LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+
Verified
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
2020, Unknown Success
Review of
Dr. Purdy went above and beyond to ensure I felt safe, comfortable, and knowledgeable about every single step of my treatment...I felt 100% respected and cared for as a member of the LGBTQ community. In fact, I was never treated any differently, which is what means the most to be. I was treated like any other fertility patient looking for outstanding care....Dr. Purdy was our advocate and our ally and will continue to be as we navigate out next steps after a devastating unanticipated loss...Feeling validated by a physician is rare and when you find it, you cherish it
To say that I’ve been totally pleased and happy with experience with VIOS, outside of medical care, wouldn’t be true. From the start, they are hard to communicate with via phone. Often times the phone will ring and go to the answering machine with no one calling back for hours...The clinical team ALWAYS answered my messages in a timely manner, but not the back of house side including billing and patient care coordinators...I felt 100% respected and cared for as a member of the LGBTQ community. In fact, I was never treated any differently, which is what means the most to be. I was treated like any other fertility patient looking for outstanding care.
How was your experience with MacKenzie Purdy at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Purdy from the moment we had our initial phone consultation made us feel like her only patients. I appreciated that she had reviewed all of the medical records I had sent to VIOS ahead of my appointment, this just reiterated that she cares about her patients enough to come prepared to appointments. Dr. Purdy coordinated my treatment through a hysteroscopy, 2 egg retrieval’s, one transfer, and one devastating MVA. Dr. Purdy knew our journey had been a tough one before ever coming into her care with 6 failed IUI attempts under our belt. Dr. Purdy knows that my wife and I are very data driven people, so she always was prepared with what the current research says and all percentages. She never made us feel like our countless questions weren’t valid, in fact her typical response was “that’s a great question”, which always brought a quick smile to my face. Feeling validated by a physician is rare and when you find it, you cherish it. Dr. Purdy is always a message away wether that be through the VIOS patient portal system or via her cell phone (another example of how much she cares for her patients). Dr. Purdy was our advocate and our ally and will continue to be as we navigate out next steps after a devastating unanticipated loss.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of MacKenzie Purdy at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, this is YOUR treatment cycle.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with MacKenzie Purdy at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Purdy went above and beyond to ensure I felt safe, comfortable, and knowledgeable about every single step of my treatment. She let me know I had a voice in this process and was also respectful and patient with my countless clarifying questions.
Describe the protocols MacKenzie Purdy used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
IVF cycle 1: birth control, femara, gonal f, menopur, and trigger shot (progesterone oil after retrieval)
Egg retrieval 1: 10 retrieved, 7 mature, 2 fertilized, 0 day 5 embryos
IVF cycle 2: femara, gonal f, menopur, luprolide, omnitrope, and trigger shot (progesterone oil after retrieval)
Egg retrieval 2: 7 retrieved, 5 mature, 3 fertilized, 2 day 5 early blastocysts
Transfer 1: 2 day 5 early blastocysts
How competent was MacKenzie Purdy at LGBTQ+ care?
Dr. Purdy was beyond respectful of my female partner and our relationship. She always ensured that my wife knew about my appointments, was present before she began virtual appointments, and fought for her to be in person (COVID restrictions) with me at major milestones in treatment (ultrasounds, transfer, and MVA).
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Danielle )
Danielle has been my main nurse thought treatment at VIOS. She is kind, compassionate, highly informed, and funny (which I appreciate more than I can probably describe). Danielle was available 24/7 via her cell phone which proves her commitment to her patients. If it wasn’t me reaching out to her, she was texting me to check in and make sure I was doing okay both physically and emotionally. She supported me emotionally just as much as she did with medication management, ultrasounds, and lab work. Danielle has been an integral part of my team and I hope she remains one as we navigate my next steps.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
To say that I’ve been totally pleased and happy with experience with VIOS, outside of medical care, wouldn’t be true. From the start, they are hard to communicate with via phone. Often times the phone will ring and go to the answering machine with no one calling back for hours. The billing department has been an absolute nightmare to deal with. At every appointment I am told my balance, but front office staff can never explain to me where the balance came from, just that I owe one. In recent visits, they have been able to print billing statements, so that has alleviated some of my frustrations. I’ve also been asked for a copay about 10 times after explicitly having them rerun my benefits to show a $0 copay. After recently speaking with someone in billing directly, I was told VIOS is in the process of getting a new billing system to streamline this process for patients. She knew exactly my frustrations and validated my every concern. That was definitely a breath of fresh air.
In regards to the patient portal, you’re unable to message someone directly, it goes to a “department” name and then gets assigned out from there. The clinical team ALWAYS answered my messages in a timely manner, but not the back of house side including billing and patient care coordinators.
On a more positive note, all of the lab technicians and ultrasound technicians have been fantastic to work with. Their professionalism and ability to communicate personally with me made me feel valued and respected by EVERY person on my team. Remembering me from previous visits means a lot to me because I certainly remember each of them.
In all, with VIOS working to solve the billing issues, I would still highly recommend them to anyone I know. Their doctors, nurses, lab techs, and ultrasound technicians make an amazing and incredible team that I am proud and lucky to have met.
Describe the costs associated with your care under MacKenzie Purdy at Kindbody - St. Louis.
1 retrieval with 2 transfers: $12,500
1 retrieval: $8,800
$50 co pay per visit including ultrasounds and doctor visits until out of pocket spending maximum had been reached, then $0.
Medications ranged from $800 (not covered by insurance) to $0-45 (when covered by insurance)
Describe MacKenzie Purdy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
After our second retrieval, we had 2 early blastocysts after 5 days. Early blastocysts meaning they weren’t quite mature enough to be given a true grading. Dr. Purdy advised we transfer both because of this. Had they been mature, she would have advised a single transfer.
Dr. Purdy informed us that there was a 60% chance of pregnancy with a 15% chance of multiples with transferring both early blastocysts.
How competent was Kindbody - St. Louis at LGBTQ+ care?
I felt 100% respected and cared for as a member of the LGBTQ community. In fact, I was never treated any differently, which is what means the most to be. I was treated like any other fertility patient looking for outstanding care.
Describe your experience using 3rd party reproduction (donor eggs, donor sperm, or gestational carrier) at Kindbody - St. Louis.
We used donor sperm from Fairfax Cryobank. VIOS provided us with a list of recommended banks which helped us find the perfect donor. After purchasing through Fairfax, the delivery was sent directly to VIOS who handled EVERYTHING from there. All I had to do was confirm my donor number at the time of my retrieval. I appreciated this smooth process.
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