Laurie McKenzie

She [Dr. McKenzie] has the best bedside manner I have ever seen as a nurse and patient. She is compassionate and truly cares for her patient's well being. She is very thorough in her care and takes care of you as an individual, according to your specific needs....First, they ask you to come in and meet with your doctor to discuss any previous labs, pregnancies, medical history, etc and get an in office hysteroscopy and also get new lab work on you and your spouse.

Loved that they [Houston IVF] do everything there and store everything there also. My embryos haven't been moved since they found their home there. It's such a calm and relaxing atmosphere with a waterfall in the waiting area. The rooms are super clean and their equipment above expectations. They even have an in house lab so you never have to leave the office...I was always called by my first name in the office and got a quick return call from any on call staff. I was treated with respect and allowed to be a part of all my treatment during the whole process.

How was your experience with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

She has the best bedside manner I have ever seen as a nurse and patient. She is compassionate and truly cares for her patient's well being. She is very thorough in her care and takes care of you as an individual, according to your specific needs. There were fertility doctors closer to where I lived, but I chose to see her over an hour away from my home, just bc of the kind of doctor she was and the care i received from her. She is no longer with the practice as of now, but i will see Dr. McKnight when i have my frozen transfers, and she is just as kind and good at what she does.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

DON'T waste your time with any other doctor!!!!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

I was always called by my first name in the office and got a quick return call from any on call staff. I was treated with respect and allowed to be a part of all my treatment during the whole process. I will always use this doctor and office for all my infertility needs and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a good doctor. Being a nurse and being burned at another infertility clinic, I would drive a hundred miles just to use this place!

Describe the protocols Laurie McKenzie used in your cycles at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF and their degree of success.

First, they ask you to come in and meet with your doctor to discuss any previous labs, pregnancies, medical history, etc and get an in office hysteroscopy and also get new lab work on you and your spouse. Then then you meet with her nurse to set up a schedule and sign any consents and the financial expert to come up with a plan. Once all test results come back and you call on day one of your cycle, you then start a monophasic birth control pill. I'm not too sure the name of the shots I took for a couple of weeks before the egg retrieval, but they were daily, along with twice a week u/s to measure follicles. The injections made more of your eggs mature, so they could retrieve a greater number on retrieval day. Then, depending on when they want you to come back, they implant a 3 or 5 day old embryo, and they keep you well informed of how they are growing and their rating. Then after the implantation, the progesterone injections start. Their protocol was 50mg daily for 10-12 weeks. I had an issue with progesterone absorption, so I was on 100mg daily for 12 weeks.

Describe your experience with your nurse at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Judy)

Excellent and so caring.

Describe your experience with CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Loved that they do everything there and store everything there also. My embryos haven't been moved since they found their home there. It's such a calm and relaxing atmosphere with a waterfall in the waiting area. The rooms are super clean and their equipment above expectations. They even have an in house lab so you never have to leave the office.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Great and well organized!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

My insurance didn't cover infertility, so we had to pay cash. First appt $75, hysteroscopy $180?, anesthesia for egg retrieval $500?, and everything else kind of depends on if you have insurance. They have a 30% off compassionate care program for those who make less than a certain amount each year and are cash pay, which we qualified for and paid, with meds and all, + or - $16000. Cheaper than other places we looked at.

Describe Laurie McKenzie's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Not sure. I never asked about this.

Doctor

Laurie McKenzie

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Medical Center

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

2015, Unsuccessful

Age 42

1 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Poor Egg Quality

European

Native American

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Dr. McKenzie was sensitive. Appreciated the call giving me an update on my embryos. Wish they were more open to alternative technologies/methodologies. Appreciate their optimism.

Well oiled machine early morning hours, which was good so you could get in and out and to work timely. The staff is friendly. My nurse seems like she can't be bothered though.

How was your experience with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

I think I covered this in a prior question. She's nice, sensitive and optimistic. Also realistic. Appreciate her insight. She didn't seem to be a fan of alternative treatments.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

Ask for a good nurse.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

The staff is friendly. My nurse seems like she can't be bothered though. Docs are sensitive. Appreciated the call giving me an update on my embryos. Wish they were more open to alternative technologies/methodologies. Appreciate their optimism.

Describe your experience with your nurse at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Susan)

Most of the staff is nice and upbeat. Really liked the ladies who take ur blood as odd as that sounds. My nurse however seemed like she couldn't be bothered when I ask questions. She wasn't forthcoming with information which made me have to postpone a cycle.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Well oiled machine early morning hours, which was good so you could get in and out and to work timely.

What specific things went wrong at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

I discussed changing the protocol with the doc after the last failed cycle to include estrogen priming. I knew from reading this would require some lead time. I wasn't sure how much so I emailed the nurse a couple weeks before my CD1, when I was hoping to begin my cycle. She blew it off. Said they do several estrogen priming cycles but doc was on vacation and that I should contact her on CD1. I emailed her on the Friday before my CD1 expecting it to be Sunday. She said estrogen priming was a whole month! Way more than k had thought or planned. My job requires travel, etc so I try to plan IVF around it. Then my CD1 ended up being on a Saturday. So Monday I let her know and she says I should start meds that day. However I was traveling. I looked up a pharmacy where I was & sent her the address but I forgot to send her the phone number. I couldn't look it up in time and she didn't offer. I ended up postponing. Probably not the biggest deal but I think her attitude is what frustrates me some too. In fairness, it would have helped if the doc had told her what we discussed and I could have also thought to ask that question when we had the consultation.

Doctor

Laurie McKenzie

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Medical Center

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

2015, Successful

Age 35

3 IUI

Unexplained

European

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Don't expect to see [Dr. McKenzie] her often. Do know that she is aware of everything going on with your appointments and plan. She also likes to do as many tests as possible (common for an fertility specialist) but she would do even more if she could.

For the most part this office [Houston IVF] runs very smoothly...They did get better throughout my process about calling me the same day with testing results but never posted any results on the patient portal...their business office employees would rather not do any work looking into your insurance. They just want you to pay and leave - not friendly at all.

How was your experience with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

She is very kind and informative. She fully gives you her attention when speaking with you and your husband/partner, she includes them in the conversation as much as possible. At first I was uncomfortable with the fact that you rarely see her (you see the staff at each appointment, just not the doctor) but quickly realized it isn't necessary to see her each time since the staff is fully capable. It was also strange for her to perform my final ultrasound at 8 weeks pregnant (she was so sweet and happy for us), but she kind of came in and got "all the glory" when we hadn't seen her in about 4.5 months. But at the same time you are grateful and have to remember she was the one reviewing your chart and making the decisions about what to do next even though we didn't see her much. She was so compassionate when I miscarried. She even hugged me at the end of the appointment which surprised me since I figured she probably sees it so often. From the small amount of times we met with her, she was nothing but sweet, smart, compassionate, and a very lovely doctor who knows exactly what she is doing and looks out for your very best interest.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

Don't expect to see her often. Do know that she is aware of everything going on with your appointments and plan. She also likes to do as many tests as possible (common for an fertility specialist) but she would do even more if she could.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

The very few times I've met with Dr. McKenzie she was so kind and informative. In my experience with doing 3 cycles of IUI, the process was to meet with the doctor once at the very beginning to make a plan and get all of the information ... and if the the cycles did not work, you meet with the doctor again to re-evaluate your options (so about 3 months later). If it did work, you see the doctor in the 8th week of your pregnancy to do the final ultrasound before releasing you to your OBGYN. So in roughly 22 weeks I only saw Dr. McKenzie twice (my 3rd IUI worked). Unfortunately I went on to miscarry at 9 weeks so I have seen Dr. McKenzie again to re-evaluate our new plan and decide which plan will work for us moving forward. At first it was so strange to me that you don't see the doctor, you only see the nurses and ultrasound techs. Then the further along the process goes you understand that the staff is fully capable and the doctor is reviewing your progress every step of the way even if you don't see her. A couple of the nurses are rushed and kind of cold, but the majority of them are sweet and caring and always helpful.

Describe your experience with your nurse at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Technically I didn't see my nurse that was assigned to me ever, not sure if they just assign everyone to her and then any nurse takes care of you, or if there was a mistake made and I never really had an assigned. That was frustrating the first month. Then we realized that if I left a voicemail someone would return my call that day, but rarely the same nurse. There was a nurse there that returned my calls more than others and her name is Chelsea. She was so sweet and always looked into any question I had for her or the doctor. She was also very compassionate when I had a chemical pregnancy as well when I miscarried. Super sweet. She also performed my first IUI and didn't get frazzled when I started crying (due to the Chlomid emotional roller coaster). Lovely nurse.

What specific things went wrong at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

Failed to call with results
Lost results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

For the most part this office runs very smoothly. At the very beginning they give you a patient portal and tell you they will post your results and you can login to check them. This never happens. I had to call the nurse several times to find out any blood testing results. They did get better throughout my process about calling me the same day with testing results but never posted any results on the patient portal. Also insurance is tricky with infertility and their business office employees would rather not do any work looking into your insurance. They just want you to pay and leave - not friendly at all. They would rather let you leave without paying as opposed to taking the time to call your insurance company to see if you're covered for something. Also sometimes the nurses give conflicting information, like what you should or shouldn't do (when to have intercourse, which meds or vitamins or OK to take). We would just double-check with someone else when that happened.

Doctor

Laurie McKenzie

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Medical Center

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

2012, Successful

Age 35

3 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

She [Dr. Laurie McKenzie] was perfectly fine. I did not feel she was exceptional. I saw her only a handful of times in the entire time I was her patient. However, her treatment resulted in a successful pregnancy, so I have no complaints.... I rarely saw the doctor herself and liaised mostly with nursing staff (who were great). In their defense, I did not request any special interaction, but was surprised to hear from other patients that they had regular contact with the doctor. In retrospect, I would have requested to speak with her more and feel more like a patient, rather than just a client.

It [CCRM Housont/Houston IVF] was a very professional, well-managed clinic. I would advise new patients to leverage the mental health services provided through the clinic. The weakness was the price. For the price I expected more individualized attention.... e received a "hardship" rate. If I remember correctly, the total, including medications was around $17,000.

How was your experience with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

She was perfectly fine. I did not feel she was exceptional. I saw her only a handful of times in the entire time I was her patient. However, her treatment resulted in a successful pregnancy, so I have no complaints.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

Be your own advocate and make your voice heard!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

I received the care I hoped to receive, in that our treatment ended with a successful, viable pregnancy. However, I rarely saw the doctor herself and liaised mostly with nursing staff (who were great). In their defense, I did not request any special interaction, but was surprised to hear from other patients that they had regular contact with the doctor. In retrospect, I would have requested to speak with her more and feel more like a patient, rather than just a client.

Describe the protocols Laurie McKenzie used in your cycles at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF and their degree of success.

As a patient with unexplained infertility, we tried cycles of clomid, followed by IUI. After unsuccessful IUI attempts, we tried IVF with a fresh, 5 day transfer. We were successful!

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Overall, they were professional, compassionate and kind.

Describe your experience with CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

It was a very professional, well-managed clinic. I would advise new patients to leverage the mental health services provided through the clinic. The weakness was the price. For the price I expected more individualized attention.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

We received a "hardship" rate. If I remember correctly, the total, including medications was around $17,000.

Describe Laurie McKenzie's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

She explained the difference well. We felt we were informed and prepared for the risks of the procedure we chose.

Doctor

Laurie McKenzie

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Medical Center

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

2015, Successful

Age 28

1 IVF

Male Factor

European

Income $200K - $499K

Engineer

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Dr McKenzie [at Houston IVF] was very caring and compassionate. She seemed like she strived for success with every patient and wanted to give everyone the best possible outcome....Don't be afraid to ask questions. You will see her every visit, but it will be short...Appointments were quick, but organized and stress free. Everything was "first come, for serve" for morning monitoring appointments....Erin was great at communicating wth me. I found it easiest to send her an email with any questions. She'd always respond within a couple of hours. She would also return phone calls, but due to both our work schedules, we'd often miss each other.

How was your experience with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

Dr McKenzie was very caring and compassionate. She seemed like she strived for success with every patient and wanted to give everyone the best possible outcome.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

Don't be afraid to ask questions. You will see her every visit, but it will be short

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

She was very caring, definitely was sympathetic to our situation

Describe the protocols Laurie McKenzie used in your cycles at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF and their degree of success.

Birth control day 3 of cycle for ~3 weeks, lupron for 2 weeks, then 10 days if stims with Bravelle and Menopur. Fresh cycles were preferred at this clinic. 2 embryos were also recommended even for young, first-time IVFers

Describe your experience with your nurse at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Erin)

Erin was great at communicating wth me. I found it easiest to send her an email with any questions. She'd always respond within a couple of hours. She would also return phone calls, but due to both our work schedules, we'd often miss each other.

Describe your experience with CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Expensive

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Appointments were quick, but organized and stress free. Everything was "first come, for serve" for morning monitoring appointments.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

About $16000 for IVf, ICSI and anesthesia. Meds were separate.

Doctor

Laurie McKenzie

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Medical Center

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

2010 - 2012, Successful

Age 28 - 30

2 IVF

Male Factor

PCOS

European

Income $200K - $499K

Operations

3rd of 3 Docs

4 IVF With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

If you are ready to give up, she [Dr. McKenzie] is worth seeing for a second (or third) opinion...She let us know what she thought had gone wrong in the past and what she would do differently to help us become parents. She called us personally when our twins were born prematurely.

I appreciated having a go to nurse [at Houston IVF]. The nurse was reasonably accessible and prompt with results...I was very impressed that Dr. McKenzie, or one of the other two doctors in the practice, took care of all ultrasounds. In the past, I had only been given ultrasounds by a technician.

How was your experience with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

I was very impressed that Dr. McKenzie, or one of the other two doctors in the practice, took care of all ultrasounds. In the past, I had only been given ultrasounds by a technician.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

If you are ready to give up, she is worth seeing for a second (or third) opinion. She is very understanding and her lab has the best results in town. As she told me, the majority of the credit in IVF success goes to the lab.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

She understood our urgency for a baby. She had been through IVF herself as the patient. She let us know what she thought had gone wrong in the past and what she would do differently to help us become parents. She called us personally when our twins were born prematurely.

Describe your experience with your nurse at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

I appreciated having a go to nurse. The nurse was reasonably accessible and prompt with results.

Doctor

Laurie McKenzie

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Medical Center

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Successful

4 IVF

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Income $200K - $499K

Accountant

2nd of 2 Docs

6 IUI With Other Docs

3 IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

After each cycle we felt she reevaluated our case and adjusted the course of treatment accordingly. She provides a caring bedside manner while also being relentless in her search for answers and solutions.

Dr. McKenzie is kind, compassionate, intelligent, and thorough in her approach to fertility treatments. After each cycle we felt she reevaluated our case and adjusted the course of treatment accordingly. She provides a caring bedside manner while also being relentless in her search for answers and solutions.

How was your experience with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

Take advantage of her vast experience and knowledge!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

Dr. McKenzie is warm and yet extremely informative - she is the best of both. She analyzed our situation, clearly communicated her analysis, and gave her opinion on next steps while providing her reasoning, which made my husband and I feel like she was in the trenches with us. Dr. McKenzie is a kind and caring person and her bedside manner reflects those qualities.

Describe your experience with your nurse at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Sarah Davis)

Sarah Davis was caring, organized, and proactive. She made us feel like people and not just one more fertility case.

Doctor

Laurie McKenzie

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Medical Center

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

2007 - 2010, Successful

Age 35 - 38

1 IUI

1 IVF

Tubal Blockage

Unexplained

European

Lawyer

1st of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

She [Dr McKenzie] knew us as a couple and individually. She visited with us after some appointments....Be prepared to try a variety of treatments and plan to be very compliant with her recommendations. They adjust treatment as they review blood test results.

[Houston IVF's clinic was] pleasant. Not too crowded. On time. Thorough. They have their own lab which is helpful. [The staff was] friendly warm enjoyable to see.

How was your experience with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

She was good at explaining the process and the options. Like the Hair Club for men, she is also a client.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

Be prepared to try a variety of treatments and plan to be very compliant with her recommendations. They adjust treatment as they review blood test results.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF?

She knew us as a couple and individually. She visited with us after some appointments.

Describe the protocols Laurie McKenzie used in your cycles at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF and their degree of success.

I had not tried any assistance before being treated by her and Dr Hickman. I did Clomid for a couple months, one IUI, then one IVF that was successful.

Describe your experience with your nurse at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Friendly warm enjoyable to see.

Describe your experience with CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Pleasant. Not too crowded. On time. Thorough. They have their own lab which is helpful.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Laurie McKenzie at CCRM Houston/Houston IVF.

Other than diagnostic work we paid out of pocket.

Doctor

Laurie McKenzie

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

Medical Center

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Laurie McKenzie CCRM Houston/Houston IVF

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