Genesis Fertility & Reproductive Medicine (Brooklyn, NY): Patient Guide

Genesis Fertility & Reproductive Medicine holds a unique distinction in the New York City fertility landscape: it is Brooklyn's original and longest-standing reproductive endocrinology practice, serving patients for nearly four decades from its flagship clinic at 6010 Bay Parkway in the Bensonhurst neighborhood. That address places Genesis at the geographic heart of a densely populated corridor that includes Borough Park, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, and Gravesend — neighborhoods with large Orthodox Jewish, Italian-American, Chinese-American, and Russian-speaking communities, all of which have historically sought fertility care closer to home rather than traveling to Manhattan. Genesis has grown alongside those communities, expanding from a single Brooklyn office to a multi-site practice with locations in Park Slope, Forest Hills (Queens), Staten Island, and multiple Long Island communities including Hewlett, Great Neck, and Lawrence — making it one of the most geographically accessible fertility networks in the outer boroughs and the Five Towns area.

The clinic carries a 4.3-star Google rating across more than 256 reviews, a respectable benchmark for a high-volume specialty practice navigating the emotional complexity of fertility medicine. Genesis employs seven board-certified reproductive endocrinologists, an embryology laboratory led by a credentialed laboratory director, and supporting teams of reproductive urologists, nurses, and genetic counselors — making it one of the more comprehensively staffed independent fertility practices in New York City.

For patients in southern Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Long Island who want full-service IVF treatment without crossing into Manhattan, Genesis has long been the closest and most established option. It is also a member of SART (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology) and reports cycle outcomes to the CDC, providing the kind of transparent, auditable outcome data that patients are advised to review before choosing any fertility clinic. A full list of New York fertility practices, including academic programs and independent clinics across the state, is available in our guide to fertility clinics in New York.

Physicians and Clinical Team

Genesis's clinical bench is anchored by seven fellowship-trained, board-certified reproductive endocrinologists — a credential held by fewer than 1,500 actively practicing physicians in the United States. Fellowship training in REI requires completion of a two-year sub-specialty program at an accredited academic medical center after completing a four-year OB/GYN residency, and board certification through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) requires passing a rigorous written and oral examination process.

Richard V. Grazi, MD, FACOG, FACS is the founder of Genesis and the practice's Medical Director. Dr. Grazi received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his medical degree from the SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine, completed his OB/GYN residency at NYU Bellevue Hospital Medical Center, and trained in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School. He is board-certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology, a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FACOG) and the American College of Surgeons (FACS), and a Fellow of the Society of Reproductive Surgeons. Dr. Grazi has been named to New York Magazine's Best Doctors list and Castle Connolly's America's Top Doctors every year for many years running. He also serves as Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at Maimonides Medical Center and holds an appointment as Associate Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at SUNY Downstate School of Medicine. He has published and lectured extensively on clinical and ethical topics in reproductive medicine, including issues at the intersection of fertility treatment and Jewish law.

Alexander M. Kotlyar, MD, FACOG was born in Ukraine, raised in Brooklyn, and earned his undergraduate degree from New York University before completing research in RNA biology at The Rockefeller University. He obtained his medical degree from Dartmouth, completed his OB/GYN residency at the Cleveland Clinic — where he received multiple teaching awards and the top-resident honor in REI — and then completed his subspecialty fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale University School of Medicine, where his research received awards from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). He is board-certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. His clinical interests include endometriosis, recurrent pregnancy loss, recurrent implantation failure, and reproductive surgery. Dr. Kotlyar is fluent in Russian, an asset for the large Russian-speaking patient population in southern Brooklyn.

Ruchi K. Amin, MD, FACOG graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan and earned her medical degree from Wayne State University, receiving the Howard Hughes Medical Institute research award during medical school and spending a research year at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her OB/GYN residency at Hutzel Women's Hospital in Detroit and her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas — one of the country's leading REI programs. Dr. Amin is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology and is board-eligible in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Her subspecialty focus includes patients with diminished ovarian reserve and patients who have experienced previously failed IVF cycles.

David L. Kulak, MD, FACOG received his medical degree and completed his OB/GYN residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, then trained in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Rutgers University Hospital. He is a board-certified sub-specialist in reproductive endocrinology. Dr. Kulak has published research on IVF outcomes, hormonal parameters in stimulation cycles, and advanced imaging techniques, and has authored book chapters on ectopic pregnancy, uterine fibroids, and infections in pregnancy.

Tendai M. Chiware, MD, FACOG attended medical school and trained in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the United Kingdom before completing her OB/GYN residency at St. Joseph Mercy Health System in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Vermont. She serves as Director of Third Party Reproduction at Genesis and is also a minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS) specialist.

Katherine Melzer Ross, MD, FACOG graduated summa cum laude from the University of Buffalo School of Medicine, completed her OB/GYN residency at Brown University/Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island — receiving multiple teaching awards — and trained in her REI subspecialty fellowship at NYU Langone Medical Center. She is board-certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

The clinical team extends beyond the REI physicians. Joshua Halpern, MD, MS is a board-certified and fellowship-trained Reproductive Urologist who evaluates and treats male-factor infertility, including surgical sperm retrieval. Jacob Khurgin, DO is a fellowship-trained urologist whose focus includes men's reproductive health and reconstructive urological surgery. The laboratory is directed by Alka Goyal, PhD, HCLD/CC, a credentialed High Complexity Laboratory Director — a federal regulatory designation that requires advanced qualification in embryology and laboratory management beyond what is required of most clinical staff.

Services and Treatments

Genesis offers a comprehensive menu of fertility evaluation and treatment services across its Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island locations:

• Diagnostic fertility evaluation — female hormonal workup (AMH, FSH, estradiol, LH), antral follicle count ultrasound, uterine cavity evaluation (sonohysterogram, hysteroscopy), and fallopian tube assessment (HSG)
• Semen analysis and male-factor evaluation — basic and advanced sperm function testing, with in-house reproductive urology consultation
• Ovulation induction — oral medications (letrozole, clomiphene) and injectable gonadotropins for patients with irregular ovulation
• Intrauterine insemination (IUI) — timed insemination for cervical factor, mild male factor, donor sperm cycles, and unexplained infertility
• In vitro fertilization (IVF) — controlled ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, embryo culture, and fresh or frozen embryo transfer
• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) — single-sperm injection for male factor or prior fertilization failure
• Egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) — elective fertility preservation for patients wishing to delay childbearing, and medical preservation before cancer treatment or other gonadotoxic therapies
• Embryo cryopreservation — vitrification and long-term storage, with frozen embryo transfer cycles
• Sperm cryopreservation — banking prior to cancer treatment, vasectomy, or deployment
• Surgical sperm retrieval — testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) and microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) for azoospermic patients
• Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A/PGT-M) — chromosomal screening and single-gene disorder testing of embryos prior to transfer
• Donor egg program — fresh and frozen donor egg cycles through a coordinated donor egg bank and agency network
• Gestational carrier (surrogacy) — full medical management for patients using a gestational carrier, coordinated through the Third Party Reproduction program
• Embryo donation — receiving donated embryos from other patients or banks
• Reproductive endocrine conditions — management of PCOS, premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), endometriosis, recurrent pregnancy loss, and uterine factor infertility
• Reproductive surgery — minimally invasive laparoscopic and hysteroscopic procedures for fibroids, polyps, adhesions, and endometriosis

Laboratory and Success Rates

Genesis's IVF laboratory is directed by Alka Goyal, PhD, HCLD/CC, whose federal HCLD (High Complexity Laboratory Director) and CC (Clinical Consultant) credentials represent the highest regulatory tier for embryology laboratory oversight. The lab utilizes vitrification for egg and embryo cryopreservation, time-lapse embryo monitoring, and advanced PGT services through validated biopsy and sequencing protocols. Genesis has consistently reported low multiple-pregnancy rates, reflecting a practice philosophy that emphasizes single embryo transfer and individualized stimulation protocols rather than maximizing the number of embryos transferred.

Genesis is a SART member clinic with an accredited embryology laboratory, and it reports annual cycle data to the CDC as required by the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act. Most recent publicly available SART data (2019) showed live birth rates of approximately 46% per transfer for patients under 35, 42% for patients aged 35–37, and 39% for patients aged 38–40 using their own eggs — figures broadly in line with national averages for the era. The clinic performed approximately 974 IVF cycles in the 2019 reporting year, making it one of the higher-volume programs in Brooklyn. Patients are encouraged to review current, clinic-specific outcome data directly through the CDC Assisted Reproductive Technology reports and the SART National Summary Report, which publish updated figures on an annual basis and allow age-stratified comparisons across all reporting U.S. clinics.

Patient Experience

Genesis Fertility's 4.3-star Google rating across more than 256 reviews reflects a practice that generates strong loyalty among a subset of patients while also drawing consistent feedback — positive and constructive — about the tradeoffs inherent in a high-volume clinic. Patient reviews most frequently cite the quality and expertise of individual physicians, particularly Dr. Kotlyar and Dr. Chiware, as the clinic's most differentiated strength. Patients describe their physicians as knowledgeable, accessible by email between appointments, and genuinely compassionate during treatment cycles that can span months of monitoring visits.

The Brooklyn Bay Parkway location is also noted for its practical convenience: a pharmacy occupies the first floor of the building, allowing patients to fill injectable medications immediately after morning monitoring appointments — a meaningful logistical convenience for a patient population navigating tight work schedules and high-frequency monitoring visits. The clinic's multilingual staff — with Russian-speaking physicians and staff available — resonates with the large Russian-speaking and Eastern European communities in Bensonhurst and surrounding Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Reviewers who note areas for improvement tend to identify wait times on busy monitoring mornings as the primary friction point, an experience common to high-volume fertility practices where cycle timing is inherently unpredictable. A minority of reviewers noted that the scale of the practice can make patients feel less individually recognized than at smaller boutique clinics. Patients whose monitoring cycles fell on weekends have also noted that the Brooklyn surgical center used for egg retrievals has limited weekend availability, which can require retrieval timing adjustments. These are meaningful considerations for patients choosing between a large established practice and a smaller independent clinic — both models have genuine tradeoffs.

For patients who value access to a broad physician team, a long institutional track record in Brooklyn, multilingual staff, and a single practice that can manage everything from basic IUI to complex donor egg or gestational carrier cycles under one clinical umbrella, Genesis represents one of the most comprehensive options in the outer boroughs.

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

New York State has one of the strongest fertility insurance mandates in the country. Under state law, large-group commercial health plans — those covering employers with 100 or more employees — are required to cover up to three IVF cycles. The mandate also applies without discrimination based on marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, meaning single women and same-sex couples are entitled to the same coverage as married heterosexual couples. Genesis accepts most major commercial insurance plans, and the practice maintains a dedicated financial counseling team to help patients understand their coverage, obtain prior authorizations, and navigate the mandate's requirements.

For patients whose insurance does not cover fertility treatment — including those on small-group plans, self-insured employer plans, or Medicare/Medicaid — Genesis offers access to multiple financing programs. These include partnerships with ARC Fertility (shared-risk IVF programs), CapexMD and Future Family (low-interest fertility-specific loans), and WINfertility (employer benefit programs). The clinic also assists qualifying patients in accessing the New York State DOH Infertility Demonstration Program, a state grant program that provides financial support to privately insured individuals whose insurance coverage for IVF has been exhausted or is inadequate. Patients are encouraged to contact Genesis's financial counselors early in the process to map out coverage before beginning a treatment cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Genesis Fertility accept patients who are single or in same-sex relationships? Yes. New York State's fertility insurance mandate explicitly prohibits discrimination based on marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Genesis serves single women, same-sex female couples, and same-sex male couples (through gestational carrier arrangements), and its insurance billing team is experienced in navigating coverage for all family structures.

What are Genesis's Brooklyn office hours, and where exactly is it located? The Bay Parkway flagship clinic is located at 6010 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11204, and can be reached at (718) 283-8600. The clinic also maintains a Park Slope location at 808 8th Avenue. Both offices offer early morning monitoring hours to accommodate patients who work standard business hours. Patients should confirm current hours with the clinic directly, as morning monitoring schedules typically begin before standard office opening times.

How does Genesis handle egg retrieval scheduling on weekends? Some patient reviewers have noted that the Brooklyn Surgery Center used for egg retrievals has limited weekend availability, which can occasionally require adjustments to retrieval timing. Patients on tightly scheduled stimulation cycles should discuss weekend retrieval logistics with their care team at the start of their IVF cycle so that contingency plans are established before the trigger shot is administered.

Does Genesis offer PGT (preimplantation genetic testing)? Yes. Genesis offers both PGT-A (aneuploidy screening, formerly called PGS) and PGT-M (monogenic/single-gene disorder testing) through its embryology laboratory. PGT-A tests embryos for chromosomal normalcy before transfer and is commonly recommended for patients over 37, those with recurrent pregnancy loss, or those with repeated implantation failure. PGT-M can test for specific inherited conditions in families with a known genetic mutation. Dr. Kotlyar and the clinical team will advise whether PGT is appropriate based on a patient's specific history and goals.