The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has established the UAB Fertility Care Network partnering with OBGYNs across the state to create a more convenient, patient-friendly approach to fertility care.
Patients are now able to receive routine care and testing from their community-based OBGYN, while being followed by UAB’s infertility experts, saving the time and expense of frequent travel to Birmingham. Participants in the network are Lee Obstetrics and Gynecology in Opelika, Women’s Medical Center in Dothan, OB/GYN Associates of West Alabama in Northport, and Northwest Alabama OB/GYN in Florence.
“This network is a win for everyone, especially patients and their referring physicians,” said G. Wright Bates, M.D., director of the UAB Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. “Fertility treatments often require numerous ultrasounds and blood work. This can mean frequent travel to the infertility specialist’s office, often miles away from the patient’s home. Through our network, we are all working together to make it more convenient for patients to receive the expert care necessary to successfully start a family.”
Bates says the network plan is relatively simple. Patients see a UAB specialist for their initial consultation, testing, diagnosis and treatment plan. Then, the patient’s local OBGYN provides the necessary ultrasounds and labs throughout the course of treatment and sends the results to UAB, where the infertility specialists monitor the patient’s progress, communicating with the patient and her OBGYN about continuing care. In some cases, the patient may return to UAB for infertility procedures such as intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization and follow-up.
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“We are excited to be a part of a wonderful team and help provide the kind of treatment our patients want to receive,” said Kerri Hensarling, M.D., obstetrician and gynecologist at Lee OBGYN. “Our goal is to provide attentive, responsive care for the women of Lee County and the surrounding area while striving to put the patient’s health and well-being first and promote women’s health. This network will help tremendously in these endeavors.
“Good communication between the patient and her doctor is essential to receiving appropriate care, calming anxieties about the unknown and planning for the future, and this network will enhance these experiences for patients at our center,” said Walter Young, M.D., obstetrician and gynecologist at Women’s Medical Center in Dothan. “We are dedicated to providing women the care and information needed to enjoy good health in every phase of life.”
The UAB Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility is an internationally renowned referral center for complex reproductive issues.
UAB provides cutting-edge treatment for fertility preservation, male and female infertility, and genetic abnormalities. Additionally, the division has a new state-of-the-art embryology and andrology laboratory, which is equipped with the latest in air-filtration, positive-pressure ventilation and individual patient mini-incubators.
“Our team of physicians, nurses and technicians provides personalized care that includes the most advanced fertility tests and treatments, while avoiding the unnecessary,” Bates said. “We hope to continue to grow the network throughout the state of Alabama and continue to provide the world-class care people expect from UAB.”
For more information on becoming a partner in the UAB Fertility Care Network, call 205-934-1030.