CWC or Liv by Advantia

[Anonymous]

Anyone have experience with either of these practice groups? Looking for pros/cons.

I booked a first appointment with each but after booking with Liv I foudn the reviews online are really negative - evidently their billing department is notoriously bad? I have BCBS Fed so I'm used to billing being really smooth everywhere, and I'm wondering if this is only a problem with other kinds of insurance.

I've heard more generally positive things about CWC and the woman who scheduled my first appointment was very pleasant and professional (front office people can make or break a practice IME), but it's slightly less convenient for appointments than Liv.

I definitely want to deliver at Sibley, and neither Bloom nor Foxhall are returning messages at the moment, so these are my options. Thanks in advance for any personal insight.

[Anonymous]

Since you want to deliver at Sibley, I assume that you mean CWC downtown (there are a few different CWC practices). I delivered with them almost a year ago, and it was a great experience. My first pregnancy had a ton of complications, so this time around DH and I both had some anxiety. They took any concerns I had seriously and never once made me feel like I was a burden. I had significant postpartum complications this time, and they addressed things quickly and efficiently.

No experience with Liv, but I will note that I didn't love the Bloom vibes. Foxhall wasn't an option for me since they didn't take my insurance at the time.

Another note, delivering at Sibley was AWESOME. I delivered my first at WHC, and the two experiences were night and day different. I am done having kids, but I would choose Sibley for any future pregnancy if I wasn't!

[Anonymous]

Never heard of Liv…used CWC 3x. All great experiences - but the doc who delivered was always different and I didn’t know two of the three. Both Bethesda and the downtown office deliver at Sibley. Best wishes to you!

[Anonymous]

I had never heard of Liv before my RE recommended them, but between the billing reviews and the fact that they share on-call and after-hours coverage with Reiter Hill (a practice I left halfway through my last pregnancy), I think I'm just going to cancel that appointment and stick with CWC.

[Anonymous]

I just had a baby with Liv and they were great! I also have BCBS fed and didn’t have any billing issues. The staff were loads better than when I had my first at Bloom. I never felt rushed through my appointments and liked all the providers I saw.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t love Reiter Hill, but they do deliver at Sibley! Switched to another practice (non Sibley) early on, and I know other people like Reiter Hill - I just didn’t.

[Anonymous]

I switched from Bloom to cwc halfway through my last pregnancy because I felt that the care at bloom was subpar. I was happy with cwc and am staying for my second pregnancy. They have a lot of younger female doctors which I like too.

[Anonymous]

I used Liv by Advantia (U St.) for my first and had a really disappointing experience. I’m also not alone—I referred friends to Liv because they seemed great at first, but we have almost all had bad experiences. I could go on and on, but here are a few points:

-Dr Kressel can be kind of dismissive. When my friend and I asked, on separate occasions, about a two-week pre-birth leave that we had the option of taking, she essentially said “Well, I don’t disable people, and I worked right up until I delivered.” She is an OB, around medical professionals, in a job that she doesn’t take home with her. My friend and I work in fields where we get assignments at all hours, can be asked to travel at a moment’s notice, and we work with lots of people who know nothing about pregnancy. It felt judgmental and inconsiderate.

-When my PP mental health screenings kept scoring too high, she’d just jokingly say “I don’t know why you keep failing these screens! But you have a therapist, right? You have it covered.” What the heck?! So dismissive.

-Their admin team was a nightmare. Angel lost and incorrectly completed several of my leave forms, and this also happened to two of my friends. She’d also just go MIA for weeks.

-Sibley couldn’t find my records and barely even knew what Liv was. They know Reiter Hill but not Liv. I also didn’t see a Liv dr until 3 days PP. Not a single doctor I knew for the birth or 3 days PP. What’s the point of going to Liv as its own practice if it’d really just Reiter Hill?! Nobody ever mentioned this might happen, and I had actually decided against Reiter Hill before going to Liv, so this was especially jarring.

-The doctors all joked that my baby seemed “juicy,” but not once did we discuss that this might mean I’d need a c-section. I ended up needing one and felt really out-of-the-loop once I understood more about why.

-They don’t have a room new moms can use to nurse before/after PP visits.

These are just a few of many examples. I strongly recommend going elsewhere. Dr. Boddu was fine, but she is leaving, so I really have no idea what is happening at Liv now.

FWIW, Liv’s sonogram tech is AMAZING. Loved her and hope she continues doing such great work.