Steven Sondheimer

Penn Fertility Care

Rated 9
Strongly recommend: 92%Don't recommend: 8%9
92% strongly recommend
8 reviews
Humanity
9.2
9.2
Humanity

Ratings of 1 mean patients felt this doctor treated them as "a number."

Ratings of 10 mean patients felt this doctor treated them as "a human."

Communication
9.7
9.7
Communication

Ratings of 1 mean poor communication.

Ratings of 10 mean excellent communication.

Frequency Seen
6
6
Frequency Seen

Ratings of 1 mean patients only saw this doctor once or twice during treatment.

Ratings of 10 mean patients saw this doctor at every appointment.

Responsiveness
8.2
Good
Responsiveness

Scale is "poor, ok, good, excellent" and measures how responsive a care team was when patients needed to speak to them.

Education

Medical School
U. of Pennsylvania
Residency
U. of Pennsylvania
Fellowship
U. of Pennsylvania

How Doctor Communicates

doctor, nurse available by email
nurse available by directline
nurse available by directline
doctor available by personal cell phone
doctor available by personal cell phone
Steven Sondheimer works in 1 office at

Penn Fertility Care
Rated 7.4
Strongly recommend: 49%Neutral: 28%Don't recommend: 24%7.4

Explore Clinic
Philadelphia - Market
3701 Market St., 8th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104

8 patient reviews

Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2014 - 2018, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 28 - 32
2 IUI
1 Embryo Freezing
Anovulation
Endometriosis
PCOS
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
European
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income $50K - $99K
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Sondheimer and his nurse would personally call me back when I called with questions. He was so incredibly kind, especially after my first miscarriage, which was before I was in treatment with him. When I had to leave the practice due to insurance changes and a move out of the area, he called to tell me that he would always be there to support me in what I needed, and that he would love to keep in touch about life, good news, and my professional career
This clinic [U of Penn] has many strengths, in my opinion. It is relatively easy to get an appointment within a reasonable timeframe for consults, and they are flexible with scheduling for labs and ultrasounds. They have a very knowledgeable financial counselor who works with insurances to get coverage when possible. They do all of their labs in-house, and results are reported relatively quickly. They have their own embryology labs directly connected to the OR's where they do retrievals, which is great.
How was your experience with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr. Sondheimer is very kind and compassionate. He takes the time to fully understand your story and your goals. I felt like I was very prepared for all of my procedures (HSG, IUI, egg retrieval), and knew I was in good hands. After my first miscarriage, he called multiple times to see how I was doing, both physically and mentally. I never felt like he was rushing me out of his office, and he treated me like family.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Ask every question you have! Write them down and take your list with you. He will take all the time he needs to answer them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr. Sondheimer and his nurse would personally call me back when I called with questions. He was so incredibly kind, especially after my first miscarriage, which was before I was in treatment with him. When I had to leave the practice due to insurance changes and a move out of the area, he called to tell me that he would always be there to support me in what I needed, and that he would love to keep in touch about life, good news, and my professional career (I'm a physician). I never felt rushed with him, and he made sure I felt cared for at a very vulnerable time in my life.
Describe the protocols Steven Sondheimer used in your cycles at Penn Fertility Care and their degree of success.
I did a stimulation protocol as follows: 1. Lupron for 10 days 2. Start Gonal-F 3. Add Menopur 4. hCG trigger shot I had monitoring appointments daily during stimulation. I have PCOS, so there was a slight concern of OHSS. My doctor retrieved 23 eggs, 19 of which fertilized. 8 of those matured, 5 were frozen on Day 5, and 3 were frozen on Day 6. I don't recall the exact grading, but my doctor assured me that they only ever froze embryos they thought would be successful as FET's.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Penn Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Madeline)
Madeline was the best! She fully explained everything and called me daily with updates to my medications and treatment plans. The rest of the nurses with whom I interacted in the office were also great. They were all very friendly and helpful.
Describe your experience with Penn Fertility Care.
This clinic has many strengths, in my opinion. It is relatively easy to get an appointment within a reasonable timeframe for consults, and they are flexible with scheduling for labs and ultrasounds. They have a very knowledgeable financial counselor who works with insurances to get coverage when possible. They do all of their labs in-house, and results are reported relatively quickly. They have their own embryology labs directly connected to the OR's where they do retrievals, which is great. They require IVF education sessions before beginning a cycle, which is really helpful for getting questions answered about the process in general and what to expect. At the Market Street location, there is street parking, but there is also a garage and they will validate your parking so it's only $5, which is great for Philadelphia! I have not been to the other 2 locations. The only weakness that I can report is that your primary doctor may not be the one doing all the procedures. They do have fellows there who are training, but they are well-supervised by the attending physicians.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care.
I was very fortunate to have insurance that covered fertility treatments entirely. I paid copays for my appointments. The embryo storage fee I believe was $550 for the initial freeze + 3 months, and then $225 billed quarterly after that.
Describe Steven Sondheimer's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Penn Fertility Care.
I did not have an embryo transfer yet, but my doctor usually recommends single embryo transfer, because transferring 2 doesn't significantly increase your chance of pregnancy, and also to avoid the risk that comes with carrying multiples.
NPS
10
Doctor
Steven Sondheimer
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
NPS
10
Clinic
Penn Fertility Care
Philadelphia - Market
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+
2017 - 2018, Unknown Success
NPS
9
NPS
9
Age 35 - 36
PCOS
Unexplained
European
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income $100K - $199K
2nd of 2 Docs
9 IUI With Other Docs
Donor Sperm
LGBTQ+
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Not sure
Dr. Sondheimer puts a lot of personal thought into every stage of care, and is both flexible and direct with his opinions. I truly feel like he cares, even though I haven't yet become pregnant... been in this field for a very long time. He is good at direct communication, and I feel that I am in the hands of an expert. He makes himself available as much as possible, and when he is not able to he makes sure I am in good hands with his colleagues. He sometimes seems rushed, but he is always concentrating on me.
After a couple of failed letrozole IUIs, I tried a few rounds of clomid IUI [at University of Pennsylvania Penn Fertility Care]. When that didn't work, I added injectables (Follistim). All of those were with Ovidrel trigger. After round 9, I moved to IVF using Gonal F, Menopur, Ganarelix, and Novarel trigger...All have this has been with donor sperm, as my partner is another woman...She [nurse] always calls me when she says she will, and always answers all of my questions. I feel I am in good hands.
How was your experience with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
He is a caring man who has been in this field for a very long time. He is good at direct communication, and I feel that I am in the hands of an expert. He makes himself available as much as possible, and when he is not able to he makes sure I am in good hands with his colleagues. He sometimes seems rushed, but he is always concentrating on me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Ask all your questions, even the very minute details. And be prepared to not see him all the time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
The practice itself can be a little overwhelming, in terms of the number of patients and providers-- so in that way sometimes I feel like a number. But Dr. Sondheimer puts a lot of personal thought into every stage of care, and is both flexible and direct with his opinions. I truly feel like he cares, even though I haven't yet become pregnant.
Describe the protocols Steven Sondheimer used in your cycles at Penn Fertility Care and their degree of success.
After a couple of failed letrozole IUIs, I tried a few rounds of clomid IUI. When that didn't work, I added injectables (Follistim). All of those were with Ovidrel trigger. After round 9, I moved to IVF using Gonal F, Menopur, Ganarelix, and Novarel trigger. My retrieval is tomorrow. I have 7 follicles right now. We discussed switching to IUI but Dr Sondheimer didn't recommend it. I am hoping for at least a few embryos. All have this has been with donor sperm, as my partner is another woman.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Penn Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Madeline)
She always calls me when she says she will, and always answers all of my questions. I feel I am in good hands.
Describe your experience with Penn Fertility Care.
They are very efficient. They see a LOT of patients, so you may not get as much time with any particular provider as you might want. You will meet a lot of different doctors. I like all of them, and have had a very good experience. But if you are looking for a more homey atmosphere or touchy feely experience, it's not the place for you. Also it is super convenient to my work-- this is probably the #1 important thing to me, since I have to go so often.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care.
My insurance covered everything for IUIs except for Ovidrel ($35), and donor sperm washing ($150). For IVF most things have been covered. I think genetic testing (PGS) will be around $1850
Describe Steven Sondheimer's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Penn Fertility Care.
He has a strong preference for only transferring 1 frozen embryo at a time. If I do a fresh transfer, he will put in 2.
What specific things went wrong at Penn Fertility Care?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Penn Fertility Care.
Just a small error, they forgot to call in one of my meds-- it was caught quickly.
NPS
9
Doctor
Steven Sondheimer
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
NPS
9
Clinic
Penn Fertility Care
Philadelphia - Market
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
3 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2004 - 2016, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 18 - 30
1 IVF
PCOS
European
Income $50K - $99K
Nurse or HC Services
1st of 5 Docs
Donor Sperm
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
He [Dr. Sondheimer] spent a vast amount of time counseling me and my husband, praising our strength and courage, and supporting us throughout the entire process...He is caring and extremely knowledgable and very methodical in his investigative process when trying to root cause infertility. I've been under his care for 14 yrs as a routine gyn patient due to my PCOS. He was on sabbatical when we ended up doing our retrieval and transfer but he routinely checked in with his RN to see how things were going because he wanted to make sure all was going well. He truly cares about his patients and goes above and beyond as a physician...
Front desk staff [at Upenn - Market] can be a little temperamental and can make you feel likes bother. Overall all of the staff at the clinic, however, are fantastic. Parking is a pain and can be expensive...[Nurse] Rie is fantastic. She always ensured I was comfortable and understood everything. She returns phone calls promptly and spends as much time needed to explain things and a set questions. She personally calls to check in and even to follow up after her weekend off if you had anything done during that time. She came down to check on me after my retrieval as well, even though she wasn't in the OR and was in the office that day...
How was your experience with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr. Sondhiemer is a superb physician at this clinic. He is caring and extremely knowledgable and very methodical in his investigative process when trying to root cause infertility. I've been under his care for 14 yrs as a routine gyn patient due to my PCOS. He was on sabbatical when we ended up doing our retrieval and transfer but he routinely checked in with his RN to see how things were going because he wanted to make sure all was going well. He truly cares about his patients and goes above and beyond as a physician.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
He can be very straightforward, but not in a blunt manner.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
He spent a vast amount of time counseling me and my husband, praising our strength and courage, and supporting us throughout the entire process.
Describe the protocols Steven Sondheimer used in your cycles at Penn Fertility Care and their degree of success.
My protocol was the hyperstimulation protocol due to my PCOS. I was very carefully monitored and was lucky to have no adverse side effects and a very successful round of stimulation and retrieval.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Penn Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Rie Drinker)
Rie is fantastic. She always ensured I was comfortable and understood everything. She returns phone calls promptly and spends as much time needed to explain things and a set questions. She personally calls to check in and even to follow up after her weekend off if you had anything done during that time. She came down to check on me after my retrieval as well, even though she wasn't in the OR and was in the office that day.
Describe your experience with Penn Fertility Care.
Front desk staff can be a little temperamental and can make you feel likes bother. Overall all of the staff at the clinic, however, are fantastic. Parking is a pain and can be expensive.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care.
Approx $6800 for 1 fresh and 1 frozen cycle, retrieval, all monitoring. Meds not included. They cost about another $2000 given my particular insurance coverage (or lack there of)
NPS
10
Doctor
Steven Sondheimer
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
NPS
10
Clinic
Penn Fertility Care
Philadelphia - Market
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2006 - 2016, Unknown Success
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 26 - 36
2 IUI
1 Egg Freezing
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Unexplained
European
Income $100K - $199K
Only Doc Seen
Donor Sperm
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Sometimes he [Dr Steven Sondheimer] can seem rushed, but I find that asking questions gets me a long way. He's very willing to explain everything. I'm on the road to motherhood on my own and he couldn't be more supportive. He's very caring and made sure that I had a good supportive network before I started the process. I went through egg freezing a few years ago and he was great through that also.
The only weakness [at Penn Fertility Care] is that because it's a large teaching hospital, you someone different for your monitoring appointments. My annuals and consults were always with Dr Sondheimer....Ree is like having the sweetest Mom or Grandmom by your side. I can't say enough nice things about her. She is the mellow calming force to the whole process. The rest of the nurses have been super supportive and caring through the whole process. They know me and even if they aren't part of my care that day they always ask how I'm doing and wish me luck.
How was your experience with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Sometimes he can seem rushed, but I find that asking questions gets me a long way. He's very willing to explain everything. I'm on the road to motherhood on my own and he couldn't be more supportive. He's very caring and made sure that I had a good supportive network before I started the process. I went through egg freezing a few years ago and he was great through that also.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Ask questions!!!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Even though I see someone different all the time through the fertility process, I know Dr Sondheimer is leading my team an available whenever I need him to be. He is straight forward and honest; I also find him to be warm and understanding. He lets me know that I'm the one in control and I ultimately make the decisions. The nurses are wonderful!!! I am (trying to be) a single mom by choice and not only is Dr Sondheimer supportive, the staff is also pulling for me every step of the way.
Describe the protocols Steven Sondheimer used in your cycles at Penn Fertility Care and their degree of success.
I don't remember all the medications for the egg retrieval. I know I started on bcp, was on follistim, menapur and I believe Gonal-F. For the IUIs, I do an ultrasound and baseline bloodwork on Day 3 of my cycle, 50 mg of Clomid days 4-8, another ultrasound on Day 12 to check the follicles. The first IUI I did the trigger shot (Ovidrel) the night of CD 12 and had the IUI morning of CD 14. The second time, they did bloodwork on CD 12 to check for an LH surge which I was starting so I triggered as soon as they got the blood results back, 3pm CD 12 and had the IUI the morning of CD 13. I take an at-home pregnancy test two weeks later and call the office with the results. Due to my low AMH and single ovary, if this cycle doesn't work I'll likely move to IVF.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Penn Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Ree Drinker )
Ree is like having the sweetest Mom or Grandmom by your side. I can't say enough nice things about her. She is the mellow calming force to the whole process. The rest of the nurses have been super supportive and caring through the whole process. They know me and even if they aren't part of my care that day they always ask how I'm doing and wish me luck.
Describe your experience with Penn Fertility Care.
The only weakness is that because it's a large teaching hospital, you someone different for your monitoring appointments. My annuals and consults were always with Dr Sondheimer.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care.
I don't recall the costs for egg retrieval. IUI is covered by my insurance.
NPS
10
Doctor
Steven Sondheimer
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
NPS
10
Clinic
Penn Fertility Care
Philadelphia - Market
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2012 - 2015, Successful
NPS
9
NPS
10
Age 33 - 36
3 IUI
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
European
Income $50K - $99K
Only Doc Seen
Fertility Medications With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
He [Dr. Steven Sondheimer] was honest and I felt kept me prepared for a setback or a success. I felt like I always had a plan "B" after each visit so I never really had "false hopes". I also liked that he consulted with other top doctors regarding my care at Penn. He told me their opinions as well and what the plan would be moving forward.... I was a DOR patient based off of egg counts and my AMH level so they treated me very aggressively in my first cycle.
[UPenn's] Strengths- many great doctors that collaborate on cases. Cutting edge research. Ease of appointments. I was always made comfortable, informed and I felt that I was in great hands. You will see a Fellow most likely for ultrasounds (many other practices have techs and don't tell you what is going on while it is happening) Weaknesses- this turned out to be a strength for me personally in hindsight but you see many different fellows/doctors for ultrasounds, IUIs anything but consulting appointments. Your main doctor will be the primary decision maker but you won't see them for every appointment. I wish I knew that upfront and it bothered my during my first cycle but when I came back for the second cycle- I was aware and embraced it and asked many different doctors questions.
How was your experience with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
He was honest and I felt kept me prepared for a setback or a success. I felt like I always had a plan "B" after each visit so I never really had "false hopes". I also liked that he consulted with other top doctors regarding my care at Penn. He told me their opinions as well and what the plan would be moving forward. I felt like they genuinely cared whether I got pregnant and would try anything to get me there!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Ask a lot of questions and request to see him at major appointments. If you aren't comfortable seeing other doctors or fellows, this might not be the practice for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr. Sondheimer and his nurse, Rie were incredible throughout my journey. He personally called me back with answers to questions.
Describe the protocols Steven Sondheimer used in your cycles at Penn Fertility Care and their degree of success.
I was a DOR patient based off of egg counts and my AMH level so they treated me very aggressively in my first cycle. I forget the name of the protocol but I think it was "mini Lupron". I got canceled after my first ultrasound after having a lead egg (I can't remember the terminology!) so they converted it to an IUI. After that, Dr. Sondheimer treated me with a typical cycle instead of one more used for DOR patients. I used high dosages of Follistim though. I had 6 eggs at my baseline and had 7 mature. They retrieved all and 4 made it to Day 5 embryos. We transferred 2 the first round and I had a singleton (now 4). We transferred two frozen 2 years later and my twins are now 2.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Penn Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Rie - she has since retired)
Rie was incredible. She listened to my 100s of questions, was always calm and assuring and kept me so prepared. She was an angel!
Describe your experience with Penn Fertility Care.
Strengths- many great doctors that collaborate on cases. Cutting edge research. Ease of appointments. I was always made comfortable, informed and I felt that I was in great hands. You will see a Fellow most likely for ultrasounds (many other practices have techs and don't tell you what is going on while it is happening) Weaknesses- this turned out to be a strength for me personally in hindsight but you see many different fellows/doctors for ultrasounds, IUIs anything but consulting appointments. Your main doctor will be the primary decision maker but you won't see them for every appointment. I wish I knew that upfront and it bothered my during my first cycle but when I came back for the second cycle- I was aware and embraced it and asked many different doctors questions.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Penn Fertility Care.
The appointments were in the AM (I would go before work) so they could also draw blood (if necessary) and it would leave time for the doctors to review results and adjust your meds if necessary. It was a well oiled machine that ran very smoothly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care.
I was fortunate to have been covered by my insurance.
Describe Steven Sondheimer's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Penn Fertility Care.
The practice encouraged me to transfer 2 each time. I was hesitant during my frozen transfer but I listened and had a multiple pregnancy. Looking back, I wouldn't change it but it was a shock to the system when I found out both took.
NPS
9
Doctor
Steven Sondheimer
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
NPS
10
Clinic
Penn Fertility Care
Philadelphia - Market
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
2009 - 2010, Unsuccessful
NPS
2
NPS
2
Age 31 - 32
5 IUI
1 IVF
Unexplained
European
Income $50K - $99K
2nd of 4 Docs
6 IUI With Other Docs
2 IVF With Other Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
On the positive side, I would say Dr. Sondheimer was careful (perhaps too much so) of my health and making sure I was safe which maybe other doctors did not do enough. My biggest complaint: Though we kept trying to do things and they were NOT working (2 IVFs with the same protocol), they would not try another protocol with me. They did one blanket protocol for everyone.
It [monitoring] was 100% a cattle call. Very very very long waits. Rushed in and out of ultrasounds with techs who were not caring at all (hard to take when you are paying out of pocket!)...I remember she [nurse at Penn Fertility Care] had to give me a Rhogam shot and do betas with me and it was an awful time and she was so kind to me.
How was your experience with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
My biggest complaint: Though we kept trying to do things and they were NOT working (2 IVFs with the same protocol), they would not try another protocol with me. They did one blanket protocol for everyone. Uniqueness was not considered. Also, 8 of my eggs "died" in suspicious circumstances in the lab. I had dozens more eggs they said they couldn't retrieve. And then, they did the same protocol again (no changes) and cancelled a cycle on me. My E2 levels were through the roof. Yet still, for a 3rd IVF they would have recommended no changes! It's unbelievable. There was no innovation or attempt at a new way of looking at a case. On the positive side, I would say Dr. Sondheimer was careful (perhaps too much so) of my health and making sure I was safe which maybe other doctors did not do enough. I also was glad that causes for recurrent pregnancy loss were explored and there was a potential blood clotting issue.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
If you are a basic, straightforward patient, he may be fine (I did get pregnant twice on IUI's though lost those) but if your case is unusual or out of the normal scope, this is not the office for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
He didn't seem to know my case very well or seem personally invested. Long waits, often didn't even see him though he was coordinating my care.
Describe the protocols Steven Sondheimer used in your cycles at Penn Fertility Care and their degree of success.
The Antagonist protocol. That's all they would do for IVF. Unless you were over 35 or PCOS, nothing else would be considered. They even met as a committee to discuss it. For IUI they did try Letrazole for me instead of Clomid as a previous clinic had done, and I got pregnant twice on it (though no success.)
Describe your experience with your nurse at Penn Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Rie)
I remember she had to give me a Rhogam shot and do betas with me and it was an awful time and she was so kind to me.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Penn Fertility Care.
It was 100% a cattle call. Very very very long waits. Rushed in and out of ultrasounds with techs who were not caring at all (hard to take when you are paying out of pocket!) Also they allowed children in the waiting area which was painful at the time.
NPS
2
Doctor
Steven Sondheimer
NPS
Humanity
1 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
NPS
2
Clinic
Penn Fertility Care
Philadelphia - Market
NPS
Operations
3 of 5
Scheduling
2 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
1 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018, Unknown Success
NPS
9
NPS
8
Age 32
3 IUI
1 IVF
Poor Egg Quality
European
Income $100K - $199K
2nd of 2 Docs
1 IUI With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Dr. Sondheimer always took his time when speaking to myself and my husband. He genuinely seemed to care about our process and outcomes.... Overall I was very pleased with Dr. Sondheimer's care. He took the time to explain the process to my husband and I and made changes when necessary in order to get the best outcome. He took time to call me to check-in to see how I was doing when we did not get the outcome we were hoping for.
The one weakness I found was the responsiveness on the weekends as there were a few times I never received a call back from the on call staff [UPenn] even though I called various times. The strength is that the clinic was flexible for appointments.... The nurses have been great. The nurses I worked with directly were always very prompt at returning calls/messages and extremely helpful.... My first round of IVF was covered with my insurance.
How was your experience with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Overall I was very pleased with Dr. Sondheimer's care. He took the time to explain the process to my husband and I and made changes when necessary in order to get the best outcome. He took time to call me to check-in to see how I was doing when we did not get the outcome we were hoping for.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr. Sondheimer always took his time when speaking to myself and my husband. He genuinely seemed to care about our process and outcomes.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Penn Fertility Care.
The nurses have been great. The nurses I worked with directly were always very prompt at returning calls/messages and extremely helpful.
Describe your experience with Penn Fertility Care.
The one weakness I found was the responsiveness on the weekends as there were a few times I never received a call back from the on call staff even though I called various times. The strength is that the clinic was flexible for appointments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care.
My first round of IVF was covered with my insurance. I am currently in my second round of IVF and am expecting to have to pay for 1/2 of the cycle out of pocket.
What specific things went wrong at Penn Fertility Care?
  • Failed to call with results
NPS
9
Doctor
Steven Sondheimer
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
NPS
8
Clinic
Penn Fertility Care
Philadelphia - Market
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
2012 - 2013, Unsuccessful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 35 - 36
3 IUI
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Endometriosis
European
Architect
1st of 2 Docs
3 IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Unsuccessful
I think Dr. Sondheimer is one of the smartest doctors in the Phila area. I would have stayed there, if I had not moved.
Penn staff was very good. Every doctor in the practice knew exactly what you were there for.
How was your experience with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
I think Dr. Sondheimer is one of the smartest doctors in the Phila area. I would have stayed there, if I had not moved.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
ask questions, and listen carefully.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Steven Sondheimer at Penn Fertility Care?
Penn staff was very good. Every doctor in the practice knew exactly what you were there for. They were gentle and kind and knew you were going through something stressful, and managed things appropriately.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Penn Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Marie Drinker)
She was so kind and gentle. She made her self available. The only flaw in the process was explaining sub-contanius injections
NPS
10
Doctor
Steven Sondheimer
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
5 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
NPS
10
Clinic
Penn Fertility Care
Philadelphia - Market
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5

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