Feedback about FIRM Jacksonville

[Mom_2_One]

Hi All,
I'm considering a shared DE cycle with FIRM in Jacksonville. I'm hearing mixed reviews about them. Anyone have an opinion either way? The cost is very reasonable, but what is the care like? I'm on the fence because I've noticed that it's very hard to get DE coordinator, benefits specialist and billing office to call back; always voicemail; slow to return or no returned calls. Are most clinics like that....Any feedback?
Thanks.
-Victoria

[babette]

Hi
I don't have an oppion as I am on the East Coast. How are they in answering your E-mails? Or could you set an appointment time, to meet all parties one after the other, to get everyone on the same page? That is how my RE did it. In one day my DH and I met with doctor, DE coordinator, My nurse regarading the cylce meds, dates..so on, and then the psychologist. Which is reguired in our clinic if you are using a donor.

My nurse always gets baack to me pretty quickly either by phone or email.

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do.

Babette

[lolabird21]

I recently did an ICSI cycle there and I had the same problem. The receptionists almost never get a nurse on the line, they just transfer you directly to voice mail. Sometimes they called back, sometimes I had to call back repeatedly. I am also not very happy with the treatment I received there either. I was put on an extremely low dose of fertility drugs because of my age (26) and because it was male factor infertility. I have read that 150 ampules of Bravelle is what they usually give IUI patients. I only produced 6 eggs and with that dismal number our cycle did not work. Immediately after the transfer when they had me lay down for 20 minutes, a nurse shoved a survey in my hands to fill out. I was crying and I thought it was incredibly rude and insensitive. When I went back for the follow up consultation Dr. Winslow didn't even remember my name. If I had it to do over again, I would probably go elsewhere.

[Mom_2_One]

Lola,
I am sorry to hear about your poor cycle. That sucks. Where they purposefully trying to give you a mini (micro)-IVF? Some clinics have been promoting that. I wish that you had had a better expereince. What is your plan now?

I decided not to go with FIRM and am looking for a semi-anonymous situation in So. Cal. I actually have a lot of options for donors and clinics. It's hard to choose...
Best of luck to you.
-Victoria

[daisygirl11]

We had a wonderful experience at this clinic. Have twins and what you need to do is contact Patty she will return your call and that day. Call late morning or mid-afternoon. This place is busy and the preggo rate is high. Its also very reasonably priced. Dr. Winslow was very meticulous, kind and he did every ultrasound or exam I ever had. He is awesome!!! The lab is one of the best just look at the stats. If you have any questions just ask.

[Mom_2_One]

Hi Daisy!
Congratulations on your twins. That's very wonderful for you. I was working with Dr. Duffy and his nurse coordinator. Perhaps I would have had a better impression had I chosen to consult with Dr. Winslow. I wouldn't say that my experience was necessarily negative; it just wasn't GREAT (i.e. especially in waiting so long for returned calls and always getting sent to voicemail when calling the nurse).

As far as outcomes go, according to the CDC SART report, F.I.R.M. only had a live birth rate (LBR) of 34.4% and 43.8% in 2006 and 2007, respectively. That is well below the national average of 52%. I would not even want to go with a clinic that didn’t have a LBR of at least 65%. The F.I.R.M. website currently says that they had a 67.6% success rate in 2008. That is the clinical pregnancy rate; not the LBR! They also state on the website that the miscarriage rate was 10-15% so, their LBR in 2008 was approximately 57.6- 52.6; so those numbers are really not that great considering that some clinics have LBR of over 70%. It’s great that FIRM has pulled their numbers up from their 2006/2007 levels. In all fairness, I don’t know what the LBR is like at FIRM this year so far, but I would be very concerned in going with a DE-IVF program that only reached the national average of just around 52%. Financially and emotionally I don’t like roughly 50/50 odds; even if FIRM’s cost for DE-IVF was cheaper than other clinics in the State. I was willing at one point to go with FIRM because they offered me a donor how had already had two previously successful DE-cycles. That's the ONLY reason I would have gone with FIRM. I backed out because I don't think that the 100% anonymous situation is right for my family. I wanted to be able to have some form of contact with my donor and I was not even allowed to see a photo. I could not go through with those limitations. I realize that some people prefer to have have a 100% anonymous donor, but it's not for me.

Several other clinics in FL have LBR for DE-IVF that are significantly lower than FIRM; a few are better than FIRM. South Florida Institute of Reproductive Medicine, U of F at Magnolia Park, and Boca Fertility all have live birth rates over FIRM, but none of these clinics have live rates over 70%; so more than 1/3 of the time the treatments don’t work; ouch!

Oregon Reproductive medicine had live birth rates over 70% in both 2006 and 2007. They rock and there numbers are even better now. UCSD Fertility had live birth rates of 71.4% and 81.5% in 2007 and 2006! San Diego Fertility Center had LBR over 80% for those two years. There are plenty of clinics in California that have L.B.R. that look more like FIRM and I am not going to choose those clinics either. I'll go with a clinic that does fewer DE-IVF cycles than some of the more well known clinics, they offer fair pricing, yet they have excellent L.B.R. of greater than 80%. I hope the clinic I’ve chosen will help me successfully get pregnant. But if I don’t have a baby, I will have peace of mind knowing that I had access to one of the best embryology labs possible and the clinic I've chosen does also offer a money back guarantee program which I will consider too.

For those who have had good experiences at FIRM, I think that’s great. I just didn’t find them that responsive and their LBR numbers for DE-IVF were really low in 2006/2007 according to their CDC SART data and are just okay in 2008 according to the data listed on their website. I think patients can find better options.

[daisygirl11]

Mom2one-Its good that you've done the research. Go with your gut and choose a young donor that is proven the money back is a nice option. We paid 20,000 and no money back thank goodness it worked the first time or we would have been devastated. I have not met Dr. Duffy sorry the experience was not ideal, Dr. Winslow is a good re but you do need staff to call you back at what we are paying. Sorry about that. I did see that the de stats went up for there clinic. Maybe they need to put a couple of nurses in the de dept. its not any easy job I'm sure to coordinate those cycles.

This aside I will keep you in my thoughts let me know about your up coming cycle and if you have any questions I would like to help
De has the highest success rates you will conceive it just plain works. Our babies where worth waiting for. Wishing you success and much happiness, Good Luck. Daisy

[Mom_2_One]

Hi Daisy,
I just wanted to say congratulations once again and thank you for the well wishes. I am really glad that things have worked out so well for your family.
-Many blessings,
Victoria

[altamags]

Hi Daisy, congratulations on you twins! What a terrific outcome.

I'm in Central Florida and considering traveling to F.I.R.M. because they are one of the largest donor egg programs in my general vicinity. I'm having a hard time finding out their costs though. They mention an IVF Refund program. Do you know if that's done internally, or if it's an outside agency like Attain IVF? Or do you know what the cost of the refund program was?

Thanks
Maggie