Let me preface by saying this review is solely based on a phone call I had with the company but it was so off putting and literally was a make or break for me as a potential patient. I filled out an inquiry online and received a phone call back the next day. I explained I’m looking to transfer my embryos from a local clinic and was inquiring about the process and costs of a FET at the clinic. The lady on the phone advised me to contact the company my embryos were at about the embryo transport which is fine. However when asked about how much a frozen embryo transfer would be she had no idea what I was talking about. She kept talking to me about the transportation of the embryos and I had to literally explain that I was referring to the embryos being placed in ME. She then stated “oh ivf?” I said well yes but not the whole process just the embryo being placed in me. She said “oh cycling, that’d be 4000”. I don’t know what cycling is and if that’s even the correct number but I’m very concerned that a front end employee doesn’t understand what a frozen embryo transfer is. That is the first impression of the company. I was referred here to see Dr. Patel by another mom was had great success with him but wow as someone looking for an improved administrative experience at a fertility clinic I was left feeling no better about ACFS. I think added training would be a good option for the front end staff.

I first came to ACFS in June of 2020, extremely excited and eager to begin my fertility journey with Dr. Kummer and her team. From Day 1 all the way to today (currently pregnant), she and her team made me feel the greatest support and encouragement the whole journey. My path was not an easy one and no matter the time that passed or the challenges we faced, the team was always there! In such a delicate and personal space, I cannot sing enough praises about Dr. Kummer and her team for all they did for me. Everything was always very clear and straightforward when it came to scheduling, communication, appointments, etc. Anytime I had a question the team was there to get me all the appropriate information. The office staff was always pleasant and the overall energy in the ACFS clinic remained positive and bright! Living in the west valley, I happily drove the distance for such great care! I very much look forward to working with this team again in the future! Thank you for all you do!

Let me start with some pros: The front desk staff- Stevie and Mita especially- are cheerful and pleasant. Dr. Patel's care team is fantastic. Chelsea and Maria were caring, wonderful people. Doreen was fantastic and helped facilitate blood draws for me when my veins were being difficult. I appreciated them working with me and my extreme needle phobia! Ready for the cons? Because there are Far, Far more. First, let's talk about patient education. I have never in my life had to be so self-reliant when it comes to teaching myself about my care and conditions. I wish Dr. Patel has taken the time at the outset to explain everything involved with an IVF/FET cycle- but he didn't. I was extremely frustrated because multiple times when I asked questions, his response was "We'll worry about that later." When "later" came, I was then unprepared mentally or physically for the next steps. Considering what a psychologically fraught process fertility treatment is, you can imagine what it felt like stumbling from hurdle to hurdle, never feeling like I got my balance before the next jump because no one ever took the time to show me what the track looked like. The BIGGEST REASON to stay away from ACFS is their billing practices. Ladies and gents, you are hereby warned: the ASC that Dr. Patel uses is a separate entity from the clinic, and they INTENTIONALLY DO NOT CONTRACT with any insurances. And they don't perform their services at any other facility. You won't discover this until you get to that phase, of course- when you've committed time and resources to the practice and face a sunk cost loss when faced with either paying their cash fees or transferring care elsewhere. Oh, let's take a moment to address that further: when I transferred care to ACFS from my OB/GYN, I was required to repeat extensive testing at significant out of pocket cost. This is insane. It is the outside of enough to pay hundreds of dollars on repeat testing for established diagnoses, especially when the physician has access to the previous records. What's more, these tests had ALL been covered by my insurance when my visits were with my OB/GYN. ACFS would not bill my insurance because at the time I did not have fertility coverage-- but I have a valid medical diagnosis, had been undergoing those tests for the same reason (attempting to achieve pregnancy), but ACFS stated it wouldn't be covered. I spoke to a woman at the time who I believe is their office manager, and she stated that it wouldn't be covered because, essentially, now I was at an infertility clinic and they'd code it differently. Why... Why not TRY? Why not be an advocate for your patients, who are facing staggering costs and psychological trauma? The worst part is that when I was just there finishing the final steps to transition my care elsewhere, I witnessed that same woman selling that same story to another patient. I approached the desk and offered my experience and tried to advocate for this other patient. This woman, who has been here for years, stated "Well, I'm not a biller so I couldn't say." Ma'am, if after 3 years you still haven't bothered to learn that basic answer, you should be replaced. Back to billing issues- I was repeatedly misquoted and had hundreds of dollars sitting in limbo. Billing was not completed timely, which then affected my other physicians due to having met my OOP max. I'm still fighting for refunds from other docs because ACFS sat on its hands with billing my retrieval. Also, I have thousands of dollars of leftover meds I can't return- why not decrease the qty and provide refills?? I have, at this point, successfully transitioned my care elsewhere. My first visit with my new doctor was more educational and clear than my entire 2+ years with Dr. Patel and ACFS. And, by the way-- he looked at my records and didn't make me repeat any tests. 😎

I cannot recommend Dr. Lipskind enough! I feel certain he is hands down the best physician you will find to help you create or expand your family. He never gave up on us, and we were a difficult case with multiple attempts. We gave birth to our sweet daughter (pictured with all her mamas shots to make her!) in April 2020 and have since had two natural pregnancies/children! Natural after IVF - we never would have thought! We have 3 kids ages 3 and under and our house is crazy and chaotic everyday and I have Dr. Lipskind to thank for that! We are truly blessed! We feel if he never gave us our first, we don’t think we would have ever had our next two. He is the most compassionate man. He made us feel so comfortable and he rode our rollercoaster of emotions with us throughout all of the peaks and many valleys, no matter how big or small. I will never be able to thank him enough! If you are needing help, there isn’t a better doctor out there than Shane!

This clinic is impossible to get a hold of. When you do get to speak with someone at the front desk, they're extremely rude and off-putting providing no answers and are definitely not easy to talk to! There's absolutely no relations or rapport given as a new PT, just a whole lot of RBF and empty stares if you catch my drift. We got one test done over 3 weeks ago, and while the results were sent to us in a reasonable amount of time, no one has bothered to get a hold of us to explain what they mean. We have tried calling 8 times and also tried getting answers on their messaging app, avoiding bothering them any further, to only be told someone will contact us. Haven't been called or messaged back once in 3 weeks! So frustrating. Also, we were charged over $200 for added tests we never had done, nor did we request them. Asked for those charges to be removed as well with, you guessed it, no response. So far, our experience has been less than comfortable, and we will be definitely choosing another clinic before getting further into our already difficult journey. People suffering from infertility, and paying for things out of pocket, shouldn't have to deal with added stressors that are just so easily avoidable like these. When it comes to simply calling people and letting them know their results and being honest, do your jobs!