Southern California Reproductive Center (SCRC) — Санта-Барбара, США

Absolutely terrible. They did not communicate at all or keep us informed about what was happening and what to expect. The medications did not arrive when promised, forcing us to travel a long distance and pay out of pocket. The medical staff were extremely rude. More than once, I arrived on time for an appointment only to be told they had no idea I was supposed to be there. Dr. Surrey gave us his phone number “in case of emergency,” but when my husband texted him to follow up about insurance paperwork, he was told to stop messaging because we were “harassing” him. We ultimately transferred our embryos to another clinic, a decision we are extremely glad we made. Frankly, the disrespect at SCRC was shocking. What was already an emotional experience was made worse by the lack of care. We understand that staff see patients every day, but for clients like us who are spending thousands of dollars, this is deeply significant. It is unfortunate that they did not show the respect it deserved. Our warmest wishes to everyone going through this journey. We know you need the love.

Anyone seeking help from a fertility clinic hopes for compassion, care, and solutions. At SCRC, I did not experience these things and felt like just one of their many patients. I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), so the doctor told me I was not a candidate for IVF. We therefore tried round after round of intrauterine insemination (IUI) and medicated ovulation induction cycles. Apart from one ultrasound performed by the doctor, all ultrasounds were done by technicians. In practice, the doctor only saw patients for consultations, and afterward you had to pay an additional $150-200 to speak with the doctor by Skype or phone. Our final attempt was "mini-stimulation IVF." I completed this cycle out of state, which the doctor had no objection to. I flew there with refrigerated medications, only to discover that half of the syringes they had given me had no needles. I had to pay $400 for express delivery of new syringes to our Airbnb so I could try to complete the cycle after taking a day off. Unsurprisingly, the IVF cycle was unsuccessful, so we decided to end treatment at SCRC. Worse still, billing was a nightmare. They charged me incorrectly for many items, making the entire process even more painful and distressing. I genuinely feel that they might have valued me more if I had been a conventional IVF patient. Nurse Claudia was the one bright spot there; she was warm and kind. We left the clinic and became pregnant one month later without any medical intervention. Apparently, we simply needed to leave this clinic to succeed.

We had a wonderful experience at SCRC and felt highly supported throughout ICSI. Dr. Maxwell went above and beyond to answer our questions; Claudia and Jessica showed exceptional warmth and support during our many blood tests and appointments; Lainey made stressful ultrasounds feel humane and reassuring, which meant so much to me; and Pam was a ray of warmth every time we visited the front desk. Thanks to the SCRC team, we made it through pregnancy and will welcome our daughter next week. The clinic is busy, so we found it helpful to stay actively involved—double-checking medication information, asking questions, and so on—but whenever we contacted them, the team responded promptly and supportively. We sincerely thank SCRC for helping us achieve our dream of having a daughter.

Dr. Maxwell and her team are amazing! They are friendly and welcoming and make you feel heard and safe. The clinic is clean and runs on time. We were very pleased with our visit and highly recommend them!

We had an excellent experience working with Dr. Maxwell in Santa Barbara. She is highly knowledgeable, calm, and experienced and was extremely helpful throughout the process. I strongly recommend her. I drove more than 90 miles to see her and would choose her again without hesitation. Claudia in the office was also very helpful and responsive. If you want to work with this clinic, I recommend using the portal, as it is easier to get a quick response there than by phone. We also worked with Susanna Bengis, whom I especially want to thank. She coordinates many surrogacy programs, and words cannot express how helpful she was to us. She is an outstanding member of the team, and I will always be grateful to her!

Unfortunately, I had to change doctors after changing jobs because my previous doctor was out of network. Dr. Surrey was the third doctor in my fertility journey. My first doctor was wonderful, and my current doctor is wonderful. I can therefore confirm that my SCRC experience is not normal for a fertility clinic. I truly believe Dr. Surrey is unqualified for this field. I should have trusted my instincts at our first meeting instead of wasting a valuable year at SCRC. The initial consultation was terrible. Dr. Surrey spent exactly 10 minutes with me, and it was clear he had never reviewed my previous doctor's records. Things did not improve. He was condescending, dismissive, and cold. When I asked follow-up questions, he did not explain the treatment and spoke to me as though I were stupid. His bedside manner was terrible—the worst experience I have had with any doctor in any specialty. I now drive an extra two hours for care to avoid this office. Some notes about SCRC: When you call, you are automatically routed to a call center that takes messages, and you must wait for a callback, so you can never get a quick answer. The patient coordinator is kind but unreliable and often does not call. They find every way to take your money and charge for every little thing. I was charged fees that neither of my other two clinics ever charged. They tried to add treatments not covered by insurance that were not necessary for a successful cycle. When I asked, Dr. Surrey did not explain in detail what they were for or how they would help; he only said he recommended them. Months later, I received a bill from an out-of-network lab they had never used for my previous lab work. My insurer said they should have known not to use that lab. Because of their carelessness, I was responsible for the entire bill, as if fertility treatment were not already expensive enough. My ultrasounds were performed by a technician who never seemed thorough. I never had an ultrasound performed by a doctor, not even the first one. If you want to see a doctor at every visit, this is not the place. If you have other options, do not choose SCRC. I would never recommend this office. There is a reason the clinic and Dr. Surrey have such low ratings.

The front desk staff are awful and do not handle calls professionally. They have no phone etiquette, and you can clearly hear their attitude. Talking to them is one-sided. You try to explain something, and the person will not listen. They hung up twice, and the third call went to voicemail. How are customers or patients supposed to feel coming there for care when the staff are like this? 🤦🤔🤷

Do not see a doctor here! SCRC has been the worst organization I have dealt with in a long time. Do yourself a favor and find another doctor so you do not have to deal with SCRC. There have been too many headaches. I deeply regret coming here and wish I could drive more than 200 miles to see another doctor. They entered my husband's email address incorrectly, so he could not access the documents. They entered my date of birth incorrectly, so it is wrong on all my records and lab work. They charged us $230 more than quoted. They charged us again after we had already paid the invoice. There were other problems; these are just a few examples. I honestly feel sorry for the doctors working with this organization because it reflects badly on them. Unfortunately, all fertility doctors in the area are under SCRC. If I could go back, I would choose a doctor outside SCRC, even if it meant driving more than 200 miles every time.

We did not have a good experience here. The staff are nice, but it was clear we were not a priority, and their medical records and instructions were disorganized. We drove two hours each way. First, they uploaded another woman's records to my wife's patient portal, and her medical history was very different from ours. We were glad we caught it before receiving a prescription that was completely inappropriate for us. Second, on the day of our first IUI, they asked my wife to return for an ultrasound, which is not normally done that day. When my wife questioned it, the staff member insisted, until my wife pointed out that the name on the monitor was not hers. The woman replied, “Oh, sorry. The front desk usually stops me if I have the wrong person.” Third, we arrived on time for our IUI and I provided my sample, but we waited 1 hour and 15 minutes before being called back. I had to ask whether we would be seen, and only then did the nurse get Dr. Maxwell. Ideally, a sample is inseminated soon after washing and can be held for no more than 90 minutes. My semen sample was collected at 8:30 a.m. (though our records say 8:44), and the doctor did not perform the insemination until 9:51 a.m. She apologized and said she had been doing another procedure. We felt like a major inconvenience. They have not followed up at all since the IUI. I know it is the holiday season, but we felt like just a number. We have WIN fertility benefits through my employer, and it felt like once they got paid, that was all they cared about. We will not return. Again, the nurses, front desk staff, and even Dr. Maxwell were kind, but this was not a good experience. It was our first treatment beyond FemVue/HSG, and it was not a good first attempt.

My husband and I had an incredible experience with Dr. Maxwell and her staff at SCRC Santa Barbara. Dr. Maxwell was attentive, caring, and thoughtful. She always took time to listen to all our questions and concerns and explain everything thoroughly. The nurses and staff promptly answered my questions through the SCRC portal and were very kind at every appointment (and we had many!). Whenever I had a billing question, Pam at the front desk helped contact my insurance company and communicated promptly by email. We felt very well cared for at SCRC and are extremely grateful for our experience during such a vulnerable time in our lives!