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: 85,000 SGF babies born and counting.
When the center first opened its doors in Rockville, MD in 1991, with two physicians, Dr. Sagoskin and Dr. Levy, one SGF baby was born every 20 days approximately. Today, 12 SGF babies are born each and every day.
“We never set out to reach this particular milestone,” recalls Michael J. Levy, M.D., Co-Founder of SGF and Director of IVF. “Instead, we said, very simply, from day one, we will always put the patients first and do what is ultimately in their best interest. This means, if there is a simpler, less invasive, or less expensive option that’s equally advantageous available, that’s what we will do,” adds Levy.
“We offer a place of hope. We’re here to help patients find answers. I tell my patients, I will walk alongside you, and we’ll together put one foot in front of the other until we find a solution. I’m in this with you,” shared long-time SGF physician, Eric D. Levens, M.D., who sees patients in SGF’s Fairfax, VA location.
Throughout SGF’s many years of growth, accomplishments, and milestones, one thing has remained the same; Our uncompromising commitment to deliver the highest quality care to every patient who walks through our doors. Hear from patients in our community who are celebrating along with us – who are a special part of the 85K babies born, 85K inspirational stories, and 85K dreams that have become a reality.
“We are beyond grateful to everyone at SGF Chesterbrook. We will never forget our first appointment with Dr. Isaac Sasson, after discussing our case he looked at us and said: ‘You’re going to be pregnant, I cannot tell you when, or how, but I can tell you, you’re going to be pregnant.’ With this statement, we started our journey at SGF with Dr. Sasson, Erica and Nikki by our side the whole time. When we look at our son, we are filled with joy and appreciation for the journey that we had and the place where we are now. Thank you to SGF Chesterbrook staff for always making us feel welcome and loved.” -SGF Sister Yael
“My wife and I would like to announce the birth of our SGF miracle, Henry. He was born on May 11th. Our journey started in July of 2018. We are a same sex couple who was looking to start a family. Our team determined that IUI would be the best course of action for us. Shortly after, our little guy was on his way into the world! Shady Grove Fertility was amazing throughout the whole process. Extremely professional and caring. We would like to give a special thank you to everyone at the SGF Columbia, MD location for all their support and help, especially Dr. Osheroff and Natalie. Henry is only 2 weeks old, but he already has stolen our hearts and the dogs too! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!” -SGF Sisters Jen and Tara
“The most special moment, my little SGF miracle baby finally meeting Dr. Doyle and Carla. Without these two, I wouldn’t have my perfect boy. I will never have enough words to thank them for their kindness, love, and patience. I LOVE being a Mom. Thank you, Shady Grove Fertility, for this gift.” -SGF Sister Sarah
“Kevin and I are so excited to announce that we are expecting a sweet baby in October! Our journey to parenthood wasn’t an easy one. It was a year of doctor’s appointments, hundreds of shots, thousands of pills, two surgeries, three failed IVFs, pregnancy losses, and many months of heartache and tears. The past year has been challenging emotionally, physically and mentally, but science is giving us the gift of life – making every single injection, pill, tear, and ounce of pain worth it. Not only has this journey given our baby life, it has brought a light to my inner strength and the strength of our marriage. Thank you to Dr. Levens and his amazing team at Shady Grove Fertility. Thank you for never letting us lose hope and for giving us the gift of clarity, patience, understanding, and ultimately life.” -SGF Sister Darcy
“Dr. Edelstein is awesome! He helped us bring our healthy, smart, and beautiful little (soon to be 4-year-old) girl into our lives… it took four rounds of IVF to make it happen, but he was always so positive and supportive! She was definitely worth the wait, and we are so grateful to Dr. Edelstein! She would not be here if it weren’t for him! THANK YOU!” -SGF Sister Sarah
“So thankful for Shady Grove Fertility and Dr. Anne Namnoum who helped us achieve our dreams of being parents! Infertility is the hardest road I ever walked, but if it wasn’t for this hard road, I wouldn’t be holding our sweet miracle babies. Hard roads lead to beautiful destinations and we will forever be grateful for our God, doctors and science who made this dream become possible! Don’t ever give up even if it doesn’t come easy or doesn’t work on the first try. The ending will be worth the wait!” -SGF Sister Ashley
What Makes this Milestone so Special? SGF Physicians Share their Heartfelt Sentiments
“I think one of the reasons we’ve been successful is because we never settle for status quo. We continuously strive for better results, higher success rates, easier access for patients, and more efficient and faster ways to help couples conceive. We could have downshifted our efforts years ago but that wouldn’t be in the best interest of our patients, so it wasn’t even an option,” said Dr. Levy.
SGF Co-Founder, Art Sagoskin, M.D., echoed Levy’s sentiment, “SGF is like a big family. Everyone takes care of one another and that’s what our patients feel. Patients know they are in good hands when they’re under our care.” SGF patient satisfaction survey data supports this in that 96 percent of SGF patients say they would recommend SGF based on their experience.
Jason Bromer, M.D., who serves on SGF’s Board of Directors and sees patients in Frederick and Hagerstown, MD, shared, “We created a culture of doing what’s right. Everyone on the team plays a role in helping our patients be successful. Whether it’s when we’re opening a new location or designing a new financial program, it’s truly a team effort to ensure our patients feel well taken care of. We realize there’s nothing convenient about infertility, so we make every effort to improve the patient experience.”
“With 82 percent of patients taking home a baby and more than 20,000 Shared Risk Program participants to date, it’s our hope that our patients feel reassured and confident in choosing SGF for their care. We are as transparent as possible to help patients make the best decisions. The quality and commitment of our financial programs, coupled with 85,000 babies born, speaks loudly to our commitment to delivering optimal patient care,” shared Erika Johnston-MacAnanny, M.D., who sees patients in Richmond, VA.
“Treatment for infertility has come a long way over the past 3 decades. With continuous advances in technology coupled with SGF’s commitment to improving access care, we’ve been able to continuously increase our effectiveness and efficiency. However, we never rest on our laurels, and if there’s a better, faster, safer, or easier way for our patients to become parents we will strive to achieve it,” adds Eric A. Widra, M.D., Medical Director of SGF who sees patients in SGF’s Washington, D.C. K Street and Sibley locations.
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 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. Please contact our New Patient Center at 877-971-7755 or submit this brief online form.
