse during the fertility process, they all had their days with us I believe and they were all so gracious, kind and compassionate throughout the process.
During exam prepping, ultrasounds, trigger shots and escalating finally to IVF our nurses were always encouraging and emotionally available to us. On bad days they sensed a heaviness on us and gave us the extra space we needed just to interact about the basics and they celebrated in every small victory we had as well. I can't say enough about the nurses at the center, they are absolutely heaven sent, each and every one of them.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
We loved all aspects of the clinic. They all love what they do and the focus for each of them critically is what's lead to their success in making so many families. The administrative staff, the nurses, doctors, coordinators, retrieval staff, IVF coordinator, billing, they even have an FMLA paperwork specialist who is able to fill out the mountains of paperwork for HR offices in their own special language so that everything for work places is covered for appointments and treatments etc.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
We had insurance that was able to cover the ultrasounds for diagnostic purposes and I believe we maxed those out completely. Paying cash for the IUI treatments added I believe about $550/round that was ultrasound, triggershot, sperm sample cleaned, spun, injected etc.
when we did the IVF the basic I believe cycle we chose was to do 1 retrieval with 1 transfer fresh or frozen that was $16,500 to the clinic and then they had given us referrals to pharmacies to fill our prescriptions which was another $5k-7k. We needed to be on estrogen patches and progesterone a little longer than the average so our prescriptions were a little bit more since we needed to use them for an extended period. But the clinic cost covered the cycle preparation, ALL of the ultrasounds needed to set the baseline cycle and those after wards to measure the uterus lining progress, the retrieval itself, we paid separate for the genetic testing after the fertilization and then for the transfer itself with two more ultrasounds to check the progress. We were concerned even after we "graduated" to the OBGYN but they did another ultrasound for us also that they didn't charge us for because we had to cancel with the OB and extend seeing them for another 2 weeks.
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
We didn't have any conversations at length about multiple transfers, we had just wanted to put them in single.
Dr. Thompson seems knowledgeable and dedicated to helping us get pregnant. In our IVF consultation, he was willing to work with some ethical concerns that we have about embryos without judgment or irritation. He explained the process thoroughly and answered questions that we had. Dr. Thompson is not a warm and fuzzy person. I appreciated this, because what I want from him is expertise and information.
The Fertility Center of NM provides competent care, a compassionate nursing team, and have been great about working with our insurance. ...One weakness that I can identify in the clinic is that they don't offer counseling services or routinely refer/recommend counselors to their patients. I think this is something that many patients may benefit from. I am skeptical about their recommendation of a particular (expensive) brand of vitamins with antioxidants prior to IVF. They likely benefit from referring patients to the makers of those vitamins.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson seems knowledgeable and dedicated to helping us get pregnant. In our IVF consultation, he was willing to work with some ethical concerns that we have about embryos without judgment or irritation. He explained the process thoroughly and answered questions that we had.
Dr. Thompson is not a warm and fuzzy person. I appreciated this, because what I want from him is expertise and information. Some may dislike his lack of emotion, but it added an element of dispassionate science to an otherwise emotionally difficult process that I needed. He isn't my counselor or my best friend; he's a professional. His personality may be hard to click with for some.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Be aware of Dr. Thompson's personality. He will take the time to answer all of your questions, but know that he doesn't usually come across as warm and friendly. Find a different person/place to fulfill any emotional needs.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
We appreciated personal care from our nurses. They remembered our names and were genuinely friendly. Dr. Thompson was a bit more impersonal, but neither he nor his NP Grace were involved in the details of our IUI treatment as the nurses were. Front office staff seem to change often- perhaps due to days/times we are there- and we haven't gotten to know them well.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
So far, we have completed 4 medicated IUI cycles for unexplained infertility. No issues with sperm for any of them. Good, triple layer endometrium each time. Here's the details:
IUI #1: Clomid, 50mg cycle days 5-9. I had 6 developing follicles and they asked if we wanted to continue with the insemination. I brushed aside my own concerns about multiples and went ahead, although I shouldn't have. I received an hCG trigger shot prior to insemination due to my inability to get a positive ovulation test. Negative HPT two weeks later.
IUI #2: Decreased Clomid to 25mg cycle days 5-9. Two developing follicles, hCG trigger again, insemination. Negative HPT two weeks later.
IUI #3: Clomid 25mg cycle days 5-9. I think 2 follicles? hCG trigger again, insemination. Negative HPT two weeks later.
IUI #4: Switched to letrozole/femara 2.5mg due to lack of success with Clomid/"it can't hurt to switch it up". 2 follicles developed and my very first (and only) LH surge detected with OPK. Skipped hCG trigger because of the surge, insemination. Negative HPT two weeks later.
Between cycles 3 and 4, we had a consult with Dr. Thompson regarding IVF. While we took time to decide, we did the 4th IUI. We are going to do egg retrieval in November with future frozen embryo transfer. Although it's not completed, I'll be on a antagonist protocol for a freeze all cycle.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The nursing staff is incredible. They made treatment so much easier with their warm and fun personalities, professional care, and personal touches like remembering our names. They are kind and helpful. Nurses are our primary point of contact, as they performed our ultrasounds and IUIs.
I cannot think of any weaknesses in the nursing staff.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The Fertility Center of NM provides competent care, a compassionate nursing team, and have been great about working with our insurance. While there aren't many options in ABQ for fertility treatment, I'm glad we chose this clinic. The clinic is down to earth and doesn't try to impress you with flashy decor or fancy things. But they will help you with diagnosing and treating any fertility issues, which is exactly what we were looking for.
One weakness that I can identify in the clinic is that they don't offer counseling services or routinely refer/recommend counselors to their patients. I think this is something that many patients may benefit from. I am skeptical about their recommendation of a particular (expensive) brand of vitamins with antioxidants prior to IVF. They likely benefit from referring patients to the makers of those vitamins.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
We have insurance coverage for diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including IVF. hCG trigger shots for IUIs and Halo sperm testing (for IVF) did not go through insurance. The shots are $100 each and Halo testing was $210.
According to the IVF price sheet (given to us in August 2019), self pay IVF includes egg retrieval, ICSI, assisted hatching, embryo biopsy, embryo freezing, storage for 1 year, and one frozen embryo transfer within one year of retrieval. It includes lab work and ultrasounds as well. The self pay fee with tax is $16,877.04. Medications will be approx. $4,500-7,500 depending on exact protocol and pharmacy. Anesthesia for egg retrieval is a separate $500 to the anesthesiologist. Genetic testing (PGS) is approximately $2,500. A frozen embryo transfer cycle is $3,360 plus tax.
If you have insurance coverage, their insurance specialist will work to submit preauthorizations and bill your insurance. Sometimes we paid at our appointments and sometimes we just received a bill later.
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Due to my age (28), Dr. Thompson, like experts in the field, strongly suggests eSET only. He gave us information from ASRM about the risk of multiples with multiple embryo transfer and the risks of multiple pregnancy for mom and babies.
[Dr. Jim Thompson] remembers us when we show up in the clinic and personally followed up with us after our failed transfer and our miscarriage to assure us that we had other options to try and make sure all our questions were answered. He gave us time between cycles to grieve and we never felt rushed during an appointment or procedure... took an individualized approach to each of my cycles which as extremely appreciated.
Nursing staff [at The Fertility Center of New Mexico] is great. Compassionate, communicative, and hopeful!...the clinic can initially come off cold...But once you meet Dr. Thompson and his staff and learn the initial ropes it’s a very friendly and easy place!...[Dr. Thompson] remembers us when we show up in the clinic and personally followed up with us after our failed transfer and our miscarriage to assure us that we had other options to try and make sure all our questions were answered.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson provided excellent care and a warm bedside manner. He remembers us when we show up in the clinic and personally followed up with us after our failed transfer and our miscarriage to assure us that we had other options to try and make sure all our questions were answered. He gave us time between cycles to grieve and we never felt rushed during an appointment or procedure.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Ask all the questions! Don’t be afraid to bring research or ideas to the table.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson showed great compassion with us through our cycles and though he did not want to get our hopes up he Outlined alternative paths and options we could take with positivity
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
I was on a heavy dose of stimulants with my first cycle as Dr. Thompson predicted that i would be a low responder from my bloodwork and tests. That cycle only produced one egg and it never matured once fertilized. In our second try we did a flare protocol with no birth control or suppression resulting in 4 eggs 3 of which were able to be fertilized and 1 grew and was able to be freshly transferred. Resulted in miscarriage. Threw each cycle i was on DHEA, metformin, and androgel.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Sheila)
Nursing staff is great. Compassionate, communicative, and hopeful!
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
If you’re coming into the clinic just for a sperm analysis the clinic can initially come off cold- there are practices and processed that make the lobby seem daunting at first. But once you meet Dr. Thompson and his staff and learn the initial ropes it’s a very friendly and easy place!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Susan the practice manager handles all insurance and billing
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Dr. Thompson took an individualized approach to each of my cycles which as extremely appreciated.
I wish I talked to him [Dr. Jim Thompson] more instead of the nurse coordinator. But if I wanted to talk to him, then he would make time to us and explain things...sometimes I wish he would explain things more in details...Kind, somewhat approachable, friendly...When our one embryo was genetically abnormal and couldn’t transfer, he did call to talk to us which was nice...
Clinic [The Fertility Center of New Mexico] was clean, lots of rooms to do evaluations...Waiting room is kind of small but was actually just right in a way...Front desk receptionists were nice...Called back on time every time, which was great...The nursing staff were caring and they knew me since I was there all the time. They called me right away after lab results and the IVF coordinator called me back on same day after I had called her for a question.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Kind, somewhat approachable, friendly, sometimes I wish he would explain things more in details. I wish I talked to him more instead of the nurse coordinator. But if I wanted to talk to him, then he would make time to us and explain things. He was fairly honest, despite not wanting to hear bad news. When our one embryo was genetically abnormal and couldn’t transfer, he did call to talk to us which was nice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Make sure you ask a lot of questions and don’t feel bad for asking a lot of questions!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
I did feel like I was treated like a human most of the time but also I wish they didn’t rush during some of my ultrasounds. And every time they forgot that I was allergic to latex and I had to mention it every time. I wish they would have known already.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
I was primed with aygestin for 40 day because they had specific weeks of the month for the IVF cycles. Then was also on androgel for 4 week. For the IVF cycle, I was on 300 u gonal f and 225 u of menopur. Also was on omnitrope 25 units for 8 days. Added cetrotide mid cycle, and on day 11, triggered with 10,000 pregnyl. Got 6 eggs, 3 fertilized, 1 made it to day 5, pgs test was negative. :(
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Sheila)
The nursing staff were caring and they knew me since I was there all the time. They called me right away after lab results and the IVF coordinator called me back on same day after I had called her for a question.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Called back on time every time, which was great. Front desk receptionists were nice. Clinic was clean, lots of rooms to do evaluations. Waiting room is kind of small but was actually just right in a way. Staff were all nice, easy to contact them, calls back right away.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
It was about $23,000 including 1 IVF cycle, retrieval, transfer and medications
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
He preferred single embryo transfer as multiple transfers were a high risk
[Dr. Jim Thompson was] Very thorough and experienced...His experience shows from the get go. On top of that he is comforting. My wife was not uncomfortable during any meeting or procedure and she has been hesitant with male doctors before...We retrieved early and were able to get 14 eggs... is very trustworthy and kind. He has a calming bedside manner, yet he tells you what you need to know...My wife and I were put on vitamins and different things like that before retrieval. T
Grace, Trish, and Juli were the main PA/Nursing team we saw [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of New Mexico]. They were very professional, very calming, and great at what they do. They did some of the ultrasounds as well as explanations. Not once did we feel like we needed to ask Doctor Thompson to confirm what they told us... The clinic itself is set up to be very calming and welcoming. It is in the basement level of a very old hospital in Albuquerque. Don't let that scare you away from his clinic. It has no bearing on how great of a job they do and the clinic itself once you get inside.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Very thorough and experienced. I never once have had doubts about him or thought twice about going to him. His experience shows from the get go. On top of that he is comforting. My wife was not uncomfortable during any meeting or procedure and she has been hesitant with male doctors before.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Ask all the questions that you want to ask. Also, don't hesitate for more clarification or to express any discomfort or doubts for any reason
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson is very trustworthy and kind. He has a calming bedside manner, yet he tells you what you need to know. They walked us through every step in as much detail as we wanted.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
My wife and I were put on vitamins and different things like that before retrieval. They are specifically for IVF. Then my wife was on Gonal F, Menopur, and ganirelix. This all worked as expected or better. We retrieved early and were able to get 14 eggs.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Grace, Trish, and Juli were the main PA/Nursing team we saw. They were very professional, very calming, and great at what they do. They did some of the ultrasounds as well as explanations. Not once did we feel like we needed to ask Doctor Thompson to confirm what they told us.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The Doctor, PA, Nurses, and staff are wonderful. The clinic itself is set up to be very calming and welcoming. It is in the basement level of a very old hospital in Albuquerque. Don't let that scare you away from his clinic. It has no bearing on how great of a job they do and the clinic itself once you get inside.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
16k specifically for Dr. Thompson and their procedures. There were other costs for medication, anestesia, genetic testing.
He [Dr. Jim Thompson] definitely takes the time to meet with patient's one to one when necessary and will take as much time as is needed for any discussion...He seemed unsure as to the results at times. I was told I 'may' have endometriosis, then it was not included on the results page. I was told I 'may' have adenomyosis, but they could not be 'sure' unless I had a exploratory procedure, which he stated was invasive and therefore did not recommend. I did not want to go off of a diagnosis for me based on a seemingly insecure evaluation.
They do not do Natural based IVF cycles here [Center for Reproductive Medicine of New Mexico], as far as I am aware. They did explain they do use the lowest-dose hormone birth control pill available at present, in order to reduce the negative risks of older women using oral contraceptives. I had planned to do my IVF cycle earlier, so I started the birth control pills right away. However, when there were delays, largely to my being unsure whether I wanted to go through IVF at this location due to the increasingly unsupportive and unprofessional attitude of the IVF coordinator, noone ever suggested that I stop taking the oral contraceptives and start them again at a certain time before my determined cycle. I
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He definitely takes the time to meet with patient's one to one when necessary and will take as much time as is needed for any discussion.
I thoroughly enjoyed this about this facility.
He seemed unsure as to the results at times.
I was told I 'may' have endometriosis, then it was not included on the results page.
I was told I 'may' have adenomyosis, but they could not be 'sure' unless I had a exploratory procedure, which he stated was invasive and therefore did not recommend.
I did not want to go off of a diagnosis for me based on a seemingly insecure evaluation. He then stated he would refer me for a lap endo.
I asked if there were any other test I could receive that was less invasive, that may be used to reinforce whether or not I had adenomyosis and important details about it.
Both MD Thomspon and a separate physician named Carrie Swartz OB/GYN stated there was no other test I could receive to give a more confident result and location, extent details in regards to my adenomyosis.
Later another physician ordered for me a MRI of my abdomen, providing with much stronger confidence that I indeed had adenomyosis and with important additional detail.
So I was a bit confused as to why Dr. Thompson and Dr. Carrie Swartz never ordered an MRI of my abdomen for me.
Afterward I felt a lot more confident about the finding and the additional details it provided since if I do become pregnant, adenomyosis is something I should know as much about for the IVF stage and for sustaining a pregnancy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
I was largely unsatisfied with my experience through this facility due to the increasingly indifferent, unhelpful and unprofessional responses by the main IVF coordinator, Sheila.
The more I asked detailed questions and I believe, when she realized we weren't intending to jump into care quickly, the more unprofessional and downright rude she became.
Although I know that patient reviews cannot always be a fair representation of the care or results of a provider or facility, I do believe that patient's are generally very aware of the quality of care they are receiving, what it is lacking and some healthcare provider responsibility.
I found it unsettling that Dr. Thompson at one point was clearly annoyed that I mentioned I was considering going forward with their facility because it had a lack of negative patient reviews.
He spoke about patient's as if many of them leave unfair and extreme reviews without taking into consideration their responsibility or their health conditions into consideration.
Does this happen? Yes.
But I feel that healthcare providers that see no validity or responsibility in patient negative reviews are often not the ones to go to for a myriad of serious reasons.
I personally often find this to be an excuse many physicians make, skirting the blame to the patients. I find most patients actually have a very good idea of when they are not being treated appropriately or when their results have been diminished in part due to lower quality care.
I know that this facility has produced many successful cases for many people, I just personally did not go forward at this location largely because of disturbing, impatient rude commentary from the IVF coordinator.
Also when I was told I had Adenomyosis, MD Thompson stated the 'only way to be more sure is to get an exploratory surgical procedure'.
Actually, he could have ordered an MRI, as a following fertility MD did, which provided me with a more definitive evaluation, such as the location and extent specifics, as well as other helpful details.
I guess he expected me to just start taking medications for Adenomyosis without any further and more detailed testing, which does not seem safe.
Also, the MRI providing detailed location of where my adenomyosis was, was told to me, could help significantly with choice of a more successful implantation location for IVF.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
They do not do Natural based IVF cycles here, as far as I am aware.
They did explain they do use the lowest-dose hormone birth control pill available at present, in order to reduce the negative risks of older women using oral contraceptives.
I had planned to do my IVF cycle earlier, so I started the birth control pills right away.
However, when there were delays, largely to my being unsure whether I wanted to go through IVF at this location due to the increasingly unsupportive and unprofessional attitude of the IVF coordinator, noone ever suggested that I stop taking the oral contraceptives and start them again at a certain time before my determined cycle.
I was on oral contraceptives for an extended period of time and I don't know if that's a great decision for someone in their 30's.
Also, one time when I was planning to go forward with IVF right away and had lost my birth control pill on a weekend and had to have him call in my prescription as I was not in my regular location, he made it VERY clear that he was not happy about being bothered over something of this nature.
I knew it wasn't trivial because they had told me prior, that if I did not take my BCP consistently it would throw off my IVF start date.
So, that was another experience that didn't seem to reflect consideration for patient's feelings or success in regards to the extreme impatience and tone it was delivered in.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Sheila. I'm not sure if she's a nurse it'd be appalling because she ditched our initial appointment when we flew in from out of town, after she stated she would be present for our New Patient appointment. Then at her more indifferent, impatient and callous stage she word-for-word told me that I should sell my prescription hormone medications online, if I can't use them. She said this strictly because we found out we had to do PGT-M at this point. Basically because we were taking longer than expected to start - she felt completely justified in being demeaning, insulting and derogatory to us. It was really an unbelievable difference from our initial meetings with her. Truly appalling. )
Sheila is very organized and thoroughly educated in the typical process at her facility.
She was initially extremely kind, supportive and compassionate and this was one reason why I felt comfortable at this facility to start.
However, that professional and supportive demeanor changed VERY quickly and I was never certain as to why, but she clearly felt very comfortable changing her tone.
She often spoke to my significant other and I with statements such as 'well I don't know, that's on you to figure that out', 'we work with this lab, but we don't talk to them about their statistics/processes and costs to the patient, that's not my job, so you'll have to talk to them. I can't be responsible for that information'.
I understand that it is our responsibility to hold a lab responsible for their details and to discuss these things with them one to one, but I found it completely unsupportive and disturbing that she did not know the information at all, nor thoroughly, in order to give us a complete idea BEFORE we discussed it with the lab.
Just because this part of the care, which is HUGE, is 'not her responsibility' to discuss with us technically, in no way means she shouldn't know it all nor think it isn't her responsibility as the Nurse Coordinator to discuss it with us at all.
Also, once we found we had to do PGD testing, she used language, verbal and nonverbal, that we both perceived as her talking down to us in major ways.
I looked over at my significant other and it just hurt me the most to see how it was hurting him the way she was talking to us at this point.
She used language that strongly suggested for one that we were stupid, that she wasn't sure we would even be able to go forward there since the process was becoming more complicated, which itself started to decrease my confidence in the facility.
I asked, if we weren't able to go forward with the facility, what I should do with the 5,000 worth of medications I purchased.
She spoke to me in, her then expected, extremely patronizing tone and said
'Well, MOST people don't purchase their medications before diagnostic screening, that's on you since you purchased them too early. Really, I guess you could always sell them on the internet somewhere?'
I was never told otherwise and knew nothing about the process.
I'm not sure how someone can think their so incredibly brilliant when they pretend as if the knowledge they hold in the regular day-to-day job is just common knowledge to the general public.
Being someone whom works in the medical field, having an IVF coordinator think its acceptable to suggest that I sell prescription medications as a private citizen, obviously not licensed as a prescribing doctor or pharmacist, that were meant for me, privately, on the internet to someone else............is an absolutely inexcusable and horrific thing to say/suggest/or even joke about.
I have no idea why this IVF coordinator's tone changed, but the way she began talking to us and the statements she made are genuinely disturbing and this person should in no way be in charge of anyone's care if she feels perfectly entitled to speak to anyone this way at any time.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The majority of the staff at the front desk and the staff RNs are excellent, organized and well-educated in the process.
I had one nurse whom would not run my insurance for a diagnostic exam, which would have been approved and would have saved me about $250.
I told this nurse that although my IVF would not be covered, that this did not mean my diagnostic exams wouldn't be and I'd like to save money where I could and she still insisted it wouldn't make sense to use my insurance without explaining why further.
The facility stated that they fixed this, so they are responsive in fixing snags
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
From the day that we met Dr. Thompson we were happy with our experience. He gave us several options on how to help raise my husbands sperm count and motility and ran several tests before confirming that we would need IVF. He has been very straight forward with how the entire process works and has been sensitive towards our wants and needs.... I started off with 225 units of gonal-f and 150 units of menopur for the first 2 days. My dose was lowered to 150 gonal-f and 150 menopur for the 3rd day which is standard for all patients. I had another ultrasound on day 4 and we found out that I was a slow responder so my doses were upped back to 225 gonal-f and 225 menopur. I also needed a few extra days of meds before my follicles were fully matured.
The receptionist [at Center for Reproductive Med of NM] isn't very friendly sometimes. The location isn't the best since it is at the main hospital. It is very hard to find parking and takes extra time to ensure you arrive at your appointment on time.... One of the nurses seemed confused of the protocol a couple of times and I had to call to talk to another nurse to clarify the instructions received.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
From the day that we met Dr. Thompson we were happy with our experience. He gave us several options on how to help raise my husbands sperm count and motility and ran several tests before confirming that we would need IVF. He has been very straight forward with how the entire process works and has been sensitive towards our wants and needs.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Don't be afraid to ask questions and voice your concerns. Dr. Thompson will answer any questions that you have.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson takes the time with his patients and listens to their wants and needs.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
I started off with 225 units of gonal-f and 150 units of menopur for the first 2 days. My dose was lowered to 150 gonal-f and 150 menopur for the 3rd day which is standard for all patients. I had another ultrasound on day 4 and we found out that I was a slow responder so my doses were upped back to 225 gonal-f and 225 menopur. I also needed a few extra days of meds before my follicles were fully matured.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Most of the nurses were very knowledgeable and helpful. There was one nurse in particular that seemed confused about certain things and I sometimes had to call to talk to another nurse to confirm my instructions received. But overall, the nurses were very helpful and compassionate.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The receptionist isn't very friendly sometimes. The location isn't the best since it is at the main hospital. It is very hard to find parking and takes extra time to ensure you arrive at your appointment on time.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The monitoring appointments are scheduled first thing in the morning which was convenient for me because I could stop in before work
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
We had to do ICSI with our first retrieval and will need it again for our next retrieval. The cost for IVF with ICSI was $16,400. The medication costs were separate.
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I have not gotten to the transfer stage yet but Dr. Thompson said that a single transfer is preferred for the first round, which I am totally okay with.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
One of the nurses seemed confused of the protocol a couple of times and I had to call to talk to another nurse to clarify the instructions received.
Dr. Thompson would laugh with me and my fiancee. They would talk and joke about just normal stuff while I was out of the room prepping. I feel like he really cares about the out come and is trying his hardest for us to succeed. ... I had three embryos make it to freeze and PGS testing. Only one came back normal, one abnormal and one mosaic. He followed up with a genetic specialist to help us make the right decision with our mosaic. Trust him and that he will do the research. He will only allow you to transfer one embryo, but for us that was fine. My fiancee dint want to transfer two.
Tori [a nurse at Center for Reproductive Med NM- Albuquerque] is awesome. She cares about you as an individual. She was happy with us and cried with us. Trisha is great. She went out of her way to make sure we were comfortable. That she answered all our questions. Sheila you can call her anytime for any questions. She will find out the answer if she doesn't know it.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
During weekly ultrasounds I usually just seen one of the nurses. But every time I did see Dr. Thompson he was genuine, happy and vocal about the progress and what to expect. The nurses would let me know if my next visit would be with with of the or him. Dr. Thompson is a down to earth Doctor that is trying to help his patients achieve their dreams.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
You might not always see him. But he has a great nurse staff that goes above and beyond to help. He is a great Dr. so be prepared to wait there is usually a two month wait for new patients. I would tell all prospective patients, to start their journey as soon as they suspect something.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson would laugh with me and my fiancee. They would talk and joke about just normal stuff while I was out of the room prepping. I feel like he really cares about the out come and is trying his hardest for us to succeed. Tori is awesome, she is truly genuine. She shows her emotions happy and sad with us.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Tori, Shiela, Trish)
Tori is awesome. She cares about you as an individual. She was happy with us and cried with us.
Trisha is great. She went out of her way to make sure we were comfortable. That she answered all our questions.
Sheila you can call her anytime for any questions. She will find out the answer if she doesn't know it.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
It at Presbyterian Hospital in the basement. Small waiting room. Front desk ladies aren't as nice as the nurses in the back.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Insurance paid for most of my treatment and meds. I paid approx. $10, 000 out of pocket
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I had three embryos make it to freeze and PGS testing. Only one came back normal, one abnormal and one mosaic. He followed up with a genetic specialist to help us make the right decision with our mosaic. Trust him and that he will do the research. He will only allow you to transfer one embryo, but for us that was fine. My fiancee dint want to transfer two.
Every time I said something about a new treatment or pill they said but you are ovulating and I said but I am not pregnant so something is not working then during the second consultation with [Dr. Jim Thompson] he was so relax, like not worried that I was not pregnant after 6 months with clomid and 3 IUI and he said we need IVF like IVF was nothing, he didn’t explain so much about IVF and sent us direct to his financial office, they gave us fees and asked when we are gonna start paying like again IVF was nothing and we had the money in our pockets.
I had clomid for 3 months then 3 iui with clomid [at The Fertility Center of New Mexico]. We were diagnostic with unknown infertility...Nurses were good enough, they showed more compassion that the doctor...Each IUI was around $500...Get a first appointment takes months. The follow their protocol and they don’t want to try something new or different even if you ask for it. They don’t explain the protocol very well. Ask all that you can
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
We saw him only one time during the first consultation, then a second time because se asked for it. Nurses were ok because they made us feel we were only a number, saying things like “every month you have a new opportunity” and we were like we don’t have the money to think like that. Every time I said something about a new treatment or pill they said but you are ovulating and I said but I am not pregnant so something is not working then during the second consultation with Thompson he was so relax, like not worried that I was not pregnant after 6 months with clomid and 3 IUI and he said we need IVF like IVF was nothing, he didn’t explain so much about IVF and sent us direct to his financial office, they gave us fees and asked when we are gonna start paying like again IVF was nothing and we had the money in our pockets.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Be direct with him and if you feel he is not doing everything find a second opinion, he said my eggs had not a good quality and it was not the case
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He wanted to try something different even though I didn’t get pregnant, I had to request a consultant ion with him and he was more worried about us doing IVF and don’t try something different, he was it very sensitive about all the money we are paying.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
I had clomid for 3 months then 3 iui with clomid. I had that because my age, we were diagnostic with unknown infertility.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Nurses were good enough, they showed more compassion that the doctor
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Get a first appointment takes months. The follow their protocol and they don’t want to try something new or different even if you ask for it. They don’t explain the protocol very well. Ask all that you can
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
He [Dr. Jim Thompson] is very compassionate, i have diminished ovarian reserve at 28 yrs old(when i started thinking about ivf now im 31) and he always gave me options never pushed me into something i might not afford, even though it would be more money for him. He also showed great compassion and willingness to help me in anyway possible when i lost my baby at 15 wks due to a placental abruption. He worked me up for everything to give me the best chance for this next stim cycle. For my fresh transfer he was out of the state on vacation and came back early to do my transfer because we thought that was the only chance we might have had with my embryos because the others were not doing great.
[Center for Reproductive Med of NM-Albuquerque's] Strenghths: staff is approchable, knowledgeable and always available. Great embryonologist. You only see one doctor not multiple doctors. Financing available. Takes most insurances. Weaknesses: some equipment seems outdated( but still works its purpose)... They are a great team, timely response to messages, always available even on weekends. And very very conpassionate
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr thompson is a great provider, he and his partner Dr Lee Caperton went separate ways last year and Dr. Thomson was very professional and never bad talked the other doctor or his clinic, and on the other hand Dr. caperton was always making comments about how much better his clinic was than Dr. thompsons(hence the reason why i decided to go back to Dr.thompson). He is very compassionate, i have diminished ovarian reserve at 28 yrs old(when i started thinking about ivf now im 31) and he always gave me options never pushed me into something i might not afford, even though it would be more money for him. He also showed great compassion and willingness to help me in anyway possible when i lost my baby at 15 wks due to a placental abruption. He worked me up for everything to give me the best chance for this next stim cycle. For my fresh transfer he was out of the state on vacation and came back early to do my transfer because we thought that was the only chance we might have had with my embryos because the others were not doing great.
Even though he is an older doctor he keeps up to date with whats new in science and research which gives me peace of mind.
He is very direct when he needs to be if he thinks something is not a good idea he will let me know even though i want to do it.
He forgets some facts about my story so i have to explain a little but he never makes me feel like he doesnt know who i am, its logical for them to not remember everything because they see so many patients. But he always remembers my name and my husband.
He is a great provider.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Trust his judgment, he does everything for your own good. And he has a great embryonologist
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson is the only doctor at the fertility clinic i go too, all the staff including Dr.Thompson always welcomed me by name even if I was just walking through the door to sign in to my appointments. He always remembered my history(or reviewed it) prior to going in to see me, so i never have felt like i constantly have to repeat myself as i have with other providers.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
I dont remember dosages but i have been on clomid, and femara for IUI's and for ivf i was on high dose menopeur, follistem prior to knowing i was low reaponding. Now that we know im a low responder and diminished ovarian reserve i am on testosterone prior to stimming along with dheas, i will be on high dose menopeur, follistim, dexamethasone and growth hormone in hope to get better and quality response
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Sheila (ivf coordinator))
They are a great team, timely response to messages, always available even on weekends. And very very conpassionate
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Strenghths: staff is approchable, knowledgeable and always available. Great embryonologist. You only see one doctor not multiple doctors. Financing available. Takes most insurances.
Weaknesses: some equipment seems outdated( but still works its purpose)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Ive paid a lot along the way probably somewhat over 25,000 but im lucky to have a lot of cost covered through insurance otherwise that number would be much higher
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I agree with him i was only 29 when i did my 1st transfer therfore the reasoning for doing a single transfer was to prevent complications from multiples in the event that it happened. Now that i have had the three losses his is open to doing a multiple embryo transfer if needed
Dr. Thompson took the time to get to know my past health history, and go over everything with us. He made good suggestions for treatments and made us feel comfortable every time. The only negative was that we haven't done more. I think that is just me being impatient however because although my husband and I have been trying for over 3 years, I have only ovulated 6 times. So I understand taking it slower from a logical standpoint, but from an emotional standpoint I just want more monitoring and a more aggressive approach.
The office staff [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of New Mexico] are really friendly and I was shocked at how quickly they remembered me. It caught me off guard that they spoke to me by name on the second appointment. We never had to wait long, and there was one time we were really early and they got my husband in before his appointment time so we didn't have to wait around. We also knew what to expect cost wise before the appointment so there weren't any surprises...I've worked with multiple nurses at the office and they have all been really responsive and wonderful. Julie performed my IUI and multiple ultrasounds for me and she was an amazing nurse.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson took the time to get to know my past health history, and go over everything with us. He made good suggestions for treatments and made us feel comfortable every time. The only negative was that we haven't done more. I think that is just me being impatient however because although my husband and I have been trying for over 3 years, I have only ovulated 6 times. So I understand taking it slower from a logical standpoint, but from an emotional standpoint I just want more monitoring and a more aggressive approach.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Write down any questions you have and take notes during your first few appointments. I think that goes for any RE though. There is so much information being given to you. I feel like I forget to ask things or forget things that were said to me every time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He took the time to talk to us about things outside of our care as well. For example, we live 3 hours away so our last visit not only did we receive excellent care, but he also gave us some pretty great tips on local restaurants and things to do. He also joked with us the whole time, and during procedures took the time to show my husband and I what he was looking at and what that meant.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
So far, we have only done one medicated cycle of IUI and 3 cycles of Clomid total. None of these cycles were monitored. For the non IUI cycles I took 100mg of Clomid CD 5-9 and then had timed intercourse every other day from CD 10-20. I was also instructed to use OPKs to ensure the timing was right. For my one IUI so far, I did 100mg of Clomid CD 5-9 and then started OPKs CD 10. I was instructed to come in if I didn't get a positive LH surge by CD 16. This was the case for me and so CD 17 I had a trans vaginal ultra sound and was given an HSG trigger shot because I had one mature follicle. We came in the next day for the IUI procedure. The next step was to call if my period was late or to start Clomid again CD 5 if my period didn't come, which is what happened and what we did.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I've worked with multiple nurses at the office and they have all been really responsive and wonderful. Julie performed my IUI and multiple ultrasounds for me and she was an amazing nurse.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I think the clinic runs really well. The office staff are really friendly and I was shocked at how quickly they remembered me. It caught me off guard that they spoke to me by name on the second appointment. We never had to wait long, and there was one time we were really early and they got my husband in before his appointment time so we didn't have to wait around. We also knew what to expect cost wise before the appointment so there weren't any surprises.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
So far, everything has been partially covered by insurance so the cost hasn't been terrible. We've had to pay about 20% of everything. We haven't moved to IVF yet because of cost however, and that will be around $25-30k depending on the exact protocol.
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
We have not done IVF, but I do know that his stance is to only transfer one.
I had seen Dr Thompson for diagmosement of endometriosis prior to seeing him for fertility treatments. I understand that he sees many patients but when we decided to go to him for fertility treatment, he acted like he had no clue who I was (even with my chart in his hand showing that he had performed a laparoscopy a few years earlier). I also understand that with the amount of patients he sees, you might not get as personal of a visit as you’d like - BUT the business he is in requires a bit of compassion and warmth that seemed to be lacking more often than not.
The scheduling department [at Center for Reproductive Med of NM] was very curt, not warm/welcoming/excitement inducing. Most of the nurses were incredible and very helpful and made you feel welcomed. Dr Thompson was similar to the scheduling staff in manor.... The nursing staff were incredibly warm and compassionate - which is what is needed in an industry dealing with fertility. They never made ya feel like we were asking stupid questions and always made sure we left with confidence in our treatment.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
I had seen Dr Thompson for diagmosement of endometriosis prior to seeing him for fertility treatments. I understand that he sees many patients but when we decided to go to him for fertility treatment, he acted like he had no clue who I was (even with my chart in his hand showing that he had performed a laparoscopy a few years earlier). I also understand that with the amount of patients he sees, you might not get as personal of a visit as you’d like - BUT the business he is in requires a bit of compassion and warmth that seemed to be lacking more often than not.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Go in with an open mind and keep your faith that God has a plan for you!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
I felt like neither a number nor a human - if anything, I felt more like just a number. The scheduling department was very curt, not warm/welcoming/excitement inducing. Most of the nurses were incredible and very helpful and made you feel welcomed. Dr Thompson was similar to the scheduling staff in manor.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
I don’t remember many specifics - just that we did injections and estrogen patches and everything worked out as planned!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The nursing staff were incredibly warm and compassionate - which is what is needed in an industry dealing with fertility. They never made ya feel like we were asking stupid questions and always made sure we left with confidence in our treatment.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
It would have been nice to have someone call or remind us when different medications were to be started/stopped/increased/decreased. We were given a calendar that had everything written on it but that extra personal touch would have been nice.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
We were billed as treatments went on so we didn’t have to pay a lump sum up front. We had diffferent costa Associates with the Doctor, the medications, and the hospital/anesthesia
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Dr Thompson had mentioned when we started our IVF cycle that we could implant a few embryos depending on the condition of them. My husband and I had genetic testing done on the embryos (which is HIGHLY RECOMMEND) and found that we had 2 viable embryos. After weighing all options, we decided to have both implanted. Dr Thompson was very hesitant to implant both, suggesting that we just do one at a time. We knew the tiara associated with a multiple pregnancy and wanted to proceed as such. It was incredibly hard/frustrating to finally get the doctor to agree to implant both. Apparently implanting two embryos was going against his protocol - but he had mentioned we could implant multiple in our original consultation.
Dr. Jim Thompson was great with my husband and myself. He was able to quickly and accurately diagnose our infertility situation, as my OB/GYN was not able to accurately diagnose me. Within just a few weeks of a correct diagnosis, I underwent surgery to remove both of my Fallopian tubes due to a blockage and hydrosalpinx. He handled our case with care and concern and delicately advised us of what kind of treatment we would require in order to have a child of our own, which turned out to be IVF.
The nursing staff and IVF care coordinator were amazing! They always addressed me by name and always seemed to remember our exact issues without having to look up our file. Our IVF coordinator took the time to fully explain everything that entailed with IVF and made sure we understood.... Overall, this clinic [Ctr for Repro Med New Mexico] is great! The doctor is very educated in his field and has been a Reproductive Endocrinologist for almost 40 years. I was told that Dr. Thompson was so good at what he did, that he could get a rock pregnant. Now that's good!
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson always cared for us as individuals rather than just another number to mark off at the end of the day. He explained things in such a way that we could understand and always made sure we understood everything before the end of our appointments.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson won't tell you or suggest any kind of treatment that he does not think will not work for you. He is always upfront and honest, but advises his patients in a way that will not get your hopes up about anything.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Jim Thompson was great with my husband and myself. He was able to quickly and accurately diagnose our infertility situation, as my OB/GYN was not able to accurately diagnose me. Within just a few weeks of a correct diagnosis, I underwent surgery to remove both of my Fallopian tubes due to a blockage and hydrosalpinx. He handled our case with care and concern and delicately advised us of what kind of treatment we would require in order to have a child of our own, which turned out to be IVF. His staff made a few calls to us to check on us periodically while we have been trying to save money for IVF. I would definitely recommend Dr. Thompson to anyone who is in need of extensive fertility care.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
Upon reviewing the footage from a procedure I had at another facility, he was able to quickly and accurately pinpoint the issues I was having and was able to create a treatment plan that would best work for us.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Sheila)
The nursing staff and IVF care coordinator were amazing! They always addressed me by name and always seemed to remember our exact issues without having to look up our file. Our IVF coordinator took the time to fully explain everything that entailed with IVF and made sure we understood.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Overall, this clinic is great! The doctor is very educated in his field and has been a Reproductive Endocrinologist for almost 40 years. I was told that Dr. Thompson was so good at what he did, that he could get a rock pregnant. Now that's good!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
All costs associated with treatment I received was covered by my insurance, therefore there were not any out of pocket costs.
He [Dr. Thompson] is not a very emotional doctor, and doesn't really get too much into the emotional side of things - which was great for us because I hate feeling patronized by my doctor, but he's probably not a good match for everyone. ... We went straight to IUI with ICSI because of my husband's male factor infertility. ... We went with two embryos because I was over 35. He left the decision of transferring 1 or 2 embryos up to us because of my age.
They [Center for Repro Med of N.M.] are well organized, and I really like the way they manage their scheduling. We rarely had to wait more than a few minutes for our appointments. They were great working with my insurer to get my drugs through their approved specialty pharmacy. ... Sabrina [nurse] was fantastic. She was warm and positive, and a great help especially helping us learn to do the progesterone injections.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He is not a very emotional doctor, and doesn't really get too much into the emotional side of things - which was great for us because I hate feeling patronized by my doctor, but he's probably not a good match for everyone. He was always very forthcoming answering my technical and medical questions. The IVF cycle was very well organized, and since it worked on our first round, I feel like he put together a good protocol for us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Do your homework in advance, and come in ready to discuss the process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He was very candid with us, especially about the medical aspects of the procedures we were going through. His bedside manner is a little rough, but we thought he was really honest with us. The nurses that work with him were all fantastic.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
We went straight to IUI with ICSI because of my husband's male factor infertility. I think this was the right call for us, since we would have just gone through expensive disappointment and ended up at the same place in the end.
We froze all of the embryos to be able to do genetic screening, and so that my body could recover from the retrieval before I became pregnant. Turned out again to be a good call, since I had a relatively easy pregnancy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Sabrina)
Sabrina was fantastic. She was warm and positive, and a great help especially helping us learn to do the progesterone injections.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
They are well organized, and I really like the way they manage their scheduling. We rarely had to wait more than a few minutes for our appointments. They were great working with my insurer to get my drugs through their approved specialty pharmacy.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
My insurance covered our IVF cycle, so I only paid a $30 copay per visit.
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
We went with two embryos because I was over 35. He left the decision of transferring 1 or 2 embryos up to us because of my age.
Therefore, he [Dr Jim Thompson] is a very traditional doctor, he won't take current research or patient research into account. Another example of that is when after our complete IVF failure he said he would do the same thing all over again. I always felt rushed in appointments with him. Off course he was listening to us but was all the time mentioning he had to see the next patient instead. He seemed a calm person though, he never raised his voice. He wasn't optimistic about our case. He was ALWAYS bringing donor sperm into the table even after we said we would not like to proceed with that route. I liked he was around in th
[At The Fertility Center of New Mexico] IVF with ICSI and monitoring/blood tests included was U$ 17,000.00 Medications were not included. PGS was separate as well. The baseline cost for PGS was U$ 2,500. There was a fee if you had more than 8 embryos to be tested. The first appointments were submitted through insurance. These were appointments before we confirmed we were doing IVF with them. Average, I think it was U$ 300 for each when not including ultrasounds before insurance covered it (they charge the first ultrasound). Semen analysis are also out of pocket as well. We payed U$ 100.00 for one analysis. They were nice to make us a deal for sperm freezing. We paye
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson is a traditional doctor; he follows the book. Meaning that he won't take into account patient recommendations and concerns. For example, we found out a couple of days prior to starting stims with him that the IVF protocol used can play a big role on the quality of the eggs. We scheduled an appointment just to share our concern with that since the protocol he recommended was very high dose for me. He basically said it has been 20 years he has done this practice and he didn't believe the facts we were sharing with him were true and relevant. He was staring at us like we were crazy people. Therefore, he is a very traditional doctor, he won't take current research or patient research into account. Another example of that is when after our complete IVF failure he said he would do the same thing all over again. I always felt rushed in appointments with him. Off course he was listening to us but was all the time mentioning he had to see the next patient instead. He seemed a calm person though, he never raised his voice. He wasn't optimistic about our case. He was ALWAYS bringing donor sperm into the table even after we said we would not like to proceed with that route. I liked he was around in the clinic most of the times. Like for example, during the monitoring, he was there one day to take notes when the nurse coordinator was measuring the follicules. But I think that's an exception since the nurse staff are not there during weekends.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Since I didn't have a good experience regarding the IVF protocol used for me, I'd recommend a prospective patient to ask ahead of time (the first appointment with him) which protocol is going to be used and why. They don't give details like that unless you ask. I would also not decide to go ahead with an IVF here just for convenience of avoiding to travel outside of state. Look for the best options for you and your case. Don't feel like your doctor is the boss because that's exactly the feeling I got from Dr. Thompson.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
I felt that all the times we had appointments with the Dr. he was very eager to see the next patient while still answering our questions. That made us feel like a number. I felt he was bothered with us when we asked important details about the treatment.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
Because I have one ovary, Dr. Thompson's strategy was to overstimulate me which doesn't necessarily mean is a good and reasonable strategy. There are papers out there that prove the opposite. Since he is a very traditional doctor, in his words, he put me on a protocol he puts everyone else on. He doesn't tailor protocols according to the patient history. Before stimming, I was put on birth control for 40 days (another problem). Once I stopped birth control and my baseline ultrasound was clear (no cysts) I started stims the next day. I was on 225 IU follistim and 150 IU menopur from day 1 for 9 days without adjusting my dosage (not lower not higher). On day 6 of stims he added ganirelix (250 mcg) and I took it for 3 days. I administered follistim in the mornings and menopur in the nights according to their instructions. Then, I triggered on the 9th day of stimming with HCG 10k units. They retrieved 10 eggs, 8 were mature, 4 fertilized, and one made it to blastocyst (day 6). Did PGS testing and a week later found out the embryo was aneuploid (extra chromosome). We decided not to transfer it. The protocol damaged my eggs since I am young (31 yo) and I was in a pretty healthy diet and supplements for 1 year before IVF.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Coordinator: Sheila, nurse: Trish)
The nurse coordinator there gets a little irritated if you call her back again with the same questions. It's a difficult time and it's ok to ask same questions again even when you have forgotten you already asked them. Overall the nurse coordinator is organized and polite. She answered all our questions when possible in the first appointment. After that, I saw my nurse for the monitoring. Trish was lovely, compassionate. She would answer all my questions making sure I understood the answers and she would return my calls the same day. Very patient in explaining the injections. She is adorable. I am not sure about the other nurses though. She was the one throughout my monitoring during the week. On weekends, the nurse coordinator does the monitoring.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Strengths: it's very convenient the clinic is inside a hospital. That makes me feel safe somehow even though they have their separate clinic. The blood tests can be done in the hospital, so it's very convenient as well. Dr. Reed, the head embryologist, is very knowledgeable and he is very caring and explains all details if you ask. If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have given a chance to try IVF in this clinic. He said to Dr. Thompson he would take our case given our severity.
Weaknesses: They don't provide a detailed written fertilization report because they simply don't take notes of each day when the embryo/cells are developing. The only thing they have it's a computer sheet they fill out for each day stating if the cells cleaved or not, with some acronyms about the embryo stage and quality. I was very disappointed with the other embryologist. We wanted to talk with him after our complete failed IVF and I never saw a person shake like him (nervous I guess) when he was trying to explain the fertilization "report". He basically didn't remember how our fertilization developed (later in the conversation we found out it was because they don't take notes) and he was giving us a lecture on embryology instead and not giving specific answers for our case. He blamed my eggs and my husband sperm. Little he knows the protocol plays a big role.
From all this experience, I feel Dr. Thompson and the embryology lab live in different worlds in this clinic. Dr. Thompson says in the follow up he would do the same protocol on me because I responded well and my eggs were great. In the same follow up, the embryologist without the presence of Dr. Thompson says my eggs were crappy and Dr. Thompson would change my protocol to improve things. They don't communicate or have a strategy that they are on the same page and the same happened with other things throughout the process.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
They scheduled us for a specific time but since they were always running late we would be assisted around 1-2 hours window from our scheduled time. This was very inconvenient since we needed to go back to work but we didn't know the exact time we would be done. In the late stages though it was faster because not everyone was responding the same so there were few people.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
IVF with ICSI and monitoring/blood tests included was U$ 17,000.00 Medications were not included. PGS was separate as well. The baseline cost for PGS was U$ 2,500. There was a fee if you had more than 8 embryos to be tested. The first appointments were submitted through insurance. These were appointments before we confirmed we were doing IVF with them. Average, I think it was U$ 300 for each when not including ultrasounds before insurance covered it (they charge the first ultrasound). Semen analysis are also out of pocket as well. We payed U$ 100.00 for one analysis. They were nice to make us a deal for sperm freezing. We payed U$ 1,000.00 for many vials of frozen sperm. I believe for one vial it's around U$ 300.00.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Bottom line I wouldn't go to this clinic if your case is severe or if your IVF failed with them. They get woman pregnant I guess in simple cases, or when the woman eggs do not react badly to the medication if she is young. But if you have diminished ovarian reserve or PCOS, these standard protocols might not work for you. You would need an open minded, non-traditional doctor.
Also, after a 100 % failed IVF it doesn't make sense to try the same thing that didn't work.
I have peace of mind because at least my husband and I finally did something after 8 years. But I won't let convenience of doing IVF close to home to interfere with our decisions in this journey anymore.
I had been trying to get pregnant for 5+ years when we finally saw DR. Thompson. He did a complete workup including ultra sounds and otherimaging. He found a fallopiantube that was blown out that my gyno had missed. He was also able to diagnose me with fibroids, cysts and polyps and also unexplained fertility. He performed surgery on me and "cleaned" me up and we went straight for IVF due to mine and husbands age.
The only issue I had with office [Center for Reproductive Med of NM] was the front desk, seemed to be a high turnover and one girl was so rude but luckily rest of staff made up for the one bad apple.... One time I was scheduled for a procedure on a day that Thompson was out, his partner at the time insisted that i get this other procedure done instead, complete waste of time and money as I still had to do the original intended procedure.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Sometimes he seemed to be in a hurry so sometimes felt rushed. He did explain things but sometimes I would need more info from nurse. He did seem to genuinely care about us and recalled conversations we had prior which impressed me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
I had an issue with front office staff but dint let that deter you, he is a great dr who us patient and kind
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He took the time to get to know me and my family. He remembered conversations and seemed to genuinely care about us.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
I had been trying to get pregnant for 5+ years when we finally saw DR. Thompson. He did a complete workup including ultra sounds and otherimaging. He found a fallopiantube that was blown out that my gyno had missed. He was also able to diagnose me with fibroids, cysts and polyps and also unexplained fertility. He performed surgery on me and "cleaned" me up and we went straight for IVF due to mine and husbands age.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Loved all his nurses!!!
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The only issue I had with office was the front desk, seemed to be a high turnover and one girl was so rude but luckily rest of staff made up for the one bad apple. I know he has new staff so hopefully that is corrected by now
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I had great insurance at the time and had to pay approx 5k out if pocket
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I had 2 eggs transferred due to my age and bad egg quality. We agreed with this
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
One time I was scheduled for a procedure on a day that Thompson was out, his partner at the time insisted that i get this other procedure done instead, complete waste of time and money as I still had to do the original intended procedure.
He [Dr. Thompson] was very warm and caring. He made jokes with me. He asked how I was feeling about different steps of the process. He tried to protect my feelings. ... When the first cycle didn’t go according to plan (lower egg counts and only one embryo to survive) I would have preferred to come up with a new plan that was more aggressive. ... We did IVF because my husband had a vasectomy 10+ years ago ...
I was nervous because at the time I did my treatment, they [Center for Reproductive Medicine of New Mexico] were the only clinic in the state, and I would have to travel and stay in Albuquerque to do treatments. We considered going out of state, but the experience was very good. It is not a glamorous clinic (like some I looked at seemed more like a spa!)but it was good, clean, cost efficient and the care was top notch! ...
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. T was very warm and kind. He often tried to make me feel as comfortable and optimistic as possible, which was great, except when things weren’t going well. I am more the “give it to me straight and I will process it even if it is bad news, but give me the whole truth” type and he tries to make things feel optimistic. We did IVF because my husband had a vasectomy 10+ years ago, but no issues from my side. When the first cycle didn’t go according to plan (lower egg counts and only one embryo to survive) I would have preferred to come up with a new plan that was more aggressive. The second cycle worked but had similar low numbers (fewer eggs and still only one embryo) but it was successful. So I guess in the end, he wasn’t wrong, but I just would have preferred a more aggressive approach after the first failure (for no apparent reason).
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Do your research ahead of time and bring up any studies or “new” ideas about IVF- there were several things I asked about that he said I could add because early studies indicated improved odds but he never mentioned or brought them up himself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He was very warm and caring. He made jokes with me. He asked how I was feeling about different steps of the process. He tried to protect my feelings.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
It’s been several years, but I think it was antagonist protocol. We started with a low dose because I was healthy, in my early 30s with no real indication of any fertility problems. We were pursuing IVF because my husband had a vasectomy and was not a candidate for reversal and we would need to do ICSI. However, I was a slow responder to the protocol and the first cycle resulted in low egg counts (7-9 retrieved, 5 fertilized and only one made it to day 5 for testing/freezing) and failed FET. He used a similar protocol with slight dose increase one the second round but we were seeing even lower response and almost had to cance the cycle (we thought we might only get 3 eggs, but ended up with 6-7 in the end. 4 fertilized and 1 made it to testing/freezing and resulted in a positive pregnancy test and live birth.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Shelia did paperwork. My nurse (I forgot her name) moved out of state after my first cycle before my second.)
The nurses were all excellent!! They were all very kind, compassionate and knowledgeable!! They really were great!
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I was nervous because at the time I did my treatment, they were the only clinic in the state, and I would have to travel and stay in Albuquerque to do treatments. We considered going out of state, but the experience was very good. It is not a glamorous clinic (like some I looked at seemed more like a spa!)but it was good, clean, cost efficient and the care was top notch!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
He offered a package but we had insurance coverage up to a set maximum, so we paid about half out of pocket and half covered by insurance.
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
We were adamant about not wanting to transfer multiple embryos unless absolutely necessary. He supported that fully.
[Dr. Jim Thompson] told me that he thought my chances were low several times which made me feel somewhat hopeless...is very knowledgeable in his work...saw him for a total of two visits (one diagnostic and one when I found out about my loss)...AFC and AMH were low but FSH was not high. Suggested IUI due to anticipated limited response to IVF stims.
[The Fertility Center of New Mexico] is well organized and staff are compassionate and competent. Was always in and out timely for appointments. Open on weekends for IUI and any urgent needs which was greatly appreciated. Did not have any significant issues with treatment...all of the nursing and nursing assistant and MSA staff are outstanding
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He told me that he thought my chances were low several times which made me feel somewhat hopeless. But I think he is very knowledgeable in his work. I saw him for a total of two visits (one diagnostic and one when I found out about my loss). I wish I had felt more supported by him when he told us about our pregnancy loss.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He can be blunt and to the point, but he knows what he’s doing.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
The support staff at this clinic is outstanding. They were always friendly and listened to our concerns. They were also especially kind and helpful when we had a pregnancy loss.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
AFC and AMH were low but FSH was not high. Suggested IUI due to anticipated limited response to IVF stims. Suggested medicated IUI to increase chances. Got pregnant twice over the course of 5 medicated IUIs (letrozole); lost first pregnancy at 12 weeks but second pregnancy resulted in live birth.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Emily)
Grace the NP and all of the nursing and nursing assistant and MSA staff are outstanding. I always felt heard and I felt they really cared about me.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Clinic is well organized and staff are compassionate and competent. Was always in and out timely for appointments. Open on weekends for IUI and any urgent needs which was greatly appreciated. Did not have any significant issues with treatment. They helped us start our family when we thought it might not be possible!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Reasonable out of pocket costs
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Dr Thompson really shows that he cares by the time he takes in the evaluation visit. He will talk with you about the whole process for as long as you would like. He makes sure you understand everything...[he] spent a lot of money on the research to only do a single transfer. He provides a lot of education to why it’s safer to transfer just one embryo...He makes you feel very comfortable during a hard time in your life.
The [ Fertility Center of NM] staff is amazing. They are very quick and organized. They are friendly. They don’t have a lot of turn over so you see the same people all the time...The clinic is very organized and runs smoothly. I’ve never had any issues with insurance or billing. They have a person for everything. If you have questions about your insurance the. They have someone to take care of it for you.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr Thompson really shows that he cares by the time he takes in the evaluation visit. He will talk with you about the whole process for as long as you would like. He makes sure you understand everything.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
If you want to know all the logistics of the embryo and all that make sure to ask. Dr Thompson doesn’t focus on that stuff but he will tell you if you ask.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Jim Thompson is very personable. He talks to you as if he is your friend or family member. He makes you feel very comfortable during a hard time in your life.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
For the egg retrieval I remember taking gonal and Lupron. For the transfer I took birth control pills then Lupron, estrogen patches and progesterone oil injections.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Emily. Grace. )
The staff is amazing. They are very quick and organized. They are friendly. They don’t have a lot of turn over so you see the same people all the time.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The clinic is very organized and runs smoothly. I’ve never had any issues with insurance or billing. They have a person for everything. If you have questions about your insurance the. They have someone to take care of it for you.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Transfer itself was around $3500.
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Dr Thompson spent a lot of money on the research to only do a single transfer. He provides a lot of education to why it’s safer to transfer just one embryo.
Though I only had a few interactions with Dr. Thompson, they were pleasant and helpful. He took time to answer questions and fully explained any and all procedures before starting. ... The clinic [The Fertility Center of New Mexico] strongly prefers a single embryo transfer ... He also made sure his staff were following policy to ensure safety and transparency.
I work in the healthcare industry and this office [The Fertility Center of New Mexico] has some of the most amazing nurses. They provide you with very detailed information and are constantly checking to make sure you are comfortable. The nurses handle the IUIs and are extremely knowledgeable in the fertility world. ... Although the staff had to read my chart each time they came in contact with me to remember who I was, they always remembered things we discussed the time before or showed interest in my life outside of the clinic.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Though I only had a few interactions with Dr. Thompson, they were pleasant and helpful. He took time to answer questions and fully explained any and all procedures before starting. He also made sure his staff were following policy to ensure safety and transparency.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
If you can’t get in to see Dr. Thompson, ask for a visit with his CNP Grace. She is amazing and touched base with Dr. Thompson every step of the way.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Although the staff had to read my chart each time they came in contact with me to remember who I was, they always remembered things we discussed the time before or showed interest in my life outside of the clinic.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I work in the healthcare industry and this office has some of the most amazing nurses. They provide you with very detailed information and are constantly checking to make sure you are comfortable. The nurses handle the IUIs and are extremely knowledgeable in the fertility world.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Overall, the clinic is comfortable. The waiting room is small and you spend most of the time trying to avoid eye contact. Once you are pulled back you are placed in a room that is clean and comfortable. Everyone is open to any questions and wants you to feel welcome. The clinic is busy so you do need to speak up if you have questions but they will give you the time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I was very fortunate to have insurance that negotiated prices. Each IUI was expected to be about $900 but ended up being about $470.
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The clinic strongly prefers a single embryo transfer
I was put on Clomid [by Dr. Jim Thompson] because I wasn't ovulating. I had hysterosalpingogram to evaluate tubes and was diagnosed with a blockage due to endometriosis. A laparoscopy was performed and lesions removed. Lupron for suppression of the endometriosis and to give me a clean slate so to speak. Now I'm trying iui for a few cycles before making the leap and beginning to save for ivf...He has an exceptional bed side manner, doesn't get annoyed when you ask a million questions, and doesn't make you feel rushed. The time you spend with him feels valuable because you have his full attention and feel like he genuinely wants to make this happen for you.
First visit [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of New Mexico] is roughly $250 for exam and ultrasound. Iui is around $500 per cycle...No long waits, no difficulty getting answers, and a genuine desire to help you. The whole staff is there for you and treat you with so much compassion. They anticipate your needs and questions and make sure you feel informed and excited for success...From the start the staff and doctor made extra efforts to know us personally. They remember details about us and not just facts on a chart.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He has an exceptional bed side manner, doesn't get annoyed when you ask a million questions, and doesn't make you feel rushed. The time you spend with him feels valuable because you have his full attention and feel like he genuinely wants to make this happen for you.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
If you've been thinking about it and putting it off, just do it! You'll regret wasting all that time when you see how positive and uplifting he and his staff are.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
From the start the staff and doctor made extra efforts to know us personally. They remember details about us and not just facts on a chart.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
I was put on Clomid because I wasn't ovulating. I had hysterosalpingogram to evaluate tubes and was diagnosed with a blockage due to endometriosis. A laparoscopy was performed and lesions removed. Lupron for suppression of the endometriosis and to give me a clean slate so to speak. Now I'm trying iui for a few cycles before making the leap and beginning to save for ivf
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
They were helpful, knowledgeable, and really upbeat.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
No long waits, no difficulty getting answers, and a genuine desire to help you. The whole staff is there for you and treat you with so much compassion. They anticipate your needs and questions and make sure you feel informed and excited for success.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
First visit is roughly $250 for exam and ultrasound. Iui is around $500 per cycle
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
I'm not at these steps yet but the doctor is very thorough.
He [Dr. Jim Thompson] was very real with us and provided us with all of the information we requested...he was always happy to answer questions. We never left feeling as though we didn’t understand what was going on. The only thing I would change is that he did give pushback in the beginning due to us being a younger couple, it was more so asking if we were really prepared and I felt that to be a bit off putting. I think it was more of a parental type discussion than a doctor patient discussion. But despite that we loved his bedside manner and great sense of humor.
They [nurses at The Fertility Center of New Mexico] were all very positive and kind...The one thing I didn’t like is the location. It is in the hospital in a rather inconvenient location. It definitely looks older inside but this doesn’t bother me because I know they have great success rates and I wasn’t uncomfortable in there...We did a frozen embryo transfer with genetic testing. We didn’t get the choice to transfer more than one because we only had one genetically normal embryo. The transfer went smoothly minus the very full bladder. This resulted in a full term healthy pregnancy.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He provided us clear answers for any questions we had and he was always happy to answer questions. We never left feeling as though we didn’t understand what was going on. The only thing I would change is that he did give pushback in the beginning due to us being a younger couple, it was more so asking if we were really prepared and I felt that to be a bit off putting. I think it was more of a parental type discussion than a doctor patient discussion. But despite that we loved his bedside manner and great sense of humor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
With any fertility doctor or procedures, ask questions and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He was very real with us and provided us with all of the information we requested
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
We did a frozen embryo transfer with genetic testing. We didn’t get the choice to transfer more than one because we only had one genetically normal embryo. The transfer went smoothly minus the very full bladder. This resulted in a full term healthy pregnancy.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
They were all very positive and kind.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The one thing I didn’t like is the location. It is in the hospital in a rather inconvenient location. It definitely looks older inside but this doesn’t bother me because I know they have great success rates and I wasn’t uncomfortable in there.
He [Dr. Jim Thompson] was knowledgable and kind. Not the warmest person at first but neither am I or anyone in my family so I don't mind that. I always felt he was present, overheard him recording his notes about our first visit and they were extensive so I think he was giving me full attention....see him as a professional, not a warm and fuzzy comforter
Trisha and Julia [nurses at Center for Reproductive Med of NM] were both totally professional, compassionate, and highly skilled. I also worked with Grace who is really new and seems hesitant but with those two experts to mentor her she has a golden opportunity... There is one admin there whose customer service training needs work. She is very short and has canned answers and ends calls with 'ok' click. I work in service and expect everyone I work with to close calls with 'thank you' and an offer of additional assistance.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He was knowledgable and kind. Not the warmest person at first but neither am I or anyone in my family so I don't mind that. I always felt he was present, overheard him recording his notes about our first visit and they were extensive so I think he was giving me full attention.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
see him as a professional, not a warm and fuzzy comforter
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson and Trisha were wonderful. Trisha has a friendliness, warmth, and presence that's rare to find anywhere. Dr. Thompson (and Trisha) always took time to answer all my questions, even ones that were well outside his area of expertise.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of New Mexico. (Assigned nurse: Trisha and Julia were great! )
Trisha and Julia were both totally professional, compassionate, and highly skilled. I also worked with Grace who is really new and seems hesitant but with those two experts to mentor her she has a golden opportunity.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
There is one admin there whose customer service training needs work. She is very short and has canned answers and ends calls with 'ok' click. I work in service and expect everyone I work with to close calls with 'thank you' and an offer of additional assistance.
Thompson shows his hopes and disappointments. I wish the treatment was more personalized but he sees me.... Dr Thompson was blunt but compassionate.... Thompson starts with a standard protocol for your diagnosis and adjusts while monitoring. Over the 4 years I’ve been with him he has made adjustments as studies have indicated to.... My first transfer was a success so we were all overconfident for the 2nd and 3rd. We’re back to plan for the worst hope for the best this 4th and last transfer.
The clinic [Ctr for Repro Med of NM] is private (location wise) and that’s a strength in my view. I wish they were better at suggesting therapy and support group. It’s also easy to forget that new patients are walking in scared and with no knowledge. They could slow down and make sure not to skip information.... All members of the nursing staff have been kind and helpful.... IVF is about $14,000 to the clinic. This does not include meds, genetic testing, or acupuncture. FET is $3,400 not including meds.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr Thompson was blunt but compassionate. My first transfer was a success so we were all overconfident for the 2nd and 3rd. We’re back to plan for the worst hope for the best this 4th and last transfer.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Ask all your questions and understand this is routine for him. Sometimes he forget to go slow.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Thompson shows his hopes and disappointments. I wish the treatment was more personalized but he sees me.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
Thompson starts with a standard protocol for your diagnosis and adjusts while monitoring. Over the 4 years I’ve been with him he has made adjustments as studies have indicated to.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
All members of the nursing staff have been kind and helpful.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The clinic is private (location wise) and that’s a strength in my view. I wish they were better at suggesting therapy and support group.
It’s also easy to forget that new patients are walking in scared and with no knowledge. They could slow down and make sure not to skip information.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
IVF is about $14,000 to the clinic. This does not include meds, genetic testing, or acupuncture. FET is $3,400 not including meds.
Describe Jim Thompson's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
With me Dr Thompson has been cautious. He is more willing to do multiple embryos when you do not have other children.
Dr. Thompson was present and answered our questions. However, he is defensive and not the most compassionate. We left feeling really disappointed and not supported. He used our appointment as a opportunity to passive aggressively confront us about our concerns...Dr. Thompson is not compassionate and quite gruff. It is not optimal for folks to come if they expect to be treated with respect.
The strength is that the [The Fertility Center of New Mexico] administrative staff is professional and communicative. If you want personalized care, you will receive it here at a tradeoff. Dr. Thompson is not compassionate and quite gruff. It is not optimal for folks to come if they expect to be treated with respect...They failed to call us to let us know the results of testing. They also did not follow up with us to see if our IUI was successful.
How was your experience with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Dr. Thompson was present and answered our questions. However, he is defensive and not the most compassionate. We left feeling really disappointed and not supported. He used our appointment as a opportunity to passive aggressively confront us about our concerns.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Avoid him
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jim Thompson at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
He listened to our concerns and offered up his opinions.
Describe the protocols Jim Thompson used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of New Mexico and their degree of success.
Two failed IUI with zero follow through, they did not even ask us if we were successful
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
Competent
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
The strength is that the administrative staff is professional and communicative. If you want personalized care, you will receive it here at a tradeoff. Dr. Thompson is not compassionate and quite gruff. It is not optimal for folks to come if they expect to be treated with respect.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of New Mexico?
Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of New Mexico.
They failed to call us to let us know the results of testing. They also did not follow up with us to see if our IUI was successful.