The last 20 years have been an amazing time for those who needed medical assistance to become parents and the medical professionals who could help using Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). Over two decades, we’ve experienced seismic advances in research, treatment and changing social values.
In 1997 David Adamson, MD founded Advanced Reproductive Care (ARC), a nationwide network of quality fertility clinics to help patients and medical practices by bringing cutting-edge reproductive care to people of all economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. It is the largest, physician-led network of top board-certified specialists across the US. Dr. Adamson continues working with the clinics to this day, serving as chief executive, doing research and publishing articles, teaching at Stanford Medical School, working with the World Health Organization on global fertility issues and in practice as a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist.
The specialty field of women’s reproductive health appealed to Dr. Adamson, as it included medicine, surgery, lab work, the ongoing health of patients and happy outcomes. It was a new, different and developing type of practice with social, moral and ethical issues related to women’s health. From early days, Dr. Adamson worked with others – mentors and colleagues – to help shape the field, becoming a world-renowned expert with clinical applications of IVF to infertility treatment, IVF regulation and registries and single embryo transfer. He also became a leader in promoting access to affordable treatment and education for patients of all backgrounds who shared the sometimes not-so-simple wish to have a baby.
A lot has changed in the 20 years since creating the ARC fertility network, from advances in available treatment options to the social acceptance of IVF including use by non-traditional families. Today, with 77 clinics in 38 states, ARC can help dreams come true for more people than ever before. ARC also remains a leader in the treatment of infertility by providing partner network clinics with fertility-specific technology to improve patient education, experience, access and outcomes.
ARC has created innovative, patient-support programs designed to increase knowledge and reduce financial stress, making care affordable through special IVF financing options, discounted multi-cycle packages, and a pharmacy program. A unique offering, The ARC Success Program, even offers a refund if a patient gets pregnant and has a live birth and there are any remaining cycle(s) in the treatment package.
Over time, some employers have come to understand that offering coverage for fertility treatment helps employee health, productivity, morale and retention, thereby helping an employer stay competitive. To assist with patient access and coverage issues, ARC created a flexible employer/employee program, available whether or not the employer contributes to the cost of care. Options include custom educational programs for employees, a single point of contact for information, referral to a local fertility specialist, bundled treatment and financing packages and the opportunity for employee and employer participation in the design of a fertility employee benefit.
Our commitment to the availability of the latest and most credible information is reflected in our longtime support of a variety of important groups such as the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the professional society for fertility specialists. ARC endows their patient education site www.reproductivefacts.org which provides user-friendly and factual information about a wide variety of topics from how IVF works to the latest treatments. The website includes information on evidence-based healthy lifestyle habits that affect the ability to get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby. ARC also publishes information for consumers about important topics on social media, including our regular blog.
ARC has a long track record of advocacy, including issues such as access to medical treatment for infertility. We provide funding support to the country’s leading patient advocacy group RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. RESOLVE offers a wide variety of patient support resources at the national and state level, plus tools to advocate for better infertility coverage through state mandates or individual employers. ARC also partners and participates with advocacy campaigns to increase access to affordable infertility care through private employee benefit programs, for veterans and the LBGTQ community. ARC was part of the effort to obtain IVF coverage for vets, overturning a longtime ban. And, for family building, ARC has developed an online resource for aspiring single parents or lesbian or gay couples.
In the 20 years since Dr. Adamson founded ARC, he feels today as he did when he started in a new field of medicine – profound gratitude. Gratitude for the expert, caring clinicians who participate in the ARC partner clinics and his colleagues in the US and around the world who work to advance research, clinical practice, education and access to care. And, as always, he’s grateful to be able to help people who want nothing more – and nothing less – than a healthy baby….
