Have I got just the car...I mean infertility treatment for you

A staff person who works for a prominent IVF doctor confessed that when the doctor reviewed end of the month financial statements with his team, his questions was always the same: “How many IVF’s did you sell this month?”

That question sends a chill up my spine. Keep in mind this is a medical treatment that costs thousands of dollars. Not a boob job or even lasik surgery. This doctor’s attitude treats patients not as people who deserve the best medical care, but instead as simply pocketbooks and charge cards designed to contribute to the doc’s bottom line.

Don’t think for a minute that “How many IVF’s did you sell this month?” doesn’t get translated into how he does business. It is impossible to have that attitude as the mission of the company and not herd patients into the stirrups who either aren’t a good candidate for IVF, or they don’t need it yet.

In a related note, I am not going to publicize anymore Haiti relief/fertility company connections anymore. It’s wrong. The companies obviously see this as a win-win – “Look, we’ll look good for making a charitable donation AND we can use it as an opportunity to sell more stuff! Plus, it’s tax-deductible!” But it’s not win-win for the customers. It’s manipulative, preys on our vulnerabilities and makes us question and doubt whether we should use the company that’s best for us or base the decision solely on emotions when our emotions are already frayed.

Have you seen any doctors advertising a dollar donation for every chemo treatment you get? When you do, let me know.