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The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services is a part of the First Fertility family of centers. Learn More About The Center.
Awards & Memberships
The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services has received numerous accreditations, certifications and awards, as have our physicians and staff.
Board Certification
According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, a medical specialist who treats patients with infertility is known professionally as a Reproductive Endocrinologist. Training in Reproductive Endocrinology requires four years of college followed by four years of medical school. The physician must then complete a four-year residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology. The final course of training is a two or three year Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology. Fellowship training focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and related female disorders. In addition, the physician spends a significant amount of time performing clinical or laboratory research.
Upon completion of a Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology, a specialist seeks Board certification, a multi-step process. To become Board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology, the physician must first obtain Board certification in Obstetrics & Gynecology. This requires successful completion of both a written and oral examination. Board certification in Reproductive Endocrinology requires successful completion of additional written and oral examinations. The entire certification process takes several years to complete. Only a physician who has successfully completed a Fellowship in Reproductive Medicine and passed the examinations can become Board certified as an infertility specialist. Board certified physicians are required to maintain certification through continuing medical education approved by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
It is often quite difficult for a patient to determine whether or not their physician is an infertility specialist. Board certification is the only objective criterion by which patients can measure a physician’s qualifications. All physicians at The Center are Board certified or actively under consideration for board certification in REI.
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA)
The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988, or CLIA, resulted from a Congressional examination of lab practices, including investigation of testing performed in Physician’s Office Laboratories (POLs). CLIA sets standards designed to improve quality in all laboratory testing and includes specifications for quality control, quality assurance, patient test management, personnel and proficiency testing.
CLIA regulations set minimum standards for laboratory practice and quality. When a laboratory satisfies CLIA regulatory requirements, greater confidence can be had in the quality and reliability of laboratory results.
The Center is licensed with CLIA as a high complexity lab.
College of American Pathologists (CAP)
The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program is granted deemed authority for all laboratory specialties and subspecialties defined by CLIA and awarded by The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS; formally known as Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA). The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program is also recognized by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) as an equivalent program in JCAHO-accredited institutions.
When an institution chooses to be CAP-accredited, its laboratory will not only meet federal regulations, but will exceed them. Participation in the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program demonstrates to patients, clinicians, and payors a continuum of high-quality testing in the clinical laboratory. No other accrediting agency inspects infertility labs as a sub-specialty.
The laboratory is the most complex ancillary service. CAP inspections are performed in this complex environment by experienced, knowledgeable professionals who are in tune with emerging technologies, new procedures, and patient issues.
Dedicated laboratory physicians are the foundation and leadership of the College of American Pathologists. Their adherence to the most stringent requirements in laboratory accreditation ensures accountability for quality laboratory results and ultimately improves patient outcomes.
Accurate and reliable laboratory results can significantly contribute to improved patient outcomes. Investment in the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program returns its value by ensuring the processes are in place that improve laboratory practices, thus generating higher quality test results, fewer complications, and more satisfied patients. Click here to read the CAP accreditation letter.
Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (SART)
SART is the premier organization of professionals dedicated to the practice of assisted reproductive technologies in the United States. The organization includes over 370 practice members, representing over 95% of the ART clinics in the nation.
One of the many functions of SART is to act as a quality assurance advocate – collecting and validating outcome data and requiring accreditation of embryology laboratories. SART is the only American professional society to collect its members’ clinic specific outcome data (subsequently published by Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Submitting data and allowing validation of this data is a requirement for membership in SART. In addition, all SART members must have their embryology laboratories accredited by CAP/ASRM, JCAHO, or NYSTB.
Many insurance companies and networks are noting that SART members publish their validated data and have accredited laboratories. Many carriers have adopted SART membership as a measure of excellence. Click here to learn more about SART Recognition.
Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)
The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services is accredited by AAAHC. Status as an accredited organization means we have passed a series of rigorous and nationally-recognized standards for the provision of quality health care, set by the AAAHC. “Accreditation underscores our long-standing commitment to providing the highest possible levels of quality care to the community we serve,” says John Nulsen, M.D., Medical Director. “We are pleased and proud to have our efforts recognized with this accreditation.”
Ambulatory health care organizations seeking accreditation by AAAHC undergo an extensive onsite, peer based survey of its facilities and services. Not all ambulatory health care organizations seek accreditation; not all undergoing the onsite survey are granted accreditation. Over 1300 ambulatory organizations across the United States are accredited by the AAAHC.
State of Connecticut, Department of Health, Outpatient Surgical Facility
The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services is licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Health as an Outpatient Surgical Facility. Obtaining this level of state licensure involves a rigorous inspection process of all clinical and administrative processes, as well as, physical facility standards.
