Both of my appointments with Dr. Shavell were less than 15 mins long...did not feel like my care was specific to me...Strengths...education and knowledge for fertility treatment...Weaknesses: assumed knowledge and competence, treating you like a number, bedside manner, lack of face to face interaction with the provider or feeling like she was part of the care planning
[AT The Fertility Center of Michigan] The ultrasound techs did not display good bedside manner...never heard anything from the clinic after completion of this bloodwork...Strengths...quick and efficient with your ultrasounds...Same with IUIs- 25-30 min in and out. Weaknesses: feeling like a number, not warm personalities, poor bedside manner
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Strengths: she clearly has the education and knowledge for fertility treatment, her office is filled with degrees from prestigious institutions.
Weaknesses: assumed knowledge and competence, treating you like a number, bedside manner, lack of face to face interaction with the provider or feeling like she was part of the care planning
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Ask a lot of questions, advocate for yourself, be prepared to feel like a number, but at the end of the day, if you get a baby, feeling like a number probably doesn’t bother you too much
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I did not feel like my care was specific to me and what had or had not worked for me in the past. I had a friend who had previously been a patient under the Fertility Center and she told me the exact recommendations and treatment plan I would receive from them after my initial consultation. What my friend told me was the exact treatment protocol I receive even though her and I were seeking fertility treatment for different reasons.
Both of my appointments with Dr. Shavell were less than 15 mins long. She often would defer to my husband and I on how we would like to approach things instead of getting her medical opinion on the most appropriate approach for us.
The ultrasound techs did not display good bedside manner. Rarely did they introduce themselves or even explain what they were doing. They assumed knowledge and competence of the process even on my first mid cycle ultrasound. I was having to ask questions, ask which rooms I needed to go to next, etc. As someone who works in healthcare and understands what good bedside manner looks like, I truly didn’t feel like I got that with majority of the people I worked with at the fertility center, with the exception of some of the nursing staff.
I never really felt like anyone was “on my team” at this center. Even something like “good luck, I hope this round works!” goes a long ways.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
5, 7.5, 10 mg of femara with estrogen started immediately after completion of 7.5 and 10 mg of femara and x1 cycle of 100 mg clomid with immediate start of estrogen. I didn’t mature any follicles with that cycle. The other fertility doctor from a different clinic I work with assumes that the estrogen was preventing by body from maturing the follicles and acting more like a birth control because it was started too soon.
I completed 3 IUIs with ovidrel trigger shots.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
They seemed to care the most out of everyone I interacted with and were the most warm.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Strengths: the clinic is quick and efficient with your ultrasounds. You can be in and out the door in 10 mins. Same with IUIs- 25-30 min in and out.
Weaknesses: feeling like a number, not warm personalities, poor bedside manner
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I had more extensive hormonal testing completed to further rule out PCOS and I never heard anything from the clinic after completion of this bloodwork. When I went to my appt a month later, Dr. Shavell never brought anything up about the bloodwork so when I brought it up, she wasn’t even aware of it or that I had it done. She then looked it up in my chart and said “oh, if something had been concerning, I would have called you.” I was just unconvinced that this was the case in this situation and felt like testing that she recommended I have completed was not taken seriously.
Dr. Shavell is very good about clearly communicating all the variables that play into IVF, and remembering the specifics of my situation. She has supported me and my partner with knowledge to help us make the most informed decisions at each step of the way. I appreciate her bedside manner. The only drawback is that she has a very busy schedule and sometimes it can be difficult to get time with her - but when you do get time together she is very attentive and a good listener.
The [Fertility Center of Michigan] clinic has wonderful doctors and nurses who are knowledgeable, professional, and caring. They communicate plans clearly and have helped us navigate every step of this process. Our biggest challenge has been communication on the scheduling and billing side of things - communication should be more clear and efficient from the scheduling and billing departments.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell is very good about clearly communicating all the variables that play into IVF, and remembering the specifics of my situation. She has supported me and my partner with knowledge to help us make the most informed decisions at each step of the way. I appreciate her bedside manner. The only drawback is that she has a very busy schedule and sometimes it can be difficult to get time with her - but when you do get time together she is very attentive and a good listener.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Come prepared with your own questions and research - Dr. Shavell will help guide you along the way. Work to get on her schedule early as Dr. Shavell and her entire clinic are very busy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell is a very kind doctor and person, with a very good bedside manner. However, she is also incredibly busy and the majority of interactions are with her nurses or staff.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
Karyotype Testing
Hysteroscopy
Endosee
3 IUI cycles with Femara and Ovidrel Trigger
Receptive DX Test (diagnosed Silent Endo)
Egg Retrieval with PGT Testing
FET #1 - with Orilissa, Lupron, PIO in lead up (dealing with Silent Endo and a specific blood clotting condition)
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The nurses at The Fertility Center are a very kind and caring bunch. Because the clinic is so busy they can occasionally be difficult to reach over the phone. I've also had to stay very engaged in my own care and conversation with the doctors to ensure details are being followed correctly and as expected.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The clinic has wonderful doctors and nurses who are knowledgeable, professional, and caring. They communicate plans clearly and have helped us navigate every step of this process.
Our biggest challenge has been communication on the scheduling and billing side of things - communication should be more clear and efficient from the scheduling and billing departments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Our situation is unique in that we've chosen to do a fair amount of elective diagnostic testing. Over one year of working with the clinic our total costs for all testing, procedures, medications, cycle management and storage fees have totaled $33K.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell is so empathetic she almost comes off as meek in the consult room, which might be good for some people, but I prefer a doctor to be blunt and tell me like it is. She did perform surgery when I had an ectopic pregnancy and she's much more to the point in the operating room so I was happy with that and she did a great job...The third IUI was positive, but resulted in an ectopic pregnancy found at the 6 week ultrasound. Dr. Shavell recommended methotrexate to terminate the pregnancy. That was followed by two weeks of Beta HCG blood tests every few days and my numbers weren't going down. She recommended a second dose of methotrexate over surgery and that was also ineffective. Two weeks later I fi
you're always seeing someone different [at The Fertility Center of Michigan] so there's bound to be conflicting information...We paid around $35K in 2019 for 1 IUI, 1 egg retrieval + fresh transfer, 2 FET's, meds, labs, etc., etc... think they do a good job for the most part. The reception staff is very sweet. The medical assistants, ultrasound techs, etc. are really compassionate and willing to do whatever they can to help you out. The one thing I would change if I could, is being able to see my primary doctor/nurse for every appointment/procedure. They are so busy that you basically just see whoever is available. Which makes sense since fertility is such a time sensitive thing and comes down to the day you're ovulating so they can't always be available for you, but another doctor/nurse always is.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell is so empathetic she almost comes off as meek in the consult room, which might be good for some people, but I prefer a doctor to be blunt and tell me like it is. She did perform surgery when I had an ectopic pregnancy and she's much more to the point in the operating room so I was happy with that and she did a great job.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I would suggest going into an appointment prepared with lots of questions to ask. I've done a lot of my own research and make lists of things I want to ask her about.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell is empathetic and really spends the time to help my husband and I by explaining everything and letting us ask a ton of questions.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
I've done 4 IUI's under Dr. Shavell's primary care. At the Fertility Center you basically see whichever doctor or nurse is available during your procedures though so a lot of these protocols were assigned by other providers.
Each IUI cycle started with Clomid cycle days 3-5, midcycle ultrasound ~day 10-12, IUI ~day 13-15.
The first two were negative. The third IUI was positive, but resulted in an ectopic pregnancy found at the 6 week ultrasound. Dr. Shavell recommended methotrexate to terminate the pregnancy. That was followed by two weeks of Beta HCG blood tests every few days and my numbers weren't going down. She recommended a second dose of methotrexate over surgery and that was also ineffective. Two weeks later I finally had surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy and my fallopian tube. After methotrexate you have to wait 3 months to conceive so we did a 4th and final IUI that was negative.
At that point we jumped into IVF and prepping for egg retrieval. I can't remember the protocol, but it involved Menopur and Ganirelix, etc. The ER was very successful with 18 eggs retrieved, 17 mature and fertilized, 14 made it to day 3. We did a 3 day fresh transfer with 2 embryos and froze the remaining 12. The result was negative.
We waited a month or so and then began to prep for frozen embryo transfer. It was a long lupron protocol. We transferred 2 embryos, which resulted in miscarriage at ~5.5 weeks.
We waited another month and began the same long lupron protocol again. We decided to thaw all frozen 10 embryos to grow them out to blastocyst with the goal of weeding out some that may be weaker. They all survived thaw and made it to blast. We transferred 2 and refroze the remaining 8. This cycle ended in a chemical pregnancy.
We were getting ready to do some additional testing (hysteroscopy to check for fibroids, etc. and chromosome mapping) before moving forward with the next cycle, but everything is now on hold due to Covid-19. We will also do an ERA cycle prior to the next FET.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
They are wonderful and compassionate in their communication.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I think they do a good job for the most part. The reception staff is very sweet. The medical assistants, ultrasound techs, etc. are really compassionate and willing to do whatever they can to help you out.
The one thing I would change if I could, is being able to see my primary doctor/nurse for every appointment/procedure. They are so busy that you basically just see whoever is available. Which makes sense since fertility is such a time sensitive thing and comes down to the day you're ovulating so they can't always be available for you, but another doctor/nurse always is.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I would estimate that each IUI costs around $1500 including drugs, ultrasounds, and procedure. They don't bill insurance for the male portion, but they've billed my insurance for everything else and majority of it has been covered by Blue Care Network.
We've paid 100% out of pocket for IVF as our insurance does not cover. We paid around $35K in 2019 for 1 IUI, 1 egg retrieval + fresh transfer, 2 FET's, meds, labs, etc., etc.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Dr. Shavell has had no problem transferring two embryos each time, but has made sure to ask that we are ok with the higher chance of having multiples.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Provided conflicting information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Like I stated before in the weaknesses, you're always seeing someone different so there's bound to be conflicting information. I always take the information given and then if I feel like I need a second opinion I'll call and speak with a different nurse/doctor over the phone to get their opinion/confirm what I was told/was recommended to me.
I had one IUI cycle cancelled due to intolerance of drugs prescribed. I took the Clomid as instructed and the doctor also put me on Estradiol to help give my lining a boost. Apparently Estradiol can basically cancel out the clomid in some women so my follicles stopped progressing that cycle. After four rounds of clomid, I've now been told that clomid can actually cause a thin lining, which was my issue, so they switched to Femera for the last two cycles and that really helped thicken my lining.
I've only ever seen Dr. Shavell twice in two years, during consults. She's very sweet, but she has nurses perform IUI procedures (and not very well), a different doctor performed my HSG and any time I place a call or send a message to her directly it's always a nurse that responds...We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility though and given a packet of pre-determined steps with none ever working for us. Our care is really left in the hands of nurses, we never hear from the doctor or see her during/after procedures and ultrasounds unless we want to pay out of pocket for another consult.
All [the nurses at The Fertility Center of Michigan] are kind. Very disappointed they are the ones that perform the IUI though. Had two different nurses and neither really inspired confidence, they knew what to do just didn't seem to have much skill in it. Neither IUI worked and it was $1,400 down the drain...Terrible business hours for anyone that works a regular job and is expected to drive back and forth multiple times a month in the middle of the day for ultrasounds. The staff there also seems to forget everything is being paid out of pocket by most of us and every time we come we're charged hundreds of dollars, and are disapproving when trying to minimize appointments. The front registration staff are phenomenal.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell is very nice and soft spoken, easy to talk to. We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility though and given a packet of pre-determined steps with none ever working for us. Our care is really left in the hands of nurses, we never hear from the doctor or see her during/after procedures and ultrasounds unless we want to pay out of pocket for another consult.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
You're just one of many. She is kind and knowledgeable but don't plan for her to actually be involved in your care unless you're doing IVF.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I've only ever seen Dr. Shavell twice in two years, during consults. She's very sweet, but she has nurses perform IUI procedures (and not very well), a different doctor performed my HSG and any time I place a call or send a message to her directly it's always a nurse that responds.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
HSG that came back normal, 3 rounds of clomid, 4 rounds of Femara in attempt to see if any of these things would produce more follicles to increase chances of pregnancy. I was already ovulating on my own and ended up with multiple follicles twice. Also went on estrogen and progesterone to thicken lining when Femara thinned it. No success from any treatments.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
All are kind. Very disappointed they are the ones that perform the IUI though. Had two different nurses and neither really inspired confidence, they knew what to do just didn't seem to have much skill in it. Neither IUI worked and it was $1,400 down the drain.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Terrible business hours for anyone that works a regular job and is expected to drive back and forth multiple times a month in the middle of the day for ultrasounds. The staff there also seems to forget everything is being paid out of pocket by most of us and every time we come we're charged hundreds of dollars, and are disapproving when trying to minimize appointments. The front registration staff are phenomenal.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Expensive, my insurance doesn't cover most of it. Ultrasounds are frequent and usually cost $175-250 depending on limited or complete (although even when charging for complete ultrasound the cervix isn't evaluated and a VERY fast sweep of the uterus is performed that's not very diagnostic). IUIs were around 700 each time, the HSG was probably closer to 1000 but I can't remember the exact numbers for sure. Consults are over 100, and then another 50 every time I talk to a nurse in the clinic after ultrasounds.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
first appointment with Dr. Shavell felt rushed and I was not given an opportunity to ask questions...second appointment did not feel rushed and she did appear to be genuine in wanting to provide my care...was planning to use an antagonist protocol for me with suppression (Orilissa) before and after egg retrieval
If you have sleep apnea do not schedule a consultation with[ [The Fertility Center of Michigan]...pressured me to provide the expensive (and non-refundable) cycle management fee before I could get all my questions answered...nursing staff were kind, but rushed...are not transparent with their billing.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
My first appointment with Dr. Shavell felt rushed and I was not given an opportunity to ask questions. My second appointment did not feel rushed and she did appear to be genuine in wanting to provide my care. Unfortunately TFC is not able to perform egg retrievals on individuals with obstructive sleep apnea as they do retrievals in their office and they do not offer an option for retrievals in a hospital setting.
Despite thoroughly discussing my medical history with Dr. Shavell, I was not notified that they would not be able to perform an egg retrieval for me until after I had paid the non-refundable cycle management fee and after I had started suppression medication to prepare for a retrieval. Not only did I feel like she left me scrambling to try to find a new fertility specialist, but she also had a physician I had never even met call me to give me the news.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I would recommend doing your research prior to even scheduling your first appointment because you will definitely need to advocate for yourself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I was pressed to pay a significant cycle management fee before I could receive any details about my proposed plan of care or have an opportunity to ask questions about their IVF process. They were also not transparent with their billing.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
She was planning to use an antagonist protocol for me with suppression (Orilissa) before and after egg retrieval. I had been calling several pharmacies to determine the most cost effective option so fortunately I had not ordered and paid for the expensive stimulation medication yet. I was instructed to start the suppression medication prior to egg retrieval and then was notified a couple days later that they would not be able to do an egg retrieval on me because of my diagnosis of sleep apnea (which we had reviewed as part of my medical history during our consultation). I am now several weeks into my suppression therapy and scrambling to establish with a new clinic so that I can continue care and move forward with an egg retrieval.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The nursing staff were kind, but rushed. I was also not assigned a specific nurse so would talk to someone new every time I called.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
If you have sleep apnea do not schedule a consultation with this clinic. They pressured me to provide the expensive (and non-refundable) cycle management fee before I could get all my questions answered. Then I was left hanging and trying to find a new provider after they told me to start my medication for an egg retrieval before calling me a few days later to notify me they would not be able to perform an egg retrieval since I have sleep apnea. Also, it felt cold that they had one of the physicians I had never even met call me to give me this devastating news. Would definitely recommend prospective patients take the time to look into other potential fertility clinics before scheduling a consultation with this one.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I honestly still could not tell you exactly. They are not transparent with their billing. The only breakdown of cost I received was from my insurance statements, not from The Fertility Center. They have an option to talk to someone from billing to try to get an estimate for costs but different people from that department gave me different answers regarding costs for specific procedures. If you are planning on IVF, they pressure you to pay a nonrefundable cycle management fee before they provide detailed information about their protocols and costs. It honestly felt very secretive and shady.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
She was strongly against transferring more than one embryo regardless of patient age or medical history.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Failed to call with results
Lost results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
After pressuring me to pay the non refundable $3,000 cycle management fee and instructing me to start the suppression medication from my protocol, they called to tell me they could not do an egg retrieval for me because I have sleep apnea. I had discussed my diagnosis of sleep apnea with Dr. Shavell during my consultation so was completely caught off guard when they informed me they could not continue providing my treatment. They contract with a mobil anesthesia group to perform egg retrievals in their office. They do not offer egg retrievals in a hospital setting, and also will not perform egg retrievals without sedation. This should have been recognized before I paid a large, non-refundable fee and before I started the medication from my protocol.
Dr Shavell seems knowledgeable and willing to help do what she can to make our treatment successful. She has been proactive with getting testing done early and listened to our concerns. We're in the beginning of our first IVF cycle with her but she was also brought in to perform my IUI when there was a complication. She made me feel at ease.
I've had mostly good experiences with the [The Fertility Center of Michigan] doctors and other staff but communication can be a bit lacking. It's not always easy to get an answer and things have not always been as organized and clearly laid out as I would have liked...The nurses I dealt with have been generally kind and helpful.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr Shavell seems knowledgeable and willing to help do what she can to make our treatment successful. She has been proactive with getting testing done early and listened to our concerns. We're in the beginning of our first IVF cycle with her but she was also brought in to perform my IUI when there was a complication. She made me feel at ease.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
It's okay to express your concerns and ask questions. She listened and made me feel comfortable.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr Shavell took time to meet with us after taking over from our previous doctor who had retired. She was warm and kind and listened to our concerns. She even recommended an additional test that no other doctor had mentioned before for symptoms that most other doctors had dismissed as normal.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
We're not quite to this stage yet as Dr Shavell just took over from another doctor who recently retired. But she has been proactive with getting me to start testing right away even though we're not meant to begin treatment for several months. She also recommended Receptiva testing to help determine if I may have endometriosis. I appreciated that she listened to my concerns and is addressing them before potentially experiencing a failed cycle.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The nurses I dealt with have been generally kind and helpful.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I've had mostly good experiences with the doctors and other staff but communication can be a bit lacking. It's not always easy to get an answer and things have not always been as organized and clearly laid out as I would have liked.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
We paid an additional fee for our IUI because she needed to do an ultrasound during the procedure. We are in the early stages of IVF so I can't say for sure how that will go but tests, prep procedures, and treatments are usually due at time of service. They require to be paid in full for your IVF procedures before they will proceed.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
We were told of the risks of multiple embryo transfers but not pushed either way. We will more than likely transfer two but we have not gotten to that point yet.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Lost paperwork
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The biggest issue administratively has been they somehow forgot to bill us for cryopreserved semen samples for several months. It was not until I asked that we then got a bill in the mail for two quarters plus some they didn't have us pay at time of collection. We also were not happy with being charged for a virtual consult related to COVID when it was all information we already knew.
I appreciate that she [Dr. Shavell] lets me advocate for myself and make decisions to a certain extent of course. I ultimately trust her judgement...I think she’s tried every protocol to get me a good number of embryos and we have. I think she listens and truly wants me to be content with a protocol...She noted that I may need to stim a day longer which we did and even changed up the protocol the last two days and I was shocked at the results...
Unique approach in that they [The Fertility Center of Michigan] mainly do 2-3 day transfers and the 5 day embryo transfer seems like more a request and trouble to do whereas that’s the norm for most clinics, this could be viewed as a weakness. I think their strength would be in their team of doctors who are smart and friendly but you don’t get a lot of face time with them which is hard...
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I think my experience overall has been positive. I’ve done three retrievals now so I think she’s tried every protocol to get me a good number of embryos and we have. I think she listens and truly wants me to be content with a protocol. I think sometimes I don’t get all the answers to my oddball questions, but sometimes she doesn’t have all of the answers and that’s okay. I just like having all the answers!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Advocate for yourself. Be happy with what’s happening because I believe that’s what she wants too.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I think she treats us well and the care is caterer to our situation. I appreciate that she lets me advocate for myself and make decisions to a certain extent of course. I ultimately trust her judgement.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
First we used antagonist because it is the most popular. It didn’t go as well as hoped (less than half of eggs were mature) so we tried long lupron for the second, with hgh just to try something else and see how it would go. That round went okay but I knew it could be better. I asked to do another antagonist with hgh this time and it did go really well. She noted that I may need to stim a day longer which we did and even changed up the protocol the last two days and I was shocked at the results.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of Michigan. (Assigned nurse: Ashley/Erin)
Ashley seems like she has a lot of experience and knowledge. I appreciated that. She answered one question wrong for me and ended up taking Valium before my retrieval so that’s the only weakness. Erin seems new and confers with Ashley a lot. The only way she’s going to learn is experience which I can’t fault her for. It just is nice to have a confident nurse.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Unique approach in that they mainly do 2-3 day transfers and the 5 day embryo transfer seems like more a request and trouble to do whereas that’s the norm for most clinics, this could be viewed as a weakness. I think their strength would be in their team of doctors who are smart and friendly but you don’t get a lot of face time with them which is hard.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
$10,000 for a retrieval (x3)!and around $5-6k for meds (x3), then an additional $2k for frozen transfer
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Day 2 or 3 embryos so they do multiple which I would agree with the logic.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The one instance with the Valium before a retrieval where I was being sedated. Nothing terrible happened I was just very sick and sleepy. Then my second retrieval, I noticed they should’ve told me to use stim medication on the night I triggered which makes me think I might’ve had better results but who knows
Dr. Shavell seems like a great doctor. She does seem to be very busy, but there's a lot of support staff on call to help with the treatment plan...She wanted to push for a single embryo transfer, but we asked for two given my age. We did end up with two transferred the first time...I was put on Orilissa for several months before treatment to help reduce inflammation from endometriosis and fibroids. It seemed to work.
The staff at the Fertility Center are very welcoming and have great bedside manner...The weakness of the clinic is the paperwork they give out such as the calendars are extremely unclear. The strengths are they seem to be very good at working with conditions to ensure optimal outcomes, even if it delays the IVF cycle a bit. Overall the level of care is great, particularly with the on-call nurses available to talk.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell seems like a great doctor. She does seem to be very busy, but there's a lot of support staff on call to help with the treatment plan. So far I have been very happy with the outcomes of her treatment plans and in carefully adjusting them for what's going on with me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
It takes a very long time to get an initial consult so reach out as soon as you think you may be interested.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
The staff at the Fertility Center are very welcoming and have great bedside manner.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
I was put on Orilissa for several months before treatment to help reduce inflammation from endometriosis and fibroids. It seemed to work.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The nursing staff was very helpful. There are extremely confusing IVF calendars they give out, and I believe I was never instructed on what to do for one stage of my transfer, but they have a nurse on call and they always were helpful.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The weakness of the clinic is the paperwork they give out such as the calendars are extremely unclear. The strengths are they seem to be very good at working with conditions to ensure optimal outcomes, even if it delays the IVF cycle a bit. Overall the level of care is great, particularly with the on-call nurses available to talk.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
We have out of state insurance, so it was mostly covered. However, the costs would have been extremely prohibitive without insurance.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
She wanted to push for a single embryo transfer, but we asked for two given my age. We did end up with two transferred the first time.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Some of the paperwork was very confusing and the instructions were not always clear. Overall, this was minor.
One week before the transfer, we discovered my remaining tube now was blocked and had hydro. She [Dr. Valerie Shavell] did another laparoscopy to remove it. And we are waiting for Covid to be stable before doing the transfer our last two remaining embryos...She seems to prefer two embryos while giving the risks of multiple pregnancies but letting us know that the success rates are higher with transferring two vs one...She was extremely sympathetic while waiting for an imminent miscarriage. She has great bedside manner and expresses empathy for the ups and downs of the process.
IUIs - a couple hundred each [at The Fertility Center of Michigan]...IVF retrieval with fresh - $8000 plus meds...frozen transfer - $4500 plus meds...The whole process takes longer than you want it to. 2 months for the consult, then the testing might take a month or two to do labs at certain times of your cycle. There is a small month or two wait list for IVF and it all depends on where you are in your cycle too. The clinic is well run, everyone is super friendly and supportive.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell was fantastic from the very beginning. I've done three IUIs, one egg retrieval, and three transfers that have resulted in my two children. We are currently under her care for another transfer for hopefully baby #3. She doesn't rush to the next treatment unless she feels it's the right move, included us in the decisions as well. She's performed two laparoscopy surgeries on me and has been very attentive to an issues or questions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
She is a bit softer spoken. But she answers all questions thoroughly and is extremely empathetic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
She was extremely sympathetic while waiting for an imminent miscarriage. She has great bedside manner and expresses empathy for the ups and downs of the process.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
We did three IUIs while knowing that one tube was blocked and the other was damaged. It felt okay trying this before going to IVF. Before IVF, she removed the blocked tub because it had hydro in it. We did an egg retrieval and fresh transfer of two embryos that resulted in a singleton pregnancy that resulted in a miscarriage at 11 weeks. We did a fresh transfer of two embryos that resulted in a twin pregnancy, but we lost one baby at 9 weeks, but it resulted in my healthy first born daughter. We returned two years later and did another frozen transfer of two embryos that resulted in my second healthy daughter. We are currently under care for another transfer. One week before the transfer, we discovered my remaining tube now was blocked and had hydro. She did another laparoscopy to remove it. And we are waiting for Covid to be stable before doing the transfer our last two remaining embryos.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Very easy to communicate via phone or message. Answered all my questions that came and got me in contact with the dr as needed.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The whole process takes longer than you want it to. 2 months for the consult, then the testing might take a month or two to do labs at certain times of your cycle. There is a small month or two wait list for IVF and it all depends on where you are in your cycle too. The clinic is well run, everyone is super friendly and supportive.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
IUIs - a couple hundred each
IVF retrieval with fresh - $8000 plus meds
frozen transfer - $4500 plus meds
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
She seems to prefer two embryos while giving the risks of multiple pregnancies but letting us know that the success rates are higher with transferring two vs one.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I had called on cycle day 1 and was to start meds on cycle day 21, at one point I called for another reason and they acted surprised that I had started meds. It appears like a nurse didn't record my cycle day 1 notes and that she had given me a start date for the meds. Everything was fine, they did have me scheduled for that month and everything proceeded fine.
Dr. Shavell was very compassionate and encouraging during the consults. However, she did not perform any of my procedures or other follow up visits which was not fully explained to me during the consultation. During the second consultation I asked about a IUI protocol used at a another highly related clinic in Arizona and she all but dismissed the request without offering other suggestions or supporting reasons as to why she wouldn't at least consider that protocol.
Very clean and nice setting. Appointment times [at Fertility Center of Michigan] are flexible to for the patients. Appointments generally run on time. Staff is generally friendly. Billing department is flexible with making payments to some degree. Financial assistance programs are available. In office financing not available...Additionally, sometimes the nurse didn't even know the next plan for treatment before calling me with instructions. Felt very unorganized and as though they have too many patients to manage or should at least have one nurse assigned to the patient.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell was very compassionate and encouraging during the consults. However, she did not perform any of my procedures or other follow up visits which was not fully explained to me during the consultation. During the second consultation I asked about a IUI protocol used at a another highly related clinic in Arizona and she all but dismissed the request without offering other suggestions or supporting reasons as to why she wouldn't at least consider that protocol. I was disappointed. But this is the only fertility clinic in my area so I am stuck. I considered going to a clinic in New York but then COVID happened. So hopefully once the travel restrictions are released I can go to a different clinic.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
If you are able to travel the distance to a different clinic would be my recommendation. Dr. Shavell is a decent doctor with nice bedside manner during the consult then you never see her again. Doesn't feel very personal when you don't have the doctor more involved.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Always get a different nurse handling phone calls and visits outside of the consultation with the doctor whichever to lack of continuity in my care. Often times the nurse was versed on some of the changes to fertility medications and why they were changed. Additionally, sometimes the nurse didn't even know the next plan for treatment before calling me with instructions. Felt very unorganized and as though they have too many patients to manage or should at least have one nurse assigned to the patient.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
Clomid, trigger shot, IUI, estrogen and progesterone. Second round did Femara instead of clomid. Changed to Femara due to side effect of clomid- peripheral vision flashes of light.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Disorganized, most acted very robotic and routine in nature. Not nearly as personal as I would have liked, yet they were the ones providing all of the direct patient care.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Very clean and nice setting. Appointment times are flexible to for the patients. Appointments generally run on time. Staff is generally friendly. Billing department is flexible with making payments to some degree. Financial assistance programs are available. In office financing not available.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Approximately $3000 for 2 IUI procedures, medications, ultrasounds, and office visit co-pays.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Na
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Provided conflicting information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
As described in previous answers, disorganized nursing care. Lack of attention to previous chart notes prior to calling with instructions. Nurse often time did not know all of the details when discussing treatment plan and I had to correct them.
I feel the protocols for cycles are explained [by Dr. Valerie Shavell] but not alternatives or other options. It’s more of a this is it unless I were to press. I also have yet to hear risks associated except regarding OHSS and multiples...Simply told me that I could have no more than 2 transferred but I was given many many handouts on single embryo transfer...I feel like now after two failed transfers she remembers me and is ready and willing to work with me on our plan for the next cycle. Not as another number.
You need to be adamant about communication or you can get lost in the shuffle [at The Fertility Center of Michigan]. I needed help with a grant and the nurse consulting me did not make notes so I missed a deadline on a potentially huge opportunity. But honestly it’s probably because they are focused on care and treatments, not busy paperwork. So I can respect that...LOVE the nursing staff at the fertility center!!! Can’t say enough good things.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I think she is compassionate and caring, but until you are a committed patient and on the schedule I did not feel taken seriously. Now that I’ve gone through a few cycles I feel that we have a doctor patient relationship built.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I feel like now after two failed transfers she remembers me and is ready and willing to work with me on our plan for the next cycle. Not as another number.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
I feel the protocols for cycles are explained but not alternatives or other options. It’s more of a this is it unless I were to press. I also have yet to hear risks associated except regarding OHSS and multiples.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of Michigan. (Assigned nurse: Kim)
LOVE the nursing staff at the fertility center!!! Can’t say enough good things.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
You need to be adamant about communication or you can get lost in the shuffle. I needed help with a grant and the nurse consulting me did not make notes so I missed a deadline on a potentially huge opportunity. But honestly it’s probably because they are focused on care and treatments, not busy paperwork. So I can respect that.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
They seem competitive, although I wish the ‘case management’ fee was explained more because it seems quite steep without explanation. They do give a discount on FET’s following a failed cycle.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Simply told me that I could have no more than 2 transferred but I was given many many handouts on single embryo transfer.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Lost paperwork
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I think a lot went right but I just have had more experiences with the paperwork/clinical side of things. As far as IVF/FET treatments things have all gone right so far except a successful cycle.
She [Dr. Shavell] went out of her way to personally call me. It was greatly heartfelt and appreciated. ... After 3 failed IUI attempts and 2 additional rounds of femara that also failed, it was so heartbreaking! We just started our 2nd round of IVF. We will be doubling all of our dosages for injections and taking a stronger approach. ... She personally took time out of her day to call me and apologize for the situation even though it was not any fault of her own.
They [The Fertility Center of Michigan] are very good with scheduling. I generally get a call back within a few hours if they are experiencing high call volumes. The only downfall is that you do not see the Dr.s very often at all for how much they are charging you. Be very prepared to see staff members often. It is extremely expensive for fertility treatments, you have many additional costs that are not included in the overall IVF package they quote. This would include bloodwork, and ultrasounds. Something we thought should be included with the pricing.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
We had to cancel an egg retrieval which was so disheartening after finishing half of our shots/medications. She personally took time out of her day to call me and apologize for the situation even though it was not any fault of her own.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Be open minded through the process as things change often. Be more prepared to talk to all of the staff and nurses and ask many questions. You truly don't talk to the Dr often.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
She went out of her way to personally call me. It was greatly heartfelt and appreciated.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
We decided to do a full IVF cycle. My body decided to produce one very large egg (many other small eggs that just would not be able to catch up) which resulted in having to postpone our IVF. After 3 failed IUI attempts and 2 additional rounds of femara that also failed, it was so heartbreaking! We just started our 2nd round of IVF. We will be doubling all of our dosages for injections and taking a stronger approach. Nothing like watching your dreams being crushed 6 different times. Still we remain positive and continue on. We are definitely praying for a healthy miracle.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of Michigan. (Assigned nurse: Libby)
I cannot say enough good things about Libby. She answers every question I have with such care and compassion. I have seen a few nurses, but she just seems to stand out with her personal care.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
They are very good with scheduling. I generally get a call back within a few hours if they are experiencing high call volumes. The only downfall is that you do not see the Dr.s very often at all for how much they are charging you. Be very prepared to see staff members often. It is extremely expensive for fertility treatments, you have many additional costs that are not included in the overall IVF package they quote. This would include bloodwork, and ultrasounds. Something we thought should be included with the pricing.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
We have personally spent over $25,000 and counting for fertility treatments. It is extremely overwhelming financially when you're constantly getting a bill for treatment plans and services. It hits harder after a failed attempt where you have to pay for more injections or medications. IVF and fertility are extremely expensive at this center. It is our closest option for being able to make appointments on a regular routine basis.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
We thought it best to do a multiple embryo transfer after much discussion with our Dr. This next month feels like a standstill for time.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell has a very gentle and patient bedside manner. She has a way of putting the anxious mind at ease and is very accommodating to any special needs...As a woman who has gone through several pregnancy losses, the promptness and compassion Dr. Shavell has shown me was invaluable. I am so grateful for all of her help and highly recommend her to anyone seeking thorough and compassionate treatment...has always honestly and thoroughly discussed my treatment options with me while demonstrating kindness and compassion. I was impressed by how thoroughly she reviewed and understood my particular infertility history prior to my initial consultation. She keeps in close communication with me and has always made me feel I could speak openly with her about my treatment plan.
The staff [at The Fertility Center of Michigan] is very friendly and compassionate. The nurses are highly trained and a good resource for patients with questions. They usually can get me in for my appointments at my requested time and have always been able to bring me in for same-day evaluations in emergent situations...The nursing staff was always friendly and available. They were well-educated and able to thoroughly answer my questions.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell has always honestly and thoroughly discussed my treatment options with me while demonstrating kindness and compassion. I was impressed by how thoroughly she reviewed and understood my particular infertility history prior to my initial consultation. She keeps in close communication with me and has always made me feel I could speak openly with her about my treatment plan.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell has a very gentle and patient bedside manner. She has a way of putting the anxious mind at ease and is very accommodating to any special needs.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell took the time to thoroughly review my fertility history and discuss my options in a kind, yet honest, manner. On multiple occasions she went above and beyond for me, including staying into the late hours of the evening to care for me after my surgery and arriving before her scheduled office hours to evaluate me for bleeding while I was pregnant. As a woman who has gone through several pregnancy losses, the promptness and compassion Dr. Shavell has shown me was invaluable. I am so grateful for all of her help and highly recommend her to anyone seeking thorough and compassionate treatment.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The nursing staff was always friendly and available. They were well-educated and able to thoroughly answer my questions.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The staff is very friendly and compassionate. The nurses are highly trained and a good resource for patients with questions. They usually can get me in for my appointments at my requested time and have always been able to bring me in for same-day evaluations in emergent situations.
[Dr. Shavell] has a very kind and caring demeanor. She is gentle while knowledgeable. I never felt like I was just another appointment in her book. She never seemed to be in a rush and always took time to answer our questions and give thorough explanations...We left every appointment feeling like we knew what was happening. Anytime we didn't get the result we wanted, she immediately came up with a plan of action which left us feeling confident, and in the end, got the result we wanted.
The entire staff at TFC were friendly, helpful, and professional...All of the staff are attentive and professional. The clinic itself is clean, organized, and welcoming. As my wife and I are a same-sex couple, we are always a little apprehensive about how we will be treated but this was absolutely a non-issue at TFC (thanks for the rainbow flag at the front desk!). We never had to wait too long for our appointments. Whether we were having a financial consultation, a sperm donor consultation, an ultrasound, or the procedure itself - we felt well taken care of and had an overall great experience.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Overall we had a great experience with Dr. Shavell. She has a very calming personality which is a huge positive for those undergoing something that is already anxiety-provoking, such as fertility treatments. She is thorough, knowledgeable, and always took the time to speak with us. She answered all questions no matter how big or small. We left every appointment feeling like we knew what was happening. Anytime we didn't get the result we wanted, she immediately came up with a plan of action which left us feeling confident, and in the end, got the result we wanted.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
If you are looking for a doctor who is calm, warm, sympathetic, and attentive, Dr. Shavell would be a great fit for you. Her quiet nature is immediately calming and reassuring. If you prefer a doctor who is a little more firm or hard-lined, she would not be a good fit.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell has a very kind and caring demeanor. She is gentle while knowledgeable. I never felt like I was just another appointment in her book. She never seemed to be in a rush and always took time to answer our questions and give thorough explanations.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
We tried a natural cycle for our first IUI. Actually, I miscalculated my ovulation and when we went in for our mid-cycle ultrasound, we learned that I had already ovulated and it was too late. Dr. Shavell reassured us that we could try again the following cycle, which we did. She had me come in earlier, and quite often throughout the week, to track follicle growth to ensure we didn't miss the window of opportunity this time. I was prescribed the trigger shot (Ovidrell) to administer at midnight on a Saturday so that we could do the IUI on a Monday. Dr. Shavell was the one to perform the IUI. It was a simple and quick procedure. Unfortunately we did not get pregnant from that try. A few months later we tried for the 2nd time with similar protocol - ovulation tracking through an OPK in the mornings and then tracking follicle growth via ultrasound as the time grew closer. There was no need for a trigger shot this time; I ovulated on a Thursday morning and went in right away for the IUI (which was performed by a nurse, not Dr. Shavell). The nurse inserted a mesh plug after the procedure. Two weeks later we got our positive result!
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of Michigan. (Assigned nurse: Francillia (Fran) Tavernier)
The entire staff at TFC were friendly, helpful, and professional. We worked the closest with Fran, who showed great communication and compassion. We really developed a positive relationship with her and felt like she truly cared about us and our journey. Fran was always available via phone or email and would check in with us often.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
TFC is a wonderful clinic. All of the staff are attentive and professional. The clinic itself is clean, organized, and welcoming. As my wife and I are a same-sex couple, we are always a little apprehensive about how we will be treated but this was absolutely a non-issue at TFC (thanks for the rainbow flag at the front desk!). We never had to wait too long for our appointments. Whether we were having a financial consultation, a sperm donor consultation, an ultrasound, or the procedure itself - we felt well taken care of and had an overall great experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
We used all of the money from our wedding to cover our costs, so we did not have to pay out of pocket. If I had to do an overall estimate of the total cost, it would be about $10,000.
We are on our second round of testing through Yale doing the Endometrial Function Test [with Dr. Shavell]...treating the endometriosis by doing 2 months of Lupron prior to testing month. We are also adjusting estrogen and progesterone doses...is super compassionate. You can also tell that she wants to hear from you, how you are feeling and what your concerns are. She will take what you are saying and will fully consider how it could potentially be affecting your treatment. I also feel as if she has never given up on us, even though we have not yet been able to concieve. She continues to sign to try to figure it out.
When I first started going to the clinic [The Fertility Center of Michigan] it felt unorganized. Since then, I have noticed that they have done a good job about putting out surveys and I feel as if they have really taken the information and made changes. The last couple of years have been much better...For the most part the nurses in the office are nothing but excellent. There have been times however where I have felt as if they were not familiar with my case or where I was with my protocol. When I would ask questions I felt as if rather than reviewing my filing and getting be solid information, I would receive some guess work. This has only happened a couple of times. For the most part they are on the ball.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
As a patient, I would highly recommend her. She is well educated and compassionate. She has an awesome bed sideanner and you truly feel like she is listening. She also has so e a great job of trying to figure our case out by tapping into the knowledge of her partners and other fertility clinic.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
When you do get time with her, ensure you write down all of your questions before hand so you don't forget anything. She is great but you don't get a ton of one on one time with her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavelle is super compassionate. You can also tell that she wants to hear from you, how you are feeling and what your concerns are. She will take what you are saying and will fully consider how it could potentially be affecting your treatment. I also feel as if she has never given up on us, even though we have not yet been able to concieve. She continues to sign to try to figure it out.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
Round 1 -Egg retrieval and fresh transfer using Gonal F, Menpur, and Cetrotide. - chemical pregnancy
Round 2 Frozen embryo transfer using Lupron, Estrace, Progesterone. - negative
Round 3 - Frozen embryo transfer using Lupron, Estrace, and resistant uterine protocol of ibuprofen, Xanax, prednisone. - negative
Round 4 - Frozen embryo transfer, stimulation cycle using gonal. Thought was that I responded better to stimulation rather than suppression - negative
Round 5 - Did an Endometrial Receptivity test prior to frozen embryo transfer. Showed I needed 12 less hours of prednisone if following previously used stimulation protocol. Negative
Round 6 - Full retrieval with PGS testing of embryos followed by a frozen embryo transfer with previously suggested protocol from ERA. Negative
Round 7 - yet to transfer. We are on our second round of testing through Yale doing the Endometrial Function Test. First round showed potential endometriosis and that I was taking too much progesterone. With this second round of testing we are treating the endometriosis by doing 2 months of Lupron prior to testing month. We are also adjusting estrogen and progesterone doses.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
For the most part the nurses in the office are nothing but excellent. There have been times however where I have felt as if they were not familiar with my case or where I was with my protocol. When I would ask questions I felt as if rather than reviewing my filing and getting be solid information, I would receive some guess work. This has only happened a couple of times. For the most part they are on the ball.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
When I first started going to the clinic it felt unorganized. Since then, I have noticed that they have done a good job about putting out surveys and I feel as if they have really taken the information and made changes. The last couple of years have been much better.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
For all treatment thus far, we have spent almost $80,000.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Dr. Shavelle has always been very honest about how many embryos are recommended. It seems that the office has protocols as to how many they are willing to transfer in which situations.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
As previously mentioned, I believe that changes have been made in the last couple of years to help make the clinic more well run and organized. There was one time where the MA failed to send in my prescription refill. There was one time where a nurse did not understand my particular case and gave me wrong medication information. Other than that, they have been great.
Dr. Shavell was very thorough from the very first consultation. ... When it was time to delve into the more difficult news, the information was provided in an informing and caring manner. ... The laparoscopy resulted in finding and removing stage 2 endometriosis. Dr. Shavell wanted to try IUI again now that we found a potential cause. ... Everything looked just fine for implantation and the mock transfer went smoothly as well.
The billing department and front desk staff [The Fertility Center of MI] have had billing miscommunications within their computer system. The front desk staff would have us pay off our entire balance and then I'd receive a bill for services we already paid for and they would say what we paid must have been applied to a different procedure balance. No one could actually identify the issue so we just paid what they said we owed and we haven't had a problem since.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell was very thorough from the very first consultation. There was a lot of information to take in but it provided me with everything I needed to know and to further research myself. Any questions resulting from my research and conversations with others in similar situations were always received positively and answered appropriately no matter how silly some questions may have sounded. She was more available to the nurses than me, however. She did not conduct the 7 IUIs but still communicated with the nurses before starting the next round. Although she was not available to conduct my laparoscopy, she did my pre-op and post-op and made sure I was very comfortable and doing well. Most recently she did my sonohysterogram and mock embryo transfer and was very gentle and calming through the discomfort. She ensured all parts were in working fashion to proceed with IVF in the coming month.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
If you feel like you need a face to face meeting, do not be scared to call and make the appointment. It can be difficult playing phone tag with the nurses who have to communicate with the doctors and then back to you. It can be time consuming, especially if you miss phone calls due to work or other daily activities.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell was always kind and sensitive to the nature of our conversations. When it was time to delve into the more difficult news, the information was provided in an informing and caring manner. Our meetings weren't rushed. After providing a certain amount of information she always asked if I had any questions instead of dumping a ton of information at once and waiting until the end to ask if I had questions. It is always difficult to remember so much, but with the breaks for questioning between information, it made it feel more human and personable.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
The first test I had completed was an HSG. Everything looked perfect with no signs of obstructions. Dr. Shavell mentioned there is some research showing women getting pregnant in the following three months. Unfortunately that was not the case for me.
We started a cycle of clomid in December 2017 with a trigger shot of Ovidrel followed with an IUI. A negative pregnancy was the result. We continued with the same protocol for 3 more IUIs. Dr. Shavell provided statistics that show IUIs increasing positive outcomes after 3 IUIs, again they all resulted in negative pregnancy tests.
We had a meeting with Dr. Shavell to discuss the next steps. She stated she would like to see my egg quantity and quality response with a protocol of pills and injectables with IUI. We switched to letrozole pills as I started having very bad headaches and long lasting nausea with clomid, and added Gonal F 75 IU daily, triggered with ovidrel followed with IUI. We did this for 2 rounds and both resulted in negative pregnancy tests. However, there was an increase in the number of follicles and size.
At this point I could not continue to see negative tests and chose to take a month off. We met again and discussed having a laparoscopy to inspect the outside of my anatomy. We had a good pre-op conversation consisting of laparoscopy information and IVF information. The laparoscopy resulted in finding and removing stage 2 endometriosis. Dr. Shavell wanted to try IUI again now that we found a potential cause. We did IUI with letrozole, gonal f, and ovidrel. Another negative pregnancy test.
That was the final IUI. Being that I was provided with IVF information a few months prior, I decided to schedule an IVF consultation in January 2019. The meeting was with an IVF nurse and she provided all the procedures,medication, and protocol information Dr. Shavell wants me to do.
I was scheduled for a Sonohysterogram and mock embryo transfer with Dr. Shavell February 7, 2019. Here she wanted to get a better view of inside the uterus to ensure there weren't fibroids, polyps, scar tissue or other abnormalities that would prevent implantation. Everything looked just fine for implantation and the mock transfer went smoothly as well.
Dr. Shavell will carry out my egg retrieval and embryo transfer in March 2019.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The nursing staff was fairly easy to communicate with. In most cases I left voicemails for them and they would call back. Some of my messages may have been long and it seemed like they may not have listened to all of it at times. Regardless, they still answered my questions after getting them on the phone and mentioning it again.
The nurses carried out the IUIs and were as gentle as possible and comforting. They were able to provide information regarding the seman sample prewash and postwash prior to the IUI.
The IVF nurse who did my IVF consult was very thorough and informative.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The clinic has a lot of staff so you may not always be familiar with who you are speaking to. The billing department and front desk staff have had billing miscommunications within their computer system. The front desk staff would have us pay off our entire balance and then I'd receive a bill for services we already paid for and they would say what we paid must have been applied to a different procedure balance. No one could actually identify the issue so we just paid what they said we owed and we haven't had a problem since. The clinic is very clean and well organized. Be aware, that some fertility clinics have separate areas for those with no children and not pregnant and those who have children or currently pregnant, this is not one of those clinics. You will frequently walk into the waiting room where there are multiple children per family. Anyone of the more sensitive nature may feel uncomfortable.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
We do not have infertility insurance, however we do have coverage for monitoring and some procedures such as the HSG and laparoscopy which resulted in significant savings.
Ultrasounds performed at one of their smaller locations (Mason) were typically $180 or $75 after insurance. However, if it was one of the Doctors that did the ultrasound as an ultrasound technician wasn't available, an extra $30 was added. If they were done at the Grand Rapids office, regardless of who did it, an extra $30 was tacked on. The bill would show it as a meeting, even though no meeting took place, it was just the ultrasound.
IUIs were out of pocket. For the semen wash and the procedure it was $500 per IUI, we did this 4 times. Pricing changed and the IUIs were then $600 per, we did this 3 more times.
The laparoscopy was a reasonable and fair price.
For IVF, we will be paying $9,867 just for the procedures. This price includes the $1,850 we paid for a case management fee. We have a $8,017 balance due at the end of February 2019.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Dr. Shavell provided statistics on the success rates of single vs. Multiple embryo transfer along with specific criteria as to why a two embryo transfer is ideal for me. As I do not meat criteria for increased high risk pregnancy, we both agreed a two embryo transfer is ideal. She made sure to discuss the possibility of selective aborting if there were more than 2 or 3 developing babies.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The only issue was a billing issue. The front desk provided a remaining balance for specific procedures while the billing department had a different balance for those same procedures. We simply paid the billing departments balance and haven't had an issue since. Although no one could pinpoint exactly what procedures were outstanding balances when our receipts showed they were all paid. We basically paid just so it didn't drag on.
I think Dr. Shavell is knowledgable and realistic with fertility expectations and outcomes. She spent a significant amount of time with us at our initial consultation but did not actually perform any of my procedures herself. She was an overseer of my case...She was not warm or fuzzy, but she did call to check up on me after our negative result to discuss further diagnostics and treatment options...In my age bracket, they recommended 2-3 embryos at a transfer. I understand the risks with that and opted to proceed with the multiple embryo transfer.
The clinic [The Fertility Center of Michigan] is clean, professional, and easy to get to...In my age bracket, they recommended 2-3 embryos at a transfer. I understand the risks with that and opted to proceed with the multiple embryo transfer...The IVF procedures are expensive and they require payment for a deposit and then payment in full before the cycle...The Nurses were efficient, professional, knowledgeable, and available at any time to communicate and answer questions. They were fantastic.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I think Dr. Shavell is knowledgable and realistic with fertility expectations and outcomes. She spent a significant amount of time with us at our initial consultation but did not actually perform any of my procedures herself. She was an overseer of my case. She did communicate well with me when she called on the phone and she did call to check up on me after our negative result.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Be prepared to communicate more with the Nurses and make sure you are given both your red and your green folders. Read everything they provide.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Doctor Shavell is very knowledgable and was candid about our chances and our options. She was not warm or fuzzy, but she did call to check up on me after our negative result to discuss further diagnostics and treatment options.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
We did an egg retrieval with a long cycle. We did injectable hormones. We retrieved 13 eggs, 5 fertilized, 2 survived to freeze. We had to do a freeze-all cycle because I needed a polypectomy the following cycle. The cycle after the surgery, we did a frozen transfer with both embryos. They did not take.
Describe your experience with your nurse at The Fertility Center of Michigan. (Assigned nurse: Amy)
The Nurses were efficient, professional, knowledgeable, and available at any time to communicate and answer questions. They were fantastic.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The clinic is clean, professional, and easy to get to. I dislike that they are the only option on this side of the state so I was nervous about using them when I moved here because I really had no other choice. But I think they do a nice job and would recommend them.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The IVF procedures are expensive and they require payment for a deposit and then payment in full before the cycle. I was unprepared for this as my clinic in NJ billed me as we went along. This delayed us getting started since all the money was required up front.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
In my age bracket, they recommended 2-3 embryos at a transfer. I understand the risks with that and opted to proceed with the multiple embryo transfer.
She [Dr. Shavell] talked me through my first IUI procedure as she did everything. She has the most calming voice I've ever heard. She is so nice and I am so glad I am seeing her...listened to our stories and looked closely at everything we had presented her with. She fixed my leutal phase with progesterone and had given us the blunt info that we needed to see that my husband's sperm was fine but definitely needs some help. She performed my first IUI and she was calm and explained everything. She is great
I emailed the nursing staff [at The Fertility Center of Michigan] asking them if I could use a trigger shot this cycle. I mentioned in my email how frustrated I was that this is taking a long time (11 months total, only 2 IUI's so far with the fertility center) and she didn't dismiss that, she empathized with me how the journey is long and hard. It was nice she 'heard me' and she communicated with me about it. All staff is nice and they smile when you arrive. They're happy to see you.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I had no idea what to expect at my first appt for a consult.
My husband's urologist said nothing was wrong with his sperm so I wasn't sure why we weren't getting pregnant. I also had a very short leutal phase and my own OB said it was only because my TSH levels were off.
Dr. Shavell listened to our stories and looked closely at everything we had presented her with. She fixed my leutal phase with progesterone and had given us the blunt info that we needed to see that my husband's sperm was fine but definitely needs some help.
She performed my first IUI and she was calm and explained everything.
She is great
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Make sure you listen, she's soft spoken and calm so you could miss something :)
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
She talked me through my first IUI procedure as she did everything.
She has the most calming voice I've ever heard.
She is so nice and I am so glad I am seeing her.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
I take Femara to help with producing more mature follicles
I take progesterone 3 days after IUI to lengthen my leutal phase
I was just prescribed a trigger shot this cycle in which I'll use in the next few days to make sure I ovulate all mature follicles
She has me doing IUI once I get a positive OPK (when I wasn't using a trigger shot)
So far IUI's #1 and #2 did not work. I am hopeful for #3, it's all a waiting game.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I emailed the nursing staff asking them if I could use a trigger shot this cycle. I mentioned in my email how frustrated I was that this is taking a long time (11 months total, only 2 IUI's so far with the fertility center) and she didn't dismiss that, she empathized with me how the journey is long and hard. It was nice she 'heard me' and she communicated with me about it.
All staff is nice and they smile when you arrive. They're happy to see you.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
So far I have had a pleasant experience with the clinic overall.
The only weakness I recall is my first ultrasound looking for poll-ups and follicular size. The ultrasound tech was a little rough with the wand that was inside me and took my by surprise and kind of hurt me with the amount of pressure she put on me. Otherwise everything is great and I would definitely recommend the clinic to anyone who is going through infertility struggles
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I guessed that our costs would be a lot higher than they ended up being. I wish they mapped out procedure costs a little better. I have pretty good insurance so that definitely helps with my journey
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Valerie [Dr. Shavell] has always been very warm...In the beginning we did state we wanted to do embryo adoption right off the bat and were told to do 3 iuis first, which all failed which was discouraging. We wasted a lot of money and time for it not to work. But shavell has always been reassuring and positive!...First IUI was a natural cycle and it failed. Second cycle we used clomid and trigger shot, it was very hard to get through my uterus and ended up having to do an ultrasound, that cycle failed. Third cycle was clomid, estrace, and trigger shot with ultrasound guidance, that failed as well. All 3 cycles were with donor sperm. I just started week 2 of lupron shots as we start our frozen embryo adoption cycle.
They [staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan] are pretty good at listening to what the patient wants and what they expect. They have been known to run late, i think we've been taken back on time 3 times in total out of all of our apppintments. Front desk is always kind and knows us by name, billing had been a dream to work with, makes things easy! And the embryo RN has been unbelievable! She has really been there for us. We've emailed back and forth countless times, everytime my questions get answered.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Valerie has always been very warm anf compassionate. In the beginning we did state we wanted to do embryo adoption right off the bat and were told to do 3 iuis first, which all failed which was discouraging. We wasted a lot of money and time for it not to work. But shavell has always been reassuring and positive!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
She is almost overly kind sometimes, but thats important when dealing with such sensitive topics.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Valerie always made time to talk with us, in person or via phone. She was kind and compassionate and never was trying to answer questions quickly just to get us iut the door.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
First IUI was a natural cycle and it failed. Second cycle we used clomid and trigger shot, it was very hard to get through my uterus and ended up having to do an ultrasound, that cycle failed.
Third cycle was clomid, estrace, and trigger shot with ultrasound guidance, that failed as well. All 3 cycles were with donor sperm.
I just started week 2 of lupron shots as we start our frozen embryo adoption cycle.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Some were amazing, some were there because it is there job. But more good than bad.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Overall the clinic is very warm and inviting. They are currently short staffed, so it can take time to hear back from someone which can be hard at times but that is out of their control. They are pretty good at listening to what the patient wants and what they expect. They have been known to run late, i think we've been taken back on time 3 times in total out of all of our apppintments. Front desk is always kind and knows us by name, billing had been a dream to work with, makes things easy! And the embryo RN has been unbelievable! She has really been there for us. We've emailed back and forth countless times, everytime my questions get answered.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Expensive! But in Michigan most insurance doesn't over anything for infertility. Ive had 4 or 5 ultrasounds each being between $275-$350. 3 iuis each $550, multiple appointments ranging from $200-500 each time. Medications have been about $900 so far, male factor testing has been almost $2,000, my testing has been about the same at $2,000. We just paid almost $10,000 for embryo adoption.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Valerie recommended a single transfer due to my age but was VERY receptive that we wanted to transfer 2, and we will be transfering 2 hopefully in May
I felt very much like a number when all I was prescribed were different meds and feeling left in the dark on what what happening. She [Dr. Shavell] made me feel like my one pregnancy loss was also just a number. (Especially when she said hey don’t look into it farther until you lose 2 or 3) Yes we started fertility treatments at age 20&21 but that doesnt make us less important...Be firm on what you feel you need as a patient. If you ever feel dissatisfied, get another drs opinion before continuing your journey.
They [The Fertility Center of Michigan] definitely had a lot of space and resources. Very clean and sanitary. Scheduling was done very well. I do think they all tend to still see you as a number though and less like a couple who is struggling...They [nurses] were helpful. Some more than others and actually have genuine compassion. Some made you feel like they just needed to get our task done and move on quickly to the next people.....
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
She gave sympathetic gestures and comments when appropriate, but they did not seem genuine. We were very upset when we asked questions even concerning but husband on cycle 5 (looking to start cycle 6 with more injections and visits) we asked about checking him and why we haven’t after doing so much with me. We were brushed off and my husband wasn’t ever checked by them. Took my PCP/obgyn to actually order the test for us. Very very disappointed after spending so much time and money there
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Be firm on what you feel you need as a patient. If you ever feel dissatisfied, get another drs opinion before continuing your journey.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I felt very much like a number when all I was prescribed were different meds and feeling left in the dark on what what happening. She made me feel like my one pregnancy loss was also just a number. (Especially when she said hey don’t look into it farther until you lose 2 or 3)
Yes we started fertility treatments at age 20&21 but that doesnt make us less important.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
It has been a few years, but she tested my blood and put me on thyroid meds. Then I would be on femara and go in often for ultrasounds to see my cycle progress and timing for ovidril shots. Then we wait 16 days and take a pregnancy test. 2nd cycle we conceived but then had a very early misscarriage. There was so much going on in each treatment that it is hard to remmeber
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
They were helpful. Some more than others and actually have genuine compassion. Some made you feel like they just needed to get our task done and move on quickly to the next people.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
They definitely had a lot of space and resources. Very clean and sanitary. Scheduling was done very well. I do think they all tend to still see you as a number though and less like a couple who is struggling
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
My insurance covered some of the cost. I think it was between $100-$200 per visit after insurance.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
We never explored either option
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
We just had a very bad experience and decided to never go back. The strain on our emotional health was just horrible. Not just because of the horizons fluctuations due to the treatments, but just the level of care for us as an actual couple desiring to have a family. The one conversation I had with Dr. Dodd’s was the my comfort I felt there (which was during my misscarriage)
I'm diagnosed with recurrent pregnancy loss after three miscarriages. Dr. Shavell suggested a saline sonohysterogram and a endometrial biopsy. The SHG was to check for scar tissue after two D&C's 7 days apart. The biopsy was to make sure the infection (endometritis) in my endometrium was resolved.... Dr. Shavell is to the point, and obviously extremely intelligent and well educated. I'm a person that wants everything explained in detail as I want to absorb all the information I can. I could have asked more questions,
It's a nice environment in a great location. The interior [Fertility Ctr of MI] is modern, but comfortable and welcoming. They offer beverages and have couches. Front desk staff is kind. It did not take long to get an appointment scheduled after being referred. It is a professional environment.... I have not had much interaction with the nurses. I have with multiple MA's and they are not very warm. Clinically they are fine.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell is to the point, and obviously extremely intelligent and well educated. I'm a person that wants everything explained in detail as I want to absorb all the information I can. I could have asked more questions, but I wish she had approached us without thinking we were as familiar as why she would suggest some of the procedures. I wanted the detailed reasons why. She is very kind, which is very important to me. I have met with her twice, and am scheduled with her in 1.5 weeks.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Ask your questions, she gives you time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Mostly like a human. It was more the MA's that made me feel like a number, than the doctors. The consultation was less warm than the following procedures.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
I'm diagnosed with recurrent pregnancy loss after three miscarriages. Dr. Shavell suggested a saline sonohysterogram and a endometrial biopsy. The SHG was to check for scar tissue after two D&C's 7 days apart. The biopsy was to make sure the infection (endometritis) in my endometrium was resolved. Both came back normal and great, thankfully.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I have not had much interaction with the nurses. I have with multiple MA's and they are not very warm. Clinically they are fine.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
It's a nice environment in a great location. The interior is modern, but comfortable and welcoming. They offer beverages and have couches. Front desk staff is kind. It did not take long to get an appointment scheduled after being referred. It is a professional environment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Cost has been fine as my insurance has covered appointments and procedures. Thanks to the staff that scheduled the two procedures, she made sure they were scheduled on two different days. Otherwise my insurance only would have covered one. That was a great experience. One negative experience was the Counsyl genetic testing they recommended; I had already had karyotype testing; so, I don't know if it was even necessary, but the MA gave me inaccurate information about being able to cancel the testing when I received an email from Counsyl. Thankfully Counsyl worked with me. I am slightly irritated they do not accept Tricare. My husband is a veteran and in the national guard and soon I will be on his insurance.
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Dr. Shavell was kind and seemed deeply aware of the stress and emotions that go along with infertility. ... I feel she is always actively listening to me. She makes eye contact and is reassuring with her body language. She ensures you feel comfortable and your voice is heard at your appointments. ...She always made sure I knew what the next step of the process was and that I was comfortable with it. What I like most is she reminds you that you are strong and capable of handling the stress and struggles of IVF.
The prices seemed reasonable and seemingly followed other average costs. The building was very clean and well designed. It [Fertility Center of Michigan] was relaxing atmosphere and the waiting room was calming and inviting. While walking through the halls other staff members greeted you. ... [Nursing Staff] Very kind and welcoming. All my phone calls were pleasant and my interactions at the center were great
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell was kind and seemed deeply aware of the stress and emotions that go along with infertility. She always made sure I knew what the next step of the process was and that I was comfortable with it. What I like most is she reminds you that you are strong and capable of handling the stress and struggles of IVF.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
She is ready to work for you and make sure you are ready for the work!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I feel she is always actively listening to me. She makes eye contact and is reassuring with her body language. She ensures you feel comfortable and your voice is heard at your appointments.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
Gonal-F, Follistim, Menopur, hCG
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Very kind and welcoming. All my phone calls were pleasant and my interactions at the center were great
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The prices seemed reasonable and seemingly followed other average costs. The building was very clean and well designed. It was relaxing atmosphere and the waiting room was calming and inviting. While walking through the halls other staff members greeted you. The only weakness for me was that I lived far away from the clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
ART case management $1850 (deposit to schedule)
Follicle Puncture/ Oocyte Retrieval $1795
Culture and Fertilization of Oocytes/Embryos $1570
Embryo Transfer $1060
Abdominal Ultrasound $225
ICSI $1850
Assisted hatching $630
Blastocyst Culture $620
Cryopreservation of Embryo $910
Cryopreservation of Oocytes $910
Time Lapse Photography $805
Embryogen $465
Thawing of cryopreserved embryos $1075
This is the cost breakdown provided to me. Obviously I did not require everything here. My total from this list was $10,065
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I was education on risks and likelihood of successful implantation.
Dr. Shavell is very nice. She's a little too soft spoken at times; meaning her demeanor is almost too sympathetic. I want answers, I want to take comfort knowing you (the person I am trusting) has a plan of action specifically designed for me and that we aren't just going through the motions.... After my HSG, I had to have a polyp removed. Then we started on 50 mg clomid because that's the starting point, which I responded well to but nothing came of it. We did four cycles on this with the HCG (Ovidrel) shot. Then we moved onto letrozole and Gonal-F.
My number one strength [Fertility Ctr of Michigan] is location. It's perfectly located not too far out of town but far enough where they have they're own parking, which can be key for comfort! It is also a very clean facility with, what seems like, new equipment. Weaknesses, wait times can be excessive; in the waiting room or in the patient rooms.... They are all very friendly! I cannot stress that enough. I love them personality wise, especially the front desk and the ultrasound technician. They are amazing. However, there were times when I called (almost always have to leave a message and a call was returned) where I felt hurried on the phone.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell is very nice. She's a little too soft spoken at times; meaning her demeanor is almost too sympathetic. I want answers, I want to take comfort knowing you (the person I am trusting) has a plan of action specifically designed for me and that we aren't just going through the motions. There were times where I felt she was more focused on me thinking she cared than her actually trying to fix any issues. I also feel she is not very available when needed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Ask her to give it to you straight. Also, request a full description of treatments with all the why's explained.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I don't think, in the beginning, the treatment was custom to my issues. I think they take standard protocol and go through the motions. I had to start fighting for what I wanted. They also are not exactly forthcoming on information. I had to ask a lot of questions I learned through podcasts and others who have gone through it all before.
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
After my HSG, I had to have a polyp removed. Then we started on 50 mg clomid because that's the starting point, which I responded well to but nothing came of it. We did four cycles on this with the HCG (Ovidrel) shot. Then we moved onto letrozole and Gonal-F. I can't remember the specific dose of letrozole but the injections were 300. I did not respond as well to the letrozole as we had hoped. I am currently going to do one timed cylce of 100 mg of clomid (back to clomid after under-performance of letrozole) while we wait for insurance pre-authorization. If that is approved (different insurance company than the last round) I will have one last IUI cycle of 100 mg Clomid and Gonal-F 450 injections. IF this does not work, we will immediately be moving on to IVF.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
They are all very friendly! I cannot stress that enough. I love them personality wise, especially the front desk and the ultrasound technician. They are amazing.
However, there were times when I called (almost always have to leave a message and a call was returned) where I felt hurried on the phone. I also felt like the communication between the team wasn't all that great, where one would tell me one thing about my treatment but the next person I talk with didn't have that same information. That was a little frustrating. I also had to make sure I had all my questions ready to ask, otherwise I wasn't informed of any "extra" information.
Honestly, I love the staff, I just worry a little about their efficiency/organization.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
My number one strength is location. It's perfectly located not too far out of town but far enough where they have they're own parking, which can be key for comfort! It is also a very clean facility with, what seems like, new equipment.
Weaknesses, wait times can be excessive; in the waiting room or in the patient rooms. Also, when my husband goes to drop off his specimen, I wish it was a little quicker for him. He has a very time structured job and gets frustrated that he has to sit there for 15 minutes before the lab calls him back. I think that should be explained better, the whole home to lab process.
I would tell a new patient to ask all the questions, nothing is too much when it comes to treatment. Do not expect them to go over every detail with you. If you Type A like me, you'll leave frustrated and feeling like nothing was accomplished.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Each IUI is $500 (sperm wash and procedure) plus the ultrasound and office visit.
Each visit was a co-pay amount.
Hybrid cycle had an extra ultrasound (echogram) which was more than the ultrasound.
Medications were all based on what insurance would cover; most of it out of pocket.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
I just had conflicting dosage information a couple times. Seemed like I had to inform the nurse as opposed to her knowing it when she called me.
Dr. Shavell is super nice and well educated. Our personalities are just very different. She is very, very soft spoken and serious. My husband and I appreciate a more laid back approach. I honestly preferred speaking with the nurses instead of her directly. There was nothing wrong with the way she treated me or anything, our personalities just did not click... I never got a real good explanation of WHY I wasn't getting pregnant. ..She was very sweet and seemed to care a lot about us...
My husband had a nasty encounter with one of the insurance / billing people [at The Fertility Center of Michigan] so that made things very frustrating but other than that I liked everyone there. They are all so welcoming and inviting. I never got a real good explanation of WHY I wasn't getting pregnant. I had never been through something like this and didn't really feel prepared to be doing all the things they were doing. I don't know if that's a lack of educating on their part or a lack of me not asking enough questions. I think sometimes the staff kind of assumes you "know the drill" and don't always go in to as much detail as they should. Just be your own advocate and you will be fine!
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Dr. Shavell is super nice and well educated. Our personalities are just very different. She is very, very soft spoken and serious. My husband and I appreciate a more laid back approach. I honestly preferred speaking with the nurses instead of her directly. There was nothing wrong with the way she treated me or anything, our personalities just did not click.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
If you don't mind soft spoken, cut and dry, then you will like her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
She was very sweet and seemed to care a lot about us.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
The nursing staff at the Fertility Center make the office! They are all so great. They take a deep interest in your care and success and are genuinely on your team! It took us over a year of treatments at the Fertility Center to get pregnant and we got to know so many of the nurses it felt like family!
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Overall I don't have many complaints about the Fertility Center. My husband had a nasty encounter with one of the insurance / billing people so that made things very frustrating but other than that I liked everyone there. They are all so welcoming and inviting. I never got a real good explanation of WHY I wasn't getting pregnant. I had never been through something like this and didn't really feel prepared to be doing all the things they were doing. I don't know if that's a lack of educating on their part or a lack of me not asking enough questions. I think sometimes the staff kind of assumes you "know the drill" and don't always go in to as much detail as they should. Just be your own advocate and you will be fine!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
An IUI procedure was $268 (my insurance would cover in full but I had to submit for reimbursement). My insurance covered all office visits after meeting my $125 deductible. The IVF procedure cost around $8000 in just the center costs - not including medications.
What specific things went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
One of my prescriptions was not ordered to the correct pharmacy. One time they tried drawing my blood in their lab when I didn't need it done / always used a different lab. Nothing huge or cycle altering occurred.
Valerie [Shavell] would call me personally if I asked which I was pleasantly pleased with. She let me be the deciding factor on all the decisions. She never pushed her opinions on me or forced me into a decision. She was always completely unbiased...There was one negative experience when the dosage listed on my prescription was different than what was on their plan. She handled the situation ok by calling me to reassure me the dosage would not affect the results but didn't take the ownership of her (or the nurses) mistake.
Scheduling [at The Fertility Center] is a pain! Sometimes it is easy to get in and other times it is difficult. Since I was working at the time I had to take time off for appointments frequently since they had limited appointments. For IVF you had to schedule 2 or 3 months in advance so be aware of that...Overall the nursing staff was very competent. They are dealing with a lot of patients so sometimes they had to clarify some things in order to get an accurate response.
How was your experience with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
I enjoyed having Valerie as my doctor. There was one negative experience when the dosage listed on my prescription was different than what was on their plan. She handled the situation ok by calling me to reassure me the dosage would not affect the results but didn't take the ownership of her (or the nurses) mistake.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Ask lots of questions because she will answer it thoroughly but doesn't necessarily go over everything if not asked. Be proactive of your care because she will be willing to take the next steps if you want.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan?
Valerie would call me personally if I asked which I was pleasantly pleased with. She let me be the deciding factor on all the decisions. She never pushed her opinions on me or forced me into a decision. She was always completely unbiased. (Unlike Dr. Young who I saw once for an ultrasound who was very judgemental).
Describe the protocols Valerie Shavell used in your cycles at The Fertility Center of Michigan and their degree of success.
I don't remember all of it but for the IVF procedure I was put on Lupron to start, then took estrace pills, after the transfer I began IM progesterone.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Overall the nursing staff was very competent. They are dealing with a lot of patients so sometimes they had to clarify some things in order to get an accurate response.
Describe your experience with The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Scheduling is a pain! Sometimes it is easy to get in and other times it is difficult. Since I was working at the time I had to take time off for appointments frequently since they had limited appointments.
For IVF you had to schedule 2 or 3 months in advance so be aware of that.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Valerie Shavell at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
Embryo retrieval/1 fresh transfer was $10,000.
Frozen embryo transfer $2500
IUI was $400
Describe Valerie Shavell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at The Fertility Center of Michigan.
She left this decision up to use. The first time we chose for 2, which she recommended. The second time we chose 1 which she supported. We were given the information that with a transfer of 2 embryos it was a 45-50% chance of pregnancy but they didn't have any statistics for an embryo transfer of 1.