Memphis occupies a unique position in the mid-South fertility landscape. Sitting at the convergence of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, the city draws patients from a broad multi-state catchment area — many of whom have limited alternatives closer to home. Fertility Associates of Memphis (FAM) has served that regional need since March 2003, growing into the area's most established dedicated fertility practice. Over two decades of operation, the clinic has helped bring more than 10,000 babies into the world. In 2025, Newsweek and Statista named FAM one of America's Best Fertility Clinics, placing it in the top 15% of fertility clinics nationally, with reported IVF success rates up to 36% above the national average. For patients across Tennessee, northern Mississippi, eastern Arkansas, and northern Alabama exploring fertility clinics in Tennessee, FAM represents the most comprehensive reproductive medicine option in the greater Memphis region.
Physicians and Clinical Team
Fertility Associates of Memphis fields one of the larger teams of board-certified reproductive endocrinologists found at a single-site private practice in the mid-South.
Dr. Paul Brezina, MD, MBA serves as Managing Physician and Director of Reproductive Genetics. He is board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology — the dual-board credential that represents the highest standard in the field. Dr. Brezina completed his REI fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, one of the country's most competitive fellowship programs. He earned his combined MD/MBA from Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and completed his undergraduate education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His clinical focus on reproductive genetics places him among a relatively small group of REI specialists with deep expertise in preimplantation genetic testing.
Dr. Amelia Purser Bailey, MD is the clinic's Director of Fertility Preservation and is likewise board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her specialized role reflects a growing dimension of modern fertility practice — egg freezing and fertility preservation for patients facing cancer treatment, elective deferral, or other medical circumstances that require protecting reproductive potential before it is lost. Reviewers frequently describe her as thorough, compassionate, and a strong communicator with patients navigating emotionally charged situations.
Dr. William Kutteh, MD, PhD is Co-Director of the Center for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and one of the clinic's founding physicians. His credentials are unusually broad: he holds a doctorate in Molecular Biology and Immunology, earned his MD from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 1985, and completed an REI fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas (1989–1991). His subspecialty in recurrent pregnancy loss — a condition defined as two or more consecutive miscarriages — brings nationally recognized expertise to a population that often struggles to find physicians with specific training in immunologic and thrombophilic contributors to pregnancy failure.
Dr. Raymond Ke, MD serves as Director of Assisted Reproductive Technology and Director of Andrology at Memphis Fertility Laboratory, Inc. He is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and previously held a professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. His dual role overseeing both the clinical ART program and the andrology laboratory gives him direct line of sight into both halves of infertility evaluation — female and male factor.
Dr. B. Todd Chappell, MD is the clinic's Director of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, bringing more than 15 years of experience in advanced laparoscopic and hysteroscopic procedures. He is board certified in general OB/GYN and is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. His role addresses the surgical dimension of infertility — including endometriosis excision, fibroid removal, and correction of uterine structural abnormalities — that frequently precedes or runs alongside medical fertility treatment.
Dr. Sierra Bishop, MD rounds out the physician roster. She completed her MD at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, served as Chief Resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Alabama. Her background in OB/GYN provides additional clinical depth to the team's capacity.
The laboratory is directed by Jianchi Ding, PhD, a certified High-Complexity Clinical Laboratory Director specializing in both Embryology and Andrology. FAM's laboratory is described as the mid-South's only fertility lab offering the full suite of specialized reproductive testing — a distinction that reflects both equipment investment and the depth of scientific staff.
Services and Treatments
Fertility Associates of Memphis offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic and treatment services:
- IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) — the clinic's core advanced treatment; see the IVF guide for a full breakdown of protocols, timelines, and what patients can expect at each stage
- ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) — single-sperm injection for male factor infertility or cases requiring precision fertilization
- IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) — a first-line, lower-intensity treatment for appropriate diagnoses
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT/PGD) — chromosomal and single-gene disorder screening of embryos before transfer, using laser blastocyst biopsy
- Egg freezing and fertility preservation — for medical necessity (oncofertility) and elective social preservation
- Recurrent pregnancy loss evaluation and treatment — immunologic, thrombophilic, anatomic, and genetic workup through the dedicated RPL center
- Donor egg IVF — for patients without viable own eggs
- Egg donation program — FAM accepts donor applicants directly
- Gestational surrogacy — embryo transfer to a gestational carrier with full coordination support
- LGBTQ+ family building — customized protocols for same-sex female couples, same-sex male couples, single parents, and transgender individuals
- Male infertility evaluation and treatment — including semen analysis, andrology testing, and surgical sperm retrieval coordination
- Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery — laparoscopic and hysteroscopic treatment of endometriosis, fibroids, uterine septum, and other structural conditions
Laboratory and Success Rates
FAM's on-site Memphis Fertility Laboratory is among the most technically capable independent fertility labs in the mid-South. Under Dr. Ding's direction, the lab provides both embryology services — culture, blastocyst development, biopsy, and vitrification — and full andrology testing, the combination of which is uncommon outside major academic medical centers. The lab's capacity to offer specialized reproductive testing in-house reduces the need for samples to be sent to reference laboratories, which can affect both turnaround time and specimen quality.
SART (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology) data for the clinic — listed as Kutteh Ke Fertility Associates of Memphis, PLLC — is publicly available and covers multiple report years. The most recent verified data shows meaningful performance differences by age group. For patients under 35 using their own eggs, the live birth rate per transfer reached 58.8% across 177 cycle starts, well above typical national benchmarks for that age cohort. For patients aged 35–37, the rate was 41.4%, and for patients aged 38–40, 25.8%. Singleton births comprised 97.1% of live births for the youngest age group — a metric that reflects disciplined single-embryo transfer practices. Term deliveries (over 37 weeks) accounted for 86.5% of births in that same group, indicating strong perinatal outcomes.
Patients can review the clinic's full multi-year SART data directly at sartcorsonline.com, and broader national ART outcome data is published annually by the CDC at cdc.gov/art/reports. FAM's Newsweek ranking as one of America's Best Fertility Clinics for 2025 — placing in the top 15% nationally — provides an independent third-party signal aligned with the SART outcome data.
Patient Experience
Fertility Associates of Memphis serves a geographically dispersed patient population that extends well beyond Shelby County. The clinic is situated at 80 Humphreys Center, Suite 307 — a medical complex adjacent to I-240 and near Baptist Memorial Women's Hospital, making it accessible from across the metro and from outlying areas in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with online scheduling available through the patient portal.
Across review platforms, patients highlight the expertise and direct communication style of the physicians — Dr. Brezina, Dr. Bailey, and Dr. Ke are most frequently mentioned by name in positive reviews. The clinic's LGBTQ+-affirming approach is a recurring theme, with same-sex couples specifically noting that the practice treats their family-building path as fully routine rather than exceptional. The clinic's oncofertility program, which supports cancer patients in preserving fertility before treatment begins, has earned recognition from the Oncofertility Consortium as a participating center — a distinction that matters to patients facing time-sensitive decisions.
Some reviews note challenges with administrative responsiveness — particularly around billing, nursing callbacks, and appointment availability — a pattern sometimes seen at practices that have grown in patient volume without proportionally expanding support staff. New patients commonly begin their care with nurse practitioners working alongside the physician team, which can extend the timeline before a direct physician encounter. Setting realistic expectations about administrative lead times can reduce friction in the early stages of care.
The clinic has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, BBC, Reuters, and Oprah magazine, reflecting the national media attention its clinical work — particularly in recurrent pregnancy loss and reproductive genetics — has attracted over the years.
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 mandate requiring insurance carriers to cover IVF or other infertility treatments. That means coverage at Fertility Associates of Memphis depends entirely on a patient's individual health plan, employer benefits, and any applicable federal programs. Patients with employer-sponsored plans from large national employers increasingly have fertility benefits — often administered through benefit managers such as Progyny or Carrot — but this is employer-discretionary, not state-required.
FAM works with patients to navigate financing through several lending partners. CapexMD is a lender that specializes in fertility treatment financing and offers customized loan programs that can include medications and genetic testing costs within the financed amount. LendingClub provides another patient loan option. Future Family offers a third-party installment financing product designed specifically for fertility care, with flexible repayment terms and low monthly payments. A financial counselor at the clinic can review which financing option fits a patient's situation before treatment starts.
Diagnostic services — bloodwork, ultrasound, semen analysis, hysteroscopy — are more commonly covered by standard insurance than IVF cycles. Patients are encouraged to obtain a benefits summary from their insurer before the initial consultation so the financial coordinator can give an accurate picture of out-of-pocket exposure. For a state-by-state overview of insurance coverage laws, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine maintains a resource at reproductivefacts.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Fertility Associates of Memphis different from general OB/GYN fertility care? FAM is a dedicated reproductive endocrinology and infertility practice, not a general gynecology office with a fertility component. All four REI physicians hold board certification specifically in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility — the subspecialty requiring a two-to-three-year fellowship after OB/GYN residency. This means patients receive subspecialist-level evaluation from their first visit rather than being managed by a generalist until a referral threshold is crossed.
Does the clinic treat patients with recurrent pregnancy loss specifically? Yes. FAM operates a dedicated Center for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss co-directed by Dr. William Kutteh, who holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and Immunology and has specific fellowship and research expertise in the immunologic and thrombophilic contributors to pregnancy failure. Patients who have experienced two or more consecutive miscarriages can be evaluated through this center for a more targeted diagnostic workup than standard infertility evaluation typically provides.
Can the clinic help single parents and same-sex couples build families? Yes. FAM explicitly serves female couples, male couples, single women, and single men, in addition to heterosexual couples. The clinic's service set — including donor egg IVF, gestational surrogacy coordination, donor sperm insemination, and ICSI — covers the pathways that most LGBTQ+ family-building scenarios require. Patients report that same-sex couples are treated as fully routine, without additional administrative burden.
How does FAM's success rate compare to the national average? Based on SART-verified 2023 data, FAM's live birth rate for patients under 35 using their own eggs reached 58.8% per transfer — and the clinic reports rates up to 36% above national averages across patient age groups. Individual outcomes vary based on diagnosis, age, ovarian reserve, and embryo genetics. Prospective patients can compare verified multi-year data at SART's public reporting portal.