Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) is one of the largest fertility networks in the United States, and its Rockville, Maryland flagship is where it all began. Founded in 1991 by reproductive endocrinologists Michael J. Levy, M.D., and Arthur W. Sagoskin, M.D., SGF has grown from a single Maryland clinic into a multistate network spanning more than 50 locations, with the Rockville headquarters remaining the heart of the organization. The practice has helped bring more than 100,000 babies into the world and holds more than 5,000 five-star patient reviews across its network. The Rockville office, located at 9601 Blackwell Road on the Maryland/Washington, D.C. border, houses the network's largest IVF and embryology laboratory and serves patients from across the greater D.C. metro area, Northern Virginia, and Maryland. For a broader look at fertility options in the state, see our guide to fertility clinics in Maryland.
Physicians and Clinical Team
SGF Rockville's clinical team includes some of the most credentialed reproductive endocrinologists in the mid-Atlantic region.
Michael J. Levy, M.D. is the co-founder and IVF Director of Shady Grove Fertility. He completed medical school at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, followed by his OB/GYN residency and REI fellowship at George Washington University. Dr. Levy has been instrumental in shaping SGF's clinical protocols and research agenda over more than three decades.
Jeanne E. O'Brien, M.D. serves as Medical Director at Shady Grove Fertility. She holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, earned her M.D. from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and completed both her residency and REI fellowship at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology with subspecialty certification in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.
Micah J. Hill, D.O. completed his OB/GYN residency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu and his REI fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda. He is double board certified in OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. A retired U.S. Army Colonel, Dr. Hill previously directed the Assisted Reproductive Technologies program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He serves as Media Editor for Fertility and Sterility, has held leadership roles as President of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI), and chairs the Quality Assurance Committee for the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). He has contributed to hundreds of peer-reviewed publications.
Arthur W. Sagoskin, M.D. (co-founder, now retired) held a clinical assistant professor appointment in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Georgetown University School of Medicine. He trained in OB/GYN at Allentown Affiliated Hospital–Lehigh Valley Hospital Center and built expertise in operative laparoscopy and IVF over a career spanning more than 25 years at SGF.
Additional physicians on the Maryland/Rockville team include James K. Robinson III, M.D., Lauren Roth, M.D., David S. Saffan, M.D., Paul R. Shin, M.D., Lorna S. Timmreck, M.D., Kathryn C. Humm, M.D., and Joseph Doyle, M.D. All SGF physicians hold board certification or active board eligibility in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, reflecting the network's commitment to subspecialty-trained care.
Services and Treatments
SGF Rockville offers a comprehensive range of fertility diagnostics and treatments, including:
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) — conventional IVF, mini-IVF, and natural-cycle IVF protocols
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) — with or without ovarian stimulation
- Egg Freezing (Oocyte Cryopreservation) — for elective fertility preservation and medical fertility preservation (oncofertility)
- Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
- Donor Egg IVF — access to the nation's largest anonymous donor egg database
- Donor Sperm Services
- Gestational Surrogacy — coordination and referrals through established surrogacy agencies
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT-A, PGT-M, PGT-SR) — chromosomal screening and single-gene disorder testing
- Male Infertility Evaluation and Andrology Services — semen analysis, surgical sperm retrieval coordination
- Ovulation Induction with Clomid or Injectable Gonadotropins
- LGBTQ+ Family Building — reciprocal IVF, donor insemination, and surrogacy pathways
- Oncofertility Services — expedited fertility preservation for patients facing cancer treatment
- Reproductive Surgery Consultations — including operative laparoscopy for endometriosis and fibroids
Patients can schedule monitoring appointments seven days a week at the Rockville location, with early morning hours available to minimize disruption to work schedules.
Laboratory and Success Rates
The Rockville campus is home to SGF's flagship IVF and embryology laboratory, one of the largest in the mid-Atlantic. The lab supports the full SGF Maryland network and employs advanced vitrification technology for egg and embryo freezing, time-lapse embryo imaging, and genetic analysis workflows integrated with PGT partners. SGF has invested in MIRI continuous culture incubators to optimize embryo development conditions.
SGF Rockville reports outcomes annually to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). Prospective patients can review cycle-by-cycle data — including live birth rates per retrieval broken down by patient age — directly on the SART website. As with any high-volume program, reviewing multi-year data provides the most accurate picture of outcomes. For official CDC-reported Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) data, visit the CDC ART National Summary Report. SGF's own website reports a greater than 50% pregnancy rate per embryo transfer across its network, and the practice has cited success rates comparable to or exceeding national averages across most age categories.
SGF's cumulative experience — over 30 years and more than 100,000 births — means physicians have encountered an exceptionally wide range of clinical scenarios, which can be an advantage for patients with complex diagnoses such as diminished ovarian reserve, recurrent pregnancy loss, or prior IVF failures.
Patient Experience
Patients at a large network practice like SGF Rockville can expect a different experience than at a boutique single-physician clinic. The high patient volume means robust infrastructure: early morning monitoring hours, on-site andrology and bloodwork, same-week appointment availability, and a large nursing coordination team. Many patients report efficient, organized workflows and staff who are knowledgeable and current on the latest research.
At the same time, some patients note that care at a large practice can feel less personalized. Monitoring appointments are typically staffed by rotating nurses and sonographers rather than a patient's primary physician. Patients going through emotionally intensive treatment cycles should ask prospective care teams about care coordinator assignment, after-hours nurse lines, and how communication is handled between monitoring visits and retrieval or transfer procedures.
SGF has invested in patient support resources including a dedicated mental health referral network, financial counseling, and educational seminars covering topics from diagnosis through treatment planning. The practice also has an active patient community, and its website provides extensive educational content. Spanish-language support is available at select locations.
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
Maryland is one of a small number of states with a comprehensive infertility insurance mandate. The law requires fully insured health plans to cover IVF procedures, making Rockville-area patients among the most likely in the nation to have meaningful fertility treatment coverage. Over 90% of SGF patients with insurance have coverage for their initial consultation, and approximately 70% have some level of coverage for testing and/or treatment, according to SGF.
Important caveats apply: self-funded employer plans (governed by ERISA) are not subject to Maryland's mandate, and employers with 50 or fewer employees, as well as religious organizations with doctrinal objections, may be exempt. SGF's financial counselors can verify benefits before a first appointment.
For patients without sufficient coverage, SGF offers:
- Shared Risk 100% Refund Program — a flat-fee multi-cycle package (up to six IVF cycles and associated frozen embryo transfers) with a full refund if no live birth results. More than 82% of participants using their own eggs take home a baby.
- Shared Help Program — income-based discounts for qualifying patients.
- Financing partnerships — third-party medical financing through lenders such as CapexMD and others, enabling monthly payment plans.
SGF's financial counselors can walk patients through insurance verification, out-of-pocket estimates, and program eligibility during the initial consultation process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shady Grove Fertility Rockville accept most insurance plans? Yes. SGF works with most major insurance carriers and has dedicated insurance specialists to verify benefits before your first appointment. Because Maryland has an IVF insurance mandate, many local patients with fully insured employer plans have meaningful coverage. SGF's team can tell you exactly what your plan covers before you commit to a treatment path.
What is the Shared Risk Refund Program, and who qualifies? The Shared Risk 100% Refund Program allows eligible patients to pay a flat fee for up to six IVF cycles (including frozen embryo transfers). If no baby is born, the full deposit is refunded. Eligibility is based on age and ovarian reserve testing; a consultation with an SGF physician determines whether the program is a good fit. Over 85% of donor-egg participants in the program have successfully taken home a baby.
How do I know which SGF physician I will see? SGF Rockville has a large physician team, and monitoring appointments (blood draws and ultrasounds) are conducted by nursing staff rather than your primary physician. Your primary REI will oversee your protocol, review results, and perform or supervise retrievals and transfers. Patients who want continuity with a specific physician should discuss that preference at the initial consultation.
What is the difference between IVF treatment with PGT and IVF without PGT? Standard IVF retrieves eggs, fertilizes them in the laboratory, and transfers one or more embryos without chromosomal analysis. PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing) adds a biopsy step on Day 5 or 6 embryos; the biopsied cells are sent to a genetics lab to screen for chromosomal abnormalities (PGT-A) or specific inherited conditions (PGT-M). PGT-A can reduce miscarriage risk and improve per-transfer live birth rates, particularly for patients over 35 or those with prior pregnancy loss. SGF's team will discuss whether PGT is recommended for your clinical situation during your consultation.