Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago

the chomp

☆☆☆☆☆1.0· in the last week

Verified

just know they WILL bill you $700 for a consultation. not happy i found that out. 30 minute convo is ridiculous.

Kulvinder Singh

☆☆☆☆☆1.0· a month ago

Verified

Very rude behavior by river north reception staff. Feel like racist and indifferent way to handling patients, not treating them as 'humans'. No escalation procedures in place. I would like to discuss this experienxe with Clinic management team to see if they truly believe in Patient care. And what actions they will take to avoid such ill treatment to future patients.

X'Zandria Weil

☆☆☆☆☆1.0· 2 months ago

Verified

I had an experience with Advanced Fertility Center in Gurnee that left me very dissatisfied. While my initial consultation with Dr. Debra Schell was detailed, I often found that she went on tangents and didn’t address my specific questions. As someone outside the medical field, I also struggled with her explanations, which lacked clarity, requiring me to ask for further clarification repeatedly. The process of scheduling the initial consultation was smooth, but communication broke down significantly after that. The clinic insists on using the Prelude Portal for all updates and communication, including test results and scheduling, with very little human interaction. For something as personal and emotional as a fertility journey, this lack of direct communication—like phone calls from the doctor or nurses—was extremely frustrating. During a vaginal exam, I experienced significant pain, but Dr. Schell only stopped after the nurse pointed out that I was crying. Following that incident, I never received a call from the doctor to check on my well-being, which felt dismissive and unempathetic. Overall, empathy seemed to be lacking in the entire office. At times, the nurses spoke to my husband and me in a condescending manner, which added to our discomfort. One particularly frustrating moment was when I explained that traveling an hour for monitoring every day was difficult for me and asked if accommodations could be made to monitor closer to home. Dr. Schell responded by saying, “Well, I travel an hour to work every day when I come here.” I found this incredibly rude and dismissive, as it completely ignored my request and the challenges I was expressing. I would strongly recommend that she avoid making comments like this in the future. The clinic's rigidity in requiring monitoring to be done on-site, even though we live an hour away, was another inconvenience. This added unnecessary financial and logistical stress to an already difficult process. Despite the high costs (which can exceed $7,000), the level of care and attention to patient needs was not up to par. Even after surgeries or exams, I didn’t receive follow-up calls; instead, everything was placed on the portal, leaving me to check for updates and initiate communication myself. I made multiple calls to the clinic and often didn’t get a response. This lack of follow-through made the process feel more like a business transaction than patient care. I would not recommend this clinic based on my experience. To improve, they need to focus on better communication, train their staff in empathy, ensure timely follow-ups, and avoid treating patients like just another case. Fertility treatment is deeply personal and emotionally taxing, and patients deserve a supportive, compassionate team to guide them through it. [Added 1/15/2025 - There has been no follow-up to the response, which I have communicated via Facebook that it was okay to contact me. But I have received a prelude message to update my billing info . ]

Mariella Arroyo

☆☆☆☆☆5.0· 4 months ago

Verified

I am very happy with Dr Catenacci and her team. I had one unsuccesful IuI, then got pregnant naturally my next cycle. Dr Catenacci and her nurses were really supportive, got back to me right away, were really on top of my lab work as well. Their portal is really easy to use and you get your lab resuIts back quickly. I ended up having a miscarriage, but they were really supportive during that difficult time. I will be trying Ivf with her for the first time in a few months. I do not feel like a number at this clinic and got treated with compassion.

Rachel Yu

☆☆☆☆☆5.0· 5 months ago

Verified

I am deeply grateful for the exceptional support provided by the nurse Cathy and Dr. Reshef during my IUI procedure. The team truly show their unwavering dedication to patient care, and a special thank to Cathy for her comforting presence that helped ease my anxiety (I am super sensitive to pain and discomfort). Their genuine concern and support have meant a lot to me. They were going above and beyond to ensure my well-being. Wishing them continued success in the fertility field, and hoping them keep up the great work supporting all the families who seek guidance from Advanced Fertility.