Can u get hold of your RE or IVF nurse easily?

candyreesecup · June 2012

I am a bit frustrated. It seems that it's so hard to get hold of IVF nurses or doc at my clinic. After the receptionist transfers, it ALWAYS goes to a voice mail and I need to wait when I have questions.

There have a different phone line for regular (for ppl doing IUI, medicated cycle) and IVF patients. I was ok to wait when I was going through IUI cycles. I had to get an approval from my RE on the money back guarantee plan asap as our full payment is due tomorrow, but I couldn't get hold of anyone all day yesterday. My RE nor IVF nurse called me back yesterday even though I left a voice mail. I finally got hold of financial person today and go this things squared away, but I was like WTF?

Since I am now pursuing IVF and paying a big buck, I feel like I should be treated somewhat better like a VIP patient. I was told that they do about 40 ER per week, so I am one of their many patients, but I think I deserve a bit more attention. We don't even get our own IVF nurse. Ghaaaaaaa, they better be MORE responsive when I go into stim/ER/ET!!!!!

Is your clinic responsive? Do you have your own IVF nurse?

BzeetyD · June 2012

We don't have our own nurse, but I like the team at my clinic and feel respected and listened to, no matter who is involved.

I can get ahold of either my RE or a nurse pretty quickly, I also made sure they knew they could leave a message on my cell at any time (this helps me sometimes avoid the phone tag that you described).

It's hard when you're starting out because you're not exactly a patient yet.

Hopefully things will change or perhaps you can bring it up with your RE directly and ask for the best way to get ahold of someone.

Hope this helps.

racheyt0227 · June 2012

I know it can be frustrating especially when you are paying big $$! I have a dedicated nurse. I don't usually get her on the phone, but when I call & leave a VM or email her, I always get a response the same day.

So you ended up with a multi cycle plan?

crt0323 · June 2012

The nurses at my clinic at great. I always get a response the same day when I leave a message and I get almost an instant response via email. I would very frustrated as well in your situation.

KdgTeacher · June 2012

My clinic is pretty small--2 u/s techs and 4 nurses, so everyone deals with each patient whether you are TI, IUI, IVF, etc.

As long as I call within business hours, I can get my questions answered, and if the person I'm talking to can't answer (got a tech but have a meds question), I'm at least talking to an actual person and 99% of the time I'm siply passed off to a nurse who is right there.

liz4paws · June 2012

I?ve been through three REs as we have been researching where we finally want to do our IVF. The one that I am with is by far the most responsive.

First one, the only way to reach the nurse was through their online portal, and it would take a couple of days for a response. The second, I was supposed to call and leave a voicemail, and I'd usually get a call back within the next few days. The RE nurse I am with now is assigned to me, and I have her direct email address. She replies to me sometimes within an hour, but usually by end of day. She always calls me with test results, unless I request she just email them. And if I need her urgently, I can just call her extension directly and she will call me back within a couple of hours. When she has been gone, she has someone else replying to her emails and voicemails.

This is how I feel it should be done! We are forking out a LOT of money, and whether or not they are busy, they have to remember who ultimately keeps them in business is their patients. If you aren't getting the kind of service you feel you deserve, I guess you have to weigh that into the whole picture and whether or not the clinic is one you want to stick with. If the RE himself/herself was a rockstar, that is one thing. But if the RE is OK, and their staff are like that, I might shop around some more. That?s my two cents. Sorry you aren't getting better service!

emikat · June 2012

I do have an IVF coordinator. I'm not sure if she is a nurse, but I assumed so. I haven't yet had to call her. But she does respond to my emails. When choosing my IVF doctor, I decided to go to one that was recommended by my OB, but not the busiest in the city because I didn't want to feel as you are feeling as one of just a bunch of people being shuffled through. Even so, my RE seems very busy all the time. But I have appreciated that when I do have his time he gives me good attention and information. I can imagine how frustrating it is for you.

mnj05 · June 2012

I have my nurse and I call her line directly. She rarely answers but she always gets back to me same day when I leave a message. I've never spoken with my RE on the phone, but he's between the main clinic and the hospital a lot, and as long as I get my questions answered, it doesn't bother me who I talk to.

delino · June 2012

I have my own nurse who is usually available when I call. My doctor is usually fairly quick to return phone calls as well. I agree that with the amount we pay them, they should be available for us.

chicagobride_07 · June 2012

Yes, I can get ahold of both very quickly. My OB/GYN office is a mill like atmosphere and I hate it. I wanted a smaller, independent practice for my RE. This is why I avoided the large clinics here in Chicago (there are several).

candyreesecup · June 2012

racheyt0227:
I know it can be frustrating especially when you are paying big $$! I have a dedicated nurse. I don't usually get her on the phone, but when I call & leave a VM or email her, I always get a response the same day.

So you ended up with a multi cycle plan?

Yes! My DH & I went back and forth about it, but finally it came down to a piece of mind that I could do IVF/FET again if I didn't have a live birth within 2 years... That took chunk out of our saving, so we will be eating ramen noodle every night!

candyreesecup · June 2012

Thanks for your comments and I read them all! I am glad to hear you have good RE clinic and they are responsive.

I chose this place out of the list my OBGY gave me and I think they are pretty well known in Cincinnati. I found out later that my doc was featured on TV because he had a patient whose 2 sisters became surrogates for her.

Anyway...I hope I get a VIP stamp once I actually pay and start intense process.

hugmonkey · June 2012

At my clinic, there is a different number for each Dr's care team. If I have to leave a message, it says they'll get back to me by 5pm. But, I don't think I've ever had to wait more than about an hour--and often no more than 15 minutes.

Gregermis · June 2012

I would express your frustration when you see your doc next. With an IVF cycle, I agree, they really ought to get back to you as soon as possible. There seem to be 3 times of the day that my nurses have set aside for calling patients back 9ish, 2ish, and 4-5ish. So I've never called and not gotten a response back from my nurses. There is a different lady that handles all the finances....... she and I are going to have a talk with some really strong words because it has been a month since I called twice for help with the clinic F*CKING up my billing AGAIN!!!

maggie2324 · June 2012

I have actually complained that I don't get timely call backs from my "IVF Nurse Coordinator." she's the only one and very busy, so it doesn't appear as though she returns calls more than a couple times per week :-/

I don't really call her unless I absolutely can't help it. Another patient of hers that I became friends with said she was always prompt with calling her back (same day), so I don't know why she blows me off.

Snarling Fox · June 2012

I'm so sorry you're having some frustrations with your RE's communication. Not being able to get a hold of the office or waiting until the next day when you're trying to make a deadline would make me nuts.

My clinic has been amazing with communications. I have an assigned nurse to call or email for any questions or issues. My main RE has also given me his card and said to call or email if I have any questions but I haven't anything urgent so I just go through my nurse. And if I need any general bloodwork appointments or schedule changes, I also have an assigned patient care coordinator who helps me with that. As long as I call or email within business hours, I get a response same day, usually within a couple of hours. If it's after hours, they respond the next day.

candyreesecup · June 2012

Gregermis & maggie2324

THANK YOU!

After I read your posts, I decided to call my clinic and let them know about my frustration. I got to talk to one of the IVF nurses and told how frustrated I was that no one got back to me regardless of the urgency of my question and I was not happy with their responsiveness with me who is starting IVF.

It turned out that IVF nurse got my voice mail on Monday and told the billing dept to call me back, but they didn't! If they did their job (Hello, don't you need my $$$?!), I wouldn't have felt this way. The IVF nurse apologized for their miscommunication and delay of response like this will not happen during IVF process.

I feel a lot better now!!!!!

rebaann · June 2012

I do have my own nurse (phone and email) and my RE's email. When I call or email, I don't ever get them immediately, but I do always get a response the same day. In fact, almost everyone I've dealt with (nurses, doctors, schedulers, financial, donor liaisons, recipient coordinators) have been very responsive.

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