Fertility Counseling
Florence Hightower,PsyD, MSW, LISW-CP, is a
clinical psychologist, who specializes in fertility counseling. Dr. Hightower
serves as coordinator of the Advance Fertility & Reproductive Endocrinology
Institute in vitro fertilization program, and provides counseling services to
couples and individuals in our IVF treatment and egg donor programs. She also
maintains a private psychotherapy practice, where she emphasizes fertility
counseling.
We at Advanced Fertility & Reproductive
Endocrinology Institute located in West Columbia, South Carolina, recognize
that couples and individuals dealing with infertility issues often face
emotional and personal challenges in their efforts to resolve their infertility
and build a family. Because infertility can affect all aspects of life, we have
developed a range of services to provide couples and individuals with the
personalized support they may need before, during, or even after infertility
treatment. Counseling and support services include guidance in managing stress,
handling anxiety or depression, maintaining positive relationships with family
and friends, dealing with work issues, and psychological testing. Designed by
Dr. Hightower, these counseling services are confidential and dedicated to
ensuring an optimal experience while participants are involved in the fertility
process. If you would like a consultation with Dr. Hightower in our West
Columbia, South Carolina office, please contact the
Advanced Fertility and Reproductive Endocrinology Institute today. Patients
from throughout the state of South Carolina, including nearby Charleston, may
contact our practice for fertility consultations.
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Janice G. Edwards, MS, CGC, is a genetics
counselor who has been certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics
since 1984. She is currently a Clinical Associate Professor at the University
of South Carolina School of Medicine where she is Director of the Genetics
Counseling Program. Ms. Edwards served on the South Carolina Committee for the
Protection of Genetic Privacy and was instrumental in developing legislation
preventing discrimination in health insurance. She has published extensively in
the field of genetics counseling and is active in the clinical teaching of
genetics counseling degree candidates.
Ms. Edwards provides genetics counseling at our
Institute to patients contemplating intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI),
testicular sperm extraction (TESE), and preimplantation genetic diagnosis
(PGD). She also counsels patients suffering from habitual abortion, premature
ovarian or testicular failure, identified genetic conditions, advanced maternal
age, and those with abnormal pedigrees. If you would like a consultation with
Janice Edwards in our West Columbia, South Carolina office,
please contact the Advanced Fertility and
Reproductive Endocrinology Institute today. Patients seeking genetics
counseling from throughout South Carolina including Charleston meet with Ms.
Edwards.
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Betty J. Bruner, RTT, RDMS, has been certified
by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers since 1991. She
assists Dr. Whitman-Elia with the ultrasound evaluation of patients undergoing
ovarian stimulation regimens for ovulation induction and in vitro
fertilization, hydrohysterosonography, early pregnancy monitoring, and
gynecologic screening. Her many years of experience bring a special expertise
to our Advanced Fertility Institute.
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Dr. Scott M. Sweazy serves as the on-site
andrology and urology consultant for Advanced Fertility. A practicing urologist
with a special interest in male infertility, Dr. Sweazy is certified by the
American Board of Urology. He performs on-site testicular sperm extraction
procedures (TESE) for Advanced Fertility's male infertility patients.
After receiving his undergraduate degree from
the University of Kansas, he received his MD degree and completed residencies
in both general surgery and urology at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
In 2001, Dr. Sweazy was presented with the coveted RNC National Leadership
Award. Dr. Sweazy is a frequent academic lecturer.
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Senior Embryologist and Laboratory Supervisor,
Richard Kordus, leads the lab team at Advanced Fertility & Reproductive
Endocrinology Institute.
Rich received his degree in chemistry and
biology from Valpariso University in Indiana and began his distinguished career
as an embryologist in December of 2000 at the Advanced Institute of Fertility
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Two years later he was hired as one of the
laboratory supervisors at Reproductive Medicine Associate (RMA) of New Jersey
where he worked with nine other embryologists in a high volume laboratory
setting. He spent two years at RMA of New Jersey where they performed between
2000-2500 cases per year. In addition to his role as supervisor, Kordus also
personally performed all forms of micromanipulation (ICSI, Assisted Hatching,
Biopsy).
In January, 2004, Kordus was named Senior
Embryologist and Laboratory Supervisor in his current position at Advanced
Fertility & Reproductive Endocrinology Institute in West Columbia, South
Carolina. Here, he is responsible for supervising all aspects of embryology,
andrology, and endocrinology laboratory services.
Advanced Fertility offers full service, on-site
endocrinology, andrology and embryology laboratory services. We offer embryo
culture to 8-cells or extended culture to the blastocyst stage as well as
micromanipulation for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), testicular sperm
extraction (TESE), assisted hatching, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis
(PGD). Our pregnancy rates are excellent; please click here to
review our rates.
In addition to the services associated with in
vitro fertilization, our laboratory provides the following services:
- Phlebotomy
- Serum steroid and protein assays
- Routine Semen Analysis
- Anti-sperm antibody testing
- 24-hour motility testing
- Kruger’s Morphology
- Sperm Preparation for Chromatin Structure
Assay (SCSA)
- Semen washing for intrauterine insemination
(IUI)
- Sperm DNA Decondensation Assay (SDD)
We are located in West Columbia, South Carolina.
But we have provided world-class results to infertility patients from nearby
Charleston as well as around the globe. If you are interested in IVF, ICSI or
other infertility treatments, please contact us
today!
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Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (CFNP)
Kristy Wolff, Certified Family Nurse
Practitioner (CFNP), manages and directs the office based surgery unit at
Advanced Fertility while also participating in the medical evaluation of egg
donors and donor sperm recipients.
Kristy received her B.S. in Nursing from The
University of South Carolina at Spartanburg and her M.S. in Nursing (F.N.P.)
from Clemson University. She first earned her degree as a registered nurse from
Midlands Technical College. Currently, she holds the rank of Clinical Professor
at the University of South Carolina School Of Nursing where she works as a part
time instructor.
A highly trained medical professional, Kristy
adds to the total quality of care patients receive at Advanced Fertility.
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Acupuncturist
Martin Herbkersman -
Acupuncturist
Clinical studies continue to suggest a direct relationship
to higher IVF success rates when Acupuncture is included in the treatment
protocol. These studies suggest the ancient Chinese holistic therapy increases
blood flow to the uterus therefore providing for an even more favorable home
for newly fertilized eggs.
Advanced Fertility & Reproductive
Endocrinology is pleased to offer treatments from National Board Certified
Acupuncturist, Martin Herbkersman
Herbkersman attended one of the finest
Acupuncture schools in the US, Emperor's College in Santa Monica, California,
and graduated summa cum laude after four years of post-undergraduate education.
He is the president of the Board of Directors of the American
Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) and serves as Chairman
of the South Carolina Acupuncture Advisory Committee to the Board of Medical
Examiners.
Herbkersman is also a member of the American Society for
Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
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Physician Communications
Maintaining regular contact with area
physicians is a vital part of the outreach services provided at Advanced
Fertility. Ashley Bouknight spends much of her time on the road visiting
physicians, providing them with the latest fertility medical updates, and
checking up on their patients who received treatment at our practice.
As a teaching professor and director of our
practice, Dr. Gail Whitman-Elia stays abreast of the latest developments in
therapies for the treatment of infertility. Ashley is able to take that
information and share it with OBGYN, Urology, Family Practice, and Internal
Medicine physicians in our area.
If you are a physician and would like a visit
from Ashley, simply send her an email and she will be happy to get right back
to you. You can reach Ashley at: abouknight@ivfwecare.com.
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