The Center for Reproductive Endocrinology, Dallas — An Honest Editorial Review

Dallas is one of the most competitive fertility care markets in the South. The metro is home to a dozen-plus reproductive endocrinology practices, ranging from national corporate networks to deeply independent single-physician boutiques. The Center for Reproductive Endocrinology — known locally as CRE, and formerly as Sher Fertility Institute of Texas before its rebranding — occupies a distinctive middle position: a two-physician independent practice with the resources of a full on-site IVF laboratory and nearly two decades of institutional continuity in Dallas. Founded in 2006 by Dr. Walid Saleh out of the Sher Institute's national network, the clinic has since grown into a standalone practice serving patients not only from the Dallas-Fort Worth area but from as far as Oklahoma and Louisiana. Its 4.9-star patient rating across nearly 900 reviews reflects something more than good marketing — it reflects a practice model built explicitly around access and trust. Understanding what CRE actually offers, and where it fits relative to other Dallas options, requires a close look at the people, the lab, and the patient experience.

Physicians and Clinical Team

CRE's clinical identity rests on two board-certified reproductive endocrinologists and infertility specialists (REIs), both of whom hold dual board certifications and have structured careers around complex, difficult-to-treat cases.

Dr. Walid Saleh, MD is the clinic's founder and senior physician. He earned his medical degree at the American University of Beirut, completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Bridgeport Hospital/Yale University, and then pursued an OB/GYN residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. His three-year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility — completed at Stanford University School of Medicine in 1996 — places him among the earlier generation of American-trained REIs who developed their technical practice when the IVF field itself was still consolidating its evidence base. He is board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and the subspecialty of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. His peer-recognition record is extensive: he has received the Patients' Choice Award and Compassionate Doctor Award (2010–2014), was listed as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor (2012–2013), and has been identified by the Expert Network as a Distinguished Doctor — a designation awarded to the top 3% of infertility specialists in the country. Awards given to fewer than 6% of U.S. physicians have been part of his recognition record across multiple years. Dr. Saleh's stated clinical focus areas include IVF, PCOS, male infertility, and recurrent miscarriage.

Patient accounts describe him as unusually warm for a physician who handles high-stakes, emotionally loaded cases. One frequently cited theme: he uses humor deliberately to reduce anxiety during appointments. Others note his responsiveness — he is accessible by appointment, phone, and email in a way that patients coming from other practices find notable. As one review puts it, "Dr. Saleh is probably the kindest physician I have ever met."

Dr. Stephen Collins, MD is the clinic's second REI and brings a younger credential set that complements Dr. Saleh's longer clinical history. Dr. Collins graduated from Emory University School of Medicine and completed his OB/GYN residency at Yale School of Medicine before undertaking a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is board certified in OB/GYN and the subspecialty of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and is affiliated with Medical City Dallas. Unlike some clinicians who focus solely on clinical practice, Dr. Collins has maintained an active academic profile: he has authored numerous medical and scientific publications, including research on preimplantation genetic testing cost-effectiveness, precision reproductive medicine approaches, and ethical considerations in fertility care. He is a member of multiple national and international medical societies. Patient reviews describe him as "one of the most kind, knowledgeable, and skilled doctors," with particular praise for his bedside manner during difficult cycles. One patient noted: "We got pregnant on our first IVF try with Dr. Collins and felt very well cared for throughout the process."

The two-physician structure means patients at CRE are not navigating a large practice where physician continuity is uncertain. The clinic explicitly emphasizes consistent provider continuity — patients see the same doctor and nurse across their appointments, which is not standard at higher-volume practices.

Services and Treatments

CRE offers the full clinical range of reproductive medicine, with meaningful breadth for a two-physician practice:

• IVF and ICSI — The flagship service, performed in the clinic's on-site laboratory. ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) is the standard adjunct for male-factor cases.
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) — Appropriate for unexplained infertility, mild male factor, and donor-sperm cycles.
• Donor Egg IVF — An established donor egg program for patients with diminished ovarian reserve, poor prior response, or age-related egg quality decline.
• Gestational Surrogacy — Clinical care coordination for intended parents and gestational carriers.
• Elective Egg Freezing and Fertility Preservation — Including oncofertility preservation for patients facing illness-related treatment.
• Genetic Testing (PGT) — Preimplantation genetic testing available for aneuploidy screening and single-gene disorder detection.
• Gender Selection — Offered through PGT-based embryo biopsy and selection.
• LGBT Family Building — Services including donor-sperm IUI, reciprocal IVF, and surrogacy pathways.
• Rapid Fertility Screening — An expedited diagnostic pathway for patients who want to understand their baseline status quickly.
• Male Fertility Testing — Semen analysis and evaluation within the broader diagnostic workup.
• Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) — Specific evaluation and management for patients with histories of multiple losses.
• Complex and Previously Failed IVF Cases — CRE actively markets its willingness to accept patients who have been unsuccessful at other clinics, an important signal for those who have exhausted easier options.

For a detailed walkthrough of what to expect during a treatment cycle, see our IVF guide.

Laboratory and Success Rates

CRE operates a fully accredited, 8,000-square-foot IVF laboratory on-site — a meaningful differentiator from practices that outsource embryology work to third-party labs. On-site labs allow faster embryo-to-transfer workflows, tighter quality control, and direct physician oversight of laboratory conditions. The 8,000-square-foot footprint is substantial for a two-physician independent practice, suggesting meaningful investment in the technical infrastructure of embryology rather than a stripped-down approach.

For quantitative SART outcome data, CRE directs patients to the SART national database at sartcorsonline.com, where the clinic's reported cycle outcomes can be reviewed alongside national benchmarks. The clinic's own site emphasizes "competitive success rates" but — in keeping with responsible disclosure norms — does not publish aggregate percentages on its public pages, noting that "a comparison of clinic success rates may not be meaningful because patient medical characteristics, treatment approaches, and entry criteria for ART may vary from clinic to clinic." That is the correct position; headline live-birth percentages without patient population context can be misleading, particularly for practices that accept harder cases. Patients considering CRE should access the SART report directly and discuss the data with their physician during consultation to contextualize it for their specific diagnosis.

The clinic's PRO-NOX™ Nitrous Oxide System is worth noting as a patient comfort feature. Available during certain procedures, it offers mild pain relief and anxiety reduction without the recovery time associated with deeper sedation — a small but meaningful quality-of-life addition for egg retrievals and other in-office procedures.

Patient Experience

The 4.9-star rating aggregated across nearly 900 Google reviews is not typical for a fertility clinic. Most fertility practices generate deeply polarized reviews: ecstatic reviews from patients who achieved pregnancies and difficult reviews from those who did not, regardless of the quality of care. A 4.9 average at that volume suggests something more structural — a practice that manages the experience well even when outcomes are not what patients hoped for.

The themes that appear consistently in CRE patient reviews: physician accessibility, care team continuity, and communication that patients describe as honest without being dismissive. Dr. Saleh's style — described by multiple reviewers as joking, energetic, and hopeful while simultaneously being direct about prognosis — appears to hold patients through the emotional difficulty of treatment without false reassurance. Dr. Collins's profile earns consistent praise for the combination of clinical rigor and bedside manner.

The clinic's operational model reinforces the experience: patients are assigned consistent physician-nurse pairs rather than cycling through different providers across appointments. For a population navigating what is for many the most emotionally intense medical experience of their lives, the certainty of knowing who will be in the room matters more than it might in other specialties. CRE has also built out financial counseling and insurance coordination into its standard patient intake process — reducing a common source of anxiety around cost uncertainty before treatment begins.

The Fertility Access Program, which offers flexible and affordable treatment options, is another structural element that addresses one of the most common barriers to fertility care in a state with no IVF insurance mandate.

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

Texas has no state law requiring health insurers to cover IVF or most other fertility treatments. That means coverage, when it exists, flows from employer-level benefit decisions rather than regulatory requirements — and many Texas employers, particularly outside the large-tech sector, offer no fertility coverage at all. For the majority of CRE patients, IVF and related treatments will be a significant out-of-pocket expense.

A standard fresh IVF cycle in the Dallas market typically ranges from $12,000 to $17,000 before medications (typically $3,000–$6,000 additional) and any PGT testing (an additional $3,000–$6,000 depending on the number of embryos biopsied). Patients should request an itemized fee schedule during the initial consultation. CRE offers multiple financing options, a dedicated Fertility Access Program for patients who need cost flexibility, and financial counselors who can assist with insurance verification and prior authorization where applicable. Patients considering the clinic should come to the consultation prepared with their insurance card and a list of benefit questions — the financial counseling team can run an eligibility check on the spot.

For a broader look at the Texas fertility landscape and what to expect when navigating costs without an insurance mandate, see our guide to fertility clinics in Texas.

The CRE Dallas website includes a new patient intake form, physician profiles, and links to the clinic's external SART outcome data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the physicians at the Center for Reproductive Endocrinology in Dallas?

CRE has two board-certified reproductive endocrinologists: Dr. Walid Saleh, MD (fellowship at Stanford University; founder of the clinic in 2006; board certified in OB/GYN and REI; recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor and Expert Network Distinguished Doctor) and Dr. Stephen Collins, MD (fellowship from Emory University School of Medicine and residency at Yale; board certified in OB/GYN and REI; active academic researcher and Medical City Dallas affiliate). Both physicians see patients for consultations, monitoring, retrievals, and transfers — the clinic emphasizes provider continuity throughout treatment.

Does CRE Dallas accept patients who have failed IVF elsewhere?

Yes. CRE explicitly positions its practice as accepting complex cases and patients who have been unsuccessful at other fertility centers. Both Dr. Saleh and Dr. Collins have clinical backgrounds that include treatment of recurrent pregnancy loss, unexplained infertility, immunological causes of infertility, and significant male-factor presentations. Patients with prior failed cycles should prepare a complete treatment history — cycle protocols, embryo outcomes, and any genetic or immunological testing — for the initial consultation.

What does CRE's on-site IVF laboratory mean for patients?

The clinic operates a fully accredited 8,000-square-foot IVF laboratory at its Dallas location. On-site embryology means that egg retrievals, fertilization, embryo culture, and biopsies for PGT are all performed and supervised by the same clinical team managing the patient's care. This is distinct from practices that use off-site or shared embryology services. For patients, on-site laboratory control typically means faster turnaround on fertilization reports and direct physician accountability for lab outcomes.

How does financing work for fertility treatment at CRE?

Texas does not mandate IVF insurance coverage, so most patients pay out of pocket unless their employer provides fertility benefits. CRE offers multiple financing options and a Fertility Access Program for patients who need cost flexibility. The clinic provides dedicated financial counselors who handle insurance coordination, benefit verification, and financing paperwork. Patients should ask for a complete itemized cost estimate — covering the base cycle fee, monitoring, medications, and any add-on services like PGT — during their first consultation to avoid billing surprises mid-cycle.