Northern California Fertility Medical Center (NCFMC) has been helping patients build families from its Sacramento campus since 1992. Located at 4320 Auburn Blvd near Interstate 80, the clinic serves the Sacramento metropolitan area, the broader Central Valley, and patients traveling from across Northern California's inland communities. Its position in the state capital makes it an accessible hub for residents of the foothills, the Delta, and the Sierra Nevada corridor who would otherwise face long drives to San Francisco Bay Area clinics. Google reviewers give the practice a 4.3-star rating across more than 190 reviews, and Newsweek has ranked it among the top ten fertility clinics in California. With a team of four board-certified reproductive endocrinologists and infertility (REI) specialists, a board-certified urologist, and a full-service embryology laboratory, NCFMC offers comprehensive fertility care under one roof.
Physicians and Clinical Team
NCFMC's physician roster combines decades of clinical experience with fellowship training at leading academic medical centers.
Michael J. Murray, MD — Medical Director completed his OB/GYN residency at Oregon Health Sciences University and his REI fellowship at the University of North Carolina in 1999. He is double board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology. Before joining NCFMC he held a faculty position at UC Davis and served as Division Director at Kaiser Permanente. His clinical focus spans reproductive surgery, fibroid removal, and advanced assisted reproductive technology (ART).
Sahar M. Stephens, MD earned her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in 2007, completed her OB/GYN residency at Washington University — serving as Administrative Chief Resident — and finished her REI fellowship at the University of Colorado Denver in 2014. She holds dual board certification in OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr. Stephens is known for her expertise in reproductive surgery, particularly minimally invasive and robotic-assisted laparoscopic techniques.
Manuel A. Doblado, MD is a Washington University School of Medicine graduate who completed his OB/GYN residency at the University of Colorado and his REI fellowship at UC San Diego. He is board-certified in both OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr. Doblado earned the Gold CREOG award during residency and has received medical student and resident teaching honors from UCSD and Kaiser Permanente.
Philip Chenette, MD joined the practice in 2025, bringing more than 30 years of advanced fertility care experience to the team. His addition further deepens the clinic's bench of REI-trained expertise.
Suzanne E. Generao, MD is a board-certified urologist who attended Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed her urology residency at UC Davis. She trained in male infertility and microsurgery with Dr. John Gould at NCFMC and focuses exclusively on male factor infertility evaluation and surgical care.
The clinical team is supported by advanced practice providers including Angela Brooks (FNP-C), who has a particular focus on LGBTQ+ family-building; Celeste Hill (PA-C), a former senior embryologist; Fiona Wang (PA-C), a Stanford-trained provider fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin; and Maria Tuite (WHNP-C), a Vanderbilt-trained nurse practitioner specializing in sexual and reproductive health.
Services and Treatments
NCFMC provides a broad menu of fertility services designed to address the full spectrum of reproductive challenges:
- IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) — conventional and natural-cycle protocols
- IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) — for unexplained infertility, ovulatory disorders, and same-sex couples
- Egg Freezing (Oocyte Cryopreservation) — for elective fertility preservation and medical indications
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) — including PGT-A for aneuploidy screening and PGT-M for monogenic conditions
- Donor Egg IVF — coordinated in-house
- Donor Embryo Transfers
- Surrogacy / Gestational Carrier Coordination
- Male Infertility Evaluation and Treatment — including microsurgical procedures performed by Dr. Generao
- At-Home Semen Analysis (via Sapyen)
- Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) Evaluation and Treatment
- LGBTQ+ Family-Building — inclusive protocols for same-sex couples, single parents by choice, and transgender patients
- International Patient Services — the clinic's I-80 corridor location provides straightforward access from Sacramento International Airport
- Nitronox Pain Management — nitrous oxide analgesia for in-office procedures
For a broader overview of the IVF process, see our IVF guide.
Laboratory and Success Rates
The NCFMC embryology laboratory is accredited and directed by Scott Purcell, PhD, HCLD (High-Complexity Laboratory Director). The lab supports the full IVF workflow from egg retrieval and fertilization through extended blastocyst culture, embryo biopsy for genetic testing, vitrification, and frozen embryo transfer. Embryos are cultured for five to seven days under continuous monitoring.
NCFMC reports its outcomes annually to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the most recent SART data, the clinic performed 1,679 total cycles in 2023. Live birth rates per transfer using the patient's own eggs were 61.5% for patients under 35, 45.2% for patients aged 35–37, and 30.6% for patients aged 38–40. These figures are broadly consistent with national averages for high-volume fertility programs.
Patients can review independently verified cycle-by-cycle outcome data through the SART clinic outcome report for NCFMC and through the CDC ART National Summary Report. The clinic is open 365 days a year, including weekends and holidays, to support patients through active monitoring cycles.
Patient Experience
Patient reviews consistently highlight several themes that set NCFMC apart from larger regional competitors. Many reviewers praise the continuity of care — the ability to see the same physician and care team throughout a cycle rather than rotating through a large group practice. The clinic's multilingual capabilities (Cantonese and Mandarin through PA Fiona Wang, and Spanish-language resources) have earned recognition from Sacramento's diverse patient population.
The LGBTQ+ inclusivity built into the clinic's protocols — formalized through FNP Angela Brooks's focus on queer family-building — is frequently cited in reviews from same-sex couples and single parents by choice. Patients also note the clinic's willingness to answer questions thoroughly and provide educational resources, including injection training videos available through the patient portal. The physical location off I-80 in northeastern Sacramento is considered easy to reach from Roseville, Elk Grove, Folsom, and the greater Capital Region.
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
California does not currently have a comprehensive IVF insurance mandate applicable to all fully insured group health plans, though state law does require some large group plans to cover certain infertility diagnoses and procedures. NCFMC works with a wide network of major carriers and specialty fertility benefit programs, including:
- Aetna (Center of Excellence designation)
- Blue Cross / Blue Shield (PPO and HMO Blue Distinction Centers)
- Cigna PPO/HMO (Center of Excellence)
- United Healthcare
- Optum Fertility Solutions
- Progyny (employer fertility benefit)
- Maven (employer fertility benefit)
- TriWest Alliance
- UC Davis Medical Group
Published fee-for-service pricing starts at approximately $14,350 for a first IVF cycle, $13,200 for an egg-freezing cycle including one year of storage, and $1,895–$3,950 for an IUI cycle (medications are billed separately). Donor egg IVF packages start at approximately $34,400.
Patients without insurance coverage can access financing through Future Family and ARC Fertility, both of which offer multi-cycle packages, refund programs, and low-monthly-payment loan structures. The clinic's financial counselors are available to review individual insurance benefits before the first consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NCFMC accept patients from outside Sacramento? Yes. The clinic actively serves patients from across Northern California's inland region, including the Sierra foothills, the Central Valley, and the greater Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta area. International patients are also welcomed; the clinic cites its proximity to Sacramento International Airport as a logistical advantage for those traveling from out of state or abroad.
What makes NCFMC a good choice for LGBTQ+ patients? The practice has invested in LGBTQ+-specific care protocols and employs FNP Angela Brooks — herself a three-time egg donor — whose clinical focus centers on queer and gender-diverse family-building. Reciprocal IVF, donor sperm IUI, and gestational surrogacy coordination are all available in-house.
How does NCFMC handle male infertility? Unlike most fertility clinics that refer male patients offsite, NCFMC employs a board-certified urologist, Dr. Suzanne Generao, on staff. She performs comprehensive male infertility evaluations and microsurgical procedures, including vasectomy reversals and sperm retrieval, within the same practice. At-home semen analysis kits (Sapyen) are also available for an initial evaluation.
Where can I find NCFMC's verified IVF success rates? The clinic reports annually to SART and the CDC. You can view multiple years of outcome data on the SART online reporting system. For context on how those numbers compare statewide, browse our guide to fertility clinics in California.