Dr. Skip Hart, OMD / AskDrSkip — An Honest Editorial Review

For patients scanning fertility clinics in West Virginia who want a complementary, whole-body layer alongside (or before) a conventional fertility workup, AskDrSkip in downtown Huntington is a small boutique Oriental-medicine and acupuncture practice focused on fertility, hormone balance, PCOS, endometriosis, and general functional-medicine wellness. It is not a medical fertility clinic, and it does not perform IVF, IUI, or any ART procedure. West Virginia has one of the thinnest fertility-clinic footprints in the country — only a handful of in-state programs offer full ART — so patients often pair local complementary care with a clinical REI elsewhere.

About the Practice

AskDrSkip is led by Dr. Skip Hart, OMD (Doctor of Oriental Medicine). Per the clinic's site, Dr. Hart has been licensed by the West Virginia Board of Acupuncture since 2003 and describes his training as spanning Orlando, a residency in Seoul, and further study in New Delhi. The practice positions itself as integrative — working alongside a patient's conventional providers rather than replacing them — and structures first consultations as 30–90 minute, unrushed intakes. Dr. Hart is not an MD, DO, or board-certified reproductive endocrinologist; his scope is acupuncture and Oriental medicine under WV licensure, plus the naturopathic, homeopathic, and functional-medicine modalities the clinic advertises.

Services Offered

Services the practice provides directly, per its own site:

• Fertility acupuncture and Oriental-medicine support for conception, preconception health, and IVF/IUI-adjacent timing
• PCOS, endometriosis, pelvic pain, and hormonal-balance protocols
• Functional-medicine intake and lab interpretation
• Homeopathy and naturopathic consultation
• Pain relief, immunity, allergy, fatigue, detox, and relaxation treatments
• Manual therapy alongside acupuncture

What This Practice Is — and Isn't

AskDrSkip does not perform IVF, IUI, egg retrievals, embryo transfers, egg freezing, or donor egg cycles, and as an OMD-led practice it does not have prescriptive authority for gonadotropins, trigger shots, Clomid, or letrozole. Patients who need clinical ART are referred out or co-managed with an REI. For most Huntington-area residents, the nearest in-state ART programs are the Center for Advanced Reproductive Medicine at Cabell Huntington Hospital, WVU's Center for Reproductive Medicine in Morgantown, and West Virginia Fertility Institute in Charleston; many WV patients also travel to programs in Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, or northern Virginia. The WV clinic directory lists in-state options.

Patient Experience

AskDrSkip holds a 5.0/30 Google rating — a small but consistently positive sample, which is typical for a boutique single-practitioner practice where visits are long and practitioner-led. Reviewers of similar reproductive-acupuncture clinics tend to emphasize feeling heard, careful lab review, and individualized protocols rather than templated care. Thirty reviews is a thinner base than larger clinics publish, so weigh it accordingly and confirm fit during your intake.

Insurance and Cost

West Virginia does not mandate insurance coverage for fertility diagnosis or IVF — see our fertility insurance mandates by state guide for the full picture. A narrow state infertility access law took effect January 1, 2025, but implementation is limited and most commercial plans in WV still do not cover IVF meaningfully. Acupuncture and Oriental-medicine visits at a practice like AskDrSkip are typically cash-pay or HSA/FSA-eligible; some PPO plans reimburse acupuncture partially. If you eventually pursue clinical ART, budget realistically — most WV patients travel to Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Virginia, and travel itself is a cost. Our IVF cost by state breakdown lays out what to expect.

Considering At-Home Insemination?

Patients drawn to a lower-intervention, natural-minded path — and those in underserved parts of West Virginia where the nearest REI is hours away — often ask about at-home options before committing to clinical treatment. At-home intracervical insemination (ICI) is a private, low-cost starting point for single parents by choice, same-sex couples, and people without a known fertility diagnosis.

MakeAMom kits are reusable, ship in plain packaging, and pair well with the cycle-tracking and preconception work an acupuncture practice already supports. They are not a substitute for medical care if you have a known fertility diagnosis, tubal factor, or abnormal semen analysis.

When to Add a Clinical REI

Complementary care is a reasonable first or parallel step, but it is not diagnostic. Add a reproductive endocrinologist if you have been trying for 12 months (six months if over 35), have irregular or absent cycles, a known tubal or uterine issue, prior miscarriages, or a partner with abnormal semen analysis. Our how to read IVF success rates guide explains how to compare ART programs within your age band once you cross into clinical treatment.

Location and Contact

Address: Chase Bank Building, 1000 Fifth Avenue, Suite 110, Huntington, WV 25701 Phone: (304) 634-9700 Website: askdrskip.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Skip an MD or a reproductive endocrinologist? No. Dr. Skip Hart is an OMD (Doctor of Oriental Medicine), licensed by the West Virginia Board of Acupuncture since 2003. He is not an MD, DO, or board-certified REI, and the practice does not perform or prescribe clinical fertility treatment.

Does AskDrSkip perform IVF or IUI? No. The practice provides acupuncture, Oriental medicine, naturopathic and functional-medicine consultations, and homeopathy. IVF, IUI, egg retrievals, embryo transfers, and cycle-stimulation medications are outside OMD scope in West Virginia.

Can I see AskDrSkip alongside a fertility clinic? Yes — this is the typical pattern. Many patients use a reproductive acupuncturist for preconception optimization, PCOS and endometriosis support, and stress regulation in parallel with an REI in Huntington, Morgantown, Charleston, or out of state.

Editorial note: Independently written by the Fertlo editorial team; not sponsored. See our editorial policy.