[Dr. Samuel Brown is a] Poor communicator, poor bedside manner...Never saw him for monitoring appointments...just shows up on transfer and retrieval days...initial consult, 2 retrievals, and 3 separate FETs (w/ PGT-A and PGT-M tested embryos - all of which failed) and a second consult...Every single time we interacted with him for these, he would say "nice to meet you"...the nurse practitioners do all of the monitoring - and Dr. Brown just shows up on transfer and retrieval days.
[Brown Fertility] Strengths: Staff are compassionate and understanding...Weaknesses: Financial / insurance departments are disorganized...takes forever and a day (literally) to get a live person to speak to...I've been on hold...for over 40 minutes before...no guarantee that you will see the same provider every time
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Strengths: he's an expert in this stuff.. apparently. If you're unsure, he'll tell you he is. He'll also tell you he's in the top 3 people in the world that specialize in reproductive endocrinology.
Flaws/weaknesses: Poor communicator, poor bedside manner, narcissistic/cocky/pompous. Never saw him for monitoring appointments... the nurse practitioners do all of the monitoring - and Dr. Brown just shows up on transfer and retrieval days.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Go somewhere else. Honestly. I wish I would've come to this conclusion sooner.
Please learn from my mistakes and my experience.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
We did an initial consult, 2 retrievals, and 3 separate FETs (w/ PGT-A and PGT-M tested embryos - all of which failed) and a second consult.. all with Dr. Brown. Every single time we interacted with him for these, he would say "nice to meet you" and knew nothing about my case. You'd think that prior to meeting with his patients, he'd do a quick chart review, or SOMETHING to familiarize himself (the "Expert").
Retrieval days and transfer days feel like cattle calls / assembly line vibes. Dr. Brown says the EXACT SAME THINGS to every single patient.... : "the good embryos take and the bad ones don't"... *after handing you your little ultrasound pic of the transferred embryo* "there's your future shining star"
When verbalizing to him that this is what it feels like from a patient's perspective, he literally said to me: "It's offensive that you think that I don't care whether or not you get pregnant"... which isn't at all what I said or insinuated.
In all of the conversations I've had with him, I have walked away feeling small, stupid, and low on hope/optimism.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
For my 2 retrievals, my cycle was set up over 2 months, I was on birth control pill (BCP), prenatal vitamin (PNV) and 81 mg aspirin (ASP) for the first 3 weeks. On week 4, I continued PNV and ASP, and started Gonal F (225 units) and lo dose hCG (20 units) subcutaneously x 3 days. For the next 8 days, I was on Gonal F (150 units) and low dose hCG (20 units), PNV and ASP. I had my retrieval (had 8 eggs retrieved in round 1, 12 in round 2).
From round 1- my eggs were frozen and underwent PGT A testing, and PGT- M testing (I have a gene mutation that we were testing for). 2 made it out and were normal.
From round 2- - my eggs were frozen and underwent PGT A testing, and PGT- M testing. 3 made it out and were normal.
In total - we had 5 normal embryos.
For all 3 of my transfers, I had the same protocol. Medicated. Dr. Brown doesn't offer natural protocols outright.
First week and a half are ASP, BCP and PNV. Then Lupron (leuprolide) 10 units every evening x 3.5 weeks subcutaneously. 5 days into lupron, BCP stops, but all other meds (PNV and ASP) continue. 2 mg Estradiol is added a week and half in (½ pill in AM and 1/2 pill in PM) orally to start, then increased after 4 days to 1 pill in AM and 1 pill in PM.. then increased after 4 days to 2 pills in AM and 2 pills in PM... then decreased after 5 days back down to 1 pill in AM and 1 pill in PM. The day after stopping Lupron, Progesterone in oil (PIO) is started at 50 mg intramuscularly (IM) in morning. On day 2, PIO is increased to 100 mg IM x 6 days. On day 6, transfer occurs with day 5 embryo. Meds continue as is - ASA/PNV/2 mg Estradiol 1 pill twice daily/ PIO 100 mg IM for 12 more days. On day 12, blood test in office is done to check for pregnancy. If positive, you'd continue on same med protocol... if negative, meds are stopped.
No rationale was provided for why this protocol was chosen for me...other than that this is what Dr. Brown does.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Christine)
I have stayed through 2 retrievals and 3 frozen embryo transfers because of the nursing team. Christine (RN) is incredible and so so so so kind.
Two of my favorite nurse practitioners (Christina Camacho and Rachel Shaw) have since left Brown, but they were also incredible and really compassionate.
Every direct care person (all the RNs, CNAs and ANRPs) that I've interacted with (outside of Dr. Brown) have been amazing.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
Strengths: Staff are compassionate and understanding. They are happy to answer any question, clarify directions and are responsive to emails/phone calls.
Weaknesses:
Financial / insurance departments are disorganized. It takes them awhile to get back to you (unless they are collecting your payment!), and they do not help you advocate for insurance coverage or get answers in regards to insurance coverage. When I did request superbills so that I could submit things to my insurance - they did not provide complete information. They also did not respond back to my insurance when inquiries were sent to Brown from my insurance.
It takes forever and a day (literally) to get a live person to speak to when you call Brown's number. I've been on hold (and memorized their cheesy busy signal message) for over 40 minutes before... and this was the norm.
Medical records - takes them forever and a day to get your records to you. I've asked for all of my records - so I can begin the process of getting consults at other IVF clinics, and am still waiting 2 weeks later. I'm guessing they utilize paper charts - but still... ridiculous.
The Jacksonville office consistently runs behind schedule - chances are realllllly good that you will wait and wait and wait for your appt. Don't schedule things for soon after your appt - because you won't make them.
There is no guarantee that you will see the same provider every time - in fact - you won't. Initially, I didn't think this would bother me - but not having a consistent face doing my scans/ultrasounds made it feel really disconnected and more like an assembly line.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
Retrievals: $12,000-15,000 per each retrieval (meds not included)--> meds were +/- $2,000-$3,000.
Transfers: $5,000 per each transfer (meds not included) --> meds were another $600-800.
Labs: $150 for bloodwork (pregnancy testing)
Consult w/ Dr. Brown - $150
We utilized Mandell's pharmacy.
This is within the July 2022 - May2024 time frame.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
Dr. Brown didn't have strong feelings either way for the first 3 transfers. Since the first three have failed and we've had a consult, now he is suggesting we put our last 2 in together.. as we have a 10-20% chance of conceiving twins.
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown is very confident in his ability to get patients pregnant and went so far as to tell me on my first consultation "You'll get pregnant in no time". I'm now at three failures over a year later. I've seen him twice, the first consultation and then again after my first transfer which resulted in a chemical pregnancy. He was nice about it but I haven't had another discussion with him since on how to change my protocols. He also did not want to provide me with my embryo grading report stating that it made no difference in conceiving. However, that should be my choice as a patient.
The communication with [Brown Fertility] patients is atrocious. There is no "personalized" care as their recording would lead you to believe. You have to wait long periods after your scheduled appointment and many times I've been told "we're backed up"...While the nurses are nice, it seems you are only a priority while actively going through a cycle. Coverage for absences is not consistent, nor is follow up with requests to other departments (ie scheduling consults, etc).
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown is very confident in his ability to get patients pregnant and went so far as to tell me on my first consultation "You'll get pregnant in no time". I'm now at three failures over a year later. I've seen him twice, the first consultation and then again after my first transfer which resulted in a chemical pregnancy. He was nice about it but I haven't had another discussion with him since on how to change my protocols.
He also did not want to provide me with my embryo grading report stating that it made no difference in conceiving. However, that should be my choice as a patient.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Be explicit in advocating for yourself, what information you want from them, and how to be treated.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
I am writing this review after 2 failed IUIs and 1 chemical pregnancy after IVF fresh transfer trying to conceive as a single mother by choice. While I understand infertility is highly variable from patient to patient, the basis of my poor experience has more to do with the utter lack of patient care. The recording you listen to while on hold says “personalized patient care” yet I rarely saw the same person for my ultrasound appointments, IUI procedures, or retrievals, least of all the actual physician meant to be treating me.
This year after my first failed IVF, I had to wait to acquire funds for another attempt since I was now paying out of pocket after maxing out my insurance fertility benefits. I put up over $13,000 to Dr. Brown’s clinic for a retrieval, not including medications (another $3500). At the start of this cycle I did the normal lab work for baseline. I was advised I had a high thyroid TSH level of 11 and was immediately prescribed levothyroxine and given a referral to an endocrinologist. Because I was a new patient for the endo, I had to wait for the first available which was almost two months, and ended up being the same week as my retrieval. In the meantime, I had a second set of labs to check my thyroid for Dr. Brown and they came back at a level of 8. At no point throughout this process did I get any information as to why thyroid levels are so important, nor was I advised to postpone fertility treatments.
Upon meeting with the endocrinologist, it was explained that the most optimal thyroid level for conception is 2.5 or less. The doctor said I should postpone a transfer until I get to that level. By this point, I was already through my medications and waiting for my retrieval appt. I reached out to the IVF nurse email group. The nurse said she spoke to Dr. Brown and was told he didn’t think it was necessary to delay a transfer but would do so at my request. I then asked for a call from the doctor so I could discuss in more detail what all this means, the decision to change to a frozen transfer, etc. I got no reply. I went to my retrieval appt, and still was not being given the information I was asking for so I had to explain I wanted to speak to the doctor before my procedure. Yet again a different doctor than I’ve dealt with, however, she wholeheartedly agreed with my endocrinologist that I should wait for my TSH to decrease substantially. Not only does the clinic choose to ignore the advice of the physicians they refer their patients to, but within their own clinic physicians are giving conflicting medical advice. And now that I’d be forced to complete a frozen transfer, I would have to pay an additional $1500 for “conversion”. Why would I pay for a conversion when it’s not a flippant choice and the conflicting argument between medical providers that cannot be trusted?
By this time, I was so frustrated with receiving poor quality of care and communication I asked to speak with a manager. The communication between offices and departments is appalling. It was explained to me that I did not receive a response to my request for a consult before the retrieval due to my assigned nurse being on PTO. The email address goes to all the nurses so clearly there is no adequate coverage to respond to patients in a timely manner. I learned to verify my appts in triplicate since two occasions I was told to go to one office when I set my appt but it ended up being in the other. I submitted a request to the medical records department twice without receiving so much as a confirmation of receipt. By calling to check status I was advised there was a form I needed to complete. I did that and sent it and still have yet to receive anything back. I spoke with the manager Denise who continued to say thyroid levels don’t matter and I was referred just to get them managed by another physician. Seeing how volatile the infertility process can be and how hormones play such a vital role in conception, I would expect medical professionals to agree on getting a patient into the MOST optimal state before moving forward with treatment. My second retrieval was an epic failure having retrieved 3 eggs, none of which survived. Luckily, I have one in storage from my earlier retrieval. Because I still feel the need to pursue this journey, I moved forward with having a FET training only to be called 15 minutes ahead of my appt to say my appt was no longer needed. When I said #1 I’m already on my way to your office for my appt in 15 minutes, but it should be my decision on whether or not my appts are necessary. I was told it was because I had no embryos. Again, a complete failure on the office’s part to read my chart and see that I had an embryo in storage. I was told I could keep the appt after they confirmed.
During my cycle, I had to “borrow” meds because I was short one injection and couldn’t get a delivery until the next day. During the same FET education appt I tried to return the meds and sat in the office listening to at least three nurses say they had NO records of me borrowing medication. I still had to leave it there for fear of getting a bill for the full cost of the meds. Concerning that a medication that costs upwards of $2-3000 per pen would be so poorly documented. Oh let’s not fail to mention overhearing a nurse complaining about a patient not following medical advice ending with “people are so dumb” within earshot of the waiting room. Aside from all this, the office just practices poor management of such mundane things as HIPAA, having patients’ blood samples, and having patient names scrawled on test tubes sitting directly across from where vitals are taken.
I’m beyond my limit in dealing with such horrible practices and now out more than $16,000 (of which Brown prices are considerably higher than other clinics), can’t afford any more treatment, and no one wants to give me a straight answer or return my calls/emails. This office needs a serious management overhaul and to do better. This process isn’t easy just having your own body work against you, the last thing we need is suboptimal care and medical advice.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Chelsea and Sarah)
While the nurses are nice, it seems you are only a priority while actively going through a cycle. Coverage for absences is not consistent, nor is follow up with requests to other departments (ie scheduling consults, etc).
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
The communication with patients is atrocious. There is no "personalized" care as their recording would lead you to believe. You have to wait long periods after your scheduled appointment and many times I've been told "we're backed up".
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
My insurance benefit was for $25,000 lifetime and was maxed out after two IUIs and one IVF cycle. I paid well over $13,000 to the office out of pocket between the cost of third-party anesthesia for two retrievals and the cost of my second retrieval. I'm not sure how much was spent on office visits for the IUIs.
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown couldn't even fake remembering us during our 2 failed FET transfers by just quickly looking at the chart for reference. After nearly 9 months of being a patient...convey no emotional support or empathy and do not care about success for you- only about taking your business...And god forbid you have a failed transfer or any negative outcome- you won’t be in touch with your physician, a random nurse will give you your fate and it’s in your hands to decide the next step
Dr. Brown and his office [Brown Fertility] are beyond poorly run, convey no emotional support or empathy and do not care about success for you- only about taking your business. Read the CDC success rates and see for yourself, they do not advertise the truth and I hope this can help prevent someone from wasting their time, money and soul at this clinic...The nursing staff is limited. I will say there were a few during my experience there that did attempt to care and try to lead me in the right direction and followed up with me when I reached out, I am unsure if they are still employed there however I’m sure they have at least looked into working somewhere that they will be around more competent providers. Aside from those 2 the rest are constantly new with people leaving and there’s no consistency.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
I’d like to prelude this to say I’m a Nurse practitioner and my husband is a physician, so this review is coming from a place of two people who practice medicine currently and deal with the patient communication as well as staying up-to-date on latest evidence-based practice for our jobs daily, this is in no way coming from an ignorant perspective about how patient care works behind the scenes. I'm 29 years old and we deal with male factor infertility, so in theory this facility told me the IVF process should be a straight forward fix. I realize now if you are young and in such a situation they will do zero investigation into other factors and essentially just follow their own not evidence based protocols, change them during course depending on the doc that shows up at your visit, (of course while taking your cash) until something just by chance works and repeat randomly until it does. Not only that, even the competent physicians here like Dr. Waldman you may initially consult with will not in any way be following up with you, you will see different physicians every time for every procedure, they will change your plans and protocols constantly. And god forbid you have a failed transfer or any negative outcome- you won’t be in touch with your physician, a random nurse will give you your fate and it’s in your hands to decide the next step. Truly I emphasize to anyone considering starting treatment here to research and reconsider. Having moved on to an amazing clinic with physicians that care and you consistently see and that are there to ensure you have the best outcomes and troubleshooting after a failure to strive again for success. Dr. Brown and his office are beyond poorly run, convey no emotional support or empathy and do not care about success for you- only about taking your business. Read the CDC success rates and see for yourself, they do not advertise the truth and I hope this can help prevent someone from wasting their time, money and soul at this clinic.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Research- read these reviews and look at CDC IVF success rates as they are accurate and truly reflect this clinics low success. Having now moved on to a clinic in a bigger city with higher reported to the CDC success rates, insanely good customer service and only the latest evidence based medicine practices do I realize how absolutely horrible Brown fertility really is. Even as healthcare providers, we were fooled by their overly confident attitude during consultation we had, trusting their expertise and being failed as patients and human beings by them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown couldn't even fake remembering us during our 2 failed FET transfers by just quickly looking at the chart for reference. After nearly 9 months of being a patient at their facility by the way.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
Consulted for IVF with Dr. Waldman (who I believe should absolutely run for his life from this place) being im under 30 and it’s male factor was advised how breezy this was supposed to be. During my IVF egg retrieval process I saw a different provider every visit until the actual retrieval. Had Dr. Brown change my trigger protocol the day before, later realizing this was not evidence based decision making. Then I was told to have a fresh transfer vs. frozen which aside from certain circumstances is no longer recommended as the most successful means of embryo transfer and also limit how many eggs they can harvest during the retrieval. I gave the nurse I spoke to credit because she did inform me of this and was surprised that they were trying to push a fresh transfer on me but of course I figured I would trust the physician. So they took 14 eggs, six or seven fertilized and only three made it to five day blastocysts.
Being under 30 they don’t say it’s Necessary to genetically test the embryos however having gone through such a heart ache and three embryo transfers and talking with my new RE specialist, I realize regardless of the age of reason it is worth putting aside the money or taking out whatever is needed in order to obtain those genetic results so that you can fully understand what you were going to have transferred into you and the true likelihood of success. I was told I would be mailed paperwork on the embryos that reflected their grades and was only given the grading on the day of my transfers on a piece of paper and told by Dr. Brown, who happened to be the one there on the days of both my transfers, that they were “perfect embryos .“ After transferring our last embryo to a new clinic I discovered that was never true. The fresh transfer failed with the “best embryo.” No physician reached out to me after, I had to beg these people to schedule me a consult for a frozen transfer of our second embryo. One of the biggest things that I am just so heartbroken and angry about include during my second transfer Dr. Brown having trouble getting through to my cervix, rather than be prepared for an obstacle before sending the embryo through the catheter he had already begun transferring the embryo before even entering my uterus, having to send the embryo back through the catheter to the embryologist before getting a metal style catheter to get into my uterus. In the moment I was very shocked and scared that this would have damage the embryo and after telling the story to my new RE the shock on her face that he had done that I realize I am confident that altered the embryo and thus the success. Not only that but after reviewing my records from this clinic she was surprised that he did not chart or document any of what occurred during that transfer about having to change plans in order to get through my cervix so that no other physician or person the future would be prepared or informed of this. This transfer was of course a failure as well. Prior to having all of my records and specimen sent to a new and competent facility, I attempted to have a consultation about why I have sustained two failures. Their suggestion was changing the transfer day 24 hours later, adding an extra day of progesterone. Nobody had discussed with me that this was blindly guessing that my uterine lining was not receptive on the initial day and that it may be after 24 hours of additional progesterone. No one mentioned or discussed the option to do an ERA procedure which essentially test the receptivity, I went and had this done at the clinic I transfer to which confirmed that I was receptive on the original day I had been exposed to progesterone and so had I blindly agreed to their plan it would have ensured a failure.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Brown Fertility.
The nursing staff is limited. I will say there were a few during my experience there that did attempt to care and try to lead me in the right direction and followed up with me when I reached out, I am unsure if they are still employed there however I’m sure they have at least looked into working somewhere that they will be around more competent providers. Aside from those 2 the rest are constantly new with people leaving and there’s no consistency.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
This clinic will hold you hostage to a schedule they create for you with dates and times and tell you it has all been calculated precisely due to their “busy” schedule, but let me inform you, competent clinics like the one I have switched Rob can revolve these things around YOUR schedule, thats one of the actual positive things about doing a controlled process like this, if you have to work or have plans then I have learned they can modify by days or hours if need me to accommodate YOU, which is part of what you should be paying for. That is one of the few plus sides to having to do this process- it’s all controlled for the most part and should be as convenient as it can be on your behalf. Aside from the clinical errors, they LOST my down deposit for the last transfer and did not even respond via telephone or email for 3 weeks, at first trying to blame me for not following up but after confronting them with all of my screen shots of dates and receipts ultimately apologizing for their financial dept. error. This all was a result of poor communication between nursing staff and the other clinic departments that have no consistent means of monitoring phone or email communications from patients or communicating with each other. Read the CDC success stats, get second opinions, talk to other RE specialists before wasting your time, money, energy and emotion into this incompetent place.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
As I mentioned earlier in my review, they lost my 500$ for several weeks and poorly manage the financial department. In comparison to other clinics that have significantly higher success rates reported by the CDC and that have significantly more evidence-based practicing physicians that are empathetic and caring with office staff that actually respond to you immediately and almost no wait times (which ladies is part of what you pay for with this service you deserve all of that and more when it’s a cash run business) I would say that their prices were not really any cheaper than the significantly better clinics that I later looked into.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
These people don’t give an actual inkling of care to how many embryos you transfer at any point. Each time I had a transfer the days before the procedure I was asked by nurses not even the physicians how many I wanted transferred and asked what they recommend and was told “it’s whatever I want.”
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Lost paperwork
Lost appointments
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
Hopefully my review outlines all the details enough to help anyone else on here reading reviews move on to a place they will likely have success at.
DR BROWN WAS PLEASANT, THOUGHTFUL AND CARING. HE WAS VERY THOROUGH WITH A TREATMENT PLAN AND DID A VERY DETAILED PANEL ON ME AND MY SPOUSE. I LOVED HIS SENSE OF URGENCY. I OFTEN FELT AS IF HE WAS TOO BUSYAND SO MY CASE WAS NOT IMPORTANT...IN MY INITIAL VISIT I FELT LIKE A HUMAN BUT AFTER DECIDING TO DO THE TREATMENT I FELT MORE LIKE A NUMBER. I FELT AS IF I WAS NOT IMPORTANT.
[Brown Fertility] STRENGTH: GREAT ATMOSPHERE, AND GOOD DOCTORS. WEAKNESSESS: THEY NEED TO BE MORE ORGANIZED AND TREAT PEOPLE WITH MORE COMPASSION. AT TIMES THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS POOR. WHILE THEY HAD GOOD DOCTORS, THEY ALSO HAVE A DOCTOR WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DELIVER BAD NEWS TO PATIENTS. THEY NEED TO TREAT PATIENTS A LITTLE BETTER.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
DR BROWN WAS PLEASANT, THOUGHTFUL AND CARING. HE WAS VERY THOROUGH WITH A TREATMENT PLAN AND DID A VERY DETAILED PANEL ON ME AND MY SPOUSE. I LOVED HIS SENSE OF URGENCY. I OFTEN FELT AS IF HE WAS TOO BUSYAND SO MY CASE WAS NOT IMPORTANT.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
I WOULD ADVICE THEM TO RESEARCH MORE FACILITIES BEFORE COMMITTING TO ONE DOCTOR. MAINLY BECAUSE I DID NOT FEEL IMPORTANT THERE.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
IN MY INITIAL VISIT I FELT LIKE A HUMAN BUT AFTER DECIDING TO DO THE TREATMENT I FELT MORE LIKE A NUMBER. I FELT AS IF I WAS NOT IMPORTANT.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
MY CYCLE WAS IVF WITH DONOR EGGS. HE SAID MY AMH WAS LOW SO RETRIEVING MY EGGS WAS GOING TO BE CHALLENGING.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: THAYANE)
I FELT LIKE SHE IS JUST DOING HER JOB, THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I FELT FORGOTTEN AND HAD TO CALL THEM SEVERAL TIMES TO GET A RESPONSE. THEY COMMUNICATE MOSTLY THROUGH EMAIL SO YOU DON"T FEEL THAT CONNECTION. I JUST GOT THE FEELING LIKE THEY HAD MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THAN LOOK AFTER MY FAMILY.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
STRENGTH: GREAT ATMOSPHERE, AND GOOD DOCTORS.
WEAKNESSESS: THEY NEED TO BE MORE ORGANIZED AND TREAT PEOPLE WITH MORE COMPASSION. AT TIMES THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS POOR.
WHILE THEY HAD GOOD DOCTORS, THEY ALSO HAVE A DOCTOR WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DELIVER BAD NEWS TO PATIENTS. THEY NEED TO TREAT PATIENTS A LITTLE BETTER.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
IT WS VERY EXPENSIVE, I GOT FINANCING WITH ARC
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
HE SAID DOING AA SINGLE CYCLE WAS BEST.
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Failed to call with results
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
THE FINAL THING WAS TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE TRANSFER I WAS TOLD TO STOP TAKING THE MEDICATION BECAUSE THE EMBRYOS DID NOT FERTILIZE. I HAD TO WAIT THREE MONTHS FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. I DID NOT APPRECIATE THAT ONE BIT. I WISH I HAD MORE ANSWERS.
He [Dr. Samuel Brown] never remembered who we were or what our situation was. He changed his treatment plans on a whim without saying it was because this didn’t work. It was never cohesive...I was so sick of Dr. Browns attitude of not caring and talking to me like I was a cattle and talking to my husband like he was so patient to be with a infertile wife.
I think this [Brown Fertility] is a numbers place. I went because I had a friend who had a successful IVF cycle there. If your body is good at reacting to the treatment, it’s worth it. If it doesn’t work, go find a new place and a new treatment plan. It’s a one trick spot. They have drugs and treatments you need to do fertility treatment, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be anything close to caring and aware of your personal situation.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
I assume they ask about sexual assault and rape so they can be extra sensitive to the patient and be very aware of explaining what is happening and why. But I got a procedure done to check my uterus and with no warning or anything close to a warning he gave me a shot of lidocaine in my cervix and pushed the tube of dye into my cervix, not a word said except “yeah it hurts” when I cussed from the sudden excruciating pain. I told them I was raped years ago so that this exact thing wouldn’t happen. So that my doctor would be gentle and aware and take care of my body properly. It sucked and was super emotional afterwards.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
If you don’t have a lot of road blocks, meaning different issues, then this place is fine. It’s cheaper and quick. If you have diagnosed fertility issues, go somewhere else, cause they couldn’t care less about what to do except do the hormones, get the treatment done and it works or it didn’t.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
He never remembered who we were or what our situation was. He changed his treatment plans on a whim without saying it was because this didn’t work. It was never cohesive.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
I did letrozole for 3 cycles. I did the injections for ovulation as well, but only got to ovulate in one cycle and it was a negative. We upped the hormones with each cycle which I really appreciated, it felt aggressive and like something was changing each time.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Brown Fertility.
They were definitely the only reason we kept going back. They remembered me, they were kind and tried to empathize when the results weren’t what we were hoping for, they explained a lot of things and always made sure to ask if I had questions right before we left an appointment and I usually did.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
I think this is a numbers place. I went because I had a friend who had a successful IVF cycle there. If your body is good at reacting to the treatment, it’s worth it. If it doesn’t work, go find a new place and a new treatment plan. It’s a one trick spot. They have drugs and treatments you need to do fertility treatment, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be anything close to caring and aware of your personal situation.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
$500 per IUI cycle and about $300 in drugs per cycle
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Lost appointments
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Lost results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
We tried to switch to a new clinic because I was so sick of Dr. Browns attitude of not caring and talking to me like I was a cattle and talking to my husband like he was so patient to be with a infertile wife.
They didn’t send my paperwork. At all. I requested it 3 times over the phone and finally walked into the clinic and demanded they send me my information to my personal email so I can send it to my new clinic. It was appalling.
I understand that there are things outside of the doctors control, however I felt like my treatment was not important and it didn't matter to them...[Dr. Brown] kept making me feel like I'm a new patient cause he couldn't remember my name even though I was a patient with the clinic for 2 years...It felt like the doctor was being pulled In alot of different directions
The [Brown Fertility] clinic is clean and the staff are nice. However they are disorganized. One department doesn't talk to the other. There is two offices in Jax and they keep sending you to a different office instead of doing everything in the one office...I believe it was around $15k for the IVF cycle of which I paid $5k for deductible, meds, and copay...
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
He didn't remember who I was whenever I saw him. He asked me questions which I thought his team should have prepped him on. He seemed clueless to my treatment or where I was in the cycle. It felt like the doctor was being pulled In alot of different directions. Probably has too much on his plate than he can handle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Don't go to Brown Fertility. Find another doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
The doctor kept making me feel like I'm a new patient cause he couldn't remember my name even though I was a patient with the clinic for 2 years.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
The doctor never talked to me about strategies.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Kristina Maor and Tiffany Baker)
I went through two cycles. First one with Kristina who quit halfway through my cycle. She was not on top of the drug approvals with insurance. It felt like I always had to check in and make sure she was doing her job. Tiffany also quit and I was reassigned again.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
The clinic is clean and the staff are nice. However they are disorganized. One department doesn't talk to the other. There is two offices in Jax and they keep sending you to a different office instead of doing everything in the one office.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
I believe it was around $15k for the IVF cycle of which I paid $5k for deductible, meds, and copay. The rest was covered by insurance.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
The doctor transferred 2 embryos cause that is all I had and it was an unsuccessful pregnancy.
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
It was a bad experience all together and not just because I didn't get pregnant. I understand that there are things outside of the doctors control, however I felt like my treatment was not important and it didn't matter to them. I was just another cow in the pasture. The first IVf the doctor just said I had bad eggs. The second IVf no one even called me back after the negative pregnancy test to see if I wanted to try again or to tell me what went wrong. There is no treatment or specialized care. They apply the same principle to every patient and if it works it works. If not oh well try again and pay us.
I do feel as though he provided false hope for a "quick" pregnancy. He told us we were an "easy" case and would be pregnant in no longer than 4 months. What a joke. ... Dr. Brown, in our consult, told me to stop taking all my vitamins and metformin ( I have PCOS). I was hesitant but wanted to trust my doctor, so I did. He said he would prescribe me the exact same dosage of Femera as my OBGYN (5 mg) and told me in our consult I would be prescribed dexamethasone as well after I mentioned it.
Only certain locations [Brown Fertility] offer certain procedures so just because they have many locations does not mean you can actually go there. ... You will never have the same nurse and you will probably never see an actual doctor. ... Secretaries who were supposed to return calls and never would ... They have forgotten to call in prescriptions ... Go somewhere else if you want quality care and attentive doctors because that is not the service provided here.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Samuel Brown was great! The one time I saw him that is, at our consult. I do feel as though he provided false hope for a "quick" pregnancy. He told us we were an "easy" case and would be pregnant in no longer than 4 months. What a joke.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Go somewhere else if you want quality care and attentive doctors because that is not the service provided here.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
No one ever knew my case or even took a minute to review my file before entering the room. They were misinformed about medication THEY prescribed me and it was always impossible to get in contact with anyone. I think they have too many patients to provide quality care.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
Dr. Brown, in our consult, told me to stop taking all my vitamins and metformin ( I have PCOS). I was hesitant but wanted to trust my doctor, so I did. He said he would prescribe me the exact same dosage of Femera as my OBGYN (5 mg) and told me in our consult I would be prescribed dexamethasone as well after I mentioned it. When I came in for my first cycle day 3 ultrasound, no one knew what I was talking about and the physicians assistant I saw prescribed me a lower dose of Femera and said there were "no notes" in my chart about dexamethasone so she wouldn't prescribe it. I never saw Dr. Brown again.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Brown Fertility.
At Brown Fertility all you see are nurses and you will most likely never have the same one. I had a total of four different nurses in the only three months I was there and all of them were rude except for one. Of the four nurses I saw, only one took the time to educate my husband and I on what was going on, what they were looking for at each appointment, and things that we could or should be doing to increase our chances of conceiving. I had a nurse come in to do a cycle day scan, say hello, do the scan, say "that's weird" in the middle of the ultrasound, and then leave. She never said what was "weird" not to mention it was incredibly rude. She also brought me out in the hallway to go over our "plan" for that month. Meanwhile, another patients door was wide open and they were doing an internal ultrasound for everyone in the hall to see!!
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
My only strength for this clinic would be that they have numerous locations in the southeast which is convenient. Weaknesses would include scheduling as they are not willing to schedule appointments later than 8:45 for cycle day scans so you are out of luck it you live far away. We woke up at 4 am just to get there on time. They will not remember anything about you every single time you visit. Nothing. You will have to give your infertility story every time. If you need to call for any reason, you will be on hold for at least 30 minutes if you're lucky and even then they will most likely have to call you back which, big surprise, they won't. You will have to call them back again and again. It is a vicious cycle. Only certain locations offer certain procedures so just because they have many locations does not mean you can actually go there. Make sure you check. You will never have the same nurse and you will probably never see an actual doctor. If this bothers you, you can try to request that your appointments be scheduled with the same nurse. This can't always happen as certain nurses are not available on certain days, but you can try. My only advise to anyone considering Brown Fertility would be to go into it with a lot of patience because you're going to need it.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
Well we have Tricare which covers anything having to do with natural conception. However, we were told IUI would be $500 which doesn't include the cost of cycle day scans ( $250 each scan ) or medication that would no longer be covered.
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
They have forgotten to call in prescriptions, failed to tell us we would not be able to go to certain locations for treatment, have scheduled us for their locations that we could not have cycle day scans at only to tell us the day of they we needed to go to another location even after telling them we drove 2 and a half hours just to get there and they had done our scans there before. We were told they only did them there for us before "out of convenience". What?! We had plenty of nurses with poor bedside manners. Secretaries who were supposed to return calls and never would or put notes in my chart for nurses that were never there. I could honestly go on and on.
Dr. Brown was extremely nice during our phone consult and our first in person appointment. He did not do my monitoring in advance of the ER or my first FET, but was the doctor that performed my transfer. He felt like a completely different doctor at transfer time. We were just a number in the cattle call of patients that day. He wasn't familiar with us or our situation...
The staff at the Orlando clinic are all very caring and helpful! Never had an issue getting an appointment at a time that worked for me...They [nurses] made the experience personal, not the doctor...We paid about $15,000 for our ER and first FET. We've been quoted about $5,000 for our next FET. Those costs include medication...we experienced an insurance coding error which we are still working out over a year later....
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown was so optimistic when we first meet him. He gave us an 80% success rate. Now we are post ER and FET which resulted in a chemical pregnancy and frankly his optimism comes off a little like a "used car salesman". If our first FET had resulted in a health pregnancy I may have been able to look past that, or frankly I may not feel the same.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Do your research and ask questions about who will be managing your care. We live four hours from the main clinic in Jacksonville and do all of our monitoring in the Orlando office, which is still 2 hours from our home. Since Dr. Brown visits the Orlando office, but isn't based out of there I had two doctors managing my care. It may not be a bad thing, but certainly doesn't come off as personal.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown was extremely nice during our phone consult and our first in person appointment. He did not do my monitoring in advance of the ER or my first FET, but was the doctor that performed my transfer. He felt like a completely different doctor at transfer time. We were just a number in the cattle call of patients that day. He wasn't familiar with us or our situation. I was the last patient that day and I'm sure that attributed to the attitude, but it was definitely disappointing. So much so that when I called for a follow-up a requested we see the doctor that had done our monitoring and ER.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
We suffer from male factor infertility and I have an autoimmune disease. With that in mind IVF with ICSI was our only option. Dr. Brown felt confident that at my age, 30, my egg quality and quantity would be great. I responded very well to the medication and he added in Heparin leading up to and post transfer to assist with the autoimmune disease.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Mena and Ivie)
My original nurse, Mena, was my saving grace. She went on maternity leave just before our FET and my care was switched to Ivie. She also went above and beyond to ensure swift communication by email and phone. They made the experience personal, not the doctor.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
The staff at the Orlando clinic are all very caring and helpful! Never had an issue getting an appointment at a time that worked for me. The Jacksonville office has a different feel to it. Billing is done out of Jacksonville and we experienced an insurance coding error which we are still working out over a year later.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
We paid about $15,000 for our ER and first FET. We've been quoted about $5,000 for our next FET. Those costs include medication.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
Dr. Brown felt that it was appropriate to only transfer one when the plan was to do a fresh transfer. I developed signs of OHSS post ER so we switched to a frozen transfer. At that point he would have suggested two be transferred, but we decided against that due to my age and the fact that I have an antibody (from our one and only natural pregnancy which ended in miscarriage) and the risks to the baby are high - two would make it even more of a risker pregnancy.
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
I never specifically asked how we would receive info regarding our embryos after ER. I did a lot of research on forums and it sounded like most patients have their ER and often leave knowing the number of eggs harvested. Which I received and was told that within a day or two we would get a call with the number of eggs that fertilized. I received a call two days later letting me know the info and was told that I should call back in a week for the final results since we were doing a freeze all. Unfortunately, the nurse that called that day was then on vacation for the two weeks. And when you're waiting on those kind of results two weeks is a long time to wait, especially when you think you only have to wait five day. I convinced myself to wait to call after the five day period and was told that the information I wanted would be sent to me on a postcard, they couldn't give me that info over the phone. It was heartbreaking and frankly I was very hormonal, I lost it. That's not info one should be receiving in the mail on a postcard. If not a call, the very least an email should be sent out. It took almost two weeks for me to find out how many embryos we had. I felt that we had paid a lot of money and they weren't treating the situation as such. Eventually I convinced a nurse to tell me, but the fact that I felt like I was bothering them just to find out if any of our fertilized eggs had survived was stressful and frankly not fair that it added so much stress to an already stressful situation. I think back now and wonder if my expectations were too high. I never asked when and how that info would be provided. So the morale is, always ask!
He [Dr. Brown] was very personable and would include the spouses in the conversations a lot. ... I'm far more of a realistic person and he's very optimistic which I'm sure most appreciated, but I preferred to hear it straight. ... I appreciated that he was willing to be as aggressive as I was willing to be. To the point the last cycle protocol was one I developed.
Emily, the NP who does most of the monitoring is amazing. Kristina responds to emails super quick. Jennifer as well. All the nurse assistants are amazing too and cheered me on and let me cry on shoulders a few times. ... Biggest weakness [of Brown Fertility] would be batching, but even with my diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), we managed to make it work to even do estrogen priming one time.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
I do feel he promised the moon and then when it fell flat, the viewpoint wasn't entirely adjusted. I'm far more of a realistic person and he's very optimistic which I'm sure most appreciated, but I preferred to hear it straight. As time went on he caught on and his approach switched and we was more forward and blunt about realistic chances. He was very personable, remembered personal details and our appointments were never rushed. That did lead to long wait times, but as frustrating as that could be, I'd be more frustrated if I was rushed. My longest appointment with him was 2.5 hours where we hashed out all the details.
My husband liked him a lot. He was very personable and would include the spouses in the conversations a lot. Face to face he was always great. The downside is that there's no direct contact with him not face to face. I understand why, but it can be frustrating at times when it's an answer only he can give. Though the nurses usually had my answer by end of day.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Ask him to be realistic about your odds and chances. He can be a bit too optimistic and it can leave you reeling when it doesn't work out that way.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
The first cycle I felt a bit more like a number (many women experience first cycle success), but with the failure for any eggs to fertilize it was he who called me with that news instead of a nurse which I respected. With each subsequent cycle we've become even more acquainted and he really respected my opinion and research. I appreciated that he was willing to be as aggressive as I was willing to be. To the point the last cycle protocol was one I developed.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
Oh boy. I've done 3 IUIs and 5 retrievals so this is long. All 5 were antagonist.
IUI # 1 – August 2017
Letrazole 2.5mg 2x per day CD 3-7
Trigger with Ovidrel on CD 9
1 follicle, Negative
IUI # 2 – October 2017
Letrazole 2.5mg 2x per day CD 3-7
Trigger with Ovidrel on CD 12
1 follicle, Negative
IUI # 3 – November 2017
Letrazole 2.5mg 2x per day CD 3-7
Trigger with Ovidrel on CD 12
2 follicles, Negative
Retrieval #1 – January/Feb 2018
Antagonist Protocol:
• Primed: 11 days BCP
• Stims (9 days):
o Gonal F: 4 days 225iu, 1 day 175iu, 2 days 150iu, 2 days 175iu
o Low dose hCG: 20 units
o Cetrotide: Day 7-8
• Trigger: Ovidrel
E2 day 4: 563; E2 day 7: 1152
Results:
• Retrieved 4, all appeared mature, all degenerated at fertilization
o Unable to access left ovary at retrieval
• Nothing to transfer
Retrieval #2 – March/April 2018
Antagonist Protocol:
• Primed: 10 days BCP
• Stims (11 days):
o Gonal F: 11 days 300iu
o Low dose hCG: 20 units
o Cetrotide: Day 8-11
• Trigger: Ovidrel
E2 day 5: 231; E2 Day 8: 802
Results:
• Retrieved 11, all appeared mature
• 4 fertilized, 7 appeared healthy/DNF
• 2 day 5 blastocyst, 1 day 6 blastocyst
o Fresh transfer of 1 failed
FET # 1 – July 2018
BCP for 2 months (partially for Lap); Lupron 28 days; Estriadol, 5 days PIO before transfer (100mg/2mL)
Negative beta
Retrieval #3 – August/September 2018
Antagonist Protocol:
• Primed: 23 days Estrogen (2mg 2x day) & Provera final 3
• Stims (12 days):
o Gonal F: 12 days 325iu
o Low dose hCG: 20 units
o Cetrotide: Day 8-12
• Trigger: Ovidrel
E2 day 6: 246; E2 day 9: 622; E2 day 12: 1367
Results:
• Retrieved 9, 7 mature
• 5 fertilized, 2 appeared healthy/DNF (lead follicles we sacrificed)
• 3 day 3 embryos (2ea 8cell, 1ea 4 cell)
o Fresh transfer of 3 failed
Retrieval #4 – October/November 2018 – USED DONOR SPERM
Antagonist Protocol:
• Primed: 11 days BCP
• Stims (11 days):
o Gonal F: 2 days 400iu, 7 days 350iu
o Low dose hCG: 20 units
o Cetrotide: Day 9-11
• Trigger: Ovidrel
E2 day 5: 282; E2 day 7: 468; E2 day 9: 1018; E2 day 12 (trigger day): 1811
Results:
• Retrieved 7, 5 mature
• 3 fertilized, 2 appeared healthy/DNF
• 3 day 3 embryos (1ea 8cell, 2ea 4cell)
o Fresh transfer of 3 failed
Retrieval #5 - January - March 2019
Antagonist Protocol:
• Primed: 6 weeks prior to stims 38 units of omnitrope daily; 10 days BCP
• Stims (11 days):
o Gonal F: 11 days 300iu
o Menopur: 11 days 150iu
o Cetrotide: Day 7-11
o HGH: 38 units continued through trigger day.
• Trigger: 2ea Ovidrel
E2 day 5: 386; E2 day 7: 512; E2 day 9: 1090; E2 day 12 (trigger day): 1960
Results:
• Retrieved 12, 9 mature
• 4 fertilized, 5 appeared healthy/DNF
• 4 day 5 blasts
o Fresh transfer of 2 successful
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Kristina & Jennifer)
They are all pretty wonderful women. Emily, the NP who does most of the monitoring is amazing. Kristina responds to emails super quick. Jennifer as well. All the nurse assistants are amazing too and cheered me on and let me cry on shoulders a few times. I can't complain about them at all.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
Biggest weakness would be batching, but even with my diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), we managed to make it work to even do estrogen priming one time. The other is monitoring. They do schedule more than one person at each time slot and if someone is taking up more time with lots of questions it does push the times back. They do start people on different days and you aren't forced into a certain retrieval day either, just within a certain week though if you go earlier or end up later they will make it work instead of jinxing your cycle.
The strength is most everything is up to date and well taken care of. The clinic (both locations) is clean and well kept. Also HGTV is on in the waiting rooms all the time (which is amazing, my fave).
They have a good system in place and with a few tweaks it could be a pretty amazing system.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
The costs on the website are pretty spot on. We weren't really hit with any surprise fees. It's all included in the costs except for the cycle initiation fee $375 and anesthesia $350.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
He starts with and recommends an eSET unless you're doing a day 3 transfer, multiple failures, or older. He will not balk at doing more than 1 after a failed transfer. We transferred 1 blast, 2 blast, 3 day 3, 3 day 3, 2 blast.
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
Most of the wrong things were human error and one was a system. They were switching to a new records system when I was requesting my records sent over, but when I called about it, I did get my records sent to me and the other clinic.
The right tests didn't get sent once, but we were ordering somewhere around 35 tests at one time, so it's a pretty understandable error and quickly corrected. One time was the lab actually lost it versus the clinic.
Another was once given a different instruction than I was before, but that happened only once in about 50+ visits so I consider it a pretty good success rate.
The first day I met Dr. Brown, I thought he was amazing....My IVF cycle was a complete fail for the “perfect patient.” I only had 5 follicles at the last ultrasound appointment and I was very concerned. My husband and I expressed our concern, and Dr. Brown assured us this number was great and we had nothing to worry about. We were hesitant to move forward, for fear we wouldn’t get any embryos and would loose all of our money.
I felt like a number in this practice [Brown Fertility], when they told me they take 40 girls at a time, and you have to “pay” to reserve your spot. Also it’s like a cattle call on retrieval and transfer days.... I saw Dr. Brown only twice, and he didn’t show up to do the transfer, even though he told my husband he would be doing it. They have too many patients and you’re just one out of 40.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
The first day I met Dr. Brown, I thought he was amazing. He was charming and charismatic and overall impressive. He told me I was “the perfect patient and I would 100% get pregnant.” I believed him. It’s hard not to, when he seems so sure of himself. I thought his rates were amazing, but now when I look on the CDC, they don’t match. My IVF cycle was a complete fail for the “perfect patient.” I only had 5 follicles at the last ultrasound appointment and I was very concerned. My husband and I expressed our concern, and Dr. Brown assured us this number was great and we had nothing to worry about. We were hesitant to move forward, for fear we wouldn’t get any embryos and would loose all of our money. Well, the whole retrieval and transfer process was a mess. I only ended up with 1 embryo to transfer, yet Dr Brown said that was great. He surely knew that wasn’t true, and a pregnancy wasn’t likely. Yet he kept promising. He wasn’t there on transfer day when he specifically told my husband he would be there that Saturday. We never saw him again. Dr Brown had run my FSH, and never disclosed that it was way out of range, and indicative of premature ovarian failure. My new doctor who got my records from him pointed that out. Dr Brown basically just kept promising a baby and how great everything looked, when they wasn’t the case. I don’t blame him for my poor medical response...but for the emotional wreckage he caused by completely misleading us. He didn’t want us to cancel our cycle before he got his money. He didn’t do his job and present information correctly and honestly. I’m sure for some women, he’s great. But for anyone with endometriosis...find another doctor who actually looks at the individual and doesn’t just plug you into the group of 40 women he does at a time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Find another doctor. Don’t go to him, because he is not all the way honest with results and success rates.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
I felt like a number in this practice, when they told me they take 40 girls at a time, and you have to “pay” to reserve your spot. Also it’s like a cattle call on retrieval and transfer days. One girl after the next, in and out of the OR. You can hear the nurses calling out bed numbers and changing the OR out after each person is done. I saw Dr. Brown only twice, and he didn’t show up to do the transfer, even though he told my husband he would be doing it. They have too many patients and you’re just one out of 40.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Brown Fertility.
The nursing staff seemed nice, but not amazing. You never see the same person twice. You don’t have an official IVF nurse assigned to you. When I reached out to the one I had an email for, the response wasn’t super helpful. And when I got a negative result, a nurse I had never heard from called me to break the news.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
Strengths- Its a pretty clinic. Nice buildings and decor. The clinic seems organized.
Weaknesses- it’s a cattle call. Too many patients. 40 each month doing IVf. It’s not personalized at all. You will barely see the doctor. Retrieval and transfer is one patient after he next in and out. And you will find out how many embryos make it if they are slow growing, but a ridiculous postcard TWO weeks later. It was heartbreaking to get a negative pregnancy test, and not know if we had any more embryos left. They wouldn’t tell you over email or the phone.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Brown Fertility.
Monitoring appointments ran behind. I always waited an hour each time. Yet my turn didn’t take more than 5 minutes. The wait time didn’t bother me, but it just felt like a cattle call.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
I didn’t have any issues with billing. Our cycle was around $9,000. A complete waste of money.
Hes [Dr. Samuel Brown] very helpful and ran all the right blood test like for pcos and I did hsg procedure which then lead me to have laparoscopy and a hysteroscopy that he performed with other doctors, I did egg retrieval and transfer that he performed. I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis and pcos. So I have it really bad and ivf is my only changed I have 1% naturally after surgery for a few months I had 5%. He was very thorough in explaining these things like when I was doing my transfer he talked me about it.
They [the nurses at Brown Fertility- Orlando] are the best women ever esp Kristina,jennifer and kim. I always saw Kristina in person and when I had questions I would email her and she would always email me that I can answer them Jennifer I never met in person but she always answering my emails also and can I never met her in person or even emailed her when I call and she always answering my million questions. Even the other staff are just amazing so kind and caring.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Hell answer all your questions if you get to meet with him, unfortuntaley hes very busy but one time I had a question he even called me back on christmas day which is very kind. Sometime I dont think he looked at the paperwork of the patient hes about to talk to but that's understandable as hes got so many. He actually seems he cares. He had high hopes for me by the way he talked and was honest.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Keep in mind hes very busy so you might have to remind him what's your diagnosis and the time you get with him cause your mainly with the nurses and such and hes just busy. All seriously hes honest and kind. So he will care about you and answer your question. You will have someone that wants to get you pregnant.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
He looked at me, answered all my questions,asked about my life, was kind,sense of humanity.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
I had so many it's hard to remember. Hes very helpful and ran all the right blood test like for pcos and I did hsg procedure which then lead me to have laparoscopy and a hysteroscopy that he performed with other doctors, I did egg retrieval and transfer that he performed. I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis and pcos. So I have it really bad and ivf is my only changed I have 1% naturally after surgery for a few months I had 5%. He was very thorough in explaining these things like when I was doing my transfer he talked me about it.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Brown Fertility.
They are the best women ever esp Kristina,jennifer and kim.
I always saw Kristina in person and when I had questions I would email her and she would always email me that I can answer them Jennifer I never met in person but she always answering my emails also and can I never met her in person or even emailed her when I call and she always answering my million questions. Even the other staff are just amazing so kind and caring.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
I wouldnt change anything about the nurses. My dr maybe being able to email him or something if you had questions only he could answer or wanted to talk to him but that's what the nurses are for. He explains, answers,comunicates,kind and caring.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
Hes cost were the most affordable. I think it was under 16k for ivf.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
I was 30 when I transferred and because of that I could only do one plus because of my age he had high Hope's I wish I could of done more but when I do my fet he will let me do two which is good.
[Dr. Samuel Brown] Start with the least invasive. Used Femara for my first three IUI treatments with increasing dosages to produce follicles. We switched to Gonal-F for the final IUI when I didn’t respond to Femara. Used ovidrel trigger shot each time. IVF used Gonal, HCG, and a third injection to get mature follicles for 12 days.... Be prepared to wait. He is running behind most days.
They [Brown Fertility- Orlando] often run behind for appointment times. Be ready to watch lots of HGTV in the waiting room. The staff is all very caring and do their best to speed things along, but I reminded myself that I didn’t want to be rushed when it was my turn.... All of the nurses I saw were amazing! They were there to offer support when a treatment failed and you showed up for another round. Compassion was definitely not lacking.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown sells you the dream of being a parent. From the first time you meet him and go over your options for treatments he is assuring you that it will work. I had my first meeting and he told me that he wouldn’t be surprised if I was pregnant that month, unfortunately IUI didn’t work for me. I had four failed attempts and we moved to IVF. We were successful on our first round of IVF with a fresh embryo. We are currently preparing to do our first frozen embryo transfer.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Be prepared to wait. He is running behind most days.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
When I met with Dr. Brown he always remembered details we had talked about previously and had a positive attitude towards my treatment. His nurses were very compassionate.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
Start with the least invasive. Used Femara for my first three IUI treatments with increasing dosages to produce follicles. We switched to Gonal-F for the final IUI when I didn’t respond to Femara. Used ovidrel trigger shot each time. IVF used Gonal, HCG, and a third injection to get mature follicles for 12 days.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Brown Fertility.
All of the nurses I saw were amazing! They were there to offer support when a treatment failed and you showed up for another round. Compassion was definitely not lacking.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
They often run behind for appointment times. Be ready to watch lots of HGTV in the waiting room. The staff is all very caring and do their best to speed things along, but I reminded myself that I didn’t want to be rushed when it was my turn.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
Insurance didn’t cover any of our treatments. Each monitoring US was $250, and IUI was $500. So roughly $1000 for each round of IUI. IVF was about $9000 plus the cost of medication for both.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
We only transferred one fresh embryo because of my age. We have the option of one or two frozen embryos.
He [Dr. Brown] was a very good communicator and was very knowledgeable. He is good at changing protocols if something didn’t work. He does seem to underplay the risks and focuses more on the outcomes. But he was very blunt and direct which I liked but others may find harsh....Dr brown said because I had DOR he would consider transferring 2 embryos, however we ultimately decided to do 1. If this cycle doesn’t work we will do PGS and transfer 1
I love the nursing staff! They [Brown Fertility] are very good at communication and are all very good at making me feel comfortable....We planned to PGS test the embryos and paid the fee of $4000. However, 3 weeks later we were told there was a lab fee of $2000 additional, which was never conveyed to us. We simply could not afford to pay $6000 plus our cycle cost all at the same time. Therefore, we asked to cancel the PGS...and were told they didn’t know if we would get a refund. After many back and forth phone calls with the billing team we finally got our refund.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
He was a very good communicator and was very knowledgeable. He is good at changing protocols if something didn’t work. He does seem to underplay the risks and focuses more on the outcomes. But he was very blunt and direct which I liked but others may find harsh.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Come with a list of questions. Be prepared to wait. You won’t see him at every visit.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Long wait times for short visits, which often felt rushed. That being said, Dr. Brown always remembered me and did give good information when we spoke with him
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
First stim cycle we were on final 200. I had low follicle counts and final was increased. The cycle was ultimately cancelled as I only had 2-3 follicles. Next cycle we started with final 450 and had much better results, retrieved 14 eggs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Kristina and Tonya)
I love the nursing staff! They are very good at communication and are all very good at making me feel comfortable.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
Long wait times. Spend most of the time with true nurses and not much face to face with the doctor. The nurses are wonderful. The billing team needs some work, often times could not answer my questions and every cost sheet was wrong and had to be updated.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
Cycle cost $4000, meds $2000-3000 on average
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
Dr brown said because I had DOR he would consider transferring 2 embryos, however we ultimately decided to do 1. If this cycle doesn’t work we will do PGS and transfer 1
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
We planned to PGS test the embryos and paid the fee of $4000. However, 3 weeks later we were told there was a lab fee of $2000 additional, which was never conveyed to us. We simply could not afford to pay $6000 plus our cycle cost all at the same time. Therefore, we asked to cancel the PGS (no consents were signed yet, nothing had been done yet in terms of testing) and were told they didn’t know if we would get a refund. After many back and forth phone calls with the billing team we finally got our refund. In the future we will probably PGS test, but we just felt like we weren’t given all the information and costs up front, which created a lot of financial stress and anxiety
Dr. Brown would re-introduce himself to us during retrieval and transfers and there was never a sense of having a good relationship or bedside manners for his patients. ... You do not see Dr. Brown on a regular basis either. ... failed to diagnose me correctly with silent endometriosis, instead labeling us as "unexplained with PCO like ovaries". ... It was devastating to miscarry but also to have a doctor we had never seen before perform the ultrasound and confirm the miscarriage for us. It was very uncomfortable.
This office is not where you want to be treated when going through infertility and the tough journey of it all. They are disorganized as well. I once had an email from the finance coordinator that was an excel spreadsheet of ALL patients cycling that month, including their personal information such as full names, insurance companies, contact information, etc. This was a HUGE HIPPA violation. When I expressed via email that I do not believe I was supposed to receive this, the coordinator simply shrugged it off. This is not an office that will care for you as a human being.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
A big downside to his office is their scheduling. They schedule multiple patients for the same time slots so the wait is often long, even with an appointment time. You do not see Dr. Brown on a regular basis either. It was devastating to miscarry but also to have a doctor we had never seen before perform the ultrasound and confirm the miscarriage for us. It was very uncomfortable.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Only patients with easy cases seem to succeed at Dr. Brown's office. He is very money hungry and there is a huge lack of personalization. I would not suggest going to this office.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown and Dr. Rose, both treated us during our IVM cycle. Being experimental, we knew IVM was not 100% chance of success. Although the transfer was not a success, we decided to move forward with IVF with Dr. Brown. During our IVF cycle, we had constant long wait times and realized he batch cycles patients. He requires a $375 non-refundable deposit for each cycle and that amount does not include the total cycle cost. We ended up paying out of pocket due to his insurance/finance coordinators incorrectly explaining what our insurance did and did not cover to us. We also paid out of pocket for medications because the finance team failed to explain that I had insurance coverage via CVS for medications. The doctors failed to diagnose me correctly with silent endometriosis, instead labeling us as "unexplained with PCO like ovaries". Since this office batch cycles, you do not receive an individualized treatment protocol and are forced to have appointments, retrievals and transfers on the same days as the other patients in that month's cycle. Dr. Brown would re-introduce himself to us during retrieval and transfers and there was never a sense of having a good relationship or bedside manners for his patients.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
For our IVM cycle, we were given femara for 5 days and then retrieved the eggs in an immature state, allowing the embryologist to mature them in the lab pre-fertilization. I was put on oral estrogen and progesterone in oil injections the month leading up to transfer and post transfer. For our IVF cycle, I used gonal f injections along with lo dose hcg, estrogen and progesterone.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Brown Fertility.
The nursing staff could care less about the patients and day-to-day office operations. After our second loss at this office, I told the IVF Nurse that I was going to pursue a consultation with another local clinic and was simply told "Good luck".
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
The only positive of this office is their two conveniently located office locations. This office is not where you want to be treated when going through infertility and the tough journey of it all. They are disorganized as well. I once had an email from the finance coordinator that was an excel spreadsheet of ALL patients cycling that month, including their personal information such as full names, insurance companies, contact information, etc. This was a HUGE HIPPA violation. When I expressed via email that I do not believe I was supposed to receive this, the coordinator simply shrugged it off. This is not an office that will care for you as a human being.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
Dr. Brown charges around $9,000 for an IVF cycle plus the medicine, which is paid directly to the pharmacy. Anesthesia and other things can be separate costs.
He did a hysteroscopy to remove what my OBGYN had determined was Asherman's but Dr. Brown did not find any and explained how my OBGYN may have misdiagnosed me. He did remove 2 polyps...Dr. Brown takes the time to listen to you and your partner. He remembers who you are each time you go in and remembers your diagnosis. He is very positive...compassionate and positive in the outlook of my prognosis and results. He is confident in himself, his nurses, and his embryologist. He admits their success is due to their world class embryologist. He has had experience going through infertility himself as he has done several IVF treatments on his wife resulting in his own 5 children.
The IVF [at Brown Fertility] is a little over $9,000. This is for everything including ICSI, anaesthesia, and freezing embryos...Strengths: compassion, spa atmosphere, organized, responds adequately, keeps you update, contacts you immediately, takes care of you medicine orders and many things that a working adult may not have time to complete and deal with. They remember things that you may forget and remind you of deadlines. Weaknesses: none
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown is compassionate and positive in the outlook of my prognosis and results. He is confident in himself, his nurses, and his embryologist. He admits their success is due to their world class embryologist. He has had experience going through infertility himself as he has done several IVF treatments on his wife resulting in his own 5 children. He understands the struggle and is supportive. We are beginning the IVF process and he has been on top of everything.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Make sure you are clear on any diagnosis, your goals, and medicines that you are taking.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown takes the time to listen to you and your partner. He remembers who you are each time you go in and remembers your diagnosis. He is very positive.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
After 8 years of infertility, countless medicated cycles, 4 failed IUI's, 3 laproscopy surgeries, stage 2 endometriosis diagnosis we turned to Dr. Brown for IVF. We are just beginning the process. He did a hysteroscopy to remove what my OBGYN had determined was Asherman's but Dr. Brown did not find any and explained how my OBGYN may have misdiagnosed me. He did remove 2 polyps. I just got my official calendar last week and completed blood work today.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Karen Maor)
She is very down to earth. She explained the IVF process completely and fully. When I email her she replies almost immediately. As soon as I paid the initial fee she emailed me my official calendar the next day. She got my blood work papers to me as soon as I emailed her which lab my insurance company preferred.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
Strengths: compassion, spa atmosphere, organized, responds adequately, keeps you update, contacts you immediately, takes care of you medicine orders and many things that a working adult may not have time to complete and deal with. They remember things that you may forget and remind you of deadlines.
Weaknesses: none
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
The IVF is a little over $9,000. This is for everything including ICSI, anaesthesia, and freezing embryos.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
If you are 35+ years old Dr. Brown prefers to transfer 2 embryos. I am completely fine with that because I want my chances of success as high as possible.
Doctor Brown was kind and took the time to answer all of my questions and ease my concerns. He was always very positive and reassuring that I would get pregnant and to trust the process.... He's busy, but he will take the time to make sure you are comfortable and understand what the process entails....I was not told the exact name of the protocol. I do know that I had to change some medication during the egg retrieval because I was responding to well
There are 2 offices (locations) that you have to visit during your treatments so that can sometimes be frustrating. But they are worth it. They [Brown Fertility] are very organized and have Saturday hours which are convenient. They are respectful of your time. I onl t had an unusually long wait once, but for the inconvenience they gave me a voucher for a free massage.... Ivf was $9,000 without meds
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Doctor Brown was kind and took the time to answer all of my questions and ease my concerns. He was always very positive and reassuring that I would get pregnant and to trust the process. I kept my faith in God and it was a success
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
If you feel uncomfortable about something or have questions don't hesitate to ask and receive clarity. He's busy, but he will take the time to make sure you are comfortable and understand what the process entails.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
All of the nurses in the office are very sweet and take the time to remember details about you. Emily is great! Dr. Brown is kind and as emotionally supportive as any man that sees patients struggling with fertility on a daily bases can be.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
I was not told the exact name of the protocol. I do know that I had to change some medication during the egg retrieval because I was responding to well and producing too many eggs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Morgan)
They are sweet, caring and compassionate. I love them!
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
There are 2 offices (locations) that you have to visit during your treatments so that can sometimes be frustrating. But they are worth it. They are very organized and have Saturday hours which are convenient. They are respectful of your time. I onl t had an unusually long wait once, but for the inconvenience they gave me a voucher for a free massage.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
Ivf was $9,000 without meds and an additional $350 for anesthesia during egg retrieval. We had to pay an additional $1000 to complete an FET because we had a mandatory freeze all due to OHSS. Our 2nd FET was $3,500 without meds
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
He is very verbal about the risk associated with multiples and the health risk and possible complications. He suggest onl y transferring 1 embryo for fresh and 2 for frozen.
Dr. Brown has a kind manner to him. He is very positive and up-beat. He also is great about explaining the process to you while it is going on so you don't feel left in the dark. The only appointment that I didn't see Dr. Brown for was the egg retrieval as they have another doctor in their clinic complete those... For my first FET, I used Crinone and for the second, I used progesterone in oil injections. The Estradiol and progesterone continued until we got our negative pregnancy tests.
Overall this clinic was great. We did our monitoring appointments locally and had the results sent to them, but any time I needed to get in touch with someone, there was always an answer. Even when I had to repeatedly call them at 7am because bloodwork orders weren't received (the issue was on the lab's side, not Brown Fertility's), they were always quick to respond.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown has a kind manner to him. He is very positive and up-beat. He also is great about explaining the process to you while it is going on so you don't feel left in the dark. The only appointment that I didn't see Dr. Brown for was the egg retrieval as they have another doctor in their clinic complete those.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Everyone at Dr. Brown's office was incredible! They talked with you and not at you or down to you. The nurses remembered nuances from previous visits that let us know that they saw us as people.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
For the retrieval, we did birth control for 3 weeks leading up to starting the protocol. Five days after stopping the birth control, I started taking 225 units Gonal-F and 20 units Lo Dose HCG. I continued this until the retrieval (we did lower the Gonal-F dosage slightly the week of the retrieval because I was producing a ton of follicles).
For the frozen transfers, I took birth control for about 3 1/2 weeks. At week 3, I started taking 10 units Lupron. The Lupron continued for almost 4 weeks. I started taking Estradiol around 2 weeks before the transfer and started progesterone 1 week before. For my first FET, I used Crinone and for the second, I used progesterone in oil injections. The Estradiol and progesterone continued until we got our negative pregnancy tests.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Sarah Howell)
Sarah was very helpful during the frozen embryo transfer process. Whenever I had a question, I was able to get in touch with her usually within 24 hours - if not Sarah, then I would always be able to speak with someone who could help. The only thing I didn't care for about the FET nurse versus the nurse I had during the retrieval process was that they didn't call you after your monitoring appointments to let you know how things looked. The response I received upon calling and asking for an update was that they would call us if there was a problem and if everything looked ok, they wouldn't call. When you are spending as much time, money, and energy on this, it is nice to get a call either way just to ease your mind.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
Overall this clinic was great. We did our monitoring appointments locally and had the results sent to them, but any time I needed to get in touch with someone, there was always an answer. Even when I had to repeatedly call them at 7am because bloodwork orders weren't received (the issue was on the lab's side, not Brown Fertility's), they were always quick to respond.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
The IVF process cost $8,995 plus a $375 initiation fee. There was also a $350 charge for the anesthesia for the retrieval and a $549 for the trial transfer.
When we had to cancel our fresh transfer, they charged us an additional $1000 for the frozen embryo transfer cycle.
When we did our second FET, the total cost was $3870 ($3495 + $375 initiation fee).
All medications were charged separately, and we also paid separately for the monitoring ultrasounds since we didn't go to Brown Fertility for them. If we had gone to the clinic, the ultrasounds would've been included in the prices we originally paid.
Dr. Brown was not only our doctor, but he helped counsel my husband and I without pressuring us to do the next step unless it's what we agreed upon. I appreciated his transparency. Dr. Brown's goal wasn't just to get us pregnant, but to ensure that my body was properly operating in order to become pregnant.... Dr. Brown always explained everything to us in a professional, but blunt manner. I appreciated his honesty, even though the news wasn't always what I wanted to hear, he still had a way of being sensitive.
All of the staff [Brown Fertility] is compassionate, friendly and very personable. I consider a lot of them friends now. They always encourage you. The clinic's weakness is time management. I didn't always have to wait an hour for an appointment, but it did happen quite often. I would tell potential patients to be patient and know that the staff really does care and take the time to address all of the patient's needs (even if it takes longer)....
Monitoring ultrasounds were $150. Insemination was $500.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown was not only our doctor, but he helped counsel my husband and I without pressuring us to do the next step unless it's what we agreed upon. I appreciated his transparency. Dr. Brown's goal wasn't just to get us pregnant, but to ensure that my body was properly operating in order to become pregnant.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Make early appointments and be prepared to wait if you don't. Just know that none of the staff are going to rush through your appointment and that is why they run behind. Don't be surprised if you have to wait for an hour. Know going to the appointment that you will have to wait (not always, but a lot of the time).
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown always explained everything to us in a professional, but blunt manner. I appreciated his honesty, even though the news wasn't always what I wanted to hear, he still had a way of being sensitive.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
We did 8 rounds of IUI using femara and ovidrel. It wasn't standard protocol for patients to do 8 rounds of IUI, but at the time, that is all my husband was willing to do and Dr. Brown respected that. We knew the likelihood of having a positive outcome was slim, but as couple, that is what we agreed upon. When we finally decided to do IVF, we completed one egg retrieval and retrieved 8 eggs. One didn't make it and another one didn't survive as an embryo. We had 6 healthy embryos. We transferred one fresh, day 5 blastocyst that resulted in with a negative pregnancy test. After that we transferred two frozen day 5 embryos that resulted in a twin pregnancy for which I am 30 weeks along currently. :)
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Morgan Weidner)
Morgan was always available via email to answer any questions. When I phoned her, if I couldn't talk to her right away, she would always phone me back. Love her!
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
All of the staff is compassionate, friendly and very personable. I consider a lot of them friends now. They always encourage you. The clinic's weakness is time management. I didn't always have to wait an hour for an appointment, but it did happen quite often. I would tell potential patients to be patient and know that the staff really does care and take the time to address all of the patient's needs (even if it takes longer).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
Monitoring ultrasounds were $150. Insemination was $500. Standard IVF was $8500, but that did not include medicine, ICSI, embryo storage and other fees. FET was $5000 (I think). I was very blessed that my insurance covered all of this.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
My husband and I were always told what was recommended, but were allowed to make the ultimate decision. In the end, we did what was recommended.
If you are under 35 he [Dr. Samuel Brown] will only implant 1 embryo...every time I saw dr brown he was present. Like he listened to everything. Talked to us...very smart and though he is more analytical and goal focused, he is never rude or mean. He gets excited when discussing how procedures are done and you can tell he genuinely enjoys what he does...let's you choose the coarse of action sometimes. With us. He gave us how each procedure would work (medicated times sex. Iui. Ivf) we have completed the iuis first and they were not successful so we ar removing on to ivf
Strengths [at Brown Fertility] - communication. Flexibility. Compassion weakness- location and that under 35 only gets 1 egg transfer You will always enjoy seeing the people there. Email and phone messages are returned quickly...They [nurses] are kind they care they follow up I believe they go above and beyond what a normal staff should have to do. I have never had the pleasure of being a patient of so many wonderful women before
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr Brown is very smart and though he is more analytical and goal focused, he is never rude or mean. He gets excited when discussing how procedures are done and you can tell he genuinely enjoys what he does.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Start saving now. Even though he is the most affordable we found. It's still a bill you can't get used to.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
The office is always busy. But every time I saw dr brown he was present. Like he listened to everything. Talked to us. All his nurses and staff are friendly. Everyone seems to genuinely care. When you have the inevitable breakdown from the stress and heartbreak of another failed month I am never shut down. I am met with concern encouragement and kindness.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
Dr brown let's you choose the coarse of action sometimes. With us. He gave us how each procedure would work (medicated times sex. Iui. Ivf) we have completed the iuis first and they were not successful so we ar removing on to ivf
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Emily NP)
I have zero weaknesses to write about. They are kind they care they follow up I believe they go above and beyond what a normal staff should have to do. I have never had the pleasure of being a patient of so many wonderful women before
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
Strengths - communication. Flexibility. Compassion
weakness- location and that under 35 only gets 1 egg transfer
You will always enjoy seeing the people there. Email and phone messages are returned quickly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
I had to pay about 500 per iui with a 90 dollar shot and my IVF will be about 5k with 3k worth of shots... of course this all depends on your insurance. Since Florida Blue does not offer very great fertility coverage I have had to foot a lot of the bills
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
If you are under 35 he will only implant 1 embryo. I dont personally agree with it. It's very upsetting to know u could have a higher chance with 2 but he doesnt want to risk too many multiples.
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
When we were getting ready for the genetic testing we had to do a gene screening. I tested positive for taysacs. I amMethodist. My husband who is ashkenazi Jewish needed to be tested to see if we could ever conceive together. The results took forever to get in. And when they were finally in it took 2 days to get someone who "could read the results". Looking back the wait time was not that bad but i was freaking out about the possibility of never being able to have a child with my husband. When I finally got the call and I inevitably broke down (from the good news that he was a negative carrier) the nurse was very apologetic and seemed to care that I was so upset about having to wait. This is the only issue I have ever had.
Happy upbeat guy who's welling to give you as much time as you need to understand everything.... when we went for our consultation this was for a second opinion. We had been previously told by another Dr that we couldn't start ivf until I lost 50lbs because it would make the retrieval difficult. When we went to Dr Brown he said it was hogwash that we could start ivf, he also gave us the option of doing another iui with him first. We opted to start the ivf cycle with my next cycle.
I love the ladies at Brown fertility they were so compassionate and caring. They are willing to work to get things done. They want to make sure that you're getting the next care possible.... sometimes they can run behind, but be patient they're going to give you some great care. They'll give you all your options and explain what they think is your best route, but give you the option to chose your route and what you want to do.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Happy upbeat guy who's welling to give you as much time as you need to understand everything. Breaks things down and explains why you're doing it. He also treats you as a person and not just another patient he has to get through.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
trust him, if he's telling you to do something do it.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
when we went for our consultation this was for a second opinion. We had been previously told by another Dr that we couldn't start ivf until I lost 50lbs because it would make the retrieval difficult. When we went to Dr Brown he said it was hogwash that we could start ivf, he also gave us the option of doing another iui with him first. We opted to start the ivf cycle with my next cycle. We started on bc for 2 wks then stims, then did a freeze all. Frozen transfer which resulted in a positive pregnancy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Hailey )
I love the ladies at Brown fertility they were so compassionate and caring. They are willing to work to get things done. They want to make sure that you're getting the next care possible.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
sometimes they can run behind, but be patient they're going to give you some great care. They'll give you all your options and explain what they think is your best route, but give you the option to chose your route and what you want to do.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
since i had met my out of pocket max just the deposit to hold my cycle spot
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
If we did a fresh we could only transfer 1 where if we did a frozen we had the option to transfer 2
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Lost appointments
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
just once we had an appointment that was not put into the system but they worked us in and we were seen pretty close to when our appointment was supposed to be.
He [Dr. Samuel Brown] used the protocol that he uses for all of his patients. I don’t feel like I was treated as an individual at all...We are facing secondary infertility at age 32 (now 33) and were not told why we were having trouble and were never told of my extremely low AMH levels (even after two failed transfers). I feel that my labs were either not reviewed at all (which cost us $3000 out of pocket) or if they were, the reason for our infertility was never relayed to us.
The clinic [Brown Fertility] is very busy and Dr. Brown divides him time between several different locations. Be prepared to wait at your appointments and don’t expect to hear your HSG results that same day...My AMH is extremely low for my age. This was never revealed to me after thousands of dollars of labs were done. My protocol was never changed from the “standard” that could have effected my results or persuaded us to go another direction with our procedures. My labs were drawn and in the clinics hand bedor starting the IVF process.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
When we First met Dr. Brown we were very impressed with his knowledge in bed. He told us that we would have a 90%-100% chance of getting pregnant if we went straight to IVF. We are experiencing secondary fertility at that time 32 years old. We decided to go ahead with IVF process and win had all my labs drawn as well as my husband. We ended up doing a retrieval with a 5 day fresh transfer with one embryo and also a frozen transfer with our last two embryos a few months later ( there were four eggs for trade total, three of them made it to five day embryos). Neither were successful and after our cycle, I was doing my research and looking at my labs for a reason why at 32 years old, we were unable to retrieve any more than four eggs and found out that my AMH levels are extremely low. This was never relayed to me by Dr. Brown which made me think that he either never reviewed my ($5000) labs or did and didn’t tell me. We have started with another Infertility clinic and will not be returning back to Brown Fertility for this reason.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Do not get your hopes up if he promises you the moon. Do your own research and be your own advocate. You have to ask questions and not be afraid to speak up for yourself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
We went to Dr. Brown and were told we would have an 90-100% chance of pregnancy if we did IVF. We are facing secondary infertility at age 32 (now 33) and were not told why we were having trouble and were never told of my extremely low AMH levels (even after two failed transfers). I feel that my labs were either not reviewed at all (which cost us $3000 out of pocket) or if they were, the reason for our infertility was never relayed to us.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
He used the protocol that he uses for all of his patients. I don’t feel like I was treated as an individual at all.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Brown Fertility.
The nursing staff was always very friendly and helpful.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
The clinic is very busy and Dr. Brown divides him time between several different locations. Be prepared to wait at your appointments and don’t expect to hear your HSG results that same day.
The nursing staff is wonderful and always helpful. The front office staff is neutral (not super friendly but also not rude).
Go into your consultation with questions and knowing what you want out of your experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
It was around $9000 for the retrieval and fresh transfer. We also paid $4000 for the second frozen transfer.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
For our frozen transfer, we transferred two embryos mainly because they were our last two.
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Failed to call with results
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
My AMH is extremely low for my age. This was never revealed to me after thousands of dollars of labs were done. My protocol was never changed from the “standard” that could have effected my results or persuaded us to go another direction with our procedures. My labs were drawn and in the clinics hand bedor starting the IVF process.
Dr. Brown was very nice and positive. Everything was "we will have you pregnant by the end of the year." This wasn't realistic and ended up being such a disappointment...When he did my HSG he was rough and very quick. I have a high pain tolerance and had to speak up about pain. He did not comment on this and then said "ok right tube blocked. Remember that for our next appointment. We can work with that ." This was as he was rushing out of the room. I was beyond confused and devastated.
The office staff is terrible and lack compassion...They are not professional...They have messed up appointments and billing several times...I would say it's a cattle call and to look elsewhere if possible...She [nurse at Brown Fertility] answered emails quickly and was friendly. She was polite and professional.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown was very nice and positive. Everything was "we will have you pregnant by the end of the year." This wasn't realistic and ended up being such a disappointment. Anytime we had a question or wanted to speak with him we had to pay our co pay of 60 dollars. When he did my HSG he was rough and very quick. I have a high pain tolerance and had to speak up about pain. He did not comment on this and then said "ok right tube blocked. Remember that for our next appointment. We can work with that ." This was as he was rushing out of the room. I was beyond confused and devastated. Also I think he should remember and not ask the patient to. When we did the Laparoscopy both tubes were actually open. We had a five minute appointment with him and that was it. For IVF I saw him once for one ultrasound. It was about 2 mins after waiting 45. They had done 38 IVF in one cycle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
I would say it's a cattle call and to look elsewhere if possible.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
The wait times were never under 30-45 minutes. I spent a total of 30 minutes total if that with Dr.Brown since beginning treatment. The doctor who came to do my egg retrieval and transfer was a man I never met and he did not know me or my situation. I did not feel like he cared. When we were there to do the transfer we only had two embryos left and out of no where he goes I would go ahead and transfer both even though for your age we only do one because you might have poor ovarian reserve. I had never heard that before and he didn't even have my chart. So he added all this worry and without any facts. Luckily the embryologist spoke up and said to just transfer one due to it not increasing chances (only 5 percent) and being more of a risk. No one ever called to follow up unless it was to ask for more money.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
For my IUIs I was on low dose Femara. I would have 2 ultrasounds. One baseline. One to check progress. Trigger with Ovidrel. Then IUI 36 hours later.
For IVF I was on the lowest doses of Gonal F and HCG after a Baseline ultrasound. Next ultrasound to check progress I was cancelled due to over response. I had to go back on birth control again and be scheduled the next month. He lowered the dose of Gonal F. I did Cetrotide for 3 days until I triggered with Ovidrel. Also baby aspirin whole cycle. Then after retrieval progesterone and estridol.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Kristina Maor)
She answered emails quickly and was friendly. She was polite and professional.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
The office staff is terrible and lack compassion. They are money hungry. They are not professional. They are difficult to work with. They are not flexible. They have no empathy.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
60 co pay to see doctor or ask a question
250 per ultrasound
500 per IUI
9k for IVF not including medication. Not including mock transfer. Not including blood work. Not including storing frozen embryos. Not including anesthesia
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
They have messed up appointments and billing several times.
Dr. Samuel was a very compassionate doctor. When I had my first consultation I met with his ARNP Emily who was very nice and sweet as well.... My next appointment I met with Dr. Brown, due to my medical history (abscess on my fallopian tube due an reaction from the HSG) he wanted to see if we could try alternative methods instead of going through with IVF....He is someone that you can trust, he will explain everything to you and will also answer your questions in full detail.
I have not had a bad experience with the clinic, they [Brown Fertility] are really helpful and caring. The staff were genuine and made you feel as though you were speaking to a good friend. The environment of the facility was a very nice environment and the staff would check on you periodically to make sure you were fine while waiting. For me the wait time was not long at all about 30 minutes was the longest I waited for an appointment.
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Samuel was a very compassionate doctor. When I had my first consultation I met with his ARNP Emily who was very nice and sweet as well. Emily was very compassionate and explained the possibilities of what could happen. My next appointment I met with Dr. Brown, due to my medical history (abscess on my fallopian tube due an reaction from the HSG) he wanted to see if we could try alternative methods instead of going through with IVF. After the surgery it was concluded that after all of the scar tissue I had on my fallopian tubes that we would not be able to do a non invasive treatment and needed to do IVF. Due financial issues we were unable to continue because we could not afford to do IVF. Currently we are saving up to do a round. Dr. Brown did assure me that I would be able to carry but because the egg is unable to meet the sperm in my body I could not conceive naturally. Overall the staff was wonderful and made me feel fully comfortable with all that was going on and was very thorough with all that occurred.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
He is someone that you can trust, he will explain everything to you and will also answer your questions in full detail. You wont think he is rushing as he gives you all the time you need to fully understand what he is saying to you.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Emily ARNP)
Emily was very compassionate and made sure you understood all that was happening before she moved on. Loved her
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
I have not had a bad experience with the clinic, they are really helpful and caring. The staff were genuine and made you feel as though you were speaking to a good friend. The environment of the facility was a very nice environment and the staff would check on you periodically to make sure you were fine while waiting. For me the wait time was not long at all about 30 minutes was the longest I waited for an appointment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
Dr. Brown did our egg retrieval and transfer. He did a fresh transfer with only one egg because I was under the age of 30. He only transfers more than 1 embryo of you're over 30. They did ICSI on all our embryos...Dr. Brown is very knowledgeable and good at what he does. He understands his field very well and has compassion for his patients. He can tend to be somewhat flighty and forget who his patients are from time to time though...He's a good doctor, but can seem like he doesn't know his patients that well because he sees so many on a daily basis
This clinic [Brown Fertility] is like a well oiled machine. They are very efficient at what they do. Patients get in and out easily, but the wait times can sometimes be very long so be prepared to wait. The waiting rooms are nice but there's always that awkward silence you find at any fertility clinic...Dr. Brown has a wonderful nursing staff! They made the entire process so much easier. They are all very compassionate and understanding...It's easy to feel like a number when they group you in a cycle with a bunch of other people
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown is very knowledgeable and good at what he does. He understands his field very well and has compassion for his patients. He can tend to be somewhat flighty and forget who his patients are from time to time though. There were a few times he asked us the same questions multiple times.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
He's a good doctor, but can seem like he doesn't know his patients that well because he sees so many on a daily basis
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
It's easy to feel like a number when they group you in a cycle with a bunch of other people
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
Dr. Brown did our egg retrieval and transfer. He did a fresh transfer with only one egg because I was under the age of 30. He only transfers more than 1 embryo of you're over 30. They did ICSI on all our embryos but they didn't do genetic testing on them, only on my partner and myself. We did end up getting pregnant with the 1 embryo. 14 eggs were retrieved and 13 fertilized.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Brown Fertility.
Dr. Brown has a wonderful nursing staff! They made the entire process so much easier. They are all very compassionate and understanding
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
This clinic is like a well oiled machine. They are very efficient at what they do. Patients get in and out easily, but the wait times can sometimes be very long so be prepared to wait. The waiting rooms are nice but there's always that awkward silence you find at any fertility clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
At the time of our egg retrieval and embryo transfer we paid around 14k for medicine and the procedure. Just an embryo transfer is around 4k.
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
Dr. Brown only likes to transfer 1 embryo for those patients under 30. He didn't like the idea of transferring more than 2 at a time. He stated that the odds didn't increase anymore with putting more embryos into the uterus.
I really like Dr. Brown. However I did not feel like his treatment process best met my needs. I did not feel like an individual patient at this clinic I felt like I was just a number. I rarely saw Dr. Brown. I saw Dr. Rose a few times and really liked him as well. However there was never any communication about when I would not be seeing Dr. Brown. What upset me the most was how I felt like we were herded like cattle through the IVF and FET process. Waiting times were often delayed
For the most part, the nursIng staff [Brown Fertility] was very nice and the coordinators we nice as well. I feel like they had so many patients to manage it was hard to sometimes answer the questions that we had in a timely manner. We also were switched around many times to different nurses and coordinators throughout the process. During one our trial transfer we had a nurse that was either brand new, trained properly, or incompetent
How was your experience with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
I really like Dr. Brown. However I did not feel like his treatment process best met my needs. I did not feel like an individual patient at this clinic I felt like I was just a number. I rarely saw Dr. Brown. I saw Dr. Rose a few times and really liked him as well. However there was never any communication about when I would not be seeing Dr. Brown. What upset me the most was how I felt like we were herded like cattle through the IVF and FET process. Waiting times were often delayed and the waiting times to complete the IVF and FET procedures were usually delayed way over an hour. In my opinion this is unacceptable and unprofessional. It was also not communicated well when a doctor other than Dr. Brown would be doing a procedure. I walked into an FET procedure meeting a doctor I had never met before for the first time. I, along with many other patients that were waiting as well we’re very upset about this. I also feel that there were several things that were not communicated to me a precaution that I could have taken. I did not know that I should not be taking allergy medicine while doing IUIs. Additionally I have an MTHR factor that could have easily tested for however was not. I only found out that I had this factor because I pulled up previous test results that I had with my primary care physician. This is something that is important to know when trying to conveive. I finally had had enough and switched to a new doctor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Do your research. Ask a lot of questions and make them answer them and take the time to answer them. Verify who your doctor will be for all of your procedures. Expect to wait a long time. Appointments are rarely ever on time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility?
Dr. Brown is very nice but he does batch cycling. So all of his patients who are having a certain procedure or herded into a one-week timeframe. There were so many people waiting for the same procedure and appointments every time I went when it was for IVF or FET. I felt like we were moved through the process like cattle. It was not enjoyable and very stressful. I also did several unmedicated IUIs (only trigger shot) with This facility. These are more tailored to your own cycle.
Describe the protocols Samuel Brown used in your cycles at Brown Fertility and their degree of success.
We did IUI several times. They were unmedicated except for the trigger shot. We did not see a doctor for these but an NP performed all of them. We then moved on to IVF. During a scan they found cells in my uterus and we were scheduled to do a hyperoscopy. We had a fresh transfer that was successful but ended in a miscarriage. We then had one FET.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Brown Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Don’t remember. It changed in the middle and several times )
For the most part, the nursIng staff was very nice and the coordinators we nice as well. I feel like they had so many patients to manage it was hard to sometimes answer the questions that we had in a timely manner. We also were switched around many times to different nurses and coordinators throughout the process. During one our trial transfer we had a nurse that was either brand new, trained properly, or incompetent (i thri k it was more that latter). She could not find certain equipment that the doctor was looking for during the procedure and you could tell that he was getting very frustrated. She also did not know how to use the machine properly to print out the uktrasounds. The most alarming experience was that she was the nurses helping complete one of our FETs. During the procedure she could not find the equipment that the doctor wanted. And just was completely an experienced with doing this process. It was shocking to say the least.
Describe your experience with Brown Fertility.
Strengths: apparently they have a high success rate. I was not one of them though. Clean facility and nice atmosphere.
Weaknesses: batch cycling, not seeing a doctor each visit, wait times, miscommunications, not setting the correct expectations.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Samuel Brown at Brown Fertility.
Our insurance does not cover any fertility treatments. Below are the estimated costs that I remember. Appointment visit $250 - $500, IUI $3000, IVF $10,000, all medications for IVF and FET $20,000
Describe Samuel Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Brown Fertility.
I wanted to transfer two embryos and Dr. Brown and Dr. Rose were OK with this
What specific things went wrong at Brown Fertility?
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Brown Fertility.
Did not test for a MTHFR factor which is relevant for Fertility
Did not appropriate communicate which medication you should not be taking during fertility treatments