VCRM in the News
Dr Sharara just presented at the ESHRE 2015 meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, the results of research to improve IVF success rates. The results were picked up by several UK newspapers
VCRM launches “The Infertility Diet” App for iPhones and iPads:
Dr Sharara was selected by Castle Connolly Medical as one of America’s Top Doctors in the specialty of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.
http://www.castleconnolly.com/
Dr Sharara chosen as one of “Top 10 Doctors” by Vitals for 2014:
Each year, over 120 million people visit Vitals to search for and rate doctors. Vitals analyzed patient-provided ratings and identified Top 10 Doctors within a certain specialty and neighborhood.
Only 1% of all doctors nationally meet the criteria for Top 10 Doctor honors.
Dr. Sharara:
Congratulations! You’ve been recognized as a Vitals Top Ten Doctor in your neighborhood.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of patients provide online feedback about their doctor experiences. Patients write about their experience and rate their doctor on several components of care, including bedside manner, doctor-patient face time, and degree of follow-up. Patients also provide an overall rating.
Vitals has analyzed these patient-provided ratings in order to identify those physicians within a certain specialty and location who are rated the highest by their patients and stand out for their extraordinary care.
Of the nation’s 870,000 active doctors, you are among the top 1% who have received this honor from their patients in 2014.
Vitals Top Ten Doctor is part of the Vitals Awards & Recognition Program, where patients rate and review their doctors. You are now among those physicians so highly regarded that your patients feel the need share their positive experience with others.
We commend you for the exceptional care you’ve provided your patients. In an effort to aid our users in their search for top-quality care, we’ve set you apart from your competition by adding the Vitals Top Ten Doctor icon to your Vitals profile. While there, feel free to personally thank those patients who publicly praised your care by responding to your reviews and update information about yourself and your practice.
Dr Sharara was named as one of America’s Top Obstetricians and Gynecologists (Honors of Distinction and Excellence award) for 2014 by the Consumers’ Research Council of America)
New ASRM Bulletin makes recommendations to increase elective single embryo use (see VCRM’s study below):
New Report Recommends Policy and Practice Changes in Fertility Treatment for Fewer Multiple Births
In a new study commissioned by The March of Dimes Foundation and published in Fertility and Sterility, researchers from The Hastings Center and Yale Fertility Center examined the practical circumstances of infertility treatment in the US that influence patients and their doctors to make treatment choices that too frequently result in multiple births.
Fertility treatments such as IVF and controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) have enabled millions of people in the United States suffering from infertility to become parents, but they have also contributed to increased rates of multiple births. And multiple pregnancies often leads to pre-term births- not the best outcome for a mother or her children.
For patients, treatment choices are often based on financial considerations. Insurance coverage for infertility is often inadequate, failing to cover the optimal type of treatment or a sufficient number of cycles.
If they pay out-of-pocket for treatment, patients may be limited to COS which is more difficult to control than IVF. If patients are able to afford IVF or have some insurance coverage for it, many request multiple embryo transfer in order to maximize their chances of becoming pregnant in the shortest possible time. Twins are seen as a positive outcome, with the potential to allow a couple to complete their family in a single cycle. Physicians feel the pressure from patients who want to increase their chances of becoming pregnant more quickly. Yet while they must respect patients’ autonomy and choices, they are obligated to provide safe treatments. In addition, the present structure of the CDC’s and SART’s assisted reproductive technology data reporting system results in lower per cycle success rates for practices when more patients transfer fewer embryos per cycle, creating a disincentive to recommend single embryo transfer (SET) to all but the most promising patients. Increased use of SET was one of the main ways identified by the researchers to reduce multiple births resulting from fertility treatment. To make it a more appealing and practical option, they suggested a number of policy and practice changes:
- Expand insurance coverage of IVF;
- Limit the use of COS and fast-track patients to IVF;
- Improve patient communication and education about the risks of multiple pregnancy;
- Encourage more patients to have SET;
- Redefine the treatment cycle, including subsequent frozen-thawed SETs of embryos resulting from a single retrieval to be counted as part of the same cycle;
- Increase research on COS to improve protocols, compile data, and identify patients who should move quickly on to IVF;
- Increase research on embryo development to improve embryologists’ abilities to select the most promising embryos for SET.
Charles Coddington, MD, President of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) remarked, “Physicians agree that we need to reduce the numbers of multiple births resulting from assisted reproduction. This report clearly explains the way our current system steers patients to treatments that too often result in multiple pregnancy; and it suggests a number of ways to make needed changes.”
Johnston et al, Preterm Births Multiples, and Fertility Treatment: Recommendations for changes to policy and clinical practice, Fertility and Sterility, in press.
Dr Sharara was again named as one of the DC area Top Doctors in Infertility by the Washingtonian magazine’s March 2014 Top Doctors issue. Dr Sharara has been one of the area’s Top Doctors according to the Washingtonian continuously since 2003.
Despite Financial Incentives many couples still aim for twins:
Results of the study were presented in an oral session at the latest ASRM/IFFS meeting in Boston in October 2013:
http://www.asrm.org/Couples_Decline_Single_Embryo_Transfer/
Read also Dr Sharara’s interview with OBGYN News regarding the same study and published on 11/6/13:
VIRGINIA CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE Receives 2013 Best of Reston Award
U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement
NEW YORK, NY, May 7, 2013 — For the sixth consecutive year, VIRGINIA CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE has been selected for the 2013 Best of Reston Award in the PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).
The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
This is the first year that a business has qualified as a Six-Time Award Winner. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2013 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.
About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)
U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York City based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.
The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other PublicRelations@uscaaward.com
URL: http://www.uscaaward.com
For the third year in a row, Dr Sharara has been named by his peers to the Super Doctors in the Washington-Baltimore-Northern VA. The list will appear in the October 2013 supplement to the Washington Post Magazine .
VCRM receives the 2013 best of Reston Award in Infertility Counseling
Dr Sharara has been named one of Northern Virginia Top Doctors in Infertility for the fourth year in a row by Northern Virginia Magazine.
Dr Sharara is quoted extensively in this article on Egg Freezing in The Atlantic magazine
Dr Sharara has received the 2012 ASRM Star Award , given to ASRM members in recognition of Scientific Presentations given for at least 9 of 10 successive years at the ASRM Annual Meeting.
For the fifth consecutive year , VIRGINIA CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE has been selected for the 2012 Best of Reston Award in the PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS category by the US Commerce Association (USCA).
“This is the first year that a business has qualified as a Five-Time Award Winner. VCRM’s selection as a 2012 Award Winner is a reflection of the hard work of not only yourself, but of many people that have supported your business and contributed to the subsequent success of your organization. Congratulations on your selection to such an elite group of small businesses”.
The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
Dr Sharara was nominated again as one of the area Top Doctors by the Washingtonian magazine in the March 2012 issue that is currently on sale. This has been a continuous honor since 2005. Dr Sharara was nominated by his peers and a panel of experts composed of selected physicians at each area hospital.
Dr Sharara was recently named one of the Top Doctors in Infertility by the Washington Post magazine by his peers in the DC area in the recently published issue
Dr Sharara was named to the Northern Virginia Magazine’s Top Doctors for 2012 for the second year in a row. Local doctors in Northern VA and DC were asked to nominate their peers and in addition, the hospitals were polled. The hospitals put together a panel of head doctors to look at physicians who have privileges at their hospital, these included internal evaluations, patient reviews, as well as overall quality of care. The issue is on sale in February 2012.
Dr Sharara is leaving on Sept 28 for an invited tour to Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines to give talks about IVF. He is giving one talk in Singapore, one in Vietnam, and ending with 2 talks at the Philippine Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (PSREI) annual meeting from October 5-7, 2011.
Dr Sharara was nominated as one of Northern Virginia Top Docs in Reproductive Endocrinology in the February issue of Northern Virginia Magazine in 2011. We thank our peer doctors and patients for their vote of confidence. Dr Sharara has been rated a Top Doc in the Washingtonian magazine since 2005.
For the third year in a row, VCRM has received the “2010 Best of Reston” Award in the “Physicians and Surgeons Category by the US Local Business Association (USLBA). Nationwide, < 1% qualified as Three-Time award winners. The USLBA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
According to the newest classification for success rates with IVF ( www.fertilitysuccessrates.com ), VCRM was ranked #7 nationwide in 2008 among more than 700 IVF clinics in the US and the ONLY clinic in the Northeast among the top 25 clinics. The difference between our rates and the second highest is less than 2%. This represents another testament to what our patients have known and experienced as the Center having the highest success rates in the DC area for the past 5 years.
Dr Sharara was recently named as one of the DC area Top Doctors in Infertility by the Washingtonian magazine’s March 2010 Top Doctors issue. Dr Sharara has been one of the area’s Top Doctors according to the Washingtonian continuously since 2003.
Dr Sharara was recently named one of America’s Leading Experts on Female Infertility by Vitals.com. This award identifies the top 15% of publishing physicians recognized as thought leaders in their respective fields.
VCRM receives the 2009 Best of Reston Award : For the second consecutive year, VCRM has received the Best of Reston Award in the Physicians and Surgeons category by the US Local Business Association (USLAB). Nationwide, only 1.4% of 2008 Award recipients qualified as 2009 award winners . Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
To see the press release please click on https://www.uslba.net/PQ9AY2W7G
In June 2009, Dr Sharara has been promoted to Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at George Washington University.
Dr Sharara was interviewed on Bisnow.com , a leading web-based magazine in Washington about the California octuplets. To read the short interview please click on
http://www.bisnow.com/washington_dc_medical_services_news_story.php?p=2533
VCRM receives the 2008 Best of Reston Award: We are pleased to announce that VCRM has been selected for the 2008 Best of Reston Award in the Physicians and Surgeons category by the US Local Business Association (USLBA). The USLBA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outsatnding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
To see the USLBA press release please check the following link: http://www.uslba.net/PressRelease.aspx?be=9AY2W7G
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