Conceptions Florida Recognized as a LifeAire Center of Excellence

Although established in 2013, Dr. Hernandez-Rey has been in the practice of infertility since 2003 and serving the south Florida community since 2006. With dreams of providing top-of-the-line patient care that centered around a top-of-the-line laboratory, Dr. Hernandez-Rey knew what he had to do.

“I decided to establish my own practice so that I would be able to offer a more personalized service to my patients, and to try to get away from that ‘factory’ feel that some of the larger infertility practices have.”

Dr. Hernandez-Rey made his dreams a reality by building his state-of-the-art practice from the ground up in order to encompass a world-renowned laboratory and surgical center complete with LifeAire technology. To this day, Conceptions Florida still prides itself on that same patient-first mentality Dr. Hernandez-Rey believed in. The office accommodates its patients with appointments at their main Coral Gables, Florida location as well as a satellite office in Miramar, Florida.

What are you most proud of at your program?

This is a hard question as there are so many things about our practice to be proud of. When thinking of all of the amazing things that our office provides, the constant variable of them all is our team. Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win Champions.” Although Michael was referring to a game of basketball, I feel that this also plays true to the game of life and business. A single great person can only do so much, whereas a team of great people can change the world. From the women at the front desk, to our andrologist in the lab, every member of our team works together in order to make sure that every question is answered, every option is provided, and every patient is treated as an individual and not just a number. This type of care and attention to detail is what separates a good clinic from a great one!

Why did you decide to take action to improve your facility’s air purity?

When building our office from the ground up it was important to start off right away with providing our patients top-quality “everything” – even the air! The majority of our practice revolves around microscopic living organisms such as eggs, embryos and sperm. As soon as these living organisms leave the safety of the body they are bombarded with toxins, pollutants, germs and other contaminants that can jeopardize their growth and development. Therefore, choosing to have a technology that could safely remove 99.99% of those pathogens was a no-brainer! We not only knew that having this type of technology would differentiate us from every other infertility center in South Florida, but it also gave us peace of mind knowing that we were doing everything possible to give our patients the best outcome available.

Why did you choose LifeAire in particular?

There were several factors we looked at before we made our decision on LifeAire. A big influence on us in particular is the “brains behind the operation”, Kathryn C. Worrilow, Ph.D. Being an embryologist herself, she has over 20 years of research and dedication to investigating the causes of positive and negative spikes and clinical outcomes in In Vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratories. Like most inventions they are created with a central focus and then used for different purposes later on. The fact that LifeAire was born from the dreams of an embryologist for the purpose of increasing positive clinical outcomes in IVF Labs spoke to our hearts, not to mention that the technology and the results blew away their competitors!

Please describe the project of implementing the LifeAire System at your location?

Implementing the LifeAire System was easier for us than probably most. By starting from scratch, we were able to centralize everything else around the lab and integrate the air purity system. There were some difficulties along the way that required a few long hours and headaches, though. Being located within an already-established building, we had to work within the building’s requirements and guidelines to make sure everything was up to code. Well worth it in the end!

How would you describe the impact LifeAire has had on your program?

The impact LifeAire has provided our facility is tremendous. Like I mentioned previously, our practice focuses a lot on microscopic living organisms. Removing up to 99.99% of those pathogens from the air can increase ongoing pregnancy rates by up to 20%. Now, in some aspects of life, 20% might not seem that much. However, in the world of infertility, 20% is incredible! Having this advantage not only helps to bring more new patients in the door, it more importantly helps increase the number of successful and happy patients once they leave!

Do you recall any incidents that–prior to LifeAire–would have impacted your facility and–since LifeAire–remained safely outside your protected areas?

Our lab is located in Miami, Florida. And, as most people know, there’s one thing that loves Florida more than retired senior citizens–and that’s hurricanes! On September 10, 2017 the Florida Keys took a direct hit from a category 4 hurricane called Irma with wind speeds of over 100 miles per hour and a storm surge reaching 6 feet. It’s safe to say that our lab’s stability was put to the test. Luckily, our center’s generators are connected directly to natural gas lines, ensuring that our lab never lost power–and our LifeAire System remained unaffected. The aftermath of the storm, and the weeks to come, continued to produce new types of pollution and pathogens as people worked to piece together their homes, businesses and lives. Amongst all this turmoil, our office was able to provide a moment of relief to our patients by making phone calls letting them know that our facility and their embryos were perfectly preserved–something that we might not have been able to do without our LifeAire System!

How would you describe the impact that LifeAire has had on your patients?

If I could describe the impact LifeAire has had on our patients it would be with one word–hope. LifeAire has given hope to so many women and couples who had previously given up their dreams of having a family. A majority of our patients who come in for treatment have been told by previous clinics that they can’t get pregnant or that they will never get pregnant. At our office we NEVER say the word NEVER! Being able to tell the patient that they have up to a 20% greater chance of getting pregnant here vs. anywhere else because of our LifeAire System gives them that hope.

What would you like other IVF programs to know who might be considering the same path forward that you chose to take with LifeAire?

I would tell them that it is the smartest decision you can make for your practice. And, for the benefit of your patients, having this top-of-the-line technology truly sets you apart from others in this field. Being able to have scientific proof that what you have to offer is better than the rest is the best selling point there is. LifeAire also gives you peace of mind when it comes to the hard stuff, like sitting down with a couple after a failed cycle. In the world of infertility, you can try your hardest, do everything you can think of, and unfortunately the patient still won’t achieve a successful pregnancy. But having the clarity and the peace of mind that you provided those patients with the best care possible in a top-quality facility is worth everything.