Center for Advanced Reproductive Services (UConn Fertility) – Farmington — An Honest Patient Guide

The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services — operating under the brand name UConn Fertility — is located at 2 Batterson Park Rd in Farmington, Connecticut, in the New Britain Avenue/Batterson Park Road professional office corridor just west of the UConn Health campus. Farmington is a central Connecticut town in Hartford County, situated between Hartford and Waterbury along the I-84 corridor, and is well-positioned to serve patients from across the Hartford metro, the Farmington Valley, Waterbury, and New Haven.

An important note for patients navigating the provider directories: this listing (without "-pc-" in the slug) represents the operating brand entity — UConn Fertility and the Center for Advanced Reproductive Services as it operates and markets itself to patients. A separate editorial on this site covers the professional corporation entity (Center for Advanced Reproductive Services, P.C.), which holds a distinct NPI registration at the same address. Both entries describe the same clinical program — one is the brand/operational entity NPI, the other is the PC entity NPI — and patients who see either name on their paperwork are dealing with the same practice.

UConn Fertility is an academic fertility program affiliated with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and UConn Health, one of Connecticut's major academic medical systems. For additional Connecticut clinic options, see our Connecticut fertility clinic directory.

Physicians and Clinical Team

UConn Fertility's clinical team consists of fellowship-trained reproductive endocrinologists with academic appointments at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

• Claudio Benadiva, M.D., H.C.L.D. — Dr. Benadiva is the Medical and Laboratory Director of UConn Fertility and one of the most prominent fertility physicians in Connecticut. He holds both an MD and the H.C.L.D. (High Complexity Laboratory Director) certification, reflecting his dual expertise as a clinician and laboratory director. He has been a leader in Connecticut reproductive medicine for many years and contributes to the program's laboratory standards and clinical research.

• Cynthia Murdock, M.D. — Dr. Murdock is a reproductive endocrinologist and faculty member at UConn School of Medicine with clinical interests in fertility preservation, PCOS, and minimally invasive surgery. She is a graduate of UConn's own fellowship training program.

• Lawrence Engmann, M.D. — Dr. Engmann is a senior reproductive endocrinologist at UConn Fertility known for his research and clinical expertise in ovarian stimulation, particularly in the area of GnRH agonist triggering as an approach to minimizing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) risk. His published research has influenced stimulation protocols used by fertility clinics worldwide.

• Anate Aelion Brauer, M.D. — Dr. Brauer is a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at UConn Fertility. She completed fellowship training and contributes to the program's IVF and fertility preservation services.

• Clinical Support Team — The UConn Fertility team includes fertility nurses, embryologists, and patient coordinators operating within the UConn Health administrative infrastructure.

Services and Treatments

UConn Fertility offers a comprehensive range of fertility and reproductive medicine services:

• IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) — Full stimulation, retrieval, embryo culture, and fresh or frozen transfer.
• ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) — Adjunct for male-factor infertility.
• IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) — Natural and stimulated cycles.
• Egg Freezing (Oocyte Cryopreservation) — Elective and oncofertility preservation.
• Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) — Transfer of previously vitrified embryos.
• Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT-A / PGT-M) — Chromosomal and monogenic screening.
• Donor Egg IVF — Coordination of donor egg cycles.
• Donor Sperm Services — For patients using donor sperm.
• Gestational Carrier Coordination — Medical management for intended parents and surrogates.
• Male Fertility Evaluation — Semen analysis and male-factor workup.
• Minimally Invasive Reproductive Surgery — Laparoscopic and hysteroscopic treatment of structural conditions.
• Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Evaluation — Comprehensive diagnostic workup.
• PCOS and Ovulatory Disorder Management — Evidence-based management of hormonal conditions.
• LGBTQ+ Family Building — Inclusive services for all patient configurations.
• Clinical Research — Participation in trials through UConn's academic research infrastructure.

Laboratory and Success Rates

UConn Fertility's embryology laboratory at Farmington is one of the program's defining strengths. Dr. Benadiva's laboratory directorship provides direct physician oversight of laboratory quality — an arrangement that is particularly valuable in an academic program that may train fellows and embryology students. The lab uses vitrification for oocyte and embryo cryopreservation.

Patients should review the most current cycle-level data published by the CDC's ART Surveillance program and the SART Clinic Summary Report.

When searching SART, patients should look for both "Center for Advanced Reproductive Services" and "UConn Fertility" in Farmington, CT, as reporting may appear under either name. The PC entity (Center for Advanced Reproductive Services, P.C.) may also appear separately.

Patient Experience

The Batterson Park Rd address is in a medical office park setting with surface parking, distinct from the busy UConn Health main campus building — which many patients prefer for the reduced congestion. Farmington's central Hartford County location means patients from Windsor, West Hartford, New Britain, Bristol, Southington, and Waterbury can reach the clinic relatively easily via I-84.

The academic medical center context means patients benefit from access to a broader clinical network — UConn Health includes maternal-fetal medicine, genetics, and other specialist services that reproductive endocrinology patients sometimes need. This integration is especially relevant for patients with complex medical histories or those undergoing fertility preservation before cancer treatment.

Patient experience reviews of UConn Fertility emphasize physician expertise — particularly Dr. Engmann's international recognition and Dr. Benadiva's dual clinical/laboratory role — and the program's research culture, which patients describe as providing confidence in evidence-based protocol decisions.

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

Connecticut has a fertility insurance mandate that requires most health insurance plans issued in the state to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF. The Connecticut mandate applies to group plans with more than 20 insured persons and covers a range of treatments from diagnostic workup through IVF cycles. Self-funded ERISA plans are exempt.

UConn Health is a state academic medical center, and UConn Fertility participates in Connecticut's major insured health plan networks. Patients with Connecticut-regulated group plans are likely to find UConn Fertility in-network, and the mandate coverage may apply. Patients should verify their specific plan's coverage and whether prior authorization is required before beginning treatment.

For patients without mandate coverage:

• UConn Health Billing Services — The UConn Health system offers financial counseling and self-pay options.
• Third-Party Financing — Medical financing options are available.
• Academic Program Pricing — Academic center pricing for fertility treatment can sometimes differ from private clinic pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between this listing and the "Center for Advanced Reproductive Services, P.C." listing? This listing covers the operating brand and patient-facing entity — UConn Fertility and the Center for Advanced Reproductive Services as it presents to patients. The P.C. (Professional Corporation) entity is the formal legal structure under which certain billing and provider services are organized at the same address. Patients may see either name on billing statements, insurance paperwork, or NPI search results. Clinically, there is no difference — same physicians, same location, same clinical program.

Does Connecticut's fertility mandate cover IVF at UConn Fertility? Yes, for most patients with Connecticut-regulated group plans. The Connecticut mandate requires coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment including IVF for plans with more than 20 insured persons. UConn Health participates in major Connecticut insurance networks. Verify your specific plan's coverage with your insurer and confirm prior authorization requirements before scheduling treatment.

What is Dr. Engmann known for in the fertility field? Dr. Lawrence Engmann is particularly known for his research on GnRH agonist triggering in IVF — a technique for triggering final egg maturation that dramatically reduces the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a potentially serious complication of IVF in high-responder patients. His published work on this technique has influenced how fertility clinics worldwide approach stimulation in patients at OHSS risk.

Is parking available at the Farmington location? Yes. The Batterson Park Rd address is in a professional office park with surface parking lots, which is typically more convenient than parking at a hospital campus. The location is off exit 36 on I-84 West, making it accessible from the interstate.