PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon Health & Science University Fertility Consultants has been named one of the top 10 fertility centers in the United States by the national magazine Child.
"Anytime we are recognized on a national scale, it is an honor. It is especially an honor because OHSU Fertility Consultants has been very successful helping women and couples who have the more difficult issues," said Kenneth Burry, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine. OHSU Fertility Consultants has been under his direction since it was established in 1982.
"The OHSU Fertility Consultants, which is a member of the OHSU Center for Women's Health, is not just one of the best for clinical care -- it is actively creating the next possibilities for fertility through its exceptional research. We offer options that no other center in the Northwest, and in some cases in the West, can even imagine. Even better, we do it with compassion and exceptional care," said Joanna Cain, M.D., director of the Center for Women's Health and chairwoman of obstetrics and gynecology, OHSU School of Medicine.
The OHSU Fertility Consultants was No. 3 on the 10 best list by Child magazine. (The entire list is in the attached Child magazine news release.)
OHSU Fertility Consultants has achieved many firsts:
* First fertility program in Oregon.
* First successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) program in the Pacific Northwest, and first to have IVF births in Oregon.
* First in the state to develop and offer intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), extended embryo culture, in vitro maturation and preimplantation diagnosis to patients.
* First cryopreserved embryo pregnancy in the Northwest.
* One of the first programs in the country to offer blastocyst culture, allowing OHSU to be one of the first preimplantation genetic diagnosis programs on the West Coast.
* First fertility program on the West Coast to have successfully frozen human eggs that resulted in the birth of a baby boy.
OHSU Fertility Consultants receives 17,000 patient visits a year. It offers a wide range of services, including patient egg donor services, embryo freezing, donor insemination, endometriosis treatment, treatment for menopause disorders, surrogacy medical care and psychological counseling for optimal care for each patient. It also has the largest donor egg program in the Northwest.
The program also is supported by advanced research in fertility problems. OHSU scientists recently were successful in achieving the first primate pregnancy from transplanted, primate ovarian tissue. It is hoped this breakthrough will be applicable in preserving the reproductive potential of cancer survivors in the near future.
# # #
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: Carly Smith
The Rosen Group
212.255.8455; carly@rosengrouppr.com
CHILD MAGAZINE NAMES
TOP 10 FERTILITY CENTERS IN THE U.S.
Child's Investigative Survey Compiles Invaluable Information
to Help Couples Make Life-Transforming Choices
First Data-Driven Comparison of Fertilization Rates
Weighs the Difficulty of Cases in Clinics' Success Rates
NEW YORK, N.Y., July 5, 2005 - Child magazine today announced the highly anticipated results of its first-ever exclusive survey to identify the top 10 fertility centers in the country. The survey - whose results appear in the August 2005 issue of the magazine on newsstands nationwide July 12th - was based on strict criteria and data compiled during the magazine's ground-breaking investigation.
According to the survey, the 10 best fertility centers in the U.S., in order are:
1. Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, Englewood, Colo.
2. The Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill-Cornell Medical Center, New York, N.Y.
3. University Fertility Consultants at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Ore.
4. New York University School of Medicine, Program for In-Vitro Fertilization, Reproductive Surgery, and Infertility, New York, N.Y.
5. The Infertility Center of St. Louis at St. Luke's Hospital, St. Louis, Mo.
6. The Nevada Center for Reproductive Medicine, Reno, Nev.
7. Presbyterian Hospital ARTS Program, Dallas and Plano, Tex.
8. Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Jacksonville, Fla.
9. Southern California Reproductive Center, Beverly Hills, Calif.
10. Center for Reproductive Medicine of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M.
"With over 6.1 million Americans having trouble conceiving, it is important for potential parents to have the information they need to make informed decisions about their safest, most promising options," said Miriam Arond, Editor in Chief of Child magazine. "Child saw a need to compile this hard-to-get information and evaluate these facilities. Given that treatments for infertility can put a serious strain on emotions, finances, and health, we felt that couples deserved a thorough assessment of the options available."
In order to identify these top fertility centers, Child followed a comprehensive methodology based largely on success rates with in-vitro fertilization. Many fertility centers were resistant to participate in the study, not wanting to disclose certain information, but Child persevered and completed the study.
Survey Methodology:
There are more than 400 fertility centers nationwide. To be considered for the Child magazine survey, all centers had to meet initial criteria, which included having a certified laboratory and maintaining at least average live-birth rates without high rates of triplets: More than 75 centers qualified. Child worked with a panel of doctors and related studies to devise an extensive survey to send to these centers. Initial response was limited: Centers were hesitant to release all the information requested. To complete the study, Child sent out a similar, smaller survey. Between the two surveys, Child was able to compile and compare data from the nearly 40 centers that responded.
For more information or to receive a complete copy of the survey, please contact Diane Stefani (diane@rosengrouppr.com) or Carly Smith (carly@rosengrouppr.com) at The Rosen Group at 212.255.8455
To read the Child article on fertility centers please visit: www.child.com/moms_dads/parenthood_issues/fertility_centers.jsp
###
