[Dr. Cardone] was able to answer all my questions and concerns when it came PGS and was candid about our chances but at the same time was very positive about the chances of us being successful in our process. He was able to advocate for us with the insurance compaby to proceed with IVF and forgo IUI due to my medical history...He can be very conservative with his IVF treatment and it worked for us.
I remember speaking to 2 different nurses [at Cardone & Associates]; 1 was very accommodating and another one was a little more abrasive...You may discuss things with the doctors and doctor says that is it OK and easy to do but when it is brought up to the nurses, the nurses contradict what the doctor may say was OK. Lesson: always discuss with nurse early on to clear up any misinformation
How was your experience with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Dr. Cardone was recommended by the staff person at our primary care office who utilized his service with success. He has many years of experience and definitely seen the changes in the technology when it comes to IVF. He was able to answer all my questions and concerns when it came PGS and was candid about our chances but at the same time was very positive about the chances of us being successful in our process. He was able to advocate for us with the insurance compaby to proceed with IVF and forgo IUI due to my medical history, which really helped in ensuring we did not lose time in the process and decrease our chances. He was straight forward which is something that my husband and I like about the doctor. He can be very conservative with his IVF treatment and it worked for us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Be prepared to bring your questions to him. Ask him about the technology that he may use with your treatment plan.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Overall they treated me like a patient of the clinic. Only time I felt like a number was probably when going there early for blood draws and u/s checks since I am not the only patient getting it done and they are trying to get people through in the limited window that they have.
Describe the protocols Vito Cardone used in your cycles at Cardone & Associates and their degree of success.
Cardone did not explain the treatment plan that was going to be utilized (probably make sure you ask about it before hand otherwise the nurse will give you the schedule and plan with no background - I did the research myeslf), for the retrieval, I believe i was on the down-regulation with birth control the first month; lupron, gonal-f, then HCG shot. For the transfer i was on lupron, estradiol and estradiol patch, & progesterone (shots).
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Cardone & Associates.
I remember speaking to 2 different nurses; 1 was very accommodating and another one was a little more abrasive. There were a couple of times where I felt that the "abrasive" nurse was lecturing me or not very accommodating to my schedule. Initially, there was a mix up on the medication order and the insurance company denied the request for a specific type of meds. The nurse called and told me I had to talk t the company to see why on this specific medication. The company indicated that the clinic needed to order this specific medication through their specific system and get approval and when I relayed this information the nurse was agitated and basically implied that what I was telling her was not true since she has been doing this for many years. I basically said this is what I was told based on the medication name you gave me. She reviewed the Rx that was sent and basically said, oh wait this is not the medication that was prescribed for you, I will re-send.
The nurses follow the protocols very closely; if there are any concerns or questions that you asked the Doctor, make sure you bring this up to the nurses early on; communication may not have occurred with the nurses (e.g. if you are traveling and are planning to start the protocol or monitoring). During the plans for the transfer, I was told by Cardone that we may be able to alter the medication to extend things for my travel needs for the transfer. Since you can not 100% predict when the protocol starts, I was in the middle of taking my meds and being monitored and about 1 month before my work travel was occurring I asked the nurse about this and she basically said I can't travel and that can't happen since the transfer could happen depending on monitoring. About 2 weeks later, after confirmation from hormone monitoring and a date was set for the transfer (before my travel date), I spoke with the other nurse and asked about travel and medication and was very accommodating and got me a letter to travel with my meds. Once everything was successful the nurses were very nice and congratulatory.
Describe your experience with Cardone & Associates.
There is a phlebotomist that is not very good at find my vein (and I am pretty easy to take blood from) and had bruised me. Be forewarned that it maybe painful and also that you can get bruising. (FYI: although this is a practice , this is not what they are supposed to do: stick a needle in you and move it around while the needle is in you to get the vein, this will cause bruising)
Some ultrasound techs are very nice and will walk you through what they see (especially when you are looking for a fetus) but at the beginning, not so much. It would be nice if the tech would let me know if they are looking at the right or left ovary and what they are specifically looking for and the uterus lining etc.
The insurance point of contact is pretty good and answered our questions pretty quickly and very friendly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates.
Insurance covered majority of the treatment. Co-pay for in person visits with doctor or nurse practitioner and medication.
Describe Vito Cardone's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Cardone & Associates.
Since I had PGS on the embryos, I only had the option for eSET. If there was no testing performed, Cardone was open to have multiple embryo transfer the first time.
What specific things went wrong at Cardone & Associates?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Cardone & Associates.
You may discuss things with the doctors and doctor says that is it OK and easy to do but when it is brought up to the nurses, the nurses contradict what the doctor may say was OK. Lesson: always discuss with nurse early on to clear up any misinformation
Very knowledgeable Easy to talk too Compassionate He [Dr. Cardone] is willing to try different things if patient can make a good case He is very knowledgeable When talking to him- did not feel rush He was attentive to details... I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve as a result of years of severe endometriosis- cycle starter with the idea that response to medications was expected to be poor. Dr Cardone chose a very low dose protocols
[Cardone & Associates] Had early hours for monitoring Office was small but cozy I did not have to wait long to see lab person or ultrasound tech Small office to staff can communicate effectively Dr Cardone does all procedures at Boston IVF state of the art procedures Patient get intimate care ( not a number) but get the quality care of a big clinic ( Boston IVF technology)... nurse were reach easy to reach- responsive to emails and call-
How was your experience with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Very knowledgeable
Easy to talk too
Compassionate
He is willing to try different things if patient can make a good case
He is very knowledgeable
When talking to him- did not feel rush
He was attentive to details
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Make sure you discuss in advance what the treatment would be and what will be the ajustement if there is any concerns during treatment
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Small office/ they greet by my name- nurse were reach easy to reach- responsive to emails and call-
Describe the protocols Vito Cardone used in your cycles at Cardone & Associates and their degree of success.
I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve as a result of years of severe endometriosis- cycle starter with the idea that response to medications was expected to be poor. Dr Cardone chose a very low dose protocols- I was very please as many RE usually chose an aggressive protocols that personally I did not agree. I was satisfied that Dr Cardone opted for this treatment.
However cycle was cancelled due to premature ovulation which is common for women with poor ovarian reserve
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Cardone & Associates.
They were fantastic- very responsive to emails and call.
Always knew who I was
Describe your experience with Cardone & Associates.
Very convenient to me since I am located in stoneham-
Had early hours for monitoring
Office was small but cozy
I did not have to wait long to see lab person or ultrasound tech
Small office to staff can communicate effectively
Dr Cardone does all procedures at Boston IVF state of the art procedures
Patient get intimate care ( not a number) but get the quality care of a big clinic ( Boston IVF technology)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates.
Cycle was 10,000 plus medications
Describe Vito Cardone's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Cardone & Associates.
DR cardone prefer eset as it is more healthy for the mother. Considering i may be high risk pregnancy I also agree with that choice
Dr. Cardone explained everything in a manner that we could understand, a third grade level was was helpful. When my first IUI failed he changed things up a bit. When the second one did, his team called me the same day to share that Dr. Cardone already had my IVF treatment plan in place. He was pro active about it. When my husband presented with a sudden worry about embryo distraction, Dr. Cardone saw us the same week to walk us through the issue. (Due to my age it wasn't actually an issue for us). Dr. Cardone always kept us informed and educated. No question was foolish. For that we are grateful and for that we didn't ever question his plan
They're [the nurses at Boston IVF- Stoneham] great. Anytime that I called and had to leave a vm they got right back to me even though their message says 24 hours. In all the 30+ times I called they got back to me within an hour. Even after hours and on weekends. They're very organized and tell you exactly what the expectations are. It's a little intimidating at first because they present it like a secret mission, but they're simply being detailed and clear.
How was your experience with Vito Cardone at Boston IVF?
My overall experience was great. This process can be overwhelming what with the terms, meds, options & possible change in protocol. Dr. Cardone explained everything in a manner that we could understand, a third grade level was was helpful. When my first IUI failed he changed things up a bit. When the second one did, his team called me the same day to share that Dr. Cardone already had my IVF treatment plan in place. He was pro active about it. When my husband presented with a sudden worry about embryo distraction, Dr. Cardone saw us the same week to walk us through the issue. (Due to my age it wasn't actually an issue for us). Dr. Cardone always kept us informed and educated. No question was foolish. For that we are grateful and for that we didn't ever question his plan.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vito Cardone at Boston IVF?
I would say that they shouldn't fear ever being treated like a question was foolish or that they were overreacting. That was always my fear as I was so uneducated about infertility. Dr. Cardone and his team are very skilled at what they do & are great with customer service.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vito Cardone at Boston IVF?
Dr. Cardone was very kind yet honest about the obstacles we could face. However, he also had a 'can do' attitude, and made us feel that our obstacles were manageable with some creativity & knowhow.
Describe the protocols Vito Cardone used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
We started with IUI as it was least invasive. Also, I think that my ins required two failed before moving to IVF so we had no choice.
(Not any fault of Dr. Cardone, but I felt that I was up against a clock as I was in the final few months of my 39th year. At 40 ins coverage is complicated). I have 2 embryos on ice and start about 15 days of prep on Oct 2 to get those little things back in me.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Boston IVF.
They're great. Anytime that I called and had to leave a vm they got right back to me even though their message says 24 hours. In all the 30+ times I called they got back to me within an hour. Even after hours and on weekends. They're very organized and tell you exactly what the expectations are.
It's a little intimidating at first because they present it like a secret mission, but they're simply being detailed and clear.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
I think it could use a little interior design support. Although we're not going not for the decore, a little more of a welcoming astetically pleasing environment is great. They're efficient and that's what counts.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vito Cardone at Boston IVF.
Co pay, some of meds.
Describe Vito Cardone's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Boston IVF.
He [Dr. Cardone] took the time to explain the treatment plan and answered all questions during the appointment. However, during a treatment cycle there isn't any way to speak with him, only the nurses. If you have a question that they can't answer, you're told to make an appointment. By the time you can get an appointment, the cycle will usually be over and the question is no longer relevant.
Dr. Cardone [of Cardone & Associates] is willing to take on difficult cases, which was a big sell for me. I could typically get an appointment within a few weeks. However, I wish that the staff was more open and helpful during treatment cycles...If there are any questions that I've had, I've been told to make an appointment with the doctor. By the time I have an appointment, the cycle is over and the question is no longer relevant. The nurses will tell you what to do next in your cycle, but don't take the time to explain what your results mean.
How was your experience with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
I appreciated his willingness to try to work with my own eggs, as I have POF and most will not. However, I would have preferred if he were easier to communicate with regarding any questions or concerns.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Think of any possible questions that you may have and write them down ahead of time so that you can get the answers that you're looking for.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
He took the time to explain the treatment plan and answered all questions during the appointment. However, during a treatment cycle there isn't any way to speak with him, only the nurses. If you have a question that they can't answer, you're told to make an appointment. By the time you can get an appointment, the cycle will usually be over and the question is no longer relevant.
Describe the protocols Vito Cardone used in your cycles at Cardone & Associates and their degree of success.
Gonal-f 300 units - no response, cancelled cycle.
Menopur 4 vials twice per day - one follicle produced to 19mm in size for IVF but he cancelled the retrieval due to estrogen diminishing from 360 to 260.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Cardone & Associates.
If there are any questions that I've had, I've been told to make an appointment with the doctor. By the time I have an appointment, the cycle is over and the question is no longer relevant. The nurses will tell you what to do next in your cycle, but don't take the time to explain what your results mean.
Describe your experience with Cardone & Associates.
Dr. Cardone is willing to take on difficult cases, which was a big sell for me. I could typically get an appointment within a few weeks. However, I wish that the staff was more open and helpful during treatment cycles.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates.
My insurance covered all expenses. I only had to cover co-payments.
Describe Vito Cardone's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Cardone & Associates.
He [Dr. Vito Cardone] has been doing this for a VERY long time and is very confident and knowledgeable. We liked that he was one of the first Drs/Clinics in New England to Do donor egg cycles, which is one of the reasons we made the move to him. We were also being treated remotely by a Reproductive Immunologist (AEBeer Center in CA) and I liked that Dr Cardone’s international/global background and felt that made him more open and accepting of some of the treatments that are less common here in the US, but widely accepted in other countries. So while he wasn’t an expert in some of the RI treatments we used to prep for and layered onto my cycles, he didn’t openly oppose them or discount them like others RE’s I’ve worked with.
It’s [Cardone & Associates] small and that has both advantages and disadvantages. They definitely seemed to rely heavily on paper files, but did post results to the online portal which was nice (but there could be a significant delay). The office itself is clean. At the time Dr Cardone was the only Dr, so you didn’t have an option to be seen by someone else if he was unable or something came up. But that didn’t end up being an issue for us. He did all fertility procedures through Boston IVF in Woburn (which was a hike for us), but the day to day visits/check ins were in the Stoneham office which was about 1/2 way and better for me. We had one hysteroscopy procedure at an outpatient surgery center in Danvers, which was nice and went very well (he does them under general anesthesia btw which is SO MUCH MORE HUMANE than in the office like other providers typically do)
How was your experience with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Dr Cardone is very kind and took time with us to explain and answer questions. We had been through rounds of IVF with other clinics, so he asked what we wanted to know more about, etc and didn’t assume we knew everything. He has been doing this for a VERY long time and is very confident and knowledgeable. We liked that he was one of the first Drs/Clinics in New England to Do donor egg cycles, which is one of the reasons we made the move to him.
We were also being treated remotely by a Reproductive Immunologist (AEBeer Center in CA) and I liked that Dr Cardone’s international/global background and felt that made him more open and accepting of some of the treatments that are less common here in the US, but widely accepted in other countries. So while he wasn’t an expert in some of the RI treatments we used to prep for and layered onto my cycles, he didn’t openly oppose them or discount them like others RE’s I’ve worked with.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
To me he seemed to offer up as much info as you asked for. So if you want more info, ask lots of questions... I think he’s also one of those Drs you can easily just hand over the keys to and say “ok doc go” and they’ll just tell you where to show up and when... so it’s really whatever your preference is
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
I felt they did a nice job of seeing me as a human and adjusting treatment based on my specific case and results from prior rounds with other Drs... I did however hear feedback from the donor’s agency where they were not always considerate of her time/giving her a heads up or a calendar of when she would need to do what, etc. Dr Cardine’s wife is the donor coordinator on their end and there seemed to be some communication isssues between her and the agency. Our donor and agency were both remote (in CA) and there were a few times she mentioned to me that it’s much easier with a local donor/agency, so I get the feeling that having a remote donor made it more complicated on her end too. In the end, everything worked out fine, but I felt badly that it wasn a very good experience for our donor (luckily it was her 4th time donating, so she knows it doesn’t always happen that way and we tried to make sure she knew how appreciative we were for everything, but I definitely felt like we needed to apologize for the lack of communication... often the agency was getting updates and info from me before they heard from the donor coordinator)
Describe the protocols Vito Cardone used in your cycles at Cardone & Associates and their degree of success.
I don’t remember the specifics of the protocols, but by the time we saw Cardone I was over the age of 40 (we had been trying for more than 4yrs) and I do recall him saying that sometimes less is more with stimulation... in the cycle we tried with my own eggs I believe we only retrieved 2, both fertilized, but we were only able to transfer 1 of them (and we got a negative test result), he said at this point it could be a numbers game and we just need the one high quality egg, but since we had been trying so long we were ready to move onto DE... but had we started with him sooner, I think he would have had more (egg reserves) to work with and I think we would have had a higher chance of getting one good one with him (than we had with the original clinic we started with)
Like wise when the donor cycle happened, he was much more concerned about quality over quantity. She also had a history of a lower retrieval number but high fertilization rate. So we were comfortable with that approach.
One thing I wish we would have discussed more in our DE plan was ICSI. We did not discuss it at all and it was not used, but in hindsight we had 12 retrieved, 10 fertilized, but 4 were abnormally fertilized and we found out later that those 4 abnormal had double fertilized, so it makes me wonder if we would have had more viable embryos with ICIS. But thankfully we had success with our fist fresh day3 transfer and we have 4 remaining frozen, that we may not even use, so it all worked out fine.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Cardone & Associates.
I honestly forget their names. I want to say there were 2-3 that we worked with and one was super sweet and nice. The other was perfectly competent, but kind of sounded like she was following a script when she was talking to us (maybe she was just younger/less experienced).
The staff who did the blood draws were outsourced from an agency and unfortunately not the best. I remember cringing when certain ones were there (it was a couple of years ago, so I doubt they are the same people now).
There were two ultrasound techs and one had better bedside manner than the other (but again I forget which one). In general they could improve on that whole process, it’s never comfortable as it is. I had scar tissue from an unrelated surgery and it helped if I could guide the probe myself... one was fine with it, the other never seemed to remember and I felt awkward having to explain it every time. IMHO, that should always be offered as an option.
The donor coordinator also seemed to have some lack of communication with the agency and donor. She was fine with me, but the agency said something after about how difficult it was for the donor compared to other clinics the donor had worked with. It may have been because they were not local and that made it more challenging, but I definitely felt like I needed to apologize and was glad this wasn’t that donors first experience.
Describe your experience with Cardone & Associates.
It’s small and that has both advantages and disadvantages. They definitely seemed to rely heavily on paper files, but did post results to the online portal which was nice (but there could be a significant delay).
The office itself is clean. At the time Dr Cardone was the only Dr, so you didn’t have an option to be seen by someone else if he was unable or something came up. But that didn’t end up being an issue for us. He did all fertility procedures through Boston IVF in Woburn (which was a hike for us), but the day to day visits/check ins were in the Stoneham office which was about 1/2 way and better for me.
We had one hysteroscopy procedure at an outpatient surgery center in Danvers, which was nice and went very well (he does them under general anesthesia btw which is SO MUCH MORE HUMANE than in the office like other providers typically do)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates.
Our insurance covered most or all of the IVF round, visits, monitoring, meds, etc. I believe there was a copay we received a bill for after everything else was processed. If I recall correctly that bill may have come directly from Boston IVF so was a smidge confusing (it as the other Dr’s name on it), but in the end it was fine.
For the DE cycle, we paid a cycle coordination fee directly to the clinic (not covered by insurance. Then all of my meds, monitoring, etc. was covered by insurance. All donor procedures, labs, etc. that happened IN/AT the clinic or with them at Boston IVF were also covered by insurance. But any remote monitoring needed for the donor (because she was not local) was paid for out of pocket (through the agency). There ended up being 2-3 blood draw/labs and 1-2 ultrasounds that happened before she flew to town for final week of monitoring and the retrieval.
Describe Vito Cardone's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Cardone & Associates.
With my own eggs we didn’t retrieve more than 2 eggs and only ended up having 1 embryo... but had we retrieved more, he was not opposed to transferring up to 3 at a time (given my age was over 40).
When we tranfered embryos made with donor eggs, he said he would only transfer a max of 2, because she was younger and there was a higher chance they would both/all take. We we completely comfortable with the chance of twins so tranfered 2 and had a live singleton birth and are happy with the result.
If we were to do an FET to try for a 2nd, I’m not sure what we would do, the thought of twins would scare me at this point (due to other immune and anatomical issues/uterine scar tissue, I had trouble getting to full term and only got to 34 wks)
He [Dr. Vito Cardone] was also completely non-judgemental about our family plan (my wife and I were TTC with a known donor). I did have a hard time with the hysterosalpingogram, and when I saw him afterwards, he joked about me "surviving." I also never spoke to him at all during or after my cycle of treatment, which seemed a little odd...I have PCOS and don't ovulate, and I hadn't had success with Clomid, so Dr. Cardone used injectable hormones (Gonal-F) plus a trigger (Ovidrel) and then supplemental progesterone (Crinone). They monitor extensively via bloodwork and ultrasound, every few days at first and then more frequently.and my Gonal-F was adjusted after a few days. I had an endogenous LH surge and then took my trigger, and I ovulated on day 17. I used timed intercourse on days 16 and 17, a positive pregnancy test two weeks later, and a confirmed twin pregnancy by ultrasound at 6 weeks. I lost one twin to miscarriage at 11 weeks and had a healthy singleton birth.
My primary contact [at Cardone & Associates] was with the nursing staff, who were warm and responsive, and I always felt like both they and the doctor when I saw him were paying attention to me as an individual. The only way in which I felt like a number is that they have very well set-up procedures (a plus overall!) and when I was first getting the run-down of those, I felt pretty overwhelmed by all the details, but the nurses were super-patient in answering every question I had during my cycle, even though I'm sure they'd told me half of the answers already and I'd forgotten!
How was your experience with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Dr. Cardone is pretty matter-of-fact. He came across as very experienced and he took the time to explain test results to us in detail, which I appreciated. He was also completely non-judgemental about our family plan (my wife and I were TTC with a known donor). I did have a hard time with the hysterosalpingogram, and when I saw him afterwards, he joked about me "surviving." I also never spoke to him at all during or after my cycle of treatment, which seemed a little odd.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
They're good about talking about all of the logistics, but if there are things you prefer or specific questions you have, it's good to go in prepared with those. Sometimes they need to be reminded if you're new to treatment that you need things explained!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
My primary contact was with the nursing staff, who were warm and responsive, and I always felt like both they and the doctor when I saw him were paying attention to me as an individual. The only way in which I felt like a number is that they have very well set-up procedures (a plus overall!) and when I was first getting the run-down of those, I felt pretty overwhelmed by all the details, but the nurses were super-patient in answering every question I had during my cycle, even though I'm sure they'd told me half of the answers already and I'd forgotten!
Describe the protocols Vito Cardone used in your cycles at Cardone & Associates and their degree of success.
I have PCOS and don't ovulate, and I hadn't had success with Clomid, so Dr. Cardone used injectable hormones (Gonal-F) plus a trigger (Ovidrel) and then supplemental progesterone (Crinone). They monitor extensively via bloodwork and ultrasound, every few days at first and then more frequently.and my Gonal-F was adjusted after a few days. I had an endogenous LH surge and then took my trigger, and I ovulated on day 17. I used timed intercourse on days 16 and 17, a positive pregnancy test two weeks later, and a confirmed twin pregnancy by ultrasound at 6 weeks. I lost one twin to miscarriage at 11 weeks and had a healthy singleton birth.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Cardone & Associates. (Assigned nurse: Jennifer Iordachescu)
The thing I most loved was that they were extremely responsive -- they apologized if it took more than a day to get back to EMAIL and were always available by phone. They were very patient-focused and always took the time to answer my questions and to help me solve problems. (One time, for example, I had to figure out how to refill a medication for the next day and they helped me figure out the best way to get it.)
Describe your experience with Cardone & Associates.
Bloodwork and ultrasounds for monitoring are done early AM only -- I think it's 6:30-8 am. The affiliated hospital for testing is Winchester. The insurance coordinator is AMAZING.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates.
My insurance covered basically everything because I had diagnosed infertility and had been TTC for a year with our donor. We paid out of pocket for the donor's tests, which were a few hundred dollars, and we also were required to do social worker visits because we used a known donor, which were another few hundred dollars.
He was great at explaining the plan he proposed and why he proposed it. He would listen to our questions and was available for follow up if we had questions when we left. Downside was we didn't see him all that often.
Some nurses were more caring and warm than others... Nurses provided conflicting information and didn't always explain the course of treatment or a change in it.
How was your experience with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
He was great at explaining the plan he proposed and why he proposed it. He would listen to our questions and was available for follow up if we had questions when we left. Downside was we didn't see him all that often.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Ask questions and don't hesitate to ask to talk to Dr. Cardone directly.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
The nurses would call me each week almost like a recording with my "instructions". Some nurses were more caring and warm than others. I had minimal interaction with Dr. Cardone unless we were making a change to the plan.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Cardone & Associates.
Jen was amazing. Amanda was pretty good. Kim had little bed side manner and generally gave off an attitude that was not what I was looking for in my fertility care. It was a tough road and she always made me feel bad about things--even blaming me for doing a shot wrong once when in actuality their clinic had given me false information.
What specific things went wrong at Cardone & Associates?
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Cardone & Associates.
Nurses provided conflicting information and didn't always explain the course of treatment or a change in it. At times when I asked questions I'd get short, snippy answers with an attitude.
Dr. Cardone is a wonderful doctor that took the time to listen to me and suggest a new treatment plan after a disappointing experience with another doctor. ... He radically changed the treatment plan that I had followed for my two previous cycles. ... Dr. Cardone was very straight forward in his words and actions. I knew exactly what to expect and appreciated his experience.
They [Cardone & Associates] offered early morning hours for testing which was very helpful. I didn’t have many interactions with anyone at the front desk. It didn’t seem like it was staffed early in the morning. ... The nursing staff was always friendly and helpful. They were quick to respond to phone calls. ... The location was fine. It was tough to get to when I had to commute to Boston.
How was your experience with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Dr. Cardone was very straight forward in his words and actions. I knew exactly what to expect and appreciated his experience. He radically changed the treatment plan that I had followed for my two previous cycles.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Call him, don’t waste time at other places.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates?
Dr. Cardone is a wonderful doctor that took the time to listen to me and suggest a new treatment plan after a disappointing experience with another doctor.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Cardone & Associates.
The nursing staff was always friendly and helpful. They were quick to respond to phone calls.
Describe your experience with Cardone & Associates.
The location was fine. It was tough to get to when I had to commute to Boston. They offered early morning hours for testing which was very helpful. I didn’t have many interactions with anyone at the front desk. It didn’t seem like it was staffed early in the morning.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vito Cardone at Cardone & Associates.
All costs were covered by insurance.
Describe Vito Cardone's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Cardone & Associates.
I was very hesitant about the idea of transferring multiple embryos. The idea of twins was completely overwhelming. I transferred one and have identical twin boys now.