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About Our Staff
Frequently asked questions regarding Clarian Reproductive Biology Laboratory accreditation and staff experience:
Q: Is the Clarian Reproductive Biology Laboratory accredited?
A: Yes, the lab is inspected and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JACHO) every two years.
Q: Are the laboratory staff members certified?
A: Yes, staff are encouraged and supported in their efforts to become certified by the American Board of Bioanalysts (ABB) as technical supervisors (TS) in the specialty of andrology and/or embryology when they have acquired the laboratory skills associated with each specialty. To become certified by ABB, staff are required to have significant experience in assisted reproductive technology (ART) to sit for the examination, then they must pass a written examination in either embryology or andrology. All staff participate in continuing education opportunities locally and nationally to attain and maintain their certification. All of our lab staff are board-certified ART technicians. This is a voluntary accreditation which CRBI supports because we support the ongoing education and professionalism of our IVF staff. To maintain accreditation, staff are required to attend national seminars and programs on the newest advances in the ART field.
Q. Is the laboratory director certified?
A: Yes,
Carole Wegner, Ph.D., H.C.L.D is the Director of Embryology /ART for the Center for Reproductive Biology of Indiana, LLC. (CRBI). She has been working as a reproductive biologist for over 20 years.
As an undergraduate in Zoology at Kent State University , she performed research on sperm maturation proteins. She completed her Ph.D. in Physiology at Penn State University where she investigated hormonally-regulated fertility proteins. Dr. Wegner then conducted research on embryo attachment to the uterus, supported in part by a National Institutes of Health National Research Service Award, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston , Texas . She moved to Pittsburgh , PA. to become the Chief Scientist, IVF at Western Pennsylvania Hospital and then, the Laboratory Director of Assisted Reproductive Technology at St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While in Pittsburgh , she performed research on placental cells at the Magee Women's Research Institute. Dr. Wegner joined Clarian Health Partners in 2002 as Director of Embryology/ART for Clarian's Reproductive Biology Laboratory. When Clarian sold it's laboratory to CRBI on September 1, 2005, Dr. Wegner chose to stay on as CRBI's laboratory director, because of the strong team of infertility specialists working at CRBI.
Dr. Wegner is board-certified as a High-Complexity Clinical Laboratory Director (HCLD) by the American Board of Bioanalysis, and is a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Society for the Study of Reproduction, American Association of Bioanalysts and College of Reproductive Biologists . Dr. Wegner is a professional member of Resolve, the infertility support group. Dr. Wegner is married and has two children.
Q: Does the lab participate in proficiency testing programs?
A: Yes, the lab participates in the American Association of Bioanalysts Proficiency Testing Service and the WSLH Proficiency Testing Service.. The lab also performs proficiency testing in the lab on every procedure and test in clinical use.
Q: How experienced are the lab staff?
A: The Clarian Reproductive Biology Laboratory staff are experienced and certified.
Patricia, Gamete Biologist II, certified as a Technical Supervisor, American Board of Bioanalysts (ABB), since 1987 in ART
Alicia, Gamete Biologist II, has a Masters degree in Physiology from Purdue. Her research focus area was embryology. Alicia has been board-certified as a Technical Supervispr(ABB) since 2006.
Q: Who do I call with scheduling and billing questions?
A: Katherine, our program secretary, will be happy to discuss with you various issues including:
* Scheduling for semen analysis
* Embryo and semen cryobanking
* Billing questions and concerns
You can reach her at (317) 817-1147.
