Columbia Fertility - no patient portal?

[Anonymous]

I was just informed that Columbia Fertility has no patient portal. For any former patients has this always been the case? After being at Dominion and Shady Grove, I am a little nervous about this but really feel reassured by Dr. Sacks. Does anyone know if this is an in between situation or are you really dependent on one person checking their email with questions and how are results delivered to patients?

[Anonymous]

I had treatment with them 5 years about with no portal. They always called with results, news, instructions, etc. and I called and asked for my nurse if I had questions. Which was kinda nice rather than checking a portal. Dr. Sacks is a lovely human and a fabulous doctor.

[Anonymous]

They don't have an electronic medical record at all. I had no difficulty getting in touch with dr. Sacks 98% of the time but the lack of an emr means he could tell me something and it's not tracked in my paper records and then the nurse doesn't know. This caused errors such as nurse but getting preauthorization as she thought I was doing TI but he told me IUI so had to pay out of pocket. Or after many many weeks of no period following a failed cycle, Dr. Sacks told me to come in anyway as the lack of ovulation and likely pcos was the reason for treatment to begin with, but vshowed up and the nurse asked what day cycle I was and I replied I hadn't had a period in many weeks and in an almost accusatory tome she said why not? Are you stressed? ( which at this point I was very stressed by the lack of a period and ongoing delay of fertility treatment...she called later that day and said you likely have pcos, which Sacks had told me 4 years prior...).

[Anonymous]

No portal and I had no issue getting in touch or getting records. I used Rifka and he was very responsive. Harder to reach him during office hours but your assigned nurse would always be responsive. I started at SGF and found them to be a nightmare. No amounts of portals or anything could make up for their disorganization and crummy results.

[Anonymous]

I never had any issues without a portal. I do have two lovely children and will be forever grateful to Dr. Sacks.

[Anonymous]

The lack of portal is a nightmare. If I had known, I never would have started going there. We were unsuccessful with Columbia fertility - and Dr. Sacks specifically. They are a disorganized mess.

[Anonymous]

As with prior posters, I found Dr. Sacks to be very responsive to emails sent directly to him. I actually liked being able to email him directly rather than go through a portal. I never had any issues with communication. I have 2 amazing children because of Dr. Sacks.