News/Events

The Boston Globe's annual "Salute to Nurses" section recognizes caregivers whose dedication has changed the lives of countless patients and their families.

The Globe received hundreds of submissions in 2021 ~ and we're so thrilled to have had FOURTEEN LETTERS selected that feature a Boston IVF nursing team member! It's a testament to the kind and talented individuals we have ~ and the quality of care we deliver. Click here to view the full Globe online article. 

Thank you for all that you do for our patients!

Susan Barry, Boston IVF, Brookline

Through an incredibly difficult journey of IVF, Susan was compassionate, caring, and sensitive. She answered every one of my questions, no matter how often I called, and she gave me reassurance every single time.—Nominated by Chelsea Carrier

Jackie Brindle, Boston IVF

Jackie (and her team at Boston IVF) are amazing! They’re so knowledgeable and so compassionate. Jackie is awesome with communication and never left any of my questions unanswered. She and the rest of the nurses all deserve to be acknowledged!—Nominated by Pamela Asiimwe

Michelle Cioffi, Albany Center, Boston IVF

During the most vulnerable years of my life, Michelle has changed my entire outlook on health-care providers. It has been overwhelmingly empowering to have a nurse like Michelle in my corner, rooting for our success. Michelle has given me a voice—always making sure my feelings are validated and I am being heard. Michelle is trustworthy—doing everything to give us relief and peace when we need it the most. In the heaviest moments of our journey with IVF, Michelle offered support, kindness, compassion, and—most importantly—hope. Thank you, Michelle, for reminding me every day that the fight is worth it, and that makes me a beautiful and strong mother.—Nominated by Jordan Cleveland

Wendy Craw, Boston IVF, Providence

The journey of IVF is exciting and terrifying, all at the same time. It’s such a special yet challenging time, and having a medical team behind you that you can trust is so important. Wendy has made sure our journey goes as smooth as possible. My husband and I just found out that our first round of IVF did not end in a pregnancy. Hearing the genuine support in Wendy’s voice, helped to ease the loss and ground us. Whether it’s simply returning our phone calls, or taking the time to stay on the phone with the insurance company for what feels like forever, Wendy continues to be the calm during this emotional roller coaster. Thank you, Wendy for all that you do.—Nominated by Alison Rodino

Wendy Craw, Boston IVF, Providence

My husband and I had just switched fertility clinics. We were frustrated, emotionally drained, and devastated. Our first appointment at Boston IVF we met Wendy Craw, our doctor’s nurse.  Wendy assured us she would be there for us every step of the way, and she was. Sometimes I called multiple times a day to ask questions and Wendy answered every question thoroughly and with compassion. She made sure I understood every procedure and medication plan. 

After we were successful and had our daughter Emmy, we received the sweetest package of little baby girl clothes from Wendy. I didn’t expect her to also be there after the baby was born. Emmy is now six months old and Wendy checks in with me frequently to see how we are doing and for updated pictures. Thank you for being you, Wendy. You made a difference in my life and I appreciate you so much.—Nominated by Jessica van Luling

Barbara Del Signore, The Maine Center, Boston IVF

Barbara is one of a kind. Her empathy with her patients is remarkable. She demonstrates patience and kindness when answering all our questions and has guided us through this process seamlessly. We can’t thank Barbara enough! A true asset to the Boston IVF team!—Nominated by Hannah Roy

Barbara Del Signore, The Maine Center, Boston IVF

After losing our son at 17 months old it was hard for my husband and I to see the light at the end of any tunnel, and Barbara always made sure to map out the positives for us. I emailed and called with questions daily and she always got an answer for me, I wouldn’t have gotten through IVF without her. Because of her, I’m writing this while snuggling our IVF miracle—every time I wanted to quit, Barbara made sure we didn’t.—Nominated by Vanessa Tillson

Kylie Henderson, Boston IVF, Quincy

Being a patient is not fun. Being a nurse AND a patient is a lot less fun. Never having physically met our IVF nurse, Kylie, we are so fortunate she is on our team. Kylie earned our trust immediately, treating us as people, not just a number. Every conversation includes respect, humor, trust, and belief. She is able to take the “scary” unknown away, filling it with hope and confidence. are thankful, blessed, and lucky to have Kylie fighting for us.—Nominated by Samantha Clark

Kim Kulzer, Boston IVF, Albany

 Kim took the time to get to know me! Kim showed me how to navigate my insurance—specifically, my pharmacy benefit. She helped me get free samples of medications, which was a huge financial help as my pharmacy coverage was very limited. Kim never rushed me off the phone and always took the time to answer my questions. Also, although she was not my assigned nurse at the time, she was the one who called me to let me know I was pregnant, which really meant a lot because she was genuinely happy for me and the one who helped me the most. Kim was always very kind and made it clear how much she cared about her patients.—Nominated by Kathleen Winnie

Jennifer Iordachescu, Boston IVF

Due to COVID-19 I’ve never even had the opportunity to meet Jenn in person, but I feel like she is a part of my family. I cannot wait to thank her face-to-face for her compassion, patience, and advocacy.—Nominated by Heather Segal

Jennifer Iordachescu, Boston IVF

I am about to start my third IVF cycle after two failed cycles in the last five months. As you can imagine, infertility is so personal and emotional. Jennifer has always taken time to explain things, eased my fears, and shown compassion for what I’m going through. She has also given me tips on how I can save on costs of the meds, since we are self-pay. Jennifer is always quick to respond and if she doesn’t know the answer will look into it and get back to me. I wish all nurses could be like her.—Nominated by Stephanie Doyle

Dawn Nugent, Boston IVF, Waltham

Dawn was so caring after my retrieval procedure, and made sure I was really comfortable. She was understanding, especially since I was there on my own because my spouse couldn’t come in due to COVID-19 restrictions. Dawn called to check in a day later to see how I was doing. She provided excellent care during my time there. Nurse Nugent needs to be recognized and awarded for her service and care.—Nominated by Sonali Biddiah

Nicole Ouellette, Boston IVF, Bedford, New Hampshire

Nicole has been amazing, encouraging, and compassionate throughout our infertility journey.  She always made me feel comfortable, cared for, and supported. This year was exceptionally difficult and incredibly wonderful. We learned in February that we were finally pregnant after years of trying to conceive and five rounds of IVF.  Sadly, we miscarried just before shutdowns at the end of March. When things reopened and we were able to continue treatment, Nicole was right there, more encouraging than ever. When we became pregnant again—this time with a healthy baby girl who is due in two weeks—Nicole could sense my worry and did everything she could to help reassure and comfort me.  

She was the empathetic voice that shared difficult news when cycles didn’t work and the one who joyously shouted “You’re pregnant!” through the phone and ran to hug me when I arrived at the office. Nicole grieved and celebrated with us. Our conversations always ended with “I’m always here to help,” and she genuinely meant it. Over the past two years, I heard Nicole’s voice daily throughout six IVF cycles. I’ll never forget her voice, and how it made me feel. I can’t wait to tell our little girl about the wonderful woman who held our hands and cheered us on as we waited to become parents. I call her and the team our “fairy godmothers” and can’t imagine having gone through this with anyone else. From heartbreak to happy tears, Nicole has been a rock during the long road to meet our baby. We’ve kept in touch throughout my pregnancy, and Nicole will be among the first to know once our baby arrives. She’s such a special person to me and my husband.—Nominated by Candice Hollenbecm

Nicole Ouellette, Boston IVF, Bedford Center, New Hampshire

Nicole has been our main point of contact as we begin our IVF journey. At times, this journey can be overwhelming. Nicole has been there for us every step of the way. She is professional, and always responds to our questions in a timely manner. Nicole has made this journey feel less overwhelming by providing us professional guidance and support. Thank you Nicole!—Nominated by Rachel Raymond

Bryna Runeman, Boston IVF

Bryna has been an absolute lifeline for us during our fertility journey. She has been there through losses and disappointments and celebrated every positive step with us. We have appreciated her honesty, willingness to answer many (many!) questions, and her unending empathy. We always felt like she was just as invested in our quest to grow our family as we were. Bryna has truly been the seatbelt for our rollercoaster—we were on this journey no matter what, but we felt more secure with her in our corner.—Nominated by Alison Hawes

Bryna Runeman, Boston IVF

Brynna has been the most helpful nurse during the worst time of my life. She has shown so much compassion and empathy during my struggles with infertility. She is prompt in her responses and is so knowledgeable. I appreciate her positive attitude the most. Thanks for everything you do, Brynna.—Nominated by Jennifer Morais

Bryna Runeman, Boston IVF Waltham

As a nurse myself, being patients at BIVF has been especially difficult for my husband and me. Since Day One, I’ve felt like Bryna has known me for years and always acknowledges our questions and concerns, then finds a solution. She checks on her patients on her days off and answers emails even if it is 7 p.m. on a Sunday. We would be lost without Bryna’s care and compassion during this infertility process. I always knew how special nurses are, but there is no one better in this field than Bryna. Even though we are still going through this process, she will always have a special place in our hearts.—Nominated by Julie Wilson

Nikki Getek, Boston IVF, Brookline

I never met Nikki in person. My husband and I tried to get pregnant for a year but it didn’t happen. We looked into Boston IVF and met Dr. Pauli. For a year-and-a-half we underwent intrauterine inseminations, blood tests, ultrasounds, four retrievals-and-transfers, a miscarriage, and finally got pregnant with twins. The night before our 12-week appointment we lost one. The other one was OK, thank God. We lost “the other one” at 33 weeks to a freak umbilical cord accident. She was fine and healthy. Her name is Noelle. She was beautiful and perfect, so we decided to pursue IVF again. After multiple failed cycles we got pregnant. 

I will never forget the many phone conversations with Nikki as I walked to and from my car to teach each day. She called me with bad news so many times. We would cry and laugh and vent. She had experienced the worst heartbreak, too. She had a stillborn baby. She told me to call her any time. One time I got the courage to. Again, we laughed and cried at how wonderful and awful it was, how much pain and love you can feel at the same time for a baby you never really got to meet.

When we got pregnant with Paul a year-and-a-half later, we sent pictures and emails to Nikki. We send funny videos of Paul laughing, and Christmas cards. She immediately writes back with joy. My pain was her pain. My joy was her joy. I hope I can meet her “for real” someday. —Nominated by Alana Juneau

Tiffany Tifft, Boston IVF, Portland, Maine

Tiffany was amazing through our three rounds of IVF. I was nervous the first time, but Tiffany answered all my questions and made me feel relaxed. When going through a process that is so emotional, you don’t want to be that annoying patient who worries about everything—and trust me, I was—but Tiffany answered every email or phone call. After we had our son, she was one of the first people I emailed a picture to. I will forever be grateful for her compassion.—Nominated by Jade Freeman

Jessica Young, Downtown Boston, Boston IVF

Infertility treatment is a really emotional process. It’s stressful, time-sensitive, and physically and financially draining. Jess was the perfect nurse to have on your side through the ups and downs. She was always a phone call away and replied promptly to the many questions that came up. She would check in after bad news and was our biggest cheerleader with good news. If we needed information from the doctor, she would personally make sure she got the answers relayed quickly. Jess exhibited such compassion every time we interacted with her. It has meant so much to have a nurse who will go the extra mile as we navigate this journey.—Nominated by Katie Shipman

Donna Zimmerman, Boston IVF

When you are going through IVF (especially during a pandemic) there is nothing more reassuring that a “familiar” voice on the phone every few days, giving you updates and next injection instructions. Every time she called, I felt like she really cared, and she was always reassuring. She took the time to answer or return my calls, even when I called multiple times a day. When I got the call from Boston IVF that my hCG levels [a hormone indicating pregnancy] were rising after an embryo transfer, I felt like it was my mom calling me with good news. Donna has a Boston accent you can never forget, which automatically puts you in a good mood and always made me smile. I never met her in person because of the pandemic, and she probably doesn’t remember me, but I hope she knows that she was a glimmer of hope through one of the hardest times in my life. While all the Boston IVF nurses are truly angels, Donna is the one who stuck in my mind.—Nominated by Lauren Griffin