The Alta Bates IVF Program

Meet the Alta Bates IVF Program Team

The ART Team

ART is a complex process which requires a well-coordinated team to attain best results.

The Alta Bates IVF Program was founded by Dr. Richard Chetkowski who remains its Medical Director. Dr. Chetkowski received his M.D. degree from UCSF in 1978, completed a residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Yale-New Haven Hospital in 1982 and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility at UCLA in 1984. Dr. Chetkowski is a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist as well as obstetrician-gynecologist. He has published extensively in the field of assisted reproduction. He has served on the Executive Council of the Society for Reproductive Technologies (SART) and the Medical Advisory Panel of RESOLVE of Northern California as well as multiple hospital committees at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.

Dr. Chetkowski has been listed on bestdoctors.com since 1996*. His complete Curriculum Vitae can be found here.

Logan and Connor with Dr. Chetkowski
Logan and Connor (age 4.5 years) with Dr. Chetkowski
at the June 2000 ABIVF Reunion party

Dr. Chetkowski supervises all aspects of the program. His practice includes other forms of infertility treatment, in addition to ART. Each couple is evaluated thoroughly at the initial visit and all appropriate treatment alternatives are discussed. Dr. Chetkowski performs all examinations, ultrasounds, egg retrievals and embryo transfers, assuring maximal continuity of patient care. His practice philosophy centers on maximizing patient autonomy and decision making ability through education and extensive discussion of all available family-building options in terms of their likelihood of success, potential benefits and drawbacks as well as the psychological stress and financial impact.

Close teamwork between the medical and laboratory phases of ART treatment is crucial for the best outcome. Andras Szell, Ph.D. has been the Embryology Laboratory Director at Alta Bates since 1996. Dr. Szell acquired extensive experience with in vitro fertilization, embryo micromanipulation and freezing techniques in animals before training in advanced human IVF and ICSI at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, where many of the key advances in ART were first pioneered. Marissa Viale, B.S., the Laboratory Technologist who runs the hormone laboratory, draws blood and prepares sperm specimens for inseminations, has been with the ABIVF program since 2000.

Marissa Viale (Laboratory Technologist)
and Andras Szell (Embryologist)

Our nurse coordinators, Patty Adams, M.A. and Vivian Marquez, L.V.N., provide individualized care and attention to each couple. Their responsibilities include patient education, scheduling of daily visits, assistance at embryo transfers and, last but not least, emotional support to patients and their partners (see Psychological Services).

Vivian Marquez and Patty Adams, ABIVF Nurse Coordinators

Our excellent office staff includes Barbara McSorley and Maria Castillo. Barbara McSorley is the program secretary in charge of scheduling initial and follow-up appointments, collection of information and office operations. Maria Castillo is responsible for billing for the professional services. She works closely with the Alta Bates Patient Accounts Department which is responsible for hospital bills for ART.

Barbara McSorley and Maria Castillo

Madeline Licker Feingold, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist with offices in Berkeley and Walnut Creek, has over 20 years experience in working with adults, couples, and children and specializes in the psychological aspects of reproductive medicine and the treatment of infertile couples. Dr. Feingold works in collaboration with the m_feingold_photo Alta Bates In Vitro Fertilization Program in providing infertility counseling, psycho-educational consultations for recipients of donor egg and sperm, egg donor evaluations, and gestational carrier screenings. In addition, she has completed the Mind/Body Infertility Professional Training Program offered by Alice Domar, Ph.D. and uses relaxation techniques, principles of mindfulness, and lifestyle interventions to help couples reduce stress and depression and enhance the quality of their lives. A member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (and former chair of the Mental Health Professional Group), and RESOLVE, Dr. Feingold regularly speaks at conferences on infertility and is published in the field. She is interested in helping couples build healthy families.

In the course of your evaluation and treatment you will have an opportunity to get to know each one of us on a personal basis. We welcome any questions you may have and will try our best to solve problems which may arise. We think of you as yet another member of the team working towards our common goal -- your successful pregnancy.

*Best Doctors continuously surveys tens of thousands of leading specialists worldwide and asks them what doctors they themselves would go to for treatment in their specialty. They process more than one million individual evaluations of doctors by other doctors. Only 30,000 doctors in the United States, about 4% of all U.S. doctors, are selected as outstanding doctors by Best Doctors.

©2000-2008 Alta Bates In Vitro Fertilization Program.
Not reproducible without express permission. Please read Medical Disclaimer.

Alta Bates IVF Program - 2999 Regent Street #101A - Berkeley, California 94705 USA
Telephone: 510-649-0440 - FAX: 510-649-8700 - E-mail: abivf@pacbell.net

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