February 9, 2023
(London, Ontario) – On March 31, 2023, The Fertility Clinic at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) will close after 50 years of helping families grow. All fertility treatments at LHSC will transition to a new community clinic, Omega Fertility Center.
Today, the majority of fertility clinics are community based where patients can access both ministry funding for their fertility treatments as well as self-pay for additional services and treatments.
“I would personally like to thank the incredible team at The Fertility Clinic, for their dedication, compassion and commitment to supporting individuals and families in our care,” said Nash Syed, President, Children’s Hospital. “This legacy of care our patients received will be remembered for generations to come.”
The new Omega Fertility Center will be located at 373 Commissioners Road West, and will open in the Spring/Summer of 2023. This clinic will be run by current LHSC physicians and members of the Obstetrics and Gynecology department, Dr. Basim Abu Rafea, Dr. Maggie Rebel, Dr. Jackie Hollett-Caines, Dr. Angelos Vilos, and Dr. Ali Mourad.
One of the first in Canada, The Fertility Clinic at LHSC opened its doors in 1972, resulting in more than 4,500 births through reproductive technologies. Over the last five decades, this clinic has helped couples, single parents and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community plan, procreate and start a family through innovative health care technologies such as Invitro Fertilization (IVF), Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), Donor Insemination (DI), and Fertility preservation and onco-fertility preservation which preserves sperm or eggs before a patient undergoes cancer treatment.
“At this time, our health care teams are connecting with their patients to let them know of this upcoming change and answer any of their questions to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible,” continued Syed.
Patients impacted by this transition will receive a letter with more information within the next 10 days. Should you have any concerns, you can reach out to your fertility physician directly, contact us by email at thefertilityclinicinquiries@lhsc.on.ca or leave a message at 519-685-8532.
About London Health Sciences Centre
With roots going back a century and a half, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), is an award-winning, research-intensive acute tertiary and quaternary teaching hospital, one of only 14 such hospitals in Ontario. LHSC is also home to Children’s Hospital, one of just four acute tertiary care paediatric hospitals in the province. Our unique place in the health system positions us well to inform and advise on provincial, national and international health policy. We are the cornerstone of care for many specialized programs and services in Western Ontario. And, as a major provider of emergency care and through our community hospital mission, we also care for the more than 400,000 people who call London home as well as many in surrounding communities. With Ontario’s health system continuing its transformation, LHSC has an opportunity to inform it and to place itself at the locus of the regionalized health system by virtue of its size, specialized capabilities, research and education capacity and its current regional footprint. LHSC’s formal relationship and strong bond with Western University provide a mechanism for collaboration to enable the delivery of high-quality care through a process of continuous learning and research. At its core, the affiliation is a reciprocal relationship that leverages the learning, teaching and care environments of both Western University and LHSC. LHSC is a 15,000 person strong team of physicians, staff and volunteers – collaborators, innovators and pioneers, meeting the care needs of those we serve and charting a course for the future.
For more information please contact:
Elizabeth Summers
Senior Media Relations Consultant
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500 ext. 77767
media@lhsc.on.ca
