About SGF

We are excited to announce the opening of our newest full-service IVF center in Fairfax, VA. In the past, Virginia residents had to travel to SGF’s Rockville, MD location for procedures. The new 19,000 square foot space in Fairfax is now home to physician offices for patient consultations, a high-tech embryology laboratory—located adjacent to a spacious procedure center with an operating room, five recovery bays, and three embryo transfer rooms—as well as a dedicated andrology laboratory for sperm preparation.

SGF Virginia

SGF has been serving Northern Virginia with patient-centric fertility care for the past 25 years and offers seven locations, nine reproductive endocrinologists, and one reproductive urologist, many of whom were named Northern Virginia Magazine’s Top Doctors for Infertility.

“The opening of an IVF center in Fairfax, VA is especially significant for two reasons. It’s in response to tremendous patient need and represents our continued growth in the region. As well, it significantly eases the travel required of nearly 30% of our patients who historically traveled to Rockville for procedures,” says Chief Executive Officer of Shady Grove Fertility, Mark Segal. “Our Virginia patients will now have the added convenience of accessing the care they’ve come to expect from our center in a location much closer to home.”

The Virginia center is home to the fifth embryology lab operated by Shady Grove Fertility, joining the largest freestanding IVF laboratory in the United States in Rockville, Maryland as well as Towson, MD; Atlanta, GA; and Chesterbrook, PA. 

About Virginia’s IVF Center

The lab is equipped with the very latest technology including anti-shake tables, special ventilation, state-of-the-art air filtration systems, advanced incubators and media, and inverted microscopes to evaluate embryo growth, development, and quality, to name a few. The lab will operate under the distinct leadership of nationally and internationally known Jim Graham, Laboratories Director, and Michael J. Tucker, Ph.D., Scientific Director of Shady Grove Fertility’s IVF and Embryology Laboratories.

“Through Shady Grove Fertility’s dedicated research and continuous innovation, our center stays at the cutting-edge of reproductive science to improve outcomes for our patients and help even more people conceive,” says Eric D. Levens, M.D. of Shady Grove Fertility’s Fairfax, VA location.

Located at 8501 Arlington Boulevard, Fairfax, VA 22031, patients may now schedule an appointment at this location or any other throughout Virginia by calling the Shady Grove Fertility New Patient Center at 888-761-1967.

Best Fertility Practice in Atlanta

SGF Atlanta, formerly known as Georgia Reproductive Specialists, has been named Best Fertility Practice in Atlanta by Kudzu, a service—originally focused on the local Georgia market who’s expanding across the country—that matches businesses with customers based on customer ratings and reviews.

Best Fertility Specialists in Atlanta

In addition to being named Best Fertility Practice in the Atlanta region, each of the three SGF Atlanta physicians, Drs. Mark Perloe, Anne Namnoum, and Desireé McCarthy-Keith were also recognized by Kudzu as Best Fertility Specialists. This recognition is voted on by members of the surrounding Atlanta community. Each highly trained physician brings equal parts clinical expertise and human compassion to each patient’s unique fertility journey.

“Like many of you, my wife and I have been navigating this process for quite some time. We’ve met with many different specialists, and have tested the waters with several doctors who specialize in this field. However, as soon as we met with the team at Shady Grove Fertility Atlanta, we knew we wouldn’t need to go anywhere else,” says a former SGF Atlanta patient.

“Thank you to our patients and the community for this recognition and continued support of Shady Grove Fertility Atlanta. I feel so fortunate that I get to be a part of helping patients build their families. With now 50,000 babies born and counting, we look forward to continuing to serve the Atlanta region with the highest quality fertility care,” says Dr. Mark Perloe.

In recent news

Most recently, SGF Atlanta was designated as a Center of Excellence by Optum,™ a leading information and technology-enabled health services business. SGF Atlanta earned this distinction by demonstrating successful clinical outcomes and exceptional physician experience, staffing, and facilities, as well as maintaining accreditation status and continuous quality assurance.

SGF Atlanta has three locations in Alpharetta, Atlanta-Northside, and Buckhead-Piedmont. To schedule an appointment with one of SGF Atlanta’s three physicians, Drs. Mark Perloe, Desireé McCarthy-Keith, or Anne Namnoum, please call 1-877-971-7755 or complete this brief online form.

We are proud to announce that five Virginia-based fertility specialists have been named as Top Docs for Infertility by Northern Virginia Magazine. Each of the board certified reproductive endocrinologists provide best-in-class fertility care and offer a full range of state-of-the art diagnostic and treatment options for male and female infertility.

Northern Virginia’s Top Docs for Infertility

To determine the region’s “Top Doctors,” Northern Virginia Magazine complies a list based on a combination of hospital committees and board nominations. Panels consist of physicians affiliated with medical centers around the region who nominate doctors based on internal evaluations, patient reviews, and overall quality of care.

“Thank you to our patients, physician peers, and the community for this recognition and continued support of Shady Grove Fertility. Having served Virginia for the past 26 years, we feel so fortunate that we’ve had such a long and successful history of helping people build their families. We look forward to a new year of possibilities and helping even more people achieve their dream of parenthood,” says Eric D. Levens, M.D. of Shady Grove Fertility’s Fairfax, VA location.

Coming Soon to Northern Virginia

Speaking of new possibilities in Virginia, Shady Grove Fertility’s newest location in Fairfax, VA will include a state-of-the-art IVF laboratory and procedure center, which is scheduled to open in April 2018.

“It’s a true honor to be recognized by our physician peers for the service and care that we provide. Our goal is to ensure patients have an optimal experience in an environment that supports and addresses all of their needs,” says Stephen J. Greenhouse, M.D. of Shady Grove Fertility’s Fair Oaks and Haymarket, VA offices.

‘The patient comes first’ is the center of our philosophy at SGF. To learn more, schedule an appointment at one of our seven Virginia locations by calling the Shady Grove Fertility New Patient Center at 888-761-1967.

Of all of the milestones Shady Grove Fertility has reached through the years, the one that makes us beam with pride the most is the number of babies born as a result of care at our center. To us, there is no greater achievement than to help patients realize their dream of a family. And this year marks an especially significant practice milestone, with 50,000 babies born since the center first opened its doors in 1991.

“We have reached a beautiful milestone for our patients. I feel excited, joyful, exhilarated, and yet humbled to think about all of the people we have helped. I think about all my partners and associates and staff and all of the wonderful work they have done and continue to do. I think about all of the referring physicians who trust us to take care of their patients. I think, especially, about all of our patients who have placed their care in our hands and have referred their friends and family to us for help,” recalls Arthur Sagoskin, M.D., SGF co-founder, when asked about the humble beginnings of our center with two physicians and one Rockville, MD location.

If you seek to discover the truth behind the growth of our practice, one might expect the founders to say they had planned for this all along. However, that’s contrary to the truth. The mission of Shady Grove Fertility, as co-founder Michael Levy, M.D., describes it, has been to always do what’s in the best interest of the patients. It’s the Golden Rule of the practice.

“It is a wonderful challenge to reflect on the reality that in the 26 years of practice at Shady Grove Fertility we have helped bring over 50,000 babies into the world. I do not think that this is best understood by the staggering reality that every baby, child, and young adult would fill a large sports stadium, 100 elementary schools, 25 high schools, or a large university. It is best understood by thinking about one recent patient. When we first saw her she was feeling overwhelmed and depressed by 5 years of infertility. When she returned to proudly show us her baby her demeanor was transformed to one of pure joy. Her mother wrote to thank us for both her grandchild and for helping ‘get her daughter back.’ If we reflect on that baby, her parents, and grandparents we begin to realize what doing this 50,000 times really means,” shares Dr. Levy.

Behind our ability to help tens of thousands of people realize their dream of a family, at the heart of it, is providing uncompromising service, creating better access to care by making treatment more affordable, and establishing an integrated patient-centric model that cares for the medical, emotional, and financial needs of each patient throughout their journey to parenthood.

“Back in 1991, Michael and I developed a mission statement and have never deviated from it. We committed then and there to provide optimal care for our patients and always go beyond expectations, to provide optimal care for our staff, and to be fiscally responsible. Our decisions, whether clinical or financial, are always based on what’s best for the patient. This principle pervades our lives. We never imagined the growth of our practice would reach these heights back then, but we surrounded ourselves with phenomenal, compassionate, innovative people who became a part of our culture,” adds Dr. Sagoskin.

Speaking of finances, SGF realizes the cost of infertility can often be a barrier and has therefore made part of its core mission making access to care more affordable. In 1992, after a tearful admission by a patient in Dr. Levy’s office who was contemplating a difficult decision—to pay for another round of in vitro fertilization (IVF) or save the money for adoption—both high reward but potentially costly endeavors, it was then that Dr. Levy created our flagship Shared Risk 100% Refund Program, a program designed to give patients a more affordable option. While the idea was initially considered controversial at the time, as it was the first to pair patient success with a financial program, it quickly came to earn the respect of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and is frequently emulated by other centers around the world. Our program guarantees a baby or a full refund, and today, nearly 20,000 patients have participated in SGF’s Shared Risk 100% Refund Program, and more than 82 percent take home a baby.

The success of our clinical protocols and treatments comes from years of refining and continuous innovation, an incredibly high attention to detail, and vast experience that comes from the number of patients who trust us with their care.

“The excitement of seeing that positive pregnancy test and listening to the reaction of patients when hearing the news is beyond description. Then, the joy of watching the heartbeat on the ultrasound, seeing the patient’s reaction, and being able to hug that patient and offer my congratulations, it’s beyond description,” adds Dr. Sagoskin.

Our compassionate care is among the reasons 96 percent of patients say they would recommend SGF to a friend or family member, and the reason why more than 2,000 OB/GYNs, primary care providers, internal medicine specialists, and urologists refer their patients to SGF each year. This year alone, SGF will host nearly 250 events designed for the medical community, mainly OB/GYNs, and close to  designed to educate patients.

At Shady Grove Fertility, doing what’s best for the patient doesn’t just mean for the patients of today or even the patients that find their way to one of SGF’s many locations, it’s about all future patients who will learn they need assistance in order to have a baby. SGF’s practice leaders, physicians, and team members create opportunities whether it’s through fundraising or testifying before Congress to not only increase access to care but also raise awareness and give a voice to the many who suffer in silence.

Your dream of growing or expanding your family is within reach. Schedule an appointment to get started, today. Call our New Patient Center at 877-971-7755 or submit this brief online form.

“I’m thankful for my struggle because, without it, I wouldn’t have discovered my strength.”

Infertility sucks. It can be so isolating and heartbreaking, but every day I am grateful for these cards I have been dealt because without them I would never have known how truly strong I am. All women are strong, but our SGF community is a special kind of strong…we are #SGFstrong.

What does being #SGFstrong mean for a couple who is TTC?

The moment you decide you want to “start trying” for a baby is also the moment you want it to actually happen. When the months go by and you’re still not pregnant, your heart will start to feel heavy. I did what every TTC woman does, tracked ovulation, took my temperature, put my legs up after sex, read everything about trying to conceive, and yet it still didn’t happen. Calling to schedule a consultation with a fertility specialist can be overwhelming. It took me months to muster up the courage to make that call. I kept thinking if I just keep “trying” it’ll happen and I’ll never need treatment. Infertility treatment isn’t a journey anyone chooses, but the day I made that call to Shady Grove Fertility, I became #SGFstrong. It’s the first brave step on the path to parenthood. The path is full of unknowns, but being #SGFstrong means nothing will stop you.

Current Patients are #SGFstrong

When I first came to SGF, I was terrified of needles. I was so scared, that I sobbed in monitoring the first time I had a baseline blood draw. The staff did everything they could to make me comfortable over the following weeks of monitoring appointments. Each appointment I got a little braver and now I can even sit in the normal blood draw chair. As treatment progressed, I needed injectable medication. #SGFstrong is standing in your kitchen, crying because you’re scared, and still putting that needle in your own belly. Never in a million years, did I EVER think I would be able to give myself injections, but I found my strength at Shady Grove Fertility. I found my strength through the amazing monitoring staff, my compassionate physician (shout out to Dr. Doyle), and through all my SGF Sisters.

To my SGF Sisters: we see each other every morning waiting for blood draws and normally none of us speak, but we help make each other #SGFstrong. Your strength motivates me. Your quiet bravery radiates off you like the sun. Thank you for perusing your dream of becoming a Mom because it inspires me. You’re amazing and I’m proud to be your SGF Sister.

Former Patients are #SGFstrong

You’re already the BEST Moms because of your infertility journey. #SGFstrong is about sharing your journey. As a current patient, reading success stories and seeing photos of adorable miracle babies helps keep me going. Share your story. Share your advice. Just stay connected with your SGF Sisters. Infertility mostly feels like no one understands, but you’re the special group that actually does understand. Thank you for showing current patients that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Also let’s face it, SGF miracle babies are the cutest babies in the world.

If your SGF road didn’t happen to lead to parenthood, you are #SGFstrong without a doubt. Your grit and resilience are awe-inspiring to us all. You picked yourself up, dusted yourself off, and are relentlessly brave in the face of a different future than you had originally imagined. For that, we all admire you.

We are all #SGFstrong. We share a special type of strength that we all have found on different steps of our journeys. I’m still waiting on my positive beta, but until then I keep fighting. Parenthood is possible and I will always be #SGFstrong and you will, too.

Remember to connect with your SGF Sisters on Facebook and Instagram. Use the hastag #SGFstrong and share your photos, advice for SGF Sisters, and words of inspiration.

 To learn more about #SGFstrong or to schedule an appointment with one of our reproductive endocrinologists, please call 1-877-971-7755 or click here to complete this brief online form.