Dr. Anaya is thoughtful and supportive. ... There have been several complications (discovery of Hashimoto's disease and a septate uterus) and poor outcomes to procedures ... Whenever I expressed concern or doubt about the route we were taking, Dr. Anaya explains all the options, the pros and cons of the options, and the studies/or lack of studies supporting it. She is detailed and blunt but done in a compassionate and caring way.
I think they need a more robust financial advisor program. Due to some unclear instructions on both the part of UCSF and our insurance company we blew $12K (out of only $20K) on IVF medication. We were not informed of UCSF's community program with Walgreens until our second round. ... Instead we spent ~$18,000 out of pocket. ... The entire care team including the phlebotomists and rotating fellows are all kind and friendly.
How was your experience with Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
Dr. Anaya is thoughtful and supportive. My IVF journey has been a very twisted path. There have been several complications (discovery of Hashimoto's disease and a septate uterus) and poor outcomes to procedures (first IVF we retrieved 32 eggs but only 1 passed PGS testing). Whenever I expressed concern or doubt about the route we were taking, Dr. Anaya explains all the options, the pros and cons of the options, and the studies/or lack of studies supporting it. She is detailed and blunt but done in a compassionate and caring way.
She understands its a hard road and practices patience with patients. However, she is very busy and splits her time between two clinics. Sometimes she is not available when you wish she was. But if you ask to talk to her, the care team always gets in contact with her and schedules a time for you. When you are talking to Dr. Anaya, you have her full attention and she never rushes a conversation.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
The one piece of advice I would give a prospective patient is to speak up, ask questions and advocate for yourself. However, I would probably give this advice to anyone talking to any medical provider.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
UCSF is a HUGE clinic, if you aren't careful you may feel like a number. But the desk staff, nurses, and Dr, Anaya all try very hard to make each interaction as informative, thorough, and reassuring as possible.
You may need to use the messaging portal to ask questions to your nurse. Or ask the nurse if you can set up a call with Dr. Anaya. But as long as you advocate for what you need, Dr. Anaya and her care team will be responsive and compassionate in taking you through the very long IVF journey!
Describe the protocols Yanett Anaya used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
IUI #1 = Clomid, 2 folicles, no pregnancy
IUI #2 = Clomid, 4 folicles, no pregnancy
IUI #3 = Letrozole, 2 folicles, no pregnancy - switched to see if outcome would change
IVF retrieval #1 = BC primer, 150 menopur, 225 gonal-F, later added ganerelix, used lupron during trigger shot ==> resulted in 32 eggs retrieved, 24 fertilized, 17 Day 3 embryos, 6 blastocyst sent to PGS testing, ONLY ONE NORMAL
My husband, myself, and Dr. Anaya were all disappointed. We talked about doing another IVF round with the same protocol or with a changed protocol. I pushed for a more mild protocol and Dr. Anaya worked with me.
IVF retrieval #2 = Estrace & lupron injection primer, 150 menopur, 150 gonal-F, stimed longer, used an HCG trigger ==> resulted in 33 eggs retrieved, 24 fertilized, 17 Day 3 embryos, 6 blastocyst sent to PGS testing, 4 tested normal
FET #1 = First embryo died in thawing process; Estrace patches (1,1,2,4,4,3,2,1) and progesterone injections, 1 embryo transferred ==> no pregnancy
UCSF and Dr. Anaya prefer playing it conservatively, only transferring 1 embryo at a time. I agree and prefer this approach.
Three embryos remaining and I am currently doing an ERA test.
Story is to be continued
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: first 9 months Gianna, now Cheryl)
The entire care team including the phlebotomists and rotating fellows are all kind and friendly. Some are more knowledgeable than others, but if a person doesn't know the answer to a question they will go look for the answer for you.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF is a HUGE clinic. They have a lot of patients and a lot of staff. Sometimes it takes minute to find the right person to talk to via phone or email, but someone always answers questions within a 12 to 48 hour window. And when interacting with me everyone is friendly and compassionate.
I think they need a more robust financial advisor program. Due to some unclear instructions on both the part of UCSF and our insurance company we blew $12K (out of only $20K) on IVF medication. We were not informed of UCSF's community program with Walgreens until our second round.
Describe Yanett Anaya's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
UCSF and Dr. Anaya prefer playing it conservatively, only transferring 1 embryo at a time. I agree and prefer this approach. I think this is particularly a good approach for my situation, no previous pregnancies (even in miscarriage) and 35+.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
I think they need a more robust financial advisor program. Due to some unclear instructions on both the part of UCSF and our insurance company we blew $12K (out of only $20K) on IVF medication. We were not informed of UCSF's community program with Walgreens until our second round. If the program had been communicated appropriately and we were advised to self pay medications, we would have enough money left to have covered both rounds of IVF retrieval. Instead we spent ~$18,000 out of pocket.
Dr. Anaya is very positive, polite, thorough, and energetic.... She took the time to meet with us WHENEVER we wanted, she made an effort to acknowledge the financial constraints of IVF and spoke to colleagues trying to find cheaper options for us. She completely explained all options and gave her recommendation, but in the end it was our decision which she would then fully support. Specifically, I did not want to go on BC since I suffer all major side effects.
I work with a medical assistant with Dr. Anaya. She is very responsive and answers all of my questions!... The clinic's [Houston Fertility Specialists] website is good for promotional purposes, but not necessarily for information on their support groups etc for existing patients. When I call the front desk, they are clueless as well on the website. The financial counselors are very good, but there was a mistake with my charges where the team did not respond to a query which resulted in a bill
How was your experience with Yanett Anaya at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed)?
Dr. Anaya is very positive, polite, thorough, and energetic. She understands the entire IVF process and wants it to be a comfortable and exciting experience for her patients. When I had concern about taking BC, she agreed to make a plan that would not use BC without hesitation. When I had concern about the IVF meds, she recommended the best way to order them at the cheapest price. When I had questions about coordinating my husbands sperm extraction, she took charge and contacted her boss as well as the urologist to coordinate the master plan (my previous doctor was not coordinating and there were too many contradicting plans from each provider). She makes me feel so much at ease, and I trust her completely!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Yanett Anaya at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed)?
You should want a provider who is completely involved, who uses all of her time with you in the appointment, and who involves the patient 100% in the process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Yanett Anaya at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed)?
She took the time to meet with us WHENEVER we wanted, she made an effort to acknowledge the financial constraints of IVF and spoke to colleagues trying to find cheaper options for us. She completely explained all options and gave her recommendation, but in the end it was our decision which she would then fully support. Specifically, I did not want to go on BC since I suffer all major side effects. My previous doctor was going to force me to take BC which is why I switched. Dr. Anaya was amazing and came up with the plan on how to do IVF without BC without judgement. She also did all of my diagnostic procedures herself which I appreciated since I got to know her better instead of just her nurse or medical assistant.
Describe the protocols Yanett Anaya used in your cycles at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed) and their degree of success.
I myself do not have fertility issues, but my husband does. I do not know what my protocol was, but I remember that it was relatively basic.
Cetrotide® 0.25 mg
Follistim® 900 IU
Menopur® 75 IU
Ovidrel® 250 mcg
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed).
I work with a medical assistant with Dr. Anaya. She is very responsive and answers all of my questions! Each provider has one nurse or MA assigned to them, which helps build a good relationship with the team.
Describe your experience with Houston Fertility Specialists (closed).
The clinic's website is good for promotional purposes, but not necessarily for information on their support groups etc for existing patients. When I call the front desk, they are clueless as well on the website. The financial counselors are very good, but there was a mistake with my charges where the team did not respond to a query which resulted in a bill - I contested it, and they found the problem and fixed it immediately. I think the clinic should be more involved with the patient's schedule and plan, but instead let the patient reach out to their provider for updates. I think this opens up an opportunity for patient's to be forgotten or lost or appointments to be missed. I expressed this to Dr. Anaya, and she has made sure that her team reaches out to me to check in and not wait for me to call.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed).
This was an efficient practice, and I only had to wait a little while. The window was only a few hours, so I was able to fit my scheduled around it.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Yanett Anaya at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed).
my insurance only covered diagnostics (ovarian reserve analysis, ultrasounds, genetic testing, blood work, etc).
I was offered a 20% discount for military service, so my estimated costs were $11,000 for egg retrieval + freezing and two cycles of implants, $1,950 for embryo genetic testing (up to 8) through contracted service, $6,000 for medications (egg retrieval cycle and implantation cycle, ordered overseas).
My husband separately had to get a MESA which had an estimated cost of $10,000.
Describe Yanett Anaya's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed).
My provider's clinic promoted single embryo transfers, but I am choosing to get 2 implanted. Dr. Anaya is a bit hesitant due to the risks associated with a multiple pregnancy, and advises me it is safer to do just one. But, with our finances and timeline, my husband and I are going to do two which she will support. I know my doctor wants what is safest, and I truly appreciate her input for that.
What specific things went wrong at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed)?
Lost paperwork
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed).
the nurse for my first provider did not tell me about my prescriptions or next appointments to be scheduled. She would refer me back to the provider if I had questions. When I would ask my provider (Dr. Grunert), he would tell me to talk to his nurse. It was a mess. This is why I switched to Dr. Anaya, and her team is much better. The front desk still lost some paperwork that I had faxed over, so now we use the online eportal to upload so that nothing is lost.
From the first moment she [Dr. Anaya] took over our care, she dedicated herself wholeheartedly to helping us surmount our infertility issues. She was always available to us for questions, explained courses of treatment and options thoroughly, researched and explored the latest scientific developments and options, respected our ethical boundaries, and, importantly, was kind, compassionate and supportive every step of the way. We had the resources and options to go to many practices but knew that the dedication she showed us as her patients would be difficult to beat.
My treatment strategy [at Houston Fertility Specialists] involved a combination of an injectable competitive gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist and gonadotropin with oral steroids and human growth hormone...The nursing staff has some very excellent professionals on its staff. There have been occasions, however, when a nurse has relayed confusing instructions or seemed overwhelmed resulting in minor mistakes.
How was your experience with Yanett Anaya at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed)?
Dr. Anaya is a dedicated, compassionate, and knowledgeable physician who we would recommend without hesitation. From the first moment she took over our care, she dedicated herself wholeheartedly to helping us surmount our infertility issues. She was always available to us for questions, explained courses of treatment and options thoroughly, researched and explored the latest scientific developments and options, respected our ethical boundaries, and, importantly, was kind, compassionate and supportive every step of the way. We had the resources and options to go to many practices but knew that the dedication she showed us as her patients would be difficult to beat.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Yanett Anaya at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed)?
Be proactive in your treatment and do not hesitate to ask questions. Dr. Anaya is a font of knowledge and helps her patients fully understand their treatment and options.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Yanett Anaya at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed)?
Dr. Anaya is warm and extremely dedicated to the well-being of her patients. We felt that we have a fighter in our corner who is committed to doing everything in her power to succeed. She makes herself available, does research to make sure all avenues are explored, pulls resources and colleagues into our treatment, is sensitive to cost, and is just an all-around decent and kind person.
Describe the protocols Yanett Anaya used in your cycles at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed) and their degree of success.
My treatment strategy involved a combination of an injectable competitive gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist and gonadotropin with oral steroids and human growth hormone.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed).
The physician assistants in the practice are extremely competent and responsive. There is never a delay in getting questions answered, scheduling for treatment or testing, or responses. The nursing staff has some very excellent professionals on its staff. There have been occasions, however, when a nurse has relayed confusing instructions or seemed overwhelmed resulting in minor mistakes. It always pays to confirm medications and instructions to ensure there is no miscommunication. It is also good to get an expectation of communication during an embryo growth cycle.
Describe your experience with Houston Fertility Specialists (closed).
Houston Fertility Specialists is a well-run practice. Their front office staff are always friendly and competent. Their business office is patient and willing to help you work through the sometimes confusing maze that is insurance coverage of fertility treatments. The clinic space is attractive although not as plush as other practices we explored. However, we are there for the medicine, not to go to a spa. ;-) In my experience, patient wait times are close to appointment times and the medical staff is top notch.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Yanett Anaya at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed).
I was double covered under my husband's and my health insurance so I am unsure about the exact cost to other patients. Our primary costs were the medications, which were purchased outside the clinic.
Describe Yanett Anaya's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Houston Fertility Specialists (closed).
The practice strongly prefers single embryo transfer.
Doc Yanett Anaya always listened to me patiently. She would share her analysis and next steps. She was thorough in explaining what to do next and also explained why. She always took time to answer our questions...She prefers single and shared the risks and benefits...She is a bit passive in approach - we had to also do our due deligence and ask her for additional tests
UCSF is organized and has state of the art facilities. It is a bit difficult to get appointments - however the care team is really good. The team of nurses is also very caring and prompt. You may see different nurse every time, however, for our transfer we asked for our doctor to be present and the care team ensured that Doc Anaya only performed our transfer.
How was your experience with Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
she listens to her patients. UCSF as a clinic is really good and trustworthy. It is sometimes difficult to get an appointment asap. However, if needed urgent care is available. She is a bit passive in approach - we had to also do our due deligence and ask her for additional tests. She would share her analysis and hypothesis. She would also share the facts and data supporting why next steps are taken.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
Doc Yanett Anaya always listened to me patiently. She would share her analysis and next steps. She was thorough in explaining what to do next and also explained why. She always took time to answer our questions.
Describe the protocols Yanett Anaya used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Frozen embryo transfer - first with natural cycle and second with medicated. She diagnosed endometriosis and took very aggressive measures before second transfer.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF is organized and has state of the art facilities. It is a bit difficult to get appointments - however the care team is really good. The team of nurses is also very caring and prompt. You may see different nurse every time, however, for our transfer we asked for our doctor to be present and the care team ensured that Doc Anaya only performed our transfer.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Yanett Anaya at UCSF.
It was covered by Progyny - however, we still paid like $10K out of pocket.
Describe Yanett Anaya's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
She prefers single and shared the risks and benefits.
She [Dr. Anaya on eSet approach] wanted to go with 5 since I produced quite a few this round and due to my age. ... While I did not see her for every visit (I expected this since it’s UCSF and they are a busy practice), the times I did see her she did not rush me and always answered every question I had and made me feel reassured. She even called me on my cell the evening of my trigger shot to make sure I understood everything that was to happen.
State of the art facilities [UCSF] and very friendly staff. I often wondered why some blood testing was done at the clinic and other i had to go to Labcorp or an outside vendor. It would have been nice to be able to do all of it there. ... She [Dr. Anaya on eSet approach] wanted to go with 5 since I produced quite a few this round and due to my age. ... [Nurses] Good follow up communication via phone and email. Nurses are all very friendly.
How was your experience with Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
While I did not see her for every visit (I expected this since it’s UCSF and they are a busy practice), the times I did see her she did not rush me and always answered every question I had and made me feel reassured. She even called me on my cell the evening of my trigger shot to make sure I understood everything that was to happen.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
Ask a lot of questions as she is super patient and will give you clear expectations.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
I initially became a patient of Dr. Anaya bc I didn’t have the best experience with another doctor at this clinic. She spent over an hour at our initial consultation, reviewed my past protocol and also the new protocol in great detail. She was positive, friendly and I felt that she really wanted this for us. I felt like I had my own cheerleader in my corner!
Describe the protocols Yanett Anaya used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
I remember it to be a mirror of my second protocol, antagonist w low dosage of stims.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Kat)
Good follow up communication via phone and email. Nurses are all very friendly.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
State of the art facilities and very friendly staff. I often wondered why some blood testing was done at the clinic and other i had to go to Labcorp or an outside vendor. It would have been nice to be able to do all of it there.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Yanett Anaya at UCSF.
My insurance covered $20k, I paid approx $7k out of pocket
Describe Yanett Anaya's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
She wanted to go with 5 since I produced quite a few this round and due to my age.
Dr. Anaya was great. She was informative and compassionate. She’s an active listener and always followed up with us in a timely and warm manner. We had setbacks with a failed transfer followed by Covid but she adjusted our medications and rolled with the punches with us and we were successful with the 2nd...She was very open and warm...Do research but stay open to her suggestions.
The [UCSF] clinic was always clean and welcoming. Even during Covid, the proper procedures were followed without making it seem scary or exaggerated. Staff was always on top of things and caring. There are few free parking options...Dr. Anaya was great. She was informative and compassionate. She’s an active listener and always followed up with us in a timely and warm manner. We had setbacks with a failed transfer followed by Covid but she adjusted our medications and rolled with the punches with us and we were successful with the 2nd.
How was your experience with Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
Dr. Anaya was great. She was informative and compassionate. She’s an active listener and always followed up with us in a timely and warm manner. We had setbacks with a failed transfer followed by Covid but she adjusted our medications and rolled with the punches with us and we were successful with the 2nd.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
Do research but stay open to her suggestions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
She was very open and warm. The whole staff at UCSF was.
Describe the protocols Yanett Anaya used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Don’t remember unfortunately.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
The clinic was always clean and welcoming. Even during Covid, the proper procedures were followed without making it seem scary or exaggerated. Staff was always on top of things and caring.
There are few free parking options.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Yanett Anaya at UCSF.
We only paid a transfer out of pocket and it was around $5,000.
We are currently paying cryogenic storage of embryos and it is $550 usd/year which is going up to $700 in 2024.
Describe Yanett Anaya's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
The goal was to have a healthy baby and this would best achieved with a singe embryo transfer since multiples can be dangerous.