IVFAustralia’s Hunter clinic celebrates 20 Years of helping Newcastle’s would-be parents conceive
Over the past twenty years, many Newcastle families have been created with the help of IVFAustralia’s Hunter clinic and its expert team of fertility specialists, nurses and scientists. During this time, the clinic has focused on consistently advancing its IVF laboratory technology, which has helped improved pregnancy success rates.
Dr Andrew Hedges, Clinical Director at Hunter IVF, celebrates the clinics milestones: “I’m proud of the excellent care and advanced technology that we offer would-be parents today at the Hunter IVF clinic.
“Our IVF laboratory includes the latest state-of-the art embryo incubators. EmbryoScopes have a built-in camera and computer software, and photograph the growing embryo every 30 mins over the five days of incubation. This produces a time-lapse video which our scientists watch to check for important development milestones and to score each embryo, to help select the best embryo for a successful transfer.
“We’ve chosen the best incubators to baby-sit embryos!, said Dr Hedges.
Dr Hedges applauds his long-serving team, who are highly experienced and well-known by patients in the area.
“I want to give special thanks to Hunter IVF’s nurses, they are dedicated professionals who deeply care about the outcome of their patients. They are positive and extremely experienced, and many have worked for the clinic for almost the whole 20-year reign.
“We have eight nurses and five biologists. Nurse Unit Manager Kim Angeli is our longest serving nurse and is also celebrating a milestone this year. I also want to acknowledge and thank the admin team; and congratulations also goes to Marlene Mina, our fertility counsellor who has been here for 19 years,” said Dr Hedges.
Both Dr Andrew Hedges and Dr Steve Raymond started the clinic together twenty years ago.
Dr Hedges says one in six couples experience some difficulties when trying to conceive. “The IVF journey includes multiple blood tests, ultrasound scans, an egg retrieval procedure and the important embryo transfer. Our dedicated staff are here every step of the way to support our patients,” said Dr Hedges.
“The Hunter clinic has become a major IVF hub for the central and northern NSW regions, and as IVF technology has advanced over the past twenty years, we now offer our patients pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT), a sophisticated scientific test to help would-be parents avoid passing on inherited genetic disorders to their children.
Dr Hedges said Hunter IVF also aims to increase access to IVF to all families, by offering a lower cost IVF option, known as IVF Lite.
“We are also proud of supporting Newcastle’s LGBTQI community, with our donor program to help couples achieve their dream of having a family using donor sperm and eggs.
Dr Hedges said: “I remember feeling honoured to do the first egg collection procedure at the end of 2002, and when the first baby was born in 2003. Twenty years on, I’m still very humbled to have the opportunity to assist the local community with their dreams of starting or growing their families.
“My continued goal is to keep progressing IVF technology to further increase pregnancy rates, to get our patients pregnant quicker,” said Dr Hedges.
ENDS
IVFAustralia’s Hunter IVF clinic is part of Virtus Health, Australia's leading fertility services provider.