Many elements of our REI program make us stand out from the competition: our physician expertise, clinical outcomes, and high-quality patient care. However, one of the most significant ways we differ from other infertility practices in the Southeast is our Assisted Reproductive Technology laboratory. Here, miracles happen every day as embryologists use special techniques for assisting reproduction in a laboratory environment that simulates the fertilization process that occurs inside the human body.

Embryologists utilize state-of-the-art growth culture conditions and incubation technology inside the world's first ART cleanroom. This “cleanroom” concept eliminates air toxins and pollutants that can jeopardize the growth and development of human embryos, including compounds found in common building materials such as paint, cleaning products, and dust.

Our cleanroom was created in 1992 using the same standards and protocols to purify the air as in factories producing computer microchips. The lab is designated a Class 100 clean air system, meaning that no more than 100 particles of 0.5 microns or larger are in a cubic foot of air. (By contrast, the average household has one million particles per cubic feet!) Staff dress in special clothing to reduce chemical and biohazard contamination.

At REI, we believe that combining the latest medical knowledge and the newest ART technologies with a gentle, caring staff can lead to the best possible outcomes. With more than 500 babies born with the aid of ART, our program is a leader in the Southeast. In fact, our pregnancy rate in 2004 of approximately 60 percent for those patients having a retrieval far exceeds the national average of 39 percent.

Educational Opportunities for Students in the Fields of Andrology and Embryology

William R. Boone and H. Lee Higdon, III

Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

As industry becomes more competitive, we at Greenville Hospital System strive to promote educational opportunities for students interested in healthcare and biological sciences. We have been training students in the area of medical research since 1994. Over the years we have developed a program that now expects each student that joins our research team to:

1. dedicate a great deal of time to his/her project,
2. present his/her project at a state, regional, or national meeting; and
3. provide a manuscript that can be submitted to a journal for possible publication.

Over this 10 year period, we have had 17 students, ranging from high school through Ph.D. candidates, conduct research in our Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Laboratories. These students have come from four different institutions representing five different departments. We have had one high school student, three B.S. degree students, 13 M.S. degree students, one M.D. resident, and one Ph.D. candidate. There have been 17 presentation (13 state, one regional, two national and one international) and six peer-reviewed journal articles in five different journals. We have had five students that have presented or published two or more articles in conjunction with laboratories. Our goal in mentoring is to provide opportunities for students to realize their potential and to provide high technology experiences to help separate themselves from their peers.

For more information about Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility services, please call 864-455-1600.

Next: Andrology Lab