[Dr. Jonathan Kim is] professional, down to earth, completely knowledgeable, trustworthy, and personable. I personally loved when he'd give statistics based on published studies but then also comment on although those were the studies findings...Switching up meds and tweaking types of meds, etc. I would say he's conservative with his approach but flexible at the same time...He doesn't rush. He ALWAYS asks if you have any questions for him and takes his time to answer and explain things thoroughly
[Aspire Houston Fertility Institute] Strengths: Dr. Kim is great! He has your best interest at heart and takes his time to work out a plan specific for you! Appointments are fast and efficient but without feeling rushed or like your a number. This is huge considering how many appointments you'll have as a fertility patient. Weaknesses: Ultra sound Appointments are only scheduled for the morning or the first half of the day so that they can process your bloodwork same day. This is usually fine, but can sometimes be hard when your a working mom.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I was recommended to Dr. Kim from a friend and so thankful for the recommendation! I typically ALWAYS request female doctors so I was reluctant at first but to my surprise, I never, ever, felt uncomfortable. He does such a good job with everything... He's professional, down to earth, completely knowledgeable, trustworthy, and personable.
I personally loved when he'd give statistics based on published studies but then also comment on although those were the studies findings - he personally has seen "xyz" so you can kind of set your expectations at a reasonable level knowing not everything is going to work out by the book.
My personal story took 6 or so cycles with Dr. Kim and he was very helpful the whole way through. Switching up meds and tweaking types of meds, etc.
I would say he's conservative with his approach but flexible at the same time. For instance - injectable meds were slightly risky for a patient like me with PCOS since, it could have huge implications of having multiples. We didn't try injections until my fifth cycle so he wanted to do all he could before we went that route, but was flexible enough to try it and work out a personal plan with me one what we would do in different scenarios. I think if I would have stated I wanted to be more aggressive in my approach he would have worked with me on that. But I'm pretty sure he saw I was trying to be money Conesus instead, and so we took a slower more conservative route. In the end, I am 9 weeks pregnant today. Still have a few milestones more to hit but overall, everything has been great!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I would say that he is super personable, and the more he get's to know you, the more he can work with you and what your looking for. Be yourself, ask questions, and be up front. He's such a great doctor, and I'm so glad I was able to work with him!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
1000% you feel like a human and not a number with Dr. Kim... which is actually amazing considering all the other patients you see fill the office. He takes his time. He doesn't rush. He ALWAYS asks if you have any questions for him and takes his time to answer and explain things thoroughly using science backed info from studies and/or theories but then also in a way you can understand. He is also very personable. I feel like I got to know him and his personality throughout my fertility journey. Very thankful for Dr. Kim!
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
I have PCOS, and no known other issues.
Cycle 1: Did an HSG followed by Letrozole Medication + Ovidrel (trigger shot) and IUI.
Rational was that I don't ovulate on my own so these meds basically help my eggs grow and trigger the healthy egg to release.
Cycle 2-4: We continued with Letrozole Medication + Ovidrel (trigger shot) and Monitored Intercourse. However we added Dexamethasone during one cycle and Menopur during another cycle. The rational was that the Letrozole was working as far as growing a mature egg and releasing it. I just wasn't getting pregnant so Dr. Kim added some meds at different times for better results.
Cycle 5: We decided to go with Gonal-F injections instead of the Letrozole (oral meds) since it was a more direct approach to making your eggs grow. At this point, we were trying to get 2 eggs to grow to make my odds better. Dr. Kim was nervous about making too many eggs grow so we played it ultra conservative in terms of dosages so that we wouldn't end up we 3+ mature eggs. This cycle was more intense and took a lot longer than other cycles due to the low dosages and being more closely monitored. In the end, we only had 1 egg grow to a mature state so did an Ovidrel (trigger shot) + monitored intercourse.
Cycle 6: We went the injection route again but switched up the medication type. We used Follistim this time and started at higher doses off the bat. We got 2 eggs to fully mature so at this point, we decided on a trigger shot + IUI to give ourselves the best chance. I KNEW I was pregnant a week later as my body was having all sorts of different feels! Went in for a blood test 2 weeks after the IUI and I was pregnant!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The nursing staff were great! Was always greeted with a smile and they were always willing to help answer all questions! The have a really repetitive job where they are probably giving a lot of the same directions to so many patients, so I really appreciate that they were always professional and always willing to work with you and answer questions. They also have the tough job of being the ones to deliver the results of your blood work. They always used compassion when giving the news of pregnant or not pregnant.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Strengths: Dr. Kim is great! He has your best interest at heart and takes his time to work out a plan specific for you! Appointments are fast and efficient but without feeling rushed or like your a number. This is huge considering how many appointments you'll have as a fertility patient.
Weaknesses: Ultra sound Appointments are only scheduled for the morning or the first half of the day so that they can process your bloodwork same day. This is usually fine, but can sometimes be hard when your a working mom.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Pretty average considering my insurance didn't cover treatments.
Cost of HSG at their facility was higher than normal but you could have gone elsewhere for it if you wanted.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The nurses have always been GREAT at always calling with results and next steps once your bloodwork is processed. I think they were going through some internal changes and onboarding some new nurses at the time, but there were a few back to back appointments that I didn't receive a call, and I was expected to just go online and look at my information and next steps. It wasn't that big of a deal but I did miss an appointment that I didn't know was scheduled for me since I didn't receive a call. Again, this was minor in comparison to how much they've done for me!
Dr. Kim is patient and is willing to answer all of my questions following my independent reading of published studies. I like to understand everything about my IVF plan and how to avoid unexpected impacts...We started with loestrin bc at day three of my cycle and continued for three weeks to stall ovulation while my insurance was pre-authorized. Then we started daily injections with ultrasound and bloodwork every other day to measure eggs, estradiol and FSH...retrieved 26 eggs of which twelve were mature eggs
The office [of Houston Fertility Institute] is organized, clean and well structured. I do recommend following your treatment closely and asking questions when they come up...Ten eggs were fertilized via ICSI with a fresh sperm sample from TESA procedure the same morning. Five embryos made it to blastocyst stage... Utilize the ability to message your nurses with questions and concerns.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr Kim is patient and is willing to answer all of my questions following my independent reading of published studies. I like to understand everything about my IVF plan and how to avoid unexpected impacts.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Ask as many questions as you can.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr Kim is a wonderful doctor. He is kind, knowledgeable, and his staff is top notch.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
We started with loestrin bc at day three of my cycle and continued for three weeks to stall ovulation while my insurance was pre-authorized. Then we started daily injections with ultrasound and bloodwork every other day to measure eggs, estradiol and FSH. The injections, blood work and injections lasted for nine days. The first four days of Injections were 200 gonal-f and two vials of menopur. Day five through nine of injections were 175 gonal-f, two vials of menopur, and cetrotide. Day ten was leuprolide 80 units trigger shot at 9:15pm and day eleven was leuprolide 80 units trigger shot at 9:00am. Day twelve was egg retrieval at 8:30 am. The stand-in doc retrieved 26 eggs of which twelve were mature eggs. Ten eggs were fertilized via ICSI with a fresh sperm sample from TESA procedure the same morning. Five embryos made it to blastocyst stage. Three embryos made it through cryopreservation. PGS genetic testing was completed and all three embryos were aneuploidy. Dr. Kim explained that aneuploidy embryos are usually isolated and does not expect the same result on another cycle. He plans to prescribe increased menopur and decreased gonal-f dosage in conjunction with HCG for the next cycle starting five weeks following the egg retrieval resulting in No embryos for transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic). (Assigned nurse: Rebecca)
I can’t say enough about how great the nursing staff is at Dr. Kims office.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The office is organized, clean and well structured. I do recommend following your treatment closely and asking questions when they come up. Utilize the ability to message your nurses with questions and concerns.
Describe Jonathan Kim's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
There were no embryos to transfer following review of embryo PFS genetic testing results.
He [Dr. Johnathan Kim] was friendly and communication was clear and concise. He knew when I was nervous about certain procedures and he helped calm my nervousness about it more than once. He spoke with compassion and always professional. At times he did forget specific details about my case by I expected this due1 to the volume of patient at the clinic.
The [Aspire Houston Fertility Institute] nursing staff was not particularly friendly. But they were organized and straightforward. I didn't feel compassion from them either. It seems like they were strictly doing their jobs and didn't have a minute to spare for small talk...Aspire HFI overcharged me multiple times for services they provided during my first round of IVF treatment. After their mistakes were found they made the process of giving me my money back very complicated.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
He was friendly and communication was clear and concise. He knew when I was nervous about certain procedures and he helped calm my nervousness about it more than once. He spoke with compassion and always professional. At times he did forget specific details about my case by I expected this due1 to the volume of patient at the clinic.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I would advice them to consult with another fertility clinic before making a decision. Although Dr. Kim was descent I have experienced even better patient care at another fertility clinic. I've gathered more understanding and detailed information about my situation than Dr. Kim provided.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I did not feel like the protocol matched my health situation. I was kept on birth control for a long period of time in order to fit into his schedule not because it was the best choice for me as his patient.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
I was on birth control for over 2 months with no cycle in between. Then, I was on menopur, gonal, and cetrotide for the egg retrieval process. The gonal dosage started at 225 then went up to 250. The results were 9 eggs retrieved, 2 of them mature enough to fertilized and only 1 made it to 5 day embryo.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The nursing staff was not particularly friendly. But they were organized and straightforward. I didn't feel compassion from them either. It seems like they were strictly doing their jobs and didn't have a minute to spare for small talk.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Aspire HFI overcharged me multiple times for services they provided during my first round of IVF treatment. After their mistakes were found they made the process of giving me my money back very complicated. They've been sitting on $4,500.00 that does not belong to them for 4 months and they plan on keeping my money for an additional 21 days at the least. They wanted to keep it longer than that but I have been fighting to get my money back from them. I've experienced other IVF clinics since going to Aspire HFI. There are other clinics that will break down the cost of their services in better detail than Aspire will. During my entire experience with Aspire it felt like their goal was to overcharge me. I should have scheduled multiple consultations with other clinics rather than settling on the first one I found. Please don't be so eager to accomplish your goal that you allow Aspire HFI to take advantage of you financially. I speak from experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I was charged $8500 lump sum payment for IVF treatment and embryo genetic testing. Then I was told that the facility that my procedures would be provided in was out-network and I paid an additional $2000 for that. I was also charged $150 any time I had a visit. If it was just bloodwork during the visit I was charged $150. If it was ultrasound I was charged $150. This $150 I was charged was on top of my deductible and coinsurance while my insurance covered the labs and ultrasounds at %100. I was also charged $2000 selfpay price for embryo biopsy when the service was actually covered under my fertility benefits with my insurance carrier.
[Dr. Johnathan Kim] was personally at all my monitoring appointments. He handled the intensity(and yes crazieness) that I brought to my appointments due to fear and hormones being out of wack with so much grace and care. He personally was at my transfer. He said he wanted to do it himself...I truly felt like the success of my ivf cycle was just as important to him as it was to me. I felt like me and my baby and even my future family was and will be safe under his care
The [Aspire Houston Fertility Institute] clinic has lots of drs and resources to pull from. If you don't have a good Dr however, I feel like it would be easy to feel like a number at this clinic b/c there's so many drs, locations, and nurses...The nursing staff is what I liked the least about this clinic. One nurse gave me the wrong procedure and I ordered the wrong meds b/c of it.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I think Dr was was next to a perfect Dr. He took such good care of me and eventually my baby every appointment. I always felt heard, listened to, taken care of and he explained everything to me so I knew what was going on. I felt like I could really trust my Dr and let go a little through the process of ivf. The only thing I did not like, is that he did not prime my ovaries before starting stims. I have a low amh and I always wonder if we could of gotten more embryos if we would of done priming before starting stims. I will still go back to Dr kim b/c the rest of my care was phenomenal. But I will talk to him about priming on the next round.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Trust him. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you have a low amh, ask for a good priming protocol
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
A different Dr wanted me to pay for multiple rounds of ivf and all these extra add ons right from the start. I met with Dr kim for a second opinion. He wanted me to try 1 round before paying for more. He also didn't see the importance of me adding on all these other add ons because he didn't believe they would help me conceive based on my diagnosis.
Then he was personally at all my monitoring appointments. He handled the intensity(and yes crazieness) that I brought to my appointments due to fear and hormones being out of wack with so much grace and care. He personally was at my transfer. He said he wanted to do it himself. He even wore his lucky pineapple socks that were like mine. After I conceived, he tested my hormones multiple times and adjusted my meds as needed. When I had an SCH he let me come into the clinic for a reassurance scan anytime I had a bleed and was scared. I truly felt like the success of my ivf cycle was just as important to him as it was to me. I felt like me and my baby and even my future family was and will be safe under his care
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
I spent more than anyone I know on meds. Im so glad I did b/c I was a poor responder. But we never had to up my meds b/c he already knew that and gave me a protocol that was right for me from the get go.
Stims I did:
350 iu of gonal f
3 vials of menopur
2 trigger shots
Transfer:
Vaginal progesterone until pregnant then pio
Estrace pill
Estrogen patches
Constant monitoring and tweaking of progesterone once pregnant.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The nursing staff is what I liked the least about this clinic. One nurse gave me the wrong procedure and I ordered the wrong meds b/c of it. Dr kim overheard her telling me my protocol and he walked out of his office to correct her and tell her she was wrong and to look over what he sent her about my protocol again. She did and realized she was wrong. Thankfully he was paying attention!
I did not get a day 6 update for my last embryo and assumed it died. Cried the whole day then I had to call the next day to confirm. They told me that I did have a day 6 embryo that made it, they just didn't call or write it in my portal. That was a hard day that was unnecessary. If they would of called me on time, I wouldn't of cried that whole day.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The clinic has lots of drs and resources to pull from. If you don't have a good Dr however, I feel like it would be easy to feel like a number at this clinic b/c there's so many drs, locations, and nurses.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
$13,500 for 1 round of IVF
$7,700 IN MEDS
Describe Jonathan Kim's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
He chose single b/c of my age and likihood of success.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Lost results
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I mentioned it in the part about the nurses. It is all there
He [Dr. Jonathan Kim] is the best at what he does. He is informative and educated. He and his wife have been through these medical procedures as well so he had first hand experience with every detail of infertility. He supports and encourages through the entire process.
The nursing staff of Dr Kim [at Houston Fertility Institute] is very completely supportive and compassionate. I cannot say enough good things about all of them...they have a reassurance program that cuts the cost if the first transfer doesn’t hold. I have not seen this at any other clinic.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was very supportive and wonderful. We managed to get pregnant but the embryo quite growing at 7 weeks. Dr Kim was right there with us each step of the way. I cannot say enough great things about him. We will be staying with Dr Kim for the next round of IVF.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
He is the best at what he does. He is informative and educated. He and his wife have been through these medical procedures as well so he had first hand experience with every detail of infertility. He supports and encourages through the entire process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim is an amazing doctor. He cares about his patients. Even though my outcome was not what we wanted we know he is there to help in the future.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
There is a lot of drugs we used in egg retrieval but I cannot remember the dosages. After the egg retrieval we used estrogen and progesterone shots everyday for 8 weeks, up until I miscarried.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The nursing staff of Dr Kim is very completely supportive and compassionate. I cannot say enough good things about all of them. I have been with 3-4 of the same nurses through this whole journey. They are all great people.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The support team is great. The lab techs are wonderful. The nurses are amazing. The only downfall I can think of is originally speaking with the person in charge of payment. Just seemed a bit cold. It’s not really a fault of anyone though. There is a lot of emotions that go on when thinking about infertility and all of the interactions are wonderful.... payment is never wonderful, especially when you’re thinking of the cost of these procedures. It’s overwhelming.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I believe it was $6000-7000 to begin the IVF treatment. Then $6000-7000 to do the procedures and dna tests. Then $5000-7000 for medication. Egg retrieval was around $5000 and before/after transfer ran over $1500. But with Dr Kim, they have a reassurance program that cuts the cost if the first transfer doesn’t hold. I have not seen this at any other clinic. The costs are cut in half. I believe the total will be around $7000 then the costs of medications.
Describe Jonathan Kim's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Dr. Kim has done a good job explaining treatment plans and answering all my questions...I've never felt uncomfortable in his care. He does split his time between the Katy and Sugarland clinics so I have not seen him at every appointment but this has not been an issue in my case. He was very compassionate when I experienced my chemical pregnancy...My first IUI utilized Clomid...The second IUI utilized Clomid (50 mg over 5 days) and Gonal injections (3 days of 75 iu).
Initially I was seeing Dr. Kim at the Katy clinic [of Houston Fertility Institute] but realized that the Sugarland clinic would be more convenient since it was closer to my work. Switching to a different office was no issue and my data transferred easily between offices. Downside to the clinic being so large is that when you do your insemination, you go to the main surgical center. This means that you are inseminated by a doctor you've never met before. This could be disconcerting for some patients.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim does a good job explaining procedures and the risks behind them. I've never felt uncomfortable in his care. He does split his time between the Katy and Sugarland clinics so I have not seen him at every appointment but this has not been an issue in my case. He was very compassionate when I experienced my chemical pregnancy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Feel free to ask lots of questions. Dr. Kim will answer to the best of his ability and you won't feel rushed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim has done a good job explaining treatment plans and answering all my questions.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
My first IUI utilized Clomid (100mg over 5 days). I only had one follicle develop and did not have a successful outcome utilizing donor sperm. Post IUI I took 1 progesterone suppository per day.
The second IUI utilized Clomid (50 mg over 5 days) and Gonal injections (3 days of 75 iu). This generated two mature follicles and a 3rd that also had a chance of developing in time for my IUI. I took 1 progesterone suppository per day until I had HCG testing on Day 13 post IUI when progesterone was increased to 2 suppositories per day. I experience a chemical pregnancy on this try.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The nursing staff is very cordial and responsive to questions. They seem organized and also follow up on my blood work with a call to explain the results and also send me a message via my patient portal. I find the two modes of communication helpful.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The nice thing about HFI is that they have a large network of practices around the Houston Area. Initially I was seeing Dr. Kim at the Katy clinic but realized that the Sugarland clinic would be more convenient since it was closer to my work. Switching to a different office was no issue and my data transferred easily between offices.
Downside to the clinic being so large is that when you do your insemination, you go to the main surgical center. This means that you are inseminated by a doctor you've never met before. This could be disconcerting for some patients.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Failed to order appropriate test
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
At the Katy Clinic the nurse failed to order a test required for Donor Sperm. There was ultimately no impact on my timeline with this test being uncompleted but could have delayed me in a cycle.
He [Dr. Jonathan Kim] personally called me when I called and asked the nurse a question. He told me no question was silly and if I have any concerns or questions to please call him...I do wish I saw him more at each appointment, but I was glad to be able to hear directly from him if we wanted after the appointment...he is really nice, honest, straightforward, smart, and will explain thing fairly detailed...I started bleeding after appointment later dr Kim called and said Hcg more then doubled progesterone had raised, but was still very low(3). He was now very concerned that it was ectopic. He had me come in a day or two later.
I think [Houston Fertility Institite is] clean, professional, accommodating and I believe they care. I trust the doctors and their knowledge to help families! I had one major issue with them in regards to insurance, the doctor and facility was covered, but the lab for the embryologist was not and that was a surprise bill of almost 8k. That was not told to me and unexpected. I wish they didn’t charge so much as many other places (not in Houston area) are more cost effective. With that being said I do believe they are good at what they do, helping families have children.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I liked that he didn’t shy away from the realistic outcomes (sch, heartbeat being low, miscarriage) he was honest and up front about about sch and that it could be normal but it did increase miscarriage chance slightly. I saw another doctor there for an ultrasound that we found the heartbeat to be lower then the last ultrasound and I felt he skirted the obvious concern until asked several times and still wasn’t completely open. When dr Kim called he said the chances at miscarriage at that point was 85% but that it could be from the trauma of the sch. Of course I hate hearing bad news but I would rather not be blindsided and have a realistic expectation. I do wish I saw him more at each appointment, but I was glad to be able to hear directly from him if we wanted after the appointment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
That he is really nice, honest, straightforward, smart, and will explain thing fairly detailed. You won’t see him every time since he is at different locations.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
He personally called me when I called and asked the nurse a question. He told me no question was silly and if I have any concerns or questions to please call him.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
We did blood work first as I came in for baseline at cycle day 3. I was put on birth control To do a Hysteroscopy. Before I started B/C I took a pregnancy test. It was slightly positive. (Which was weird since I had a pretty normal period) I looked at blood work from a few days prior and hcg was very low and “not pregnant” I called and told them, doctor called and said it was likely a chemical since progesterone was less then one, but he had me come kind roe blood work. Hcg did not double and progesterone was still very low, less then 1. He called and updated me again saying it would be ectopic again. He had me come in 4days later. I started bleeding after appointment later dr Kim called and said Hcg more then doubled progesterone had raised, but was still very low(3). He was now very concerned that it was ectopic. He had me come in a day or two later. I was having pain and had fluid in my abdomen at the ultrasound. He then scheduled a laparoscopy due to likely ectopic and rupture. He went in and took his time he saw no rupture, my remaining tube was fine, but did remove blood from abdomen, he followed that with a d&c so that he could confirm if the pregnancy was in the uterus or if I needed the methotrexate to keep tube safe. He had me in a couple days later and hcg did not drop like he had hoped after d&c so it was confirmed ectopic and was proscribed methotrexate. Becasue of yet another loss(3), second confirmed ectopic, and one tube he concluded that there was likely a tubal functionality issue (nothing physically wrong with remaining tube and it was not blocked he looked at the hsg I had done with OBGYN previously) we did the eggretrival first before the Hysteroscopy. We were on gonal f(150), menopur(75), centrotide, and luprolide(sp?) . He did change is up a bit towards the end increasing menopure and lowering gonal. He also added a day or two. I had to order more menopure and centrotide. We were seeing about 20-24 sizable follicles on ultrasound. Egg retrieval resulted in 15 eggs, 15 mature, 7 made it blast and 5 pgs tested normal embryos. Hysteroscopy found a few small Polups they were removed, but everything else looked good. We had to wait a bit financially before transfer. I was on estrodiol 2mg tablets orally 3 times a day. The lining was not progressing as much as he wanted so he switched me to vaginaly 3 times a day. Started 2ml pio injections. I got a positive hpt at 5dp5dt. Blood test was at 9dp hcg was more then doubling on schedule. First ultrasound confirmed it was in the uterus, I started bleeding red blood 6w4days they had me come in the next day. Heartbeat was 91(a little low) and we were measuring a couple day behind and he saw a hematoma twice the size of the gestational sack. He told us it could be normal as 20% of IVF patients get them. He said once we see a heartbeat miscarriage drops to 5%, but the miscarriage rate raises to 15%. He said we just need to keep an eye on it and he increased my progesterone to 3ml for three days.
He did let me know that I may pass a clot. At 7w3d I started bleeding red blood and a rather large clot. They had me come in the next day this is wen we saw a different doc and heartbeat dropped to 75 and size wise it was only 6w3days. We asked dr Kim to call us and he said they it was not a good sign that likelyhood at this point of miscarriage was 85% but that it could be a trauma from the hematoma maybe why it dropped. Two days later there was no heartbeat. I was given the choice of d&c or meds to start contractions. I chose the medicine in hopes of seeing the baby. I was warned of the “pain” side effects from meds vs d&c process.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic). (Assigned nurse: There were three I spoke to often and received messages from on the portal. (Joy, Patrica, Connie))
The only issues I had was:
1) I loved joy, although at times (More so on the phone) it was harder to understand.
2) I believe Patrica switched the dosage of my gonal f and menopure when putting the prescription in the portal, therefor the wrong dosage was ordered. I was assured it would be ok and that the would start with that and change it if they needed to. I did end up needing to order extra menopur and had extra gonal f, but I think the results from egg retrieval went well, although I don’t know what the other outcome would have been.
I think they are all great and really sweet and kind.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I think it’s clean, professional, accommodating and I believe they care. I trust the doctors and their knowledge to help families!
I had one major issue with them in regards to insurance, the doctor and facility was covered, but the lab for the embryologist was not and that was a surprise bill of almost 8k. That was not told to me and unexpected.
I wish they didn’t charge so much as many other places (not in Houston area) are more cost effective. With that being said I do believe they are good at what they do, helping families have children.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Cash price 6900 for physician,
Lab 3000
Facility 2800
Anesthesiologists 250
Meds 4000-7000
Additional FET
Doctor 1750
Lab 725
Facility 1400
Meds 300-1000
Describe Jonathan Kim's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I believe he mentioned and suggested 1 embryo and that one healthy baby, mother, pregnancy and birth was the goal. Although, I never had an doubt that I wanted to only transfer 1. Now I might consider using two, but unlikely.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I feel like I explained this before, but the dosage of my menopure and gonal f were switched when putting prescriptions in the portal to the wrong dosage was ordered. They assured me it would be ok and they would use that dosage and change it if they needed to. I did end up needing to order more menopure and had extra gonal at the end. But I believe the results of egg retrieval went well.
I believe one time when I needed to order extra menopur, they didn’t call before the end of the day Friday. I was able to get my beds in time, with a little extra stress.
With that being said they also called pharmacy extra times when pharmacy was being picky and complicated
Dr. Kim was there for a lot of my scans. He always knew my name when i walked in, he didn't need to look at my chart to remind himself. When I would cry in his office from a negative test, he would listen to me and let me know he cared. Dr. Kim would listen to my concerns and was ready to try new things when we had failures...if I wanted to discuss anything, he would give me his opinion on the topic and then let me ultimately decide what I wanted to do. He cared about me as a patient and truly wanted to see me get pregnant and have a baby. He definitely was not trying to push anything for money. He wanted to make sure we got the outcome we wanted (a baby) as fast as possible. He was honest and upfront about everything. He set realistic expectations, and had a positive demeanor.
The nurses [at Houston Fertility Institute] are absolutely amazing. I knew Rebecca and Vanessa the best. They had so much compassion when I was crying from negative results. They honestly cared about me and were extremely excited when I finally became pregnant. I cannot say enough wonderful things about these 2 women!!...IUI with cost of meds - $4000...I have no issues with the clinic. They work you into the schedule as best as they can. They are incredibly efficient in moving the patients into rooms and getting blood drawn. All of the staff works together very well and you can tell with how smooth things typically run. I usually didn't have to wait much longer than about 10-15 mins at most appointments.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim is a phenomenal doctor. He listened to all my concerns. We went over what the best treatment options were. If I wanted to discuss anything, he would give me his opinion on the topic and then let me ultimately decide what I wanted to do. He cared about me as a patient and truly wanted to see me get pregnant and have a baby. He definitely was not trying to push anything for money. He wanted to make sure we got the outcome we wanted (a baby) as fast as possible. He was honest and upfront about everything. He set realistic expectations, and had a positive demeanor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Do your own research. Get as educated as you can. Understanding the process yourself will help you so much with outcomes. Dr. Kim will work to get you the baby you long for, but you also should understand the process and have realistic expectations for your diagnosis.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was there for a lot of my scans. He always knew my name when i walked in, he didn't need to look at my chart to remind himself. When I would cry in his office from a negative test, he would listen to me and let me know he cared. Dr. Kim would listen to my concerns and was ready to try new things when we had failures.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
I have PCOS. My husband has no issues. I had used clomid for 4 cycles with my OB with no monitoring and no success. We met with Dr. Kim and he laid all our options out. First we did an HSG to make sure my tubes were open. My left tube showed a blockage, so we did a hysteroscopy and found polyps in my uterus, he cleaned them out and it opened up my left tube. He then recommended IUI with injections (since the pills didn't seem to help). I wasn't ready for that yet, so we did a cycle with Femara/Letrozole. Hardly any follicles grew. So we moved to IUI with injections as Dr. Kim had suggested. We got 2 mature follicles and did a double IUI (trigger shot, then IUI the next 2 days in a row). No success. Since no treatments were covered by our insurance, about 4 IUI cycles equal the cost of IVF. Dr. Kim said we could move in either direction. My husband and I decided to go forward with IVF as it has much better success rates and we didnt know how many IUIs it would take to work. We started with birth control to get my cycle regulated, then did injections for 11 days (stims for 11 days, cetrodide for 5 days to keep me from ovulating). We were doing an all freeze cycle, so my trigger shot was lupron (2 days of injections). 19 eggs retrieved, 11 mature follicles, 11 fertilized, and 9 made it to freeze (embryos). My husband and i decided to do PGS testing, even though Dr. Kim didnt think we needed it. Of the 9 blastocysts, 5 were gentically normal.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The nurses here are absolutely amazing. I knew Rebecca and Vanessa the best. They had so much compassion when I was crying from negative results. They honestly cared about me and were extremely excited when I finally became pregnant. I cannot say enough wonderful things about these 2 women!!
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I have no issues with the clinic. They work you into the schedule as best as they can. They are incredibly efficient in moving the patients into rooms and getting blood drawn. All of the staff works together very well and you can tell with how smooth things typically run. I usually didn't have to wait much longer than about 10-15 mins at most appointments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
IUI with cost of meds - $4000
IVF doctor/clinic/embryologist/ICSI cost $12900 -- meds $5000 --PGS $5500
Frozen Transfer Cycle cost with meds - $4000
Describe Jonathan Kim's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
For the first transfer, Dr. Kim would only do 1 embryo. it was the safest option and we agreed. No success. For the 2nd transfer, we did 2 embryos at Dr. Kim's recommendation. No success. For the 3rd transfer, we did a different FET protocol and transferred our last 2 genetically normal embryos, and it resulted in a singleton pregnancy.
Dr. Kim was excellent at educating without being condescending. As a single mother by choice, he laid out the steps we needed to take as far as testing before trying IUI. ... I appreciated Dr. Kim’s explanation on procedures and how he told me what to expect. He did my egg retrieval and embryo transfer as well as an SIS in office and everything went well. I especially liked how he told me what was going on during embryo transfer.
I was super impressed with the quality of care but that meant sometimes there would be a wait. They were fantastic about fitting me in earlier than my appointment time so I could tolerate any wait time. ... Janese took the time to explain things and answer questions. I had spotting at six weeks and she reassured me and gave me several possible causes.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I appreciated Dr. Kim’s explanation on procedures and how he told me what to expect. He did my egg retrieval and embryo transfer as well as an SIS in office and everything went well. I especially liked how he told me what was going on during embryo transfer.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I would absolutely advise them to go see him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was excellent at educating without being condescending. As a single mother by choice, he laid out the steps we needed to take as far as testing before trying IUI.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
With my IUIs, we started with Clomid and I showed no follicle growth so that cycle was cancelled and we tried injectables. My dose of Gonal F was fairly high. I responded well to Gonal F and triggered with Ovidrel all three times but did not conceive. After that and an extended break secondary to finances, I moved on to IVF with PGS. I was on Gonal-F and Menopur and added Cetrotide about five days in. After PGS, I had one normal embryo and I prepped for FET by using an estrogen patch I changed every three days and three estrogen pills and then progesterone in oil injections.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic). (Assigned nurse: Janese at The Woodlands clinic)
Janese took the time to explain things and answer questions. I had spotting at six weeks and she reassured me and gave me several possible causes.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I was super impressed with the quality of care but that meant sometimes there would be a wait. They were fantastic about fitting me in earlier than my appointment time so I could tolerate any wait time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
IVF was about $25K including meds. Each IUI was around $5K with meds except my first round without injections initially was lower; maybe $3K.
Dr. Kim was such an amazing doctor. We had gone through several years of infertility, a surgery, and 7 IUI’s prior to meeting with him. By the time we had our appointment with him I had little hope left at conceiving.... Dr. Kim found that I had a thryroid issue so I was put on thyroid medication before beginning my cycle.... Many times after becoming pregnant I would call feeling very anxious and he had me come in for an ultrasound just to calm my fears.
HFI was always very easy to work with. Doctors, nurses, and the finance department was very kind and organized. They always promptly returned calls, answered any questions, and were easy to work with and schedule appointments with.... Vanessa was always so kind and understanding. I called very often and she always calmed my nerves and was very knowledgeable.... Our total cost for IVF, freezing embryos, and the transfer was around $20,000.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was such an amazing doctor. We had gone through several years of infertility, a surgery, and 7 IUI’s prior to meeting with him. By the time we had our appointment with him I had little hope left at conceiving. When I met with him I instantly felt hope. He was so easy to talk to and explained everything in a way that we were able to understand. He was honest through the entire process and always took the time at every single appointment to sit down with us and discuss our treatment. He went above and beyond to ensure that everything went as planned. I honestly cannot say enough wonderful things about him. We now have a healthy little boy as a result
of IVF as his patient and we just took him to meet the dr that helped us conceive our little miracle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Put all of your other fertility experiences in the past and go into your appointment with an open mind. I am so thankful I did not give up before finding Dr. Kim
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was amazing. I was so incredibly nervous during the entire IVF process and he always took the time to listen to my concerns and fears. Many times after becoming pregnant I would call feeling very anxious and he had me come in for an ultrasound just to calm my fears.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
Dr. Kim found that I had a thryroid issue so I was put on thyroid medication before beginning my cycle. I also did injections and progesterone
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic). (Assigned nurse: Vanessa Jones/ Joy )
Vanessa was always so kind and understanding. I called very often and she always calmed my nerves and was very knowledgeable.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
HFI was always very easy to work with. Doctors, nurses, and the finance department was very kind and organized. They always promptly returned calls, answered any questions, and were easy to work with and schedule appointments with.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Our total cost for IVF, freezing embryos, and the transfer was around $20,000.
Describe Jonathan Kim's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I was appreciative that Dr. Kim knew what my body was able to handle in regards to medication and doing a frozen cycle.
I never had to take any pain medication afterwards. He [Dr. Jonathan Kim] was very careful to make sure that I did not experience ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) by changing to a lupron trigger shot. After the retrieval, I was concerned that I could be developing OHSS, so I called his office and he had me come in immediately. He examined my right away (I don't think I even finished signing in at the front) and found that I was doing okay and gave me some directions. I recovered quickly. Back to the eggs. 29 eggs were harvested, 19 fertilized, and 12 reached the 5 day blastocyst stage. We did genetic testing. 6 had normal chromosomes. We were very glad we did the genetic testing. The nonviable embryos would have likely resulted in miscarriages and disappointment. So even though the genetic testing was expensive, w
Strengths [of Houston Fertility Institute]: ease of scheduling; can always communicate via the portal; nice to see all lab results, instructions, and consent forms on the portal; personal staff; on time every time with appointments; professional; financial counselor was good at clarifying what was covered by insurance and what was not; treatment costs were very transparent. Weaknesses: don't take phone calls during lunch; make sure you read the consent forms ahead
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim is very personable and very knowledgeable in his field. He practices evidence-based medicine based on our many discussions about recent fertility advancements. I appreciated his realistic statistics which helped me shape realistic expectations. His bedside manner is very gentle and genuine. I wish that he could continue to be my OB/Gyn throughout my entire pregnancy. He wanted to personally participate in my IVF procedures and even did the implantation on a Saturday because that was when my body was ready. He listened to my concerns and needs every step of the way. It was important to me to transfer only one embryo, as I am personally fearful of twins. Our first singleton transfer was a success! I could tell he really enjoyed sharing listening to the first heartbeats with us. It was special to him, not just the 1000th time for him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Feel free to ask your questions. Bring as much prior fertility workup information with you to your consultation so that he can review it with you and start the ground running from there.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim remembered every detail about my health and care with every visit. He always took the time to answer all of my questions and encouraged me to contact his office if I thought of others after the visit. He took time to explain the ultrasounds and test results. The one time I had a concern, he made time in his clinic schedule to see me immediately and verified that everything was going well.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
My issue is PCOS and anovulation. So we first tried a clomid cycle, confirmed that 2 follicles were ready, triggered their release, and had intercourse for 3 days as directed. This was a cheaper option than starting with IVF, although he projected a success rate of about 9%. Thus, we were not especially let down when we had a negative pregnancy test, but we were happy that we had started with the easiest and cheapest option. We then tried a different hormone (can't remember the name), found that 1 follicle was ready, triggered ovulation, and did IUI twice (on 2 consecutive days). We knew again that our projected success rate was still low, and we had a negative pregnancy test. At this point Dr. Kim had a discussion with us. We could choose to increase the aggressiveness of the hormones and try IUI again or we could proceed to IVF. Dr. Kim mentioned that trying the more aggressive IUI cycle had a higher risk of multiples and a much lower success rate than IVF. We decided to proceed with IVF. I underwent the egg retrieval process. I produced 50+ follicles since I had such a high ovarian reserve (PCOS). He harvested 29 and then inactivated the others (because who needs that many eggs?). I never had to take any pain medication afterwards. He was very careful to make sure that I did not experience ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) by changing to a lupron trigger shot. After the retrieval, I was concerned that I could be developing OHSS, so I called his office and he had me come in immediately. He examined my right away (I don't think I even finished signing in at the front) and found that I was doing okay and gave me some directions. I recovered quickly. Back to the eggs. 29 eggs were harvested, 19 fertilized, and 12 reached the 5 day blastocyst stage. We did genetic testing. 6 had normal chromosomes. We were very glad we did the genetic testing. The nonviable embryos would have likely resulted in miscarriages and disappointment. So even though the genetic testing was expensive, we felt we probably saved money, time, and heartache by avoiding futile IVF cycles. We waited a month for my body to recover from the retrieval, and then we implanted a single genetically normal 5-day blastocyst. Dr. Kim showed us our first baby photo - a picture of our embryo hatching - before the procedure. He came in on a Saturday to do the implantation, as that was the best day for my body. He showed how he was placing the embryo on the ultrasound and took a photo for us. We felt that he made the process special for us. We did the bed rest thing for 3 days and then the waiting game began. Dr. Kim told me when I could cheat with a home urine pregnancy test if I wanted. So I did cheat and it was positive! But of course, I waited to get excited until the official blood test was done. Dr. Kim monitored our very early pregnancy up until we were 10 weeks along. I did an estrogen patch, estrogen sublingual pills, and IM progesterone shots up until 10 weeks. Everything progressed as usual. Hearing our daughter's heartbeat for the first time was so special for all of us in the room, including Dr. Kim. He was genuinely excited for us. We can't wait to send him our birth announcement in the future! I have recommended Dr. Kim to all friends having fertility issues. As a physician myself, I have also recommended him to my patients as well.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Great caring staff! We bonded since we were seeing each other so often. I got to know them on a personal level. They were very good at clarifying instructions and responding in a timely manner. I could send an email to them at 7pm and would often get a reply email the following morning at 8am. They were always able to accommodate my crazy personal schedule. Vanessa Jones even offered to come to my house to teach my husband how to do the IM shots since he could not make it to the clinic for instruction. I was impressed she cared so much.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Strengths: ease of scheduling; can always communicate via the portal; nice to see all lab results, instructions, and consent forms on the portal; personal staff; on time every time with appointments; professional; financial counselor was good at clarifying what was covered by insurance and what was not; treatment costs were very transparent.
Weaknesses: don't take phone calls during lunch; make sure you read the consent forms ahead of time because front office staff expects you to sign without reading (they did offer to print the consent form when I complained that I was just signing electronic pages without reading, but it turned out that it was really really long and would have made me super late for my appointment to read it at that time)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The cost was comparable to other fertility locations.
I was at my ultimate lowest and just cried and said I felt like a failure. Dr Kim NEVER rushed me out but instead was there saying you are definitely NOT a failure and that WE will figure this out together! He cancelled the expensive IVF procedure planned as we would then get our clinical fees credited for our next attempt at IVF and also went out of his way to find some free drugs for us to help us with the costs.
The number one strength of the HFI -[Houston Fertility Institute]- Katy office is that it is small! :) That means they really get to know you... and you RARELY wait more than 10 minutes to get in. They are kind and funny and very helpful! You are definitely more than just a patient at this office. I really don't have weaknesses... If we ever had ANY questions about why a treatment hasn't worked he [Dr Jonathan Kim] is always available. Yes he will have to take a message and call us back but usually that is within an hour or two. When you have a negative result the nurses will call and give you the results but often schedule your consult with him to talk about what might have gone wrong and what our next steps should possibly be. We had unexplained infertility whe
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Some may not like his style of communication. He is VERY fast talker and will even admit it himself but all you ever have to do is say wait slow down I don't get this and he will immediately do so or explain in a different way with drawings or other helpful things. He is so warm and caring and when you are truly struggling he is there. My last round my follicles were not responding to the HEAVY drugs we were using. (previously I used Bravelle and Menopur and got 7 eggs). This time we only had 3 follicles. I was at my ultimate lowest and just cried and said I felt like a failure. Dr Kim NEVER rushed me out but instead was there saying you are definitely NOT a failure and that WE will figure this out together! He cancelled the expensive IVF procedure planned as we would then get our clinical fees credited for our next attempt at IVF and also went out of his way to find some free drugs for us to help us with the costs. So that failed cycle really has only cost us the price for drugs. He's very direct but also very optimistic person and makes you feel like you are more than just another patient!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
If you think he is talking too fast at any point just straight up tell him or if you don't understand something ask him. He knows he's a fast talker and in his first consult with that this was his advice to us! Also I find taking notes when he talks sometimes helps as when he does talk fast I can forget what he told me after.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
He was great! When we first came in I wasn't 100% sure because he is a FAST talker but if there was ever something I wasn't sure about all I had to do was ask and he would explain again. If we ever had ANY questions about why a treatment hasn't worked he is always available. Yes he will have to take a message and call us back but usually that is within an hour or two. When you have a negative result the nurses will call and give you the results but often schedule your consult with him to talk about what might have gone wrong and what our next steps should possibly be. We had unexplained infertility when we started a year ago but now my egg reserve is starting to diminish and he has been with us through this. He is very caring and if you need him to slow down and talk you through things again and again he is MORE than happy to do so. I don't think we would have made it as far without him. I know there is a light coming for us.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
We have unexplained infertility that over the last year is also turning into a diminished egg reserve. Since we didn't know what was wrong we started at the bottom and worked our way up.
1st Treatment - Clomid and IUI - BFN (Big Fat Negative)
2nd Treatment - Injections and IUI - BFN
3rd Treatment - Injections but started bleeding - Cancelled IUI
4th Treatment - Injections and IVF - 7 eggs, 6 embryos, 4-5 day embryos. Transferred 1 with BFN. Froze other 3.
5th Treatment - Frozen Embryo Transfer - Endometrin but started bleeding - Cancelled cycle and saved eggs.
6th Treatment - FET - Projesterone in Sesame Oil - Transferred 2 frozen - Chemical pregnancy.
7th Treatment - IVF - Injections resulted in low follicle stimulation - Timed Intercourse - BFN
8th Treatment - TBD :) Still have one snowflake baby but want to transfer at least 2 so will try IVF again after a month or two off for our sanity, my body to relax and our wallets to refill.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I LOVE MY NURSES!!! HFI - Katy is a small office and I know EVERY SINGLE person who works there by name and they know me! They are so wonderful and caring and amazing and there aren't enough good words for them. They laugh with me and they hug me when I just cry! I was always tough but disappointed when IUI didn't work or we had setbacks but the first major meltdown was going in for Beta and I had taken a Home Pregnancy Test before I came in. I knew it was going to be a BFN and just broke down as I walked in because they always ask "how are you today." I lost it. Vanessa just hugged me so tight and said "I'm so sorry sweetie!" I knew my test was going to be negative but I was utterly devastated. She called me later that morning with the official results and asked if I wanted to talk to Dr Kim that day. I said no because I couldn't keep anything together. Instead we went in to talk to him the next day. They go so above and beyond! My husband is now working out of town during the week and the progesterone injections had to be given in my butt daily at an angle that was not going to work for me! I went in every day and they did them for me and it became the "butt" of all our jokes. :) I LOVE the nurses there! Vanessa, Joy, Rebecca and Lisa are all AMAZING!
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The number one strength of the HFI- Katy office is that it is small! :) That means they really get to know you... and you RARELY wait more than 10 minutes to get in. They are kind and funny and very helpful! You are definitely more than just a patient at this office.
I really don't have weaknesses.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
We had insurance that covered most of the costs through the IVF procedure the first time. The total cycles probably cost us about $10-12K for the 3 IUI's and the 1 IVF. The FET was $2500 max. This last round of IVF (which was cancelled)was $6600 for dr's fees which are credited back to us. $11K for Facility Fees (which we hadn't paid for yet) and then another $5500 for Genetic Testing (optional) and finally our actual out of pocket expenses for Meds were $7500. The meds were higher due to high stimulation amount and # of days I was on. Previous IVF cost us about $3-4K in meds. Due to these steep costs we have been given drugs donated by mom's who don't need them anymore to help combat the costs for this next attempt. :) They are there to help you have a baby not go bankrupt! :)
Dr. Kim seemed impatient in spending time to explain the process. He seemed rushed and sometimes defensive when we asked questions about our treatment plan and things we wanted him clarify. Meetings with him seemed rushed. After the first transfer that did not end up in a pregnancy, Dr. Kim (nor staff) did not call to inform us of the results.
There was bad communication between the Dr and Medical Assistants [at Houston Fertility Institute]. MAs need to show more compassion and be more patient when working with insurance companies in placing orders and verifying insurance information. They just fax the order and don't confirm that the drug company received it.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Please show more compassion and understand that patients are already going through a lot. Spend more time answering their questions. Staff needs more training in dealing with patients
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I would not recommend
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim seemed impatient in spending time to explain the process. He seemed rushed and sometimes defensive when we asked questions about our treatment plan and things we wanted him clarify. Meetings with him seemed rushed.
After the first transfer that did not end up in a pregnancy, Dr. Kim (nor staff) did not call to inform us of the results. We went in for the beta test in the morning and waited all day as they promised to call with the results. We logged on to the clinic's portal and found that the results were posted. When we called later in the day, a Medical Assistant told us "I thought you already knew".
A few months later when we went through several rounds of tests, the office did not call to inform of us of the results again. After waiting almost a month, we again found the results through the patient portal and called the office. Another Medical Assistant tried to explain the results to us and recommended a treatment plan which was totally different from what we had discussed with Dr. Kim. Clearly, there isn't good coordination with the staff and Dr.
The service provided wasn't personal.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic). (Assigned nurse: Vanessa Jones and Joy Nguyen)
1- There was bad communication between the Dr and Medical Assistants. MAs need to show more compassion and be more patient when working with insurance companies in placing orders and verifying insurance information. They just fax the order and don't confirm that the drug company received it. I had to call the office several times and do a 3-way call with the Medical Assistant and drug company. MA seemed annoyed.
2- They need to better coordinate with hospitals for surgery scheduling.
3- MAs/Staff should be professional when dealing with patients. Do not address patients as "sweetie, hun, etc."
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Clinic was clean, i loved that they all services (blood tests, etc) were on site. They do a good job of explaining costs and working with a financial counselor. Wait time is very short
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Dr. Kim was excellent at describing the steps we would take to reach the goals we both agreed on. He asked for input constantly at consultation meetings to make sure my concerns and thoughts were heard...[he] remembered my history at every appointment, even after graduating and coming back 6 months later after an early loss..I tried a full dose of clomid for our first IUI which resulted in a successful twin pregnancy. Unfortunately at 20 weeks I went into labor due to cervical changes. When we tried IUI 6 months later, Dr Kim wanted to try a half dose of clomid to reduce the risk of multiple eggs, but my body responded very poorly. Dr Kim then prescribed the full dose for 5 more days and I responded well. That IUI cycle was not successful
Once HFI merged with Aspire the communication decreased drastically. It has been very hard to talk to the nurses outside of the clinic since the merger. I would not want to be a new patient at this time...Dr. Kim was excellent at describing the steps we would take to reach the goals we both agreed on. He asked for input constantly at consultation meetings to make sure my concerns and thoughts were heard...Roughly $2000 for each IUI cycle Including medications
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was excellent at describing the steps we would take to reach the goals we both agreed on. He asked for input constantly at consultation meetings to make sure my concerns and thoughts were heard.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Ask questions! And write down discussions so you remember what you talked about. Half the time I’d leave an appointment and already forgot what was discussed to tell my husband if he couldn’t make the appointment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim remembered my history at every appointment, even after graduating and coming back 6 months later after an early loss.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
I tried a full dose of clomid for our first IUI which resulted in a successful twin pregnancy. Unfortunately at 20 weeks I went into labor due to cervical changes. When we tried IUI 6 months later, Dr Kim wanted to try a half dose of clomid to reduce the risk of multiple eggs, but my body responded very poorly. Dr Kim then prescribed the full dose for 5 more days and I responded well. That IUI cycle was not successful. The next round we tried Letrozole, which I responded well to. Unfortunately that resulted in a chemical pregnancy.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Once HFI merged with Aspire the communication decreased drastically. It has been very hard to talk to the nurses outside of the clinic since the merger. I would not want to be a new patient at this time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Roughly $2000 for each IUI cycle Including medications. My insurance covered lab testing and a hysteroscopy in July 2020. Out of pocket insurance co-pay $20 every visit totals around $1000
Dr. Kim was wonderful. However, maybe he was a little too optimistic. After the ectopic, I have a normal pregnancy (which ended up in a loss at 15weeks). I realized what normal pregnancy meant from an hormone point of view and I felt that Dr. Kim could have more clearly told me that my ectopic was not normal since the first blood test.... I appreaciated that Dr. Kim was trying to compromise and let me wait a few more days to make sure no baby could come out of the situation.
Clinic [Houston Fertility Institute] is great. They have many locations, doctors, and nurses. Each doctor is very different so you can find one that really works for you. The various locations mean that the doctors are not always at one location which sometimes complicate things....I ended up mostly using nursing staff from a different office so I don't remember how Dr. Kim nurses were.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I ended up having an ectopic pregnancy with Dr. Kim. He was very attentive to me and would call me on a regular basis to make sure everything was okay. It was my first attempt and I was really hoping it would turn out okay. At the end, we had to terminate the pregnancy which was dangerous. I appreaciated that Dr. Kim was trying to compromise and let me wait a few more days to make sure no baby could come out of the situation.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was wonderful. However, maybe he was a little too optimistic. After the ectopic, I have a normal pregnancy (which ended up in a loss at 15weeks). I realized what normal pregnancy meant from an hormone point of view and I felt that Dr. Kim could have more clearly told me that my ectopic was not normal since the first blood test.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was very nice and always ready to call me to discuss results.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
We did a normal IUI with trigger shot.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I ended up mostly using nursing staff from a different office so I don't remember how Dr. Kim nurses were.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Clinic is great. They have many locations, doctors, and nurses. Each doctor is very different so you can find one that really works for you. The various locations mean that the doctors are not always at one location which sometimes complicate things.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
1400$ for a natural cycle. And additional costs for drugs and pre cycle treatments.
He [Dr Kim] was always available for phone calls. When disappointments would occur, he was sympathetic and would give me a hug and encourage me. I like to research EVERYTHING so he would provide me articles to read and review any info I found so we could discuss options.
HFI [Houston Fertility Institute] is a busy clinic which leads me to believe they are very experienced. The environment is clean, organized and well ran. They use a portal to communicate lab results and info quickly which I loved....The nurses were amazing. They returned calls promptly, listened to concerns and answered all questions. They took the time to get to know me.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was a perfect doctor for me. He was sincere, listened and genuinely cared about our goal to get pregnant. I feel like he treated us successfully and wasn't just looking for statistics or money. We will definitely return to him for baby #2.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim is knowledgeable and honest and you are in good hands.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim spent ample time communicating with me and answering questions. He was always available for phone calls. When disappointments would occur, he was sympathetic and would give me a hug and encourage me. I like to research EVERYTHING so he would provide me articles to read and review any info I found so we could discuss options.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
Cycle 1: Clomid (BFN)
Cycle 2: IUI with gonal (converted to IVF) with two frozen poor quality embryos
Cylcle 3: IVF with gonal and menopauir with PGS. Resulted in 4 excellent quality embryos. We did two FETs (one chemical and one mmc at 9.5 weeks)
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic). (Assigned nurse: Lisa, Joy, Vanessa)
The nurses were amazing. They returned calls promptly, listened to concerns and answered all questions. They took the time to get to know me.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
HFI is a busy clinic which leads me to believe they are very experienced. The environment is clean, organized and well ran. They use a portal to communicate lab results and info quickly which I loved.
Dr. Kim was very nice, but I do not think he communicated effectively during my treatment. As a younger patient, I was confused and did not understand why the treatments were not working. He seems to take a laid back approach, and I feel that with fertility treatments there should be a sense of urgency.
Also, I feel like the clinic [Houston Fertility Institute] treated this more as my problem and not a joint problem for both myself and my husband. They did not run any extra tests on my husband except the initial semen analysis that my Gyn had asked for. Of course that does not include the analysis from samples for the IUI's.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was very nice, but I do not think he communicated effectively during my treatment. As a younger patient, I was confused and did not understand why the treatments were not working. He seems to take a laid back approach, and I feel that with fertility treatments there should be a sense of urgency. Also, I feel like the clinic treated this more as my problem and not a joint problem for both myself and my husband. They did not run any extra tests on my husband except the initial semen analysis that my Gyn had asked for. Of course that does not include the analysis from samples for the IUI's.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
It would be nice to have him explain in more detail each step of treatment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was very friendly in discussing my care to both me ans my husband.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
He did not recommend a specific protocol or treatment. He just suggested clomid use for the first IUI cycle and I did not respond like I should have. So for the second cycle, I pushed for the injections, otherwise he would have continued with just clomid.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
The main office staff was friendly to speak to over the phone. There are several locations so it makes it difficult to get comfortable with the staff. I mostly used the medical center, gessner, and katy locations.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
It was very expensive, and all we got in the form of help was info on how to take out loans.
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I feel that in the second IUI cycle I wasn't taken as seriously as I should have been. I ended up ovulating before the scheduled IUI because the clinic took too long.
He [Dr. Kim] is always so caring and helpful, I truly feel that he cares.... We have mixed feelings because our embryo transfers have not worked and we really don’t have an answer as to why.... We have one more frozen embryo that we need to transfer but Dr Kim will need to do a minor surgery on me before we transfer our last embryo.... I was placed on lots of estrogen and progesterone. We believe that the estrogen caused the fluid in my tubes.
Good location [Houston Fertility Institute- Sugar Land] and clean, helpful and accommodating with your appointment times. Sometimes the nurses can be not so friendly, it’s such a touching moment going through IVF. Some of them are nice but some are not.... We have spent about $30,000... He [Dr. Kim] is always so caring and helpful, I truly feel that he cares.... Dr Kim will need to do a minor surgery on me before we transfer our last embryo.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
We have mixed feelings because our embryo transfers have not worked and we really don’t have an answer as to why. We have an idea but nothing really confirmed. We have one more frozen embryo that we need to transfer but Dr Kim will need to do a minor surgery on me before we transfer our last embryo.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Ask lots of questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
He is always so caring and helpful, I truly feel that he cares.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
I was placed on lots of estrogen and progesterone. We believe that the estrogen caused the fluid in my tubes.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Nice, somewhat friendly.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Good location and clean, helpful and accommodating with your appointment times. Sometimes the nurses can be not so friendly, it’s such a touching moment going through IVF. Some of them are nice but some are not.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
We have spent about $30,000
Describe Jonathan Kim's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I’m fine with his approach to only transferring one at a time but I just don’t understand why our transfers still haven’t work.
[Dr. Jonathan Kim] was an amazing doctor and truly explained the details of everything to us. He was always positive, yet realistic. He never made me feel rushed and he always took the time at any appointment to answer every question. He also did weekly monitoring, which as someone struggling with infertility knows this is seriously an amazing thing.
Strengths [at Houston Fertility Institute] would be: it is very easy to get an appointment, receptionist was always helpful and pleasant to talk to, clean office, up to date technology, easy to get in touch with. Weaknesses would be: sometimes the wait is fairly long (we waited an hour+ twice even though we had an appointment.)...I was supposed to get a prescription for antibiotics prior to a HSG procedure and I was never given the prescription. I had to call in and ask them for it.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim was an amazing doctor and truly explained the details of everything to us. He was always positive, yet realistic. He never made me feel rushed and he always took the time at any appointment to answer every question. He also did weekly monitoring, which as someone struggling with infertility knows this is seriously an amazing thing.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Strengths would be: it is very easy to get an appointment, receptionist was always helpful and pleasant to talk to, clean office, up to date technology, easy to get in touch with.
Weaknesses would be: sometimes the wait is fairly long (we waited an hour+ twice even though we had an appointment.)
What specific things went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I was supposed to get a prescription for antibiotics prior to a HSG procedure and I was never given the prescription. I had to call in and ask them for it.
Dr. Kim is a fantastic doctor. He is knowledgeable, explains everything, cares very much and always has a friendly demeanor and positive outlook....Dr. Kim is absolutely amazing. He explains in details, cares greatly and takes great pride in a good patient-caregiver relationship....It's a fantastic clinic [Houston Fertility Institute] with fantastic doctors and staff! I felt very well cared for...The nursing staff at HFI is absolutely incredible. They remember your name, background and are excellent communicators and take the worries of their patients serious. I was very happy with the care provided.
It's a fantastic clinic [Houston Fertility Institute] with fantastic doctors and staff! I felt very well cared for...The nursing staff at HFI is absolutely incredible. They remember your name, background and are excellent communicators and take the worries of their patients serious. I was very happy with the care provided...Dr. Kim is a fantastic doctor. He is knowledgeable, explains everything, cares very much and always has a friendly demeanor and positive outlook.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Dr. Kim is absolutely amazing. He explains in details, cares greatly and takes great pride in a good patient-caregiver relationship.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
Dr. Kim is a fantastic doctor. He is knowledgeable, explains everything, cares very much and always has a friendly demeanor and positive outlook.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic). (Assigned nurse: Vanessa Jones and Lisa Morton)
The nursing staff at HFI is absolutely incredible. They remember your name, background and are excellent communicators and take the worries of their patients serious. I was very happy with the care provided.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
It's a fantastic clinic with fantastic doctors and staff! I felt very well cared for.
[Jonathan Kim is] great at what he does and has a great sense of humor...He was always up front with the risks and probability...You hardly see the doctor....Doctors should be present more at each visit to review level and preform scans...FET-medicated...They will only transfer 1.
[At Aspire Houston Fertility Institute] Scheduling takes a while. It will take 3 months to get on the schedule...Appointments are pretty rushed. You hardly see the doctor. Its usually nurse visits for everything... The nurses should not be over seeing 90% of the visits...Always in a hurry...Wasn't a fan of the receptionist. They will charge you for everything they can...
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
He's great at what he does and has a great sense of humor. I was pleased with our outcome and would use him again if needed. He was always up front with the risks and probability. Overall a very good experience.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Scheduling takes a while. It will take 3 months to get on the schedule.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Appointments are pretty rushed. You hardly see the doctor. Its usually nurse visits for everything.
Describe the protocols Jonathan Kim used in your cycles at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic) and their degree of success.
FET-medicated
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Always in a hurry.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Wasn't a fan of the receptionist. They will charge you for everything they can. Plan on paying deductibles at every visit. Even if you pay the up front fee they will still bill insurance at every visit. Doctors should be present more at each visit to review level and preform scans. The nurses should not be over seeing 90% of the visits.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
It wasn't cheap. I paid 5k for the FET cycle. The meds were not included. Once pregnant they hit you with more fees at every visit.
Describe Jonathan Kim's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
I felt like a number due to after finding out I had one tube blocked he [Dr. Jonathan Kim] automatically said we needed to do IVF. We explained we didn't have the funds to do IVF that we would like to start from the basics of taking cloimid and looking into IUI. He told us it would be a waste of time and to go back to my OBGYN to get the clomid...Doctor was good as far as sending us for test and doing the consult. Once test were done and results were on the table we felt he didn't want to do anything to help us if we weren't going to do IVF right off the bat.
Clinic [Houston Fertility Institute] was clean and staff members were nice and helpful when we talked with them. Majority of the communicating is through the portal though. That is sometimes a down fall. Testing is scheduled through the portal as well...Doctor [Dr. Kim] was good as far as sending us for test and doing the consult. Once test were done and results were on the table we felt he didn't want to do anything to help us if we weren't going to do IVF right off the bat.
How was your experience with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Doctor was good as far as sending us for test and doing the consult. Once test were done and results were on the table we felt he didn't want to do anything to help us if we weren't going to do IVF right off the bat.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
Stand your ground on treatment if your wanting to start with Clomid or IUI. Don't let him tell you to go back to your OBGYN for the medicine.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jonathan Kim at Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic)?
I felt like a number due to after finding out I had one tube blocked he automatically said we needed to do IVF. We explained we didn't have the funds to do IVF that we would like to start from the basics of taking cloimid and looking into IUI. He told us it would be a waste of time and to go back to my OBGYN to get the clomid.
Describe your experience with Aspire Fertility - Houston Fertility Institute (Prelude Network clinic).
Clinic was clean and staff members were nice and helpful when we talked with them. Majority of the communicating is through the portal though. That is sometimes a down fall. Testing is scheduled through the portal as well.