UC Davis Health System-Fertility Center

I’m extremely grateful to Dr. Zeringue because of the time he took to fully explain the IVF process to us. We didn’t know much about it going in and we left feeling as though we were ready to take this step (if we could find the money) well I called to schedule my sailne ultrasound and the nurse asked me when I wanted to start my cycle I said maybe in a couple of months. Well I left my ultrasound with a prescription for birth control in my hand and they said just go ahead and start it with your next period. This sounds great only I had not had an AFC done nor had I had my day three hormone test completed so I don’t know how they would have started my cycle without knowing those things if I started birth control on my next Period. I felt as though that sorta fell through the cracks. So that lost one star a really big one star!
So I started researching other clinics because I was feeling rushed and I wanted to get as much information as I could so I found a clinic I liked about 7 hours away. I decided to cycle with them because they seemed more organized. Well I called CaliforniaIVF to ask about outside monitoring and no one ever called me back about it. Instead the nurse called me to inquire about my cycle and what I had decided to do because they had not heard from me. This was probably 3 months later. So that lost another star.
But that was my experience I know people that have gotten pregnant here on the first try. He also gives 10 off for military Also he seems pretty approachable and he keeps realistic expectations. Sooo it should be three stars but I gave him four because if not for the way he explained things my husband would be confused and not on board. So I can’t give him less than 4

Going through fertility treatments (exams, medications, procedure, hoping) is stressful in it of itself due to the chance and risks of it all, so you would hope that the rest of the process that is totally controllable would be stress-​free and consistent. While I give the medical team high marks for timeliness of their replies and help with medication and information, my experience with the billing component of this office has left a negative impression overall. This clinic would be better served to improve how it deals with communication billing information. IVF treatment is expensive and we, as patients, know and understand this. We accept this cost because we want to have a baby. However, we also expect that the business side of the office provide consistent information about the costs and invoices so that we know the amount owed. I don’t have thousands of dollars just sitting in a bank somewhere so it does matter what the actual costs and actual amounts are.
I have called and talked at length about PGD and have been told that the cost is $ 7,900 and that it includes the PGD testing and FET. Great! Talked to another person, it is $ 7,900. However, today, the billing office calls and informs me that it is not $ 7900, but $ 8800. See, there was a $ 900 discount from the «full» cost, so my new cost is… $ 7,900. This was after I insisted that I know what I was told on previous phone calls… that the $ 900 was to be deducted from the $ 7900. I say this because I know that I was told it would be $ 7000. I get it, people make mistakes, and perhaps this is what it will all be chalked up to, but telling me I am wrong for telling them what I know I heard isn’t the way to go.
I will pay whatever the clinic asks me to pay because my family and I want to have another baby, and they are our best hope. However, the clinic has to get their story straight and figure out what they are telling their patients is the cost of the service. This exchange was totally unnecessary and could have been easily prevented had I received an itemized invoice detailing the costs of the services. I had to request an invoice be sent to me even though my first payment is due next week.
I hope that my ongoing experience with the clinic is positive and this is but a blip on the whole, but considering the circumstances and the amount of stress and strain IVF/​FET/​PGD adds, the billing office should be more considerate in how it communicates itself.
I would still recommend California IVF because Dr. Zeringue is very knowledgeable in the field and my IVF coordinator, Kate, was available to answer questions and provided timely responses. At the end of the day, this is the part that matters but a little courtesy for the other parts goes a long long way.

We came here while considering our IVF options. We did an initial consult and some preliminary labs.
Our experience was fine, although we found it difficult to reach the people we needed when we had a questions or request. For this reason and a few others, we opted to go with another clinic. And then things really went south.
We requested our records so we could avoid doing a lot of duplicated tests/​lab work. After almost a month of regularly contacting Cal IVF, it appears we’re going to have to redo several tests, to the tune of around $ 1000, because the doctors at the new center need the results to move forward and Cal IVF simply won’t hand them over. They’ve given various excuses, but ultimately they’re just that, excuses.
If it takes them a month to locate some simple lab results, I can’t imagine trusting them with the more important parts of the process.

I have never done a reveiw but I was so surprised to see any negative comments I felt I owed it to this great business. I have been TTC for over 10 years. I have been (and failed) with two other clinics so I know fertility and its staff. Dr. Laurie Lovely and Embryologist Natalie King are in our prayers every single day. They made me a mother, they made us a family. Dr Lovely is the most compassionate, talanted physician I’ve come across, I wish she could be my OB, and my PCP too! She spoke to me with respect, and made sure I understood 100% of everything she said. The Embryologist Natalie King is heaven-​sent. Her egg class left me in awe at her expertise, her commitment and her absolute passion for her craft. I have never met a more intelligent human being. I felt completely confident (and thankful) that she was the one controlling my future, I’d follow this embryologist to any clinic she went to. These two women are so ultra intelligent I would do anything in my power to come to CIVF for this team. The whole staff at CIVF is caring and compassionate for the delicate emotions of infertile couples. (AND BOY, the whole staff is VERY attractive!). The amount of tallent and knowledge at this practice is impressive. As for the people who complained about the wait… yes, I will agree that the wait is the worst part, I was rarely seen at my appt. time, BUT when it was my turn I was given 100%. I was never rushed, every single question is answered and I was given as much time as I needed… So I was happy to wait my turn, the person before got the same treatment, as always. Thank you to everyone there, I hope you read these. Dr. Lovely, Emb. Natalie King, Kerri, and Lisa at the front, you are my angels.

Nobody’s perfect!
customer service is great, the space is not optimal, and the only thing that i could say as a donor is that some bedside manners of the Resident DR’s was not the ideal situation. Overall you have a friendly staff who are ready to explain everything as many times needed.

I agree with Molly P.. It took me almost a year to write a review. My partner and I have had nothing but a positive experience at California IVF. We were fortunate enough to go through only 1 IVF cycle and our son has been born since then. IVF could be a very frustrating experience and I can’t even imagine how I would’ve felt if it didn’t work after spending so much money. But, again each person’s experience it different. My partner and I had a wonderful experience. We are both minorities and gay so we were expecting the worst. Every step of the way we were treated the same as any heterosexual couple. We were fully embraced during the whole process. The only thing I can say is keep trying!

My experience at CA IVF has been nothing but satisfactory. The Dr’s and staff went above and beyond to make my struggle with infertility a little easier. I, like many of the women who patron the facility, was struggling conceiving. I went through 4 failed IUI’s, 1 failed IVF and finally conceived through a FET. I honestly felt like my Dr. (Dr. Goud) and coordinator (Holly M.) were just as invested in this journey as my husband and I. When we had our first ultrasound, after getting a positive pregnancy test, we walked out of the room and every single person who worked in the office was standing in a line and cheered for us. They all hugged us and even gave us our first baby present. We felt like a part of their family. They didn’t have to do any of that. The Dr. could have just said congratulations and sent us on our way. I honestly felt like everyone from the receptionists in the front to the embryologist in the back cared about us and our journey. I do understand the frustrations when you are having trouble conceiving. You want answers. You don’t want to have to wait for a call back. Understand that these Dr’s and nurses/​coordinators are working continuously to help you fulfill your dream of becoming a parent. Have faith and trust that they are doing everything in their power to make it happen.

After having experienced recurring pregnancy loss I came here for some help. My experience has been terrible.
I was originally assigned a doctor that was leaving in two weeks. Doctor Laura Lovely took over more than one year ago and I have never heard from her. What’s worse is that I cannot get a response from her or the RN. I called once a week for a month to ask that they order blood work to retest my thyroid (which they should be doing periodically) as I can tell my dosage is off, and also asked to be tested for a genetic abnormality that runs in my family and can cause miscarriages and low folic acid levels (which I have).
When my medication runs out, the pharmacist often has to give me a few pills because they can’t reach the doctor to refill my prescription for my thyroid either. I finally gave up and requested a release form for my blood work so that I can go somewhere else. It’s been 2 weeks and I still cannot get them to email me the form. I am beside myself.
I have been in tears of frustration on multiple occasions because of this center. I truly hope that they are providing those they can manage to pay attention to with some good care and results, because I have to think I’m not the only one who has been lost in the shuffle.
Needless to say, coming here has not helped my fertility issues or provided any support.

I have been going to IVF Davis Fertility Center for outside monitoring and have to say that the staff is truly a blessing. I am going to be released from monitoring soon and am very sad. They have went out of thier way to work with my schedule so that I do not miss work, and they treat you like family not a patient. I am a surrogate and have been to many IVF clinics and would have to say that this is by far my favorite, and would recomend this clinic to anyone seeking IVF treatment. In fact I have a friend who is going here and she feels the same way. Love, Love the staff here!!! Wish I could be seen my whole term here

My experience with California IVF has been nothing but positive. My sense is that those who have positive experiences are not taking the time to write reviews. It’s only those still struggling with infertility that are mostly expressing their frustration. Trust me, I can understand. My husband and I have been trying aggressively for at least two years. It is a roller coaster of emotion. Mad, sad, hormone filled. But, Dr. Zerengue and California IVF worked tirelessly to get us pregnant and it finally worked. I had my first ultrasound this morning, and left the clinic after being hugged personally by every staff person there. And they gave me a baby gift.
I’ll start from the beginning. My husband and I were flailing through the infertility process. OBs and doctors who couldn’t guide us in any direction about why we couldn’t get pregnant. 1.5 years ago, we saw Dr. Z for the first time. He was calm, friendly, approachable and gave a very scientific approach to the process. He quickly identified our problems and gave us a pathway to pregnancy. I started with 2 IUI cycles and then tried 2 IVF cycles. This requires a lot of time and dedication. At times appointments ran late, but I didn’t mind because I knew that there was nothing more important, that it would hopefully be worth it, and that they were likely running behind because there was a patient who needed more time. The process itself requires much patience and understanding, which I was happy to have.
Fertility issues are very complex and very individualized to each patient. I always felt very confident that Dr. Zerengue was tailoring a specific regimen of treatments and medications to my needs. I felt like he truly cared about our success and did everything he could to achieve it.
In addition, I had a wonderful experience with staff. I had a fabulous coordinator (Holly) who was personable, caring and always attentive to my needs. No matter what the issue and what time of day, someone was there to answer my questions or call me back right away. I usually waited 2 hours at the most for test results.
No matter what the future holds, should we decide to continue to grow our family, I will absolutely be visiting the CA IVF clinic in Davis to help us achieve that goal. They are wonderful and I highly recommend them.

Before I write this review, I want to preface it by saying that at that time (the second half of last year), the facility was undergoing rapid expansion, and there were some kinks that they were understandably ironing out. Also, I want to say that the staff is very nice, and that I know people who went here and liked it. For me, this wasn’t an ideal fit for the following reasons:
–You couldn’t directly contact the doctor. Instead, you had to communicate through patient coordinators, who could be disorganized and flaky, depending on the one you got. (This wasn’t just my experience. I was in the waiting room one day and saw a woman in for an appointment that the receptionist said was not scheduled, even though the woman had an e-​mail from her patient coordinator telling her to come in at that time. The woman then expressed frustration about the flakiness of that particular coordinator.)
–I felt like my fertility problem wasn’t taken seriously. Based on charting my cycles, using ovulation predictor kits, and doing my own research, I figured out that I was probably having dysfunctional ovulation. (I seemed to ovulate pretty late in my cycle and fairly erratically in that you could never predict the actual day, and my cycle lengths were irregular.) The doctor told me that charting is a waste of time, that I should just flirt with my husband (it was a joke, but one that was annoying when I’d been trying to conceive for so long), and that maybe I wasn’t trying on the right days all the time (and I know I was). He then told me that I could figure out when I ovulate by counting 14 days backward from the first day of my period. That’s when I told him that my luteal phase is actually 12 days, so I would need to count back 12 days– which I figured out from CHARTING! Basically, the doctor wasn’t respecting my knowledge about my own body and gave me cookie-​cutter beginner’s advice, which did not apply to me and which I found a bit condescending.
–The doctor gave me a sonohysterogram instead of an HSG, saying that an HSG to check whether my fallopian tubes were open wasn’t necessary. I felt uncomfortable with this because in the unlikely event my tubes were blocked, there was no point subjecting myself to a bunch of treatment cycles. (My second fertility clinic required that I get an HSG before treatment, which I was happy to get.)
–I felt like treatment was a bit cookie-​cutter and lacked follow-​up. I was given Clomid. When they did the IUI, they never did an ultrasound to check whether I actually ovulated. (I’m not sure I did, because I ended up going for a consult at a second fertility clinic the next day, and they did an ultrasound as part of the exam and found a well-​developed egg still there.) Also, Clomid had the effect of reducing my estrogen too much, which did a number on my lining. I asked the doctor if I could try Letrozole on the next treatment round, and he said that they would just use Clomid again with estrogen supplements. (My second fertility clinic immediately prescribed me Letrozole based on my prior response to Clomid, and I got pregnant from that Letrozole cycle.)
–Billing is late and disorganized. I just finally got billed in July for a treatment cycle I had last October. As another example of disorganization, we were told that a particular genetics test was being offered 2 for the price of 1 by the genetics company and were therefore encouraged to have both my husband and me tested instead of starting out by testing just one of us. The genetics company ended up not applying the 2 for 1 pricing, and we were billed by the genetics company for both tests. (I do have to say, though, that CA IVF staff was good about working with the genetics company to remove one of the charges, but it was just one more stressful thing to have to deal with on top of fertility treatment.)
–They gave us an IUI but sort of acted like that probably wouldn’t work and we would need IVF. I felt like they were more interested in IVF than anything.
I moved on to a second fertility clinic that was a better fit for me, where I felt like they respected my thoughts more as a patient and were more thorough in testing and investigating my history. I was lucky to get pregnant on my first treatment cycle there. Who knows– I could have eventually gotten pregnant at CA IVF, but it was more of a stressful experience, feeling like things were disorganized and I wasn’t always being taken seriously.

I would not even give 1 star if given the option, that is how horrible my experience with this fertility clinic was. After just a month and an initial appointment my husband and I made the decision we’d had enough of their run around with us. From my first initial call to schedule an appointment they were not cooperative with me at all, after a week and a half I finally got them to schedule me an appointment. I let it go, and went in with an open mind. After my appointment I was to schedule tests to be done and I did, but come the day of each Appt. they would call to let me know no one ever cleared it with my insurance, even with ample amount of time and would follow each call with, «Well you can still come if you pay out of pocket!» Dont expect things to be done in a timely manner. I was given other people’s test results, never received calls back any time I called in and left messages. It’s devastating because we’ve been TTC for so long and we were really excited to get started with treatments. This experience was so bad, I would not recommend them to anyone.

Words cannot express how grateful we are to California IVF. We struggled to conceive «naturally» for over 2 years and were disapointed every month. Because we live in Placer County, we visited a closer fertility clinic and had, not a terrible experience, but one that didn’t suit our personalities. We were told about a clinic in Davis (Cal IVF) and we really feel like it was meant to be. The doctors, the staff, everyone felt like family during a time when you need family the most. They took their time to explain our options, helped us understand which path was right for us and made us feel so comfortable. I am now happy to say that I am pregnant with Twins, through the help of California IVF and we couldn’t be more thrilled to meet our babies!!!
Thank you so much California IVF!!!

I have been trying to have a baby for 10 years now. I have gone through 3 different types of treatment for infertility. I was hopeless when I came to California IVF but my husband and I were willing to try one more time. The process is long and stressful but if you have been through infertility this is nothing new. This clinic was beyond my expectations. They are extremely knowledgeable and they have a great staff of professionals with many years of experience.
I am in my second trimester and I am blissfully happy.
Pros
Everything the person before me said and more…
–Knowledgeable doctors. I completely trust the three I saw.
— Compassionate and thoughtful, they are always there to comfort you when you are crying on the phone because you can’t take the stress anymore.
— Doctors take the time to explain things when you are with them, I was never confused about what was happening Dr Lovely took the time to explain what I was seeing on the monitor.
— Nurses in the practice are warm, knowledgeable, and nice to work with
— Doctors take the time to understand your specific situation and offer suggestions that work with your parameters and needs. It’s not a one size fits all treatment plan
— INCREDIBLE embryologists!!! I can’t speak highly enough about the meticulous detail of the work they do, how caring and warm they are, how personally invested they are in their work, and how I trust them completely when they give me an opinion on something. Not only that but the egg class is nothing to miss, I still tell everyone who is interested about their process.
— They accept insurance
–My coordinator was the best person I could have ever hoped for, Catherine encouraged me, she comforted me, and she was just wonderful all around. She was with me through the whole process so I don’t know why the lady before had a new coordinator. I was treated for several things, same coordinator.
–I was never afraid or unsure, they guided me all the way.
Cons:
I only have two cons and please if anyone from the IVF office reads this understand that these are just things you should be aware of, that even the happiest patient has little upsets here and there.
At first I was very upset because no matter what I went in their for, if my appointment was at 9am, I still waited in the waiting room for a half hour minimum. If you are prepared and know from the start that its going to always be a half hour wait then its not as frustrating.
Second, when I had my blood drawn (both times) the ladies stuck me so many times I left with big bruises (both times). maybe they were new I don’t know but if I was a person who hates needles or is afraid of needles I would have walked right out.
Other than that my experience was wonderful. Even if the first attempt wasn’t successful (which was what I was prepared for) I would have been very happy with their clinic and tried again only with them.
Advice: If you have a scare or an emergency (out of office hours) page the doctor, the doctor will get back to you. Otherwise your coordinator will be able to handle most little issues, they are registered nurses as well.

First, I will say that one of the previous reviewers is an employee of the clinic, not a patient. And I’ll bet you can guess which one — hopefully Unilocal will pull that review. And since I AM a patient there, I know for a fact that she works there. I think she’s newer and she’s not quite on board with the ethos of the organization as a whole yet.
So, notwithstanding what I view as a disingenuous review by an employee, I have a lot of good things to say about California IVF. I have a son born from my treatment there and I am working on a second baby. I have seen two of the doctors — Dr. Zeringue and Dr. Lovely. Both are incredibly knowledgeable and compassionate. I’m not an easy case of infertility and they have taken plenty of time with me to explain what I need to know and provide consultations when I have questions and have been caring and understanding when I just need to cry for a minute because sometimes this journey is not easy.
The RNs in the practice have always been very good to work with. They are growing at a rapid pace right now, so there are a lot of new faces, at least one of whom I know I do not like to work with. I don’t think this person is an RN, but she’s definitely involved in patient communications and coordinating care. So, that person aside, every other nurse or staff member I have EVER worked with there has been wonderful. Truly wonderful. I hope that doesn’t change as they grow because it is a tremendous value to the way they practice. And in terms of cost, fertility treatments are expensive — that’s just a fact. I found their prices to be competitive or slightly lower than others in the area.
I could say a lot more, but here are some pros/​cons.
Pros:
— Knowledgeable doctors. I completely trust the two I have seen.
— Compassionate and thoughtful
— Doctors take the time to explain things when you are with them
— Nurses in the practice are warm, knowledgeable, and nice to work with
— Price is on par for this type of treatment
— Doctors take the time to understand your specific situation and offer suggestions that work with your parameters and needs. It’s not a one size fits all treatment plan
— INCREDIBLE embryologists!!! I can’t speak highly enough about the meticulous detail of the work they do, how caring and warm they are, how personally invested they are in their work, and how I trust them completely when they give me an opinion on something.
— They accept insurance
Cons:
— Very difficult to call and talk to a doctor. You cannot email doctors either. You have to go through your «coordinator». And if that person doesn’t provide satisfactory information, it’s very uncomfortable to find a way around them to get to talk to someone else. It may be possible, but I can’t tell you that because I haven’t gotten past the awkwardness of asking to not be paired with specific person (s), so there are times I just deal with not having information or not being comfortable with what I am being told. (I suppose I need to grow a pair and speak up — but, like I said, it’s awkward and I haven’t gotten past that yet).
–Coordinators are assigned by treatment type, not by patient. So, if you change your treatment type from cycle to cycle, your coordinator will keep changing, which can lead to a feeling of a lack of continuity and consistency. New coordinators don’t always know the things you have tried with your treatment or your history, so it can be frustrating to feel like you are dealing with someone who is not up to speed on YOUR experience.
— It can take longer than I would hope to get a return call when I have questions. Not always, but sometimes. Test results can sometimes take longer than I would hope, too, although the last few times I have had very fast responses from the clinic on test results. So maybe they are improving on this.
— The biggest issue for me has always been the inability to directly contact one of the doctors, and having to wait for a nurse or coordinator to ask them the question for me, which leads me to ask a follow up question, that the nurse or coordinator cannot answer, so they have to go back to the doctor and call me back again. The process is cumbersome and it can take all day to get 2 questions answered. With the one mentioned exception though, every nurse/​coordinator I have worked with has been vigilant about getting the answers even if it took longer than I hoped.
So, the bottom line for me is that they can definitely improve upon their patient communication methods/​responses for when you are not in the office and need information, but it is overall a really great place to go. They are caring and kind, and can deliver good or bad news with honesty and compassion. Most folks there recognize me and know me by name and that’s a nice feeling when you are dealing with sometimes stressful treatments and big life decisions — you need to feel like people care. And I feel like they care here.

Don’t expect good bedside manner here. It’s very hard to find anyone to answer questions or give test results. Fertility treatments are very stressful and CA IVF just adds to the stress. Unfortunately they have bought out and/​or absorbed the other clinics in the area so one will have to travel to find another clinic.