The Center for Applied Reproductive Science (CARS) is located at 408 North State of Franklin Road in Johnson City, Tennessee — operating within the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Health system. The website associated with this program (etsuhealth.org/locations/fertility-urogynecology) confirms the practice's institutional home within ETSU Health's academic medical environment. Patients exploring fertility care in Tennessee and surrounding Appalachian communities can find additional providers in the Tennessee fertility clinics directory.
Johnson City is part of the Tri-Cities region of northeastern Tennessee (alongside Kingsport and Bristol), a metropolitan area of approximately 500,000 that serves as a healthcare hub for patients from northeastern Tennessee, southwestern Virginia, and western North Carolina. CARS fills a critical access gap for patients in this region, who would otherwise face three-to-four-hour drives to Nashville, Charlotte, or Roanoke for academic fertility care.
Physicians and Clinical Team
The Center for Applied Reproductive Science operates within ETSU Health's academic clinical enterprise, which is affiliated with ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine. Academic fertility programs like CARS combine clinical care with medical education and research — patients may have interactions with medical students, residents, and fellows during their care, in addition to the attending physician faculty.
The REI faculty at CARS provide subspecialty-level fertility care, including IVF and complex infertility management, to patients throughout the Tri-Cities catchment area. The academic environment supports continuous professional development and engagement with current literature and techniques, which benefits patient care quality.
The clinical team includes reproductive endocrinologists, nursing staff, embryologists, ultrasound technicians, and administrative coordinators. The program's integration with ETSU Health means patients have access to referrals across ETSU's broader specialty care network when needed.
Services and Treatments
CARS provides academic reproductive medicine services appropriate for the Tri-Cities region:
- Comprehensive fertility evaluation for individuals and couples
- Ovarian reserve assessment (AMH, FSH, antral follicle count)
- Semen analysis and male fertility evaluation
- Ovulation induction (oral and injectable medications)
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
- Embryo cryopreservation and frozen embryo transfer
- Preimplantation genetic testing (as available)
- Fertility preservation for oncology and elective indications
- Urogynecology services (as per the practice's combined clinical scope)
- Recurrent pregnancy loss evaluation
The combination of fertility and urogynecology services within ETSU Health's fertility-urogynecology program reflects the academic medical center model of integrating related subspecialties under coordinated clinical leadership.
Laboratory and Success Rates
The IVF laboratory at CARS supports the embryology procedures required for the practice's IVF program, including fertilization, embryo culture, and cryopreservation. Academic IVF laboratories are subject to the same CLIA certification and CAP accreditation standards as private fertility center labs, and ETSU's institutional oversight adds an additional layer of quality management.
Patients should review the most current cycle-level data published by the CDC's ART Surveillance program and the SART Clinic Summary Report.
Academic programs at smaller regional medical centers may have lower annual IVF cycle volumes than large urban fertility networks — this affects the statistical reliability of published success rate data. Ask the clinical team about their cycle volumes and outcomes directly when evaluating whether the program's experience level meets your needs.
Patient Experience
The North State of Franklin Road address is in Johnson City's medical district, within walking distance of Johnson City Medical Center. The proximity to ETSU's hospital and clinical infrastructure means patients have convenient access to supportive services — including reproductive surgery, laboratory testing, and specialist consultation — within the same campus.
For patients in the Tri-Cities, CARS is likely the most accessible option for reproductive endocrinology subspecialty care without leaving the region. The alternative for patients who need fertility services not available at CARS is typically a multi-hour drive to Knoxville, Nashville, Charlotte (NC), or the Roanoke, Virginia market.
The academic medical center setting means patients interact with a team that is invested in teaching and continuous improvement — and that patients with complex or unusual diagnoses may receive particularly thorough evaluation as the team engages with the clinical learning opportunity.
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
Tennessee does not have a state infertility insurance mandate for private employers. Coverage for fertility treatment at CARS depends on each patient's employer plan. ETSU Health, as an academic medical system, participates in a range of Tennessee and regional insurance networks — verifying network participation for your specific plan before scheduling is important.
For patients covered by Tennessee's Medicaid program (TennCare), IVF is generally not covered. Diagnostic services may be covered under standard medical benefits. Patients without fertility coverage should discuss self-pay pricing and financing options with ETSU Health's financial counseling team.
Patients from southwestern Virginia or western North Carolina should verify cross-state insurance coverage for care at a Tennessee provider, as some regional plans have geographic coverage limitations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ETSU Health, and how does it relate to CARS? ETSU Health is the clinical enterprise of East Tennessee State University, encompassing ETSU Physicians & Associates and Quillen College of Medicine's clinical programs. The Center for Applied Reproductive Science (CARS) is one of ETSU Health's specialty programs, providing fertility and urogynecology services as part of the academic health system. Patients at CARS are seen within the ETSU Health billing and insurance framework.
Does CARS serve patients from Virginia and North Carolina? Yes. Johnson City's position in the Tri-Cities region places it close to the Virginia and North Carolina state borders, and the clinic regularly serves patients from southwestern Virginia (Bristol, Abingdon, Galax) and western North Carolina (Boone, Asheville area). Verify insurance coverage for out-of-state patients, as some regional plans have geographic network restrictions.
What is the difference between CARS and a community fertility clinic? CARS operates within an academic health system (ETSU Health), which brings academic oversight, medical education integration, and access to a broader multi-specialty network. Community fertility clinics typically offer more streamlined, private-practice-like experiences with potentially shorter wait times. Both models can provide high-quality fertility care; the choice depends on your preferences, diagnosis complexity, and insurance network.
Can I be seen at CARS if I want a second opinion on a prior fertility diagnosis? Yes. Academic fertility programs commonly accept patients seeking second opinions on prior diagnoses, failed IVF cycles, or complex conditions (such as recurrent pregnancy loss or repeated implantation failure). Bring all prior records, laboratory results, and cycle documentation to make the most of a second-opinion consultation.