FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — There is a silver lining for couples who just had their world turned upside down.
Last week, my colleague Hannah McDonald covered the story of the abrupt closure of the Center for Reproductive Health in Nashville, leaving patients undergoing fertility treatments in limbo. In a letter to staff, an administrator cited a financial deficit for the clinic closure.
Now — I have good news to share.
After seeing Hannah's reports, the Tennessee Fertility Institute (TFI) with offices in Nashville and Franklin is stepping in to help patients.
What TFI is offering:
- Free embryo storage for one year
- Free transfer services for one frozen embryo transfer cycle if patients have paid for a cycle at a defunct clinic
I spoke to Dr. Christopher Montville with TFI who told me his offices have already received several calls from patients of the defunct practice looking for help. When asked about his motivation for stepping in, Dr. Montville told me he wants to improve access to care in the fertility field.
"One in eight couples in this country struggle with infertility and access to care can be a huge problem," Dr. Monville said. "Most IVF centers are located in larger cities so often patients have to travel great distances to get that care."
You can contact the Tennessee Fertility Institute by calling 615-721-6250 or visiting tnfertility.com .
If you are struggling with infertility, I asked Dr. Montville how patients should choose a doctor for their care — after all, there is a lot of trust and money involved.
"Word of mouth is really important, as are patient reviews," he said. "Those are good ways to see what other patient's experience may have been like, rather than picking a clinic based on whether their insurance is carried, for example."
Another step in your research is checking out the Center for Disease Control's website. The agency lists success rates for fertility clinics that you can view by state here.
For patients impacted by the closure of the Center for Reproductive Health in Nashville, here's some legal information you need to know.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
