California Fertility Partners — An Independent Overview

Los Angeles has no shortage of fertility clinics, but California Fertility Partners occupies a distinctive position in that landscape. Founded in 1982 — more than four decades ago — and operating from a full-service facility at 11818 Wilshire Blvd in West Los Angeles, the practice was built by some of the most academically accomplished reproductive endocrinologists in the United States. The clinic joined the Pinnacle Fertility network in 2022, adding administrative infrastructure and national research resources while keeping its founding physician leadership in place. Patients considering IVF treatment in Southern California will find a clinic here with an unusually long institutional track record, a SART-validated laboratory, and a clinical team that spans the spectrum from pioneering founders to fellowship-trained early-career specialists. For a broader look at the state's options, see our guide to California fertility clinics.

Physicians and Clinical Team

California Fertility Partners is anchored by a multi-physician team whose combined credentials and experience would be difficult to replicate at most practices in the country.

Dr. Richard Marrs, MD is the founder and managing partner of California Fertility Partners and one of the most decorated reproductive endocrinologists of the modern era. Board-certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Dr. Marrs trained at the University of Texas before building a career defined by landmark contributions to IVF in the United States. He was the founder and first President of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) — the professional body that today administers the national IVF outcome database — and has published over 200 peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters on human reproduction. He authored the widely read Dr. Marrs' Fertility Book and received the inaugural Career Achievement Award from the American Fertility Association. Few physicians practicing in the United States today can claim the same combination of clinical volume, scientific publication, and formative role in shaping the regulatory and professional framework of assisted reproduction.

Dr. Guy Ringler, MD is a longtime partner at California Fertility Partners, a physician who completed post-graduate training at the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania after graduating with honors from the University of Michigan and earning his medical degree from Wayne State University (where he received the class award for highest honors in Obstetrics and Gynecology). He is double board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and in obstetrics and gynecology, and has served on the clinical faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine. Dr. Ringler has built a nationally recognized reputation in LGBTQ+ family building — he serves on the advisory council of Men Having Babies — and is a regular speaker and educator on third-party reproduction. He received the Family Building Award from the American Fertility Association and has been named a Super Doctor by Los Angeles Magazine on multiple occasions.

Dr. Karine Chung, MD, MS is the clinic's Medical Director and a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist. She earned her MD from Ohio State University and completed her subspecialty fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Pennsylvania, where she simultaneously earned a Master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology. Before joining California Fertility Partners, she was an Associate Professor at the USC Keck School of Medicine, where she founded and directed the university's Fertility Preservation and Egg Freezing Program — a unit dedicated specifically to preserving fertility for women diagnosed with cancer. She is internationally recognized for her research in oncofertility and has served as principal investigator on multiple clinical trials examining IVF stimulation protocols and egg freezing outcomes.

Dr. Kelly Baek, MD completed her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at New York Presbyterian — Weill Cornell Medical Center after a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Langone Medical Center. She earned her MD from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and graduated with honors from Johns Hopkins University. She is double board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and in obstetrics and gynecology, is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

The laboratory is directed by Rebecca Stones, PhD, HCLD, a board-certified High Complexity Laboratory Director — the highest independent certification available to clinical embryologists. The clinic is also home to Reproductive Technology Laboratories (RTL), a licensed tissue bank and reference laboratory affiliated with California Fertility Partners that provides embryology and andrology services to more than 300 physicians across California and nationally.

Services and Treatments

California Fertility Partners provides comprehensive fertility diagnosis and treatment for individuals and couples across all family-building paths:

• IVF and ICSI — including fresh and frozen embryo transfer cycles
• IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) — for unexplained infertility, ovulatory dysfunction, and single or LGBTQ+ patients using donor sperm
• Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT-A and PGT-M) — chromosomal screening and single-gene disorder testing prior to embryo transfer
• Egg Freezing and Embryo Banking — elective fertility preservation and oncofertility (cancer-related) preservation
• Donor Egg Cycles — with FDA-screened and thoroughly tested donors; the clinic runs one of the most active donor egg programs in Los Angeles
• Donor Sperm — cycles coordinated with accredited sperm banks
• Gestational Surrogacy — full coordination for intended parents working with a gestational carrier
• LGBTQ+ Family Building — including reciprocal IVF, known-donor cycles, and pathways for single parents by choice
• Male Factor Evaluation and Treatment — including ICSI for severe male factor infertility and semen cryopreservation
• Restorative Reproductive Surgery — minimally invasive procedures for fibroids, polyps, endometriosis, and uterine septum
• Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients — a specialty area of particular depth given Dr. Chung's USC oncofertility background

The clinic's LGBTQ+ program is among the most established in Los Angeles, supported by Dr. Ringler's decades of advocacy and clinical focus in this area.

Laboratory and Success Rates

Reproductive Technology Laboratories, the on-site embryology and andrology facility affiliated with California Fertility Partners, is not a generic shared service — it is a licensed tissue bank and reference laboratory that serves the broader physician community across California. This means the embryology team at CFP operates with the depth and scale of a regional reference center, not a clinic-sized satellite lab. The laboratory features purified air filtration systems, advanced IVF workstations, and modern incubation technology designed to maintain optimal embryo culture conditions throughout the cycle.

The most recent SART Clinic Summary Report for California Fertility Partners covers 2023 outcomes across 1,588 total cycles. Key findings include:

• Live birth rate per transfer, patients under 35 (own eggs): 50.0%
• Live birth rate per transfer, ages 35–37: 42.0%
• Live birth rate per transfer, ages 38–40: 27.7%
• Live birth rate per transfer, ages 41–42: 15.2%
• Live birth rate per transfer, ages over 42: 14.6%
• Donor egg thawed embryo transfers (189 cycles): 62.4% live birth rate; 73.0% implantation rate
• Cryopreservation rate (own eggs, all ages): 74–100% across age groups
• Fertility preservation cycles: 196 embryo banking cycles and 240 oocyte banking cycles

These numbers reflect SART's standardized methodology, which counts live births per transfer and controls for cycle type — making them directly comparable to national benchmarks and other SART-participating clinics. A 50% live birth rate per transfer for patients under 35 is consistent with the performance of the nation's best-performing programs.

Patient Experience

California Fertility Partners is located in West Los Angeles at 11818 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 300 — a central location accessible from throughout the greater Los Angeles basin. The facility integrates clinical offices, procedure rooms, the RTL laboratory, and a surgical suite under one roof, which reduces logistical friction for patients undergoing monitoring appointments, egg retrievals, and transfers. Hours extend to Saturday and Sunday mornings (8:00 AM–11:00 AM) for monitoring visits, a meaningful convenience during stimulation cycles when bloodwork and ultrasounds must be conducted on a fixed timeline.

Patient reviews across platforms describe the clinic's staff — including nurses, coordinators, and front desk — as genuinely attentive and efficient. Recurring themes in feedback include the quality of communication during treatment cycles, the breadth of expertise among the physician team, and the feeling of being cared for as an individual rather than as a case number. The clinic has served the Los Angeles community since 1982, and its long tenure means a significant portion of its staff has spent meaningful careers in this practice. For patients pursuing surrogacy or LGBTQ+ pathways, the clinic's deep institutional experience in third-party reproduction — built over four decades — is a tangible clinical and logistical advantage. The clinic is also a recognized partner with several major surrogacy agencies operating in California.

Considering At-Home Insemination?

Not every fertility journey begins in a clinic. At-home intracervical insemination (ICI) is a lower-cost, private option that suits patients with no known fertility diagnosis — including single parents by choice, same-sex couples, and people who want to try a few cycles before committing to clinical treatment.

At-home insemination kits like those from MakeAMom come with step-by-step instructions designed for donor or partner sperm. Kits are a one-time purchase that can be reused until conception succeeds, require no clinic visit, and arrive in plain, discreet packaging. Many patients use them as a first step while working toward a fertility consultation — or alongside ovulation tracking while they wait for an appointment slot.

If you have a known fertility diagnosis, have been trying for 12 months without success (six months if you're over 35), or your physician has already recommended IUI or IVF, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist is the right next step.

Insurance and Financing

California's fertility insurance landscape changed substantially on January 1, 2026, when SB 729 took effect. Fully insured large-group health plans issued to employers with 101 or more employees must now cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including up to three completed egg retrievals and unlimited embryo transfers. The mandate explicitly extends to LGBTQ+ individuals and single parents by choice. Medically necessary fertility preservation — such as egg or embryo freezing before cancer treatment — is also covered. The RESOLVE SB 729 FAQ provides an authoritative independent explanation of what the law requires and what it does not.

Patients with self-funded employer plans, small-group plans, or plans from religious organizations are exempt from the mandate and may find coverage varies considerably. California Fertility Partners' financial counselors can review benefits, confirm coverage, and walk patients through estimated out-of-pocket costs before treatment begins.

For patients without insurance coverage or with gaps in coverage, the clinic partners with third-party financing programs including CapexMD (which specializes in fertility-specific patient loans) and PatientFi (which offers personalized payment plans). The clinic also has a relationship with New Life Agency for fertility insurance products that can help offset medication costs and treatment expenses not covered by primary insurance. Patients can reach the financial counseling team at 866-841-2229.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the physicians at California Fertility Partners?

The medical team includes Dr. Richard Marrs (founder, SART founding president, 200+ publications), Dr. Guy Ringler (double board-certified, 30+ years of LGBTQ+ and third-party reproduction focus, UCLA clinical faculty), Dr. Karine Chung (Medical Director, double board-certified, USC oncofertility program founder, MS in Clinical Epidemiology from University of Pennsylvania), and Dr. Kelly Baek (double board-certified, fellowship from Weill Cornell, MD from Mount Sinai). The laboratory is directed by Rebecca Stones, PhD, HCLD.

What makes California Fertility Partners different from other Los Angeles IVF clinics?

The practice combines founding physician leadership at the national level of the field — Dr. Marrs is literally the founder of SART — with newer double board-certified specialists trained at programs like Weill Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania. The on-site Reproductive Technology Laboratories facility serves as a regional reference laboratory for 300+ physicians statewide, meaning the embryology infrastructure is more robust than typical single-clinic labs. The practice has been operating continuously since 1982.

Does California Fertility Partners accept LGBTQ+ patients?

Yes. The clinic runs one of the more established LGBTQ+ family-building programs in Los Angeles. Dr. Ringler has been a prominent advocate and clinician in this space for over three decades, serves on the advisory council of Men Having Babies, and has received awards for contributions to LGBTQ+ family building. Services include reciprocal IVF, known-donor cycles, gestational surrogacy coordination, and donor sperm IUI.

What do the SART success rates show for California Fertility Partners?

The 2023 SART report covers 1,588 total cycles. Live birth rates per transfer for patients using their own eggs are 50.0% for patients under 35, 42.0% for ages 35–37, and 27.7% for ages 38–40. Donor egg cycles reported a 62.4% live birth rate across 189 thawed embryo transfers, with a 73.0% implantation rate. These figures are reported under SART's standardized methodology and are directly comparable to national benchmarks.