CCRM Fertility is one of the most recognized names in reproductive medicine in North America, operating more than 10 locations across the United States and Canada and carrying a reputation built over decades of research-driven IVF care. In Houston, CCRM maintains three locations that together serve one of the largest metropolitan patient populations in the country: a Main Center at 929 Gessner Road in the Memorial area, a satellite at 16545 Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land, and a third location at 7400 Fannin Street in the Texas Medical Center—one of the world's largest medical campuses and a hub of academic medicine that draws patients from across the Gulf Coast region and beyond. For Houstonians navigating infertility, these three sites provide access to the same clinical standards, laboratory protocols, and physician expertise that CCRM has developed across its national network. Among fertility clinics in Texas, CCRM Houston stands out for its concentration of fellowship-trained reproductive endocrinologists and its emphasis on advanced embryology and genetics.
Physicians and Clinical Team
CCRM Fertility Houston fields a robust physician team of six reproductive endocrinologists, all board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The Houston group is led by one of the most decorated fertility specialists in Texas and supported by a clinical team that spans subspecialty expertise in lifestyle medicine, genetic testing, and LGBTQ+ family building.
Timothy Hickman, MD is the Founding Partner and Medical Director of CCRM Fertility Houston. Dr. Hickman is double board-certified in OB/GYN and REI and completed both his residency in Gynecology and Obstetrics and his subspecialty REI fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine—among the most competitive REI training programs in the country. He currently serves as President-Elect of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and previously served as the organization's Webmaster and Registry Committee Chair. He holds Clinical Associate Professor appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College in conjunction with Houston Methodist Hospital and at Texas A&M School of Medicine. Castle Connolly has named Dr. Hickman a Top Doctor in every year from 2011 through 2024, and Texas Monthly has recognized him as a Texas Super Doctor for 19 consecutive years. He led the team responsible for Texas's first live birth from cryopreserved eggs.
Rashmi Kudesia, MD, MSc is an REI and the Site Director for CCRM Houston–Sugar Land, as well as the clinic's Director of Patient Education. She holds dual board certification in OB/GYN and REI and is also certified in lifestyle medicine (DipABLM), with a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists designation (FACOG). Dr. Kudesia earned her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Brown University and her MD with honors from Duke University School of Medicine. She completed her OB/GYN residency at New York Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical Center, then pursued her REI fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine–Montefiore Medical Center simultaneously with a Master of Science in Clinical Research Methods. She holds an Assistant Clinical Professor appointment at Houston Methodist Hospital and is the author of a widely read patient-facing book on fertility awareness. Dr. Kudesia has a particular interest in LGBTQ+ fertility care and integrative reproductive health.
Katherine McKnight, MD has been with CCRM Fertility Houston since 2012. She earned her MD from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, then completed both her OB/GYN residency and REI fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. McKnight brings more than a decade of experience in the Houston market and offers expertise across the full scope of fertility treatment, including IVF, ovulation induction, and recurrent pregnancy loss evaluation.
Beth Zhou, MD is double board-certified in OB/GYN and REI. A Houston native, she earned her undergraduate degree in Biology magna cum laude from the University of Houston, then completed both her MD and OB/GYN residency at Baylor College of Medicine. She pursued her REI fellowship at the University of California–San Diego before returning to Houston to join the CCRM team. Dr. Zhou's clinical interests include fertility preservation, PCOS, and complex IVF cases.
The physician team is supported by four board-certified Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioners: Shaina Babu, MSN, APRN, FNP-C; Aminah Chaib, MSN, APRN, FNP-C; Alyssa Lannoo, MSN, APRN, FNP-C; and Kirstie Nash, MSN, APRN, FNP-C. These clinicians play a central role in monitoring cycles, coordinating care, and ensuring patients have timely access to their clinical team throughout treatment.
Services and Treatments
CCRM Houston offers a comprehensive menu of fertility services across its three Houston-area locations:
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), including conventional and antagonist protocol cycles
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidies (PGT-A) and Monogenic Conditions (PGT-M)
- Egg Freezing and Elective Fertility Preservation
- Embryo Freezing and Cryostorage
- Oncofertility—fertility preservation for patients facing cancer treatment
- Egg Donation—access to CCRM's national egg donor database
- Gestational Surrogacy coordination and matching
- Reciprocal IVF for same-sex female couples
- LGBTQ+ Family Building, including single parents by choice
- IVF with Sex Selection and Family Balancing
- Male Fertility Evaluation and Testing (semen analysis, sperm retrieval)
- PCOS Evaluation and Management
- Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) workup and treatment
- Fertility Testing and Diagnosis (AMH, antral follicle count, HSG, hysteroscopy)
- Telehealth appointments for remote consultations and monitoring coordination
- Genetic Counseling in conjunction with certified genetics partners
Laboratory and Success Rates
CCRM has long distinguished itself by the quality and consistency of its IVF laboratory operations. Across the network, CCRM laboratories follow standardized protocols for embryo culture, vitrification, and quality control—allowing patients to benefit from practices developed through the organization's decades of clinical research and data analysis. The Houston laboratories employ time-lapse embryo imaging, high-grade vitrification (rapid-freeze) for eggs and embryos, and rigorous chain-of-custody verification to protect sample integrity throughout every cycle.
CCRM reports IVF success rates that consistently rank above national averages, though outcomes vary based on patient age, diagnosis, number of prior cycles, and whether fresh or frozen embryos are transferred. Prospective patients are encouraged to review verified outcome data before selecting a clinic. CCRM Houston submits its annual cycle outcomes to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology; current data is available at SART's public online reporting tool. National benchmarks and comparative statistics are also published through the CDC's Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance Report, which provides useful context for evaluating any program's outcomes relative to the broader U.S. patient population. Because success rates depend heavily on patient-specific factors, CCRM's financial and clinical counselors will walk prospective patients through expected outcomes based on their individual profile during an initial consultation.
Patient Experience
CCRM Houston's three-location footprint is designed to reduce the burden of the frequent early-morning monitoring appointments that IVF cycles typically require. Patients living in the Texas Medical Center corridor, Sugar Land, or the Memorial/Gessner area can access monitoring close to home, while complex procedures are centralized at the main facilities. Telehealth appointments are available for consultations and follow-up, a meaningful convenience for patients traveling from outlying areas of the Houston metro or from other parts of Texas.
The clinic emphasizes a high-touch, personalized care model. Patients are paired with a dedicated care team that typically includes their primary physician, a coordinating nurse, and an advanced practice provider, creating continuity across a treatment cycle. Reviews frequently note the responsiveness of the nursing staff and the thoroughness of physician consultations, with many patients describing detailed explanations of their treatment plans and the reasoning behind protocol decisions.
CCRM Houston's direct connection to a national network—spanning more than a dozen U.S. locations—also benefits patients through access to aggregated data, shared best practices, and a national egg donor database that gives those seeking donor oocytes a larger pool of potential matches than most standalone clinics can offer. Dr. Hickman's leadership role within SART additionally means that CCRM Houston is embedded in the national conversation about ART standards, data reporting, and emerging technologies.
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
Texas has no state law mandating that health insurers cover IVF or other assisted reproductive technologies. As a result, most commercially insured patients in Houston face substantial out-of-pocket costs for fertility treatment, with a single IVF cycle commonly ranging from $12,000 to $20,000 before medications. Some large Houston employers—particularly in the energy, healthcare, and technology sectors—offer fertility benefits as part of comprehensive compensation packages, and CCRM's financial counselors are experienced at helping patients identify and maximize any employer-sponsored coverage.
For patients without insurance coverage, CCRM Houston provides access to financing through third-party lending partners, offering multi-month payment plans to spread the cost of treatment. Dedicated financial counselors are on staff to walk patients through the total cost of care before any cycle begins, including estimated medication costs and fees for add-on services like PGT. CCRM also offers self-pay pricing consultations and, through the national network, may provide access to risk-sharing or multi-cycle programs for qualifying patients that reduce financial exposure if a first retrieval cycle does not result in a live birth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are CCRM Fertility's Houston locations? CCRM Fertility Houston operates three sites: a Main Center at 929 Gessner Road, Suite 2300 (phone: 713-465-1211); a Sugar Land location at 16545 Southwest Freeway, Suite 200; and a Texas Medical Center location at 7400 Fannin Street, Suite 910. All three locations can be reached by calling the main Houston line.
Is CCRM Houston a good option for LGBTQ+ patients? Yes. CCRM Houston has a strong track record in LGBTQ+ family building, including reciprocal IVF for same-sex female couples, donor sperm IUI and IVF for lesbian couples and single women, and gestational surrogacy coordination for gay male couples and single men. Dr. Rashmi Kudesia has specific clinical interest and training in LGBTQ+ reproductive care and is listed in the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory as an affirming provider.
How do I compare CCRM Houston's IVF success rates to other clinics? The most reliable comparison tool is SART's public clinic report database, which allows side-by-side comparison of verified cycle outcomes across all SART-member clinics in the United States. Because success rates are heavily influenced by patient age and diagnosis, compare your own demographic cohort—not overall clinic averages—when evaluating any program. Our IVF guide explains how to read and interpret SART and CDC outcome data in more detail.
What is the first step to becoming a CCRM Houston patient? New patients typically start with a new patient consultation, which can be scheduled online or by phone. At that appointment, the physician reviews medical history, orders baseline testing (such as AMH, antral follicle count ultrasound, and semen analysis), and outlines treatment options. CCRM also offers telehealth consultations for patients who prefer to start the conversation remotely before committing to an in-office visit.