LLU Center for Fertility & IVF Staff

Deanna Almanza, Financial Liaison & Coding Assistant

Deanna is the financial liaison and has worked at LLU Center for Fertility & IVF since 2001. She manages billing and checking other financial information and patient insurance coverage. Deanna also answers phones and patient questions.

Monica Paniagua, RN

Monica received her RN degree from San Bernardino Valley College in 2006 and has been with the LLU Center for Fertility since 2007. Her responsibilities include assisting the physicians with all procedures, including routine examinations, assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), surgeries, hysterosalpingograms, inseminations, and ultrasounds.

Telephone consultation and triage is a major function of her position with our Center, as is patient education about medications, procedures and appointments. Monica teaches basic physiology and medication administration to the patient and partner. She schedules, as well as explains, a complex series of follow-up appointments and medication protocols to the patient/couple.

Her position also involves carefully reviewing all charts, screening for current and abnormal laboratory results, seeing that all other preliminary testing is complete, and coordinating all schedules (patient, physician, laboratory personnel, anesthesia, and nursing) before initiating a cycle. Monica enjoys her position here and feels it allows her to have a close and intimate relationship with her patients during a challenging life experience.

Henrriette ‘Angie’ Nguyen-Zavala, LVN

Angie is a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) certified in intravenous therapy and has worked at the Center for Fertility since 2016.

She has years of experience in OB-GYN specialty care settings. At LLU Center for Fertility, she coordinates IVF cycle starts, schedules procedures and explains the IVF process. She orders and obtains prior authorization for fertility specialty medications and performs teaching for self-administered injections.

Angie also assists physicians with office visits and procedures such as ultrasounds, IUIs, egg retrievals and embryo transfers.

Angie is a medically certified translator in English and Spanish.

“I feel that I have the opportunity to make a profound difference in patients’ lives by understanding the medical science behind everything I do, but even more, to always be a nurse my patients can turn to for hope and support during difficult times.”

Julie Tapia, RN

Julie is a registered nurse who has worked at LLU Center for Fertility since 2005, and plays a major role in patient education here at our center. Julie is the LLU Center for Fertility’s Egg Donor Coordinator and her many responsibilities include educating patients on their treatment protocols and infertility procedures.

She also provides medication education, orders patient medication, answers and triages phone calls, coordinates patient and center schedules for treatment cycles, and ensures that all required testing and paperwork is complete prior to initiating cycle starts.

Julie also assists physicians with various visits and procedures, such as ultrasounds, intrauterine inseminations, egg retrievals and embryo transfers (both pre- and post-op). Julie speaks with couples over the phone and through personal meetings. She is a flexible, creative and hard-working individual who is skilled in working in a multi-disciplinary setting.