ABOUT THE IVF LAB

The IVF lab was founded in 1982 by Robert Visscher MD and Blodgett Memorial Medical Center and had Michigan's first successful IVF pregnancy in 1983.  Douglas Daly MD became the program director in 1990. In 1992 the programs hired it's initial full time embryologist. In 1994 Dave Mayo who had been a part time embryologist since 1982 assumed this position. He now has over 20 years of IVF experience. He is an expert at IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection and was responsible for Michigan's first successful ICSI embryos/pregnancy in 1995. The program has had 2 full time embryologists since 1998. Beth Sprague worked part time with the program since 2002 and has been full time since 5/2004. Beth is completing her training in micromanipulation.

The laboratory has completed 3 successful CAP inspections, the latest on October 16, 2004, and is accredited with distinction. The endocrine and andrology labs are both CAP and CLIA inspected and accredited. the IVF program underwent a CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and SART (Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology) site validation inspection in April of 2004. No reporting deficiencies were identified during the inspection. The programs data reporting for 2002 and 2003 were found to be complete and accurate.

Grand Rapids Fertility in 2004 was one of only a few programs in the country to have had successful inspections by CAP and CLIA and to undergo a site visit/data validation inspection all in a single year.