ORM Fertility (Portland, OR): Patient Guide

4.2 stars · 808 SW 15th Ave, Portland, OR 97205 · Est. 1989

Portland sits at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the northern end of the Pacific Northwest — a region with a long and progressive history of expanding access to family-building services for all kinds of patients. Oregon Reproductive Medicine, now operating as Pinnacle Fertility Oregon following its acquisition by the Pinnacle Fertility network, has been at the center of that story since 1989. What began as a small reproductive endocrinology practice has grown into one of the most recognized fertility programs in the Pacific Northwest, maintaining two Portland-area locations (Downtown and Southside) and a reputation that extends well beyond Oregon's borders.

The clinic, still widely known by its original branding as ORM Fertility, was recognized on Newsweek's list of Top 100 Fertility Clinics in the United States — an acknowledgment consistent with its clinical depth, laboratory investment, and pioneering work in donor egg and surrogacy services. ORM has handled third-party reproduction for international patients, LGBTQ+ family-builders, and single intended parents for decades, giving it a track record in these more complex pathways that most regional fertility practices cannot match. For patients in Portland, Eugene, the broader Willamette Valley, and even parts of southern Washington and Idaho, it functions as the region's flagship destination for high-complexity reproductive care.

Physicians and Clinical Team

ORM Fertility's physician team is composed of board-certified reproductive endocrinologists and infertility (REI) specialists — all of whom completed the rigorous two-year subspecialty fellowship required after an OB/GYN residency. The depth and longevity of this team is unusual even for a well-established regional program.

Dr. John S. Hesla, MD is one of the founding architects of ORM's clinical program, having co-founded the clinic's IVF lab in 1999 after a career that included serving as Director of IVF at Johns Hopkins Hospital, founding Emory University's IVF program, and co-directing the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine's IVF program. A native Oregonian, Dr. Hesla completed his undergraduate education at Harvard University, earned his medical degree at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), did his residency at UCLA, and completed his REI fellowship at Johns Hopkins. He is board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and serves as Medical Director of Parents Via Egg Donation (PVED). With over 35 years in reproductive medicine, Dr. Hesla helped build one of the first embryology laboratory clean rooms in the world — a technical foundation that still informs the lab's precision today.

Dr. Brandon J. Bankowski, MD, MPH joined ORM in 2005 and has developed a particular expertise at the intersection of IVF and reproductive genomics. He completed his undergraduate training at Cornell University, earned his medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine, completed his residency and REI fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and holds a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Bankowski is board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and has co-extended ORM's services internationally to patients in Europe and the Middle East. His research portfolio includes peer-reviewed work on the relationship between periodontal bacteria and recurrent pregnancy loss and studies examining acupuncture's impact on IVF outcomes.

Dr. Elizabeth A. Barbieri, MD, FACOG brought her expertise to ORM in 2009 after completing her undergraduate education at Yale University, her medical degree at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and her OB/GYN residency at Northwestern University's McGaw Medical Center. She is board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Barbieri specializes in IVF, genetic etiologies of infertility, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and fertility preservation, and emphasizes individualized, empowering care — particularly for women navigating decisions about reproductive health timing.

Dr. Amanda Hurliman, MD is a board-certified REI specialist who joined ORM in 2013 with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ family-building. She completed her medical education and training at Oregon Health and Science University and the University of Vermont, and received the prestigious ASRM/SREI National Research Service Institutional Training Award for her fellowship research — a recognition that places her among the top academic producers from her training cohort.

Dr. Marissa Luck, MD is the clinic's newest addition, joining for patient care in March 2026. Dr. Luck earned her medical degree from OHSU, completed her OB/GYN residency at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, and returned to OHSU for her REI fellowship — making her one of the few Oregon-trained physicians to complete every stage of subspecialty training within the state. She previously worked as an andrologist at ORM before pursuing fellowship, giving her familiarity with the clinic's laboratory systems and patient population from the start.

Services and Treatments

ORM Fertility operates as a full-service reproductive endocrinology center. The service line covers the complete spectrum of evidence-based fertility care:

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) — conventional stimulation and freeze-all protocols
• Intrauterine insemination (IUI) — for mild male factor, unexplained infertility, and LGBTQ+ patients using donor sperm
• Egg freezing and fertility preservation — elective social freezing and medically indicated preservation (oncofertility)
• Donor egg IVF — one of ORM's longest-standing and most developed programs, with a curated donor database
• Gestational surrogacy — full surrogacy support for intended parents, including LGBTQ+ couples and single parents
• Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A and PGT-M) — aneuploidy screening and monogenic disease testing via the affiliated ORM Genomics laboratory
• Embryo donation and adoption
• Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) evaluation and treatment
• Male fertility evaluation — semen analysis, sperm DNA fragmentation testing, and referral pathways for surgical sperm retrieval
• Third-party reproduction coordination — for international patients, same-sex couples, and single intended parents
• LGBTQ+ family-building programs — reciprocal IVF (partner egg IVF), known-donor insemination, and sperm donor coordination
• Fertility testing and ovarian reserve assessment — AMH, antral follicle count, and hormone panels
• Reproductive surgery — hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, and surgical evaluation of uterine and tubal factors

The clinic's donor egg and surrogacy capabilities deserve particular emphasis. ORM built its national and international reputation substantially on these programs, and its infrastructure for managing third-party cycles — legal coordination, donor screening, psychological evaluation, and cycle synchronization — is among the most developed in the Pacific Northwest.

Laboratory and Success Rates

The embryology laboratory at ORM Fertility is a specialized, controlled-environment facility — descended from the clean-room design Dr. Hesla helped pioneer in 1999. The affiliated ORM Genomics laboratory performs preimplantation genetic testing, extending diagnostic capability beyond standard embryology into chromosomal analysis and single-gene disorder screening. Maintaining a dedicated genomics subsidiary is unusual for a regional program and reflects ORM's historical investment in laboratory infrastructure as a competitive differentiator.

ORM reports its cycle outcomes to SART (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology), the primary industry body for standardized fertility clinic outcome reporting. SART data is independently collected and published, making it the most reliable basis for comparing clinic performance. Patients evaluating ORM's success rates should consult the SART Clinic Summary Report directly and compare age-stratified cumulative live birth rates — the most complete measure of what a patient starting a retrieval cycle can expect across all resulting transfers. The clinic's SART profile is publicly accessible via the SART Clinic Summary Report for Pinnacle Fertility Oregon. For broader national benchmarks, the CDC ART Surveillance Report provides independent federal data on assisted reproductive technology outcomes across all U.S. reporting clinics.

ORM has consistently performed at or above national averages according to historical SART reporting. Patients comparing clinics should weight cumulative live birth rate data for their own age group rather than headline per-transfer rates, which can be inflated by patient selection. See our IVF guide for a detailed explanation of how to interpret SART data.

Patient Experience

Patient reviews across platforms reflect several consistent themes for ORM Fertility. The clinical staff — particularly nurses and patient navigators — receive frequent mention as communicative and emotionally attuned, a meaningful attribute in a treatment context where patients are often navigating anxiety alongside complex medical decisions. The medical team is widely described as knowledgeable and thorough, with several reviewers noting that physicians took time to explain protocol decisions and adjust plans based on individual responses.

The clinic's inclusive culture, particularly for LGBTQ+ patients and single parents, is a recurring positive theme in reviews. ORM built intentional programming around these populations decades before most fertility clinics explicitly addressed them, and that institutional familiarity shows in how staff communicate and how protocols are structured for non-heteronormative family-building paths.

As with any high-volume IVF program, some patients have noted that communication during active treatment cycles can feel impersonal or delayed during busy periods — a structural challenge for practices managing hundreds of concurrent cycles. Patients with specific communication style preferences may find it useful to discuss expectations with their care team at the initial consultation.

The downtown Portland location at 808 SW 15th Ave is accessible via public transit, an important logistical consideration given that IVF monitoring cycles require frequent morning appointments during stimulation phases. The Southside location provides additional access for patients in Southwest Portland, Lake Oswego, and the broader South Willamette Valley corridor.

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

Oregon's insurance mandate landscape occupies a middle ground. The state requires fully-insured health plans to cover fertility preservation services for patients facing iatrogenic infertility (such as cancer patients needing to freeze eggs before chemotherapy), but Oregon does not impose a comprehensive IVF mandate that covers most infertility patients. Some larger employers with self-insured plans operating in Oregon do include fertility benefits, particularly as employer-sponsored coverage has expanded nationally — patients should contact their HR department or benefits administrator to determine what their specific plan covers before assuming out-of-pocket responsibility.

In practice, most ORM patients fund a meaningful portion of their care privately. ORM's billing and financial counseling team verifies insurance benefits and can help identify what diagnostic tests, cycle monitoring, or medications may be eligible for reimbursement under partial coverage plans.

For out-of-pocket costs, ORM has partnered with Prosper Healthcare Lending, a specialty medical finance company that offers loans up to $100,000 with terms extending to 84 months, no retroactive interest, and no prepayment penalties. Decisions on loans under $35,000 are typically returned immediately. This can make per-cycle costs manageable for patients who need to spread payments over time.

ORM does not offer a shared-risk or refund guarantee program — a distinction worth noting for patients comparing clinics on financial risk structure. Patients who want a refund program as a hedge against unsuccessful cycles should discuss this explicitly with the financial counseling team to understand current program availability. For a full comparison of Oregon fertility insurance coverage, see our guide to fertility clinics in Oregon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ORM Fertility the same as Pinnacle Fertility Oregon?

Yes. Oregon Reproductive Medicine rebranded as ORM Fertility in 2019 to mark its 30th anniversary, and subsequently joined the Pinnacle Fertility network. The clinic's Portland locations now operate as Pinnacle Fertility Oregon, though the ORM name remains in wide use and the ormfertility.com domain continues to redirect to Pinnacle Fertility's Oregon pages. The clinical team, laboratory, and operational infrastructure are continuous with the original ORM practice.

What makes ORM a strong option for LGBTQ+ patients and single parents?

ORM has offered structured LGBTQ+ family-building programs since well before inclusive fertility care became standard practice. Its service line covers reciprocal IVF (where one partner provides eggs and the other carries), known-donor sperm protocols, anonymous donor sperm coordination, gestational surrogacy for same-sex male couples and single fathers, and co-parent IVF arrangements. Dr. Hurliman joined the practice specifically with LGBTQ+ family-building as a focus. The administrative team is experienced with the legal and logistical paperwork involved in third-party reproduction, which reduces the burden on patients navigating donor or surrogacy agreements for the first time.

How do I access ORM's SART outcome data?

SART publishes annual clinic-specific outcome reports on its public website. The most recent available data for ORM (listed as Pinnacle Fertility Oregon) can be found directly through the SART online reporting portal. Look for the cumulative live birth rate column for your age group, which accounts for all transfers from a single retrieval — this is a more complete metric than per-transfer rates alone. Our IVF guide walks through how to interpret these numbers in the context of your own diagnosis and history.

Does ORM accept insurance for IVF treatment?

ORM's billing team verifies insurance benefits for each patient individually. Oregon does not mandate broad IVF coverage, so whether your plan covers any part of an IVF cycle depends on your specific insurer and employer. Many fully-insured Oregon health plans cover diagnostic testing and some fertility medications even when they do not cover IVF procedures. Patients with employer-sponsored self-insured plans may have more generous benefits if their employer has elected to include fertility coverage — increasingly common among mid-to-large employers in the Pacific Northwest tech and healthcare sectors. ORM's financial team can confirm coverage details before treatment begins.