Shady Grove Fertility Continues to Expand, Opening a New State-of-the-Art Laboratory and Full-Service Fertility Center in Santiago, Chile

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Shady Grove Fertility (SGF), the largest fertility center in the United States with 10 babies born each and every day, announced today the opening of its first South American location in Santiago, Chile—a bustling capital city located in the central valley, the largest city in the country, and home to more than 7 million residents.

SGF will bring its exclusive financial and guarantee programs, integrated care model that addresses the medical, physical, financial, and psychological aspects of facing infertility, as well as its best-in-class laboratory and clinical protocols to the residents of Chile and neighboring countries. The medical practice will operate under the name "SGFertility Chile."

"While we've had the privilege to work with patients from over 35 countries and from all 50 states, when this opportunity to expand beyond our borders with a new location became a possibility, we were thrilled at the prospect of working with some of Chile's finest reproductive endocrinologists, Lorena Pardo, M.D., Mauricio Mondion, M.D., Sergio Varela, M.D., and Cristian Jesam, M.D., and Chief Embryologist, Francisca Jeria—all pioneers and innovative leaders in this ever-evolving field," remarked SGF Chief Executive Officer, Mark Segal.

"The brand new center is slated to open its doors to patients in September 2017. The new expansive space will be home to physician offices for private patient consultations, dedicated endocrine and andrology laboratories for procedures such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), sperm preparation, and patient monitoring, a state-of-the-art IVF/embryology laboratory, and a spacious ambulatory surgery center with four recovery bays, embryo transfer rooms, and two operating rooms," notes Philip Beatson, SGF's Chief Operating Officer.

The laboratory will operate under the distinct leadership of Embryologist/Laboratory Director, Francisca Jeria, MSc, in close collaboration with SGF's nationally and internationally known Scientific Director, Michael J. Tucker, Ph.D., HCLD.

"In speaking on behalf of my physician colleagues in Chile, we have long respected Shady Grove Fertility for being a thought leader, innovator, and pioneer in reproductive medicine for more than 25 years. SGF's leadership, ability to demonstrate compassion, and commitment to research and advancing the science and technology of our trade, all while delivering the highest standards of patient care, were compelling reasons for us to align ourselves and join forces to create SGFertility Chile," said Lorena Pardo, M.D., SGFertility Chile.

"We know that Shady Grove Fertility pioneered many of the advancements we have come to rely on today to improve the outcomes of patients, therefore, for us, it seemed like a tremendous opportunity to partner with an internationally recognized leader," shares Mauricio Mondion, M.D., Medical Director of SGFertility Chile.

"This partnership was born from an attraction between our two practices that centered around a similar patient care model. Drs. Lorena Pardo, Mauricio Mondion, Sergio Varela, and Cristian Jesam, each accomplished highly regarding physicians in Santiago, as well as Francisca Jeria, an accomplished embryologist, chose to transition their practices to SGF because they recognized the advantages patients will receive from a close collaboration between physicians and embryologists who offer personalized, evidence-based fertility solutions, a hallmark of SGF's approach to care," remarks reproductive endocrinologist, Eugene Katz, M.D. of SGF's Towson and Bel Air, Maryland locations.

Lorena Pardo, M.D., M.Sc. completed her undergraduate in Biochemistry at Catholic University in Santiago, Chile and earned her medical degree in 2001 from the University of Chile. She finished her OB/GYN residency in 2007 and then completed 2 years of study in reproductive medicine and endocrinology at the University of Chile. She earned her Master's degree in Reproduction from Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid and then joined the IVI group in 2012 as an infertility specialist. In 2015, she formed the Reproductive Medicine Unit at Avansalud Clinic. Dr. Pardo was integral to establishing the joint venture agreement with SGFertility Chile also in 2015.

Mauricio Mondion, M.D. was a top OB/GYN graduate at Catholic University in Santiago, Chile. He worked 2 years as professor in the same institution. He completed 3 years of training at Clínica Las Condes and Valencian Institute of Infertility in Spain, where he earned his Master's degree. Dr. Mondion was the Director of OB/GYN Section of the main hospital in Punta Arenas, Chile. He served as part of the IVI group in Santiago, Chile between 2013 and 2015 and the Santa Maria Clinic in Santiago from 2013 to 2017. Dr. Mondion speaks Spanish, English, and German.

Sergio Varela, M.D. earned his medical degree from the Austral University of Chile. He then went on to complete an OB/GYN residency at Catholic University in Santiago, Chile. He earned a Master's degree in Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility at the Valencian University of Spain and served as part of Valencian Institute of Infertility, Santiago, between 2010 and 2015 and in the Reproductive unit at Catholic University Clinic, between 2010 and 2017.

Cristian Jesam, M.D. earned his medical degree from the Los Andes University in Chile. He finished an OB/GYN residency at the University of Chile and a fellowship program in Reproductive Medicine and Infertility. Dr. Jesam is an Associate Professor and has been a member of the Reproductive Medicine Unit the Maternal and Child Research Institute, Universidad de Chile, since 2010. He is also a member of the Chilean Institute of Reproductive Medicina since 2006, specializing in sexual and reproductive health. He is a member of the Latin American Council of Emergency Contraception and current chair of the foundation "Todo Mejora," partner of the It Gets Better Project in the U.S., for the prevention of teenage suicide and homophobic bullying.

Francisca Jeria, MSc. is an embryologist with more than a decade of experience. She earned her Bachelor's of Science with the highest distinction and Master's degree in Biological Science from the University of Chile. In 2005, Francisca completed a 2-year fellowship in IVF at Clínica Las Condes. She worked in the IVF laboratory of Clínica Las Nieves and started the first Centre for Assisted Reproduction in the north of Chile in 2009, where she directed the program until 2012. She has participated in advisory quality IVF laboratories in Bolivia, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Jeria pioneered oocytes vitrification and embryo biopsy at Day 3 and Day 5 of embryonic development, achieving the first pregnancies reported in Chile by these techniques. From 2012 to 2016, Jeria served as an embryologist at IVI Chile, where she was responsible for the PGD and quality program. Since 2016 she has been working on the SGFertility Chile opening, where she will serve as IVF laboratory director and partner.

Other specialists on staff include Dr. José Ignacio Vinay, a urologist and graduate of the Universidad de Chile; and Dr. Mónica Elgueta, a psychologist and graduate of Universidad de Concepción, a systemic family and couples therapist.

To schedule a new patient consultation with Drs. Pardo, Mondion, Varela, or Jesam, please call +56 23263 8900 or complete this online form.

About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)
Shady Grove Fertility is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence offering patients individualized care, innovative financial options, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. 2017 commemorates more than 25 years of Shady Grove Fertility providing medical and service excellence to patients from all 50 states and 35 countries around the world, including its newest expansion to Santiago, Chile in August 2017. Today, with 41 physicians supported by a highly specialized team of more than 750 Ph.D. scientists, geneticists, and staff caring for patients in 28 offices throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., we celebrate over 40,000 babies born—more than any other center in the United States. Shady Grove Fertility physicians actively train residents and reproductive endocrinology fellows and invest in continuous clinical research and education to advance the field of reproductive medicine through numerous academic appointments and partnerships such as Georgetown Medical School, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the University of Maryland, and the National Institutes of Health. Nearly 2,000 physicians refer their patients to Shady Grove Fertility each year. For more information, call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com.

SOURCE Shady Grove Fertility

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