Huntsville IVF clinic to close after 20 years of service

Huntsville Reproductive Medicine, an IVF clinic in Alabama, will close on January 1. This decision follows a period when many clinics suspended IVF services due to a state Supreme Court ruling, but Huntsville continued treatments.

Dr. Andrew Harper, the clinic’s medical director, announced this closure after 20 years of service. The clinic will stop accepting new patients after September 5.

In February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, raising concerns about potential legal consequences for IVF providers if embryos were not successfully implanted. This led some clinics to temporarily halt their IVF services, fearing wrongful death lawsuits.

Harper decided to keep his clinic operational during this period. He expressed his determination to continue services despite potential legal challenges.

In response to the ruling, Alabama lawmakers quickly passed legislation to protect IVF providers and patients from legal repercussions related to embryo destruction. The governor signed this bill into law in early March.

Harper clarified that the clinic’s closure is not politically driven. After two years of attempting to sell the clinic, he opted to join a New York practice, aiming to retire in the coming years. He saw this move as a personal decision for a change of pace.

Current patients will continue their treatments as planned. Harper stated that this decision was motivated by personal reasons and the desire for a new environment.

This announcement follows a similar decision by Mobile Infirmary, which will also end its IVF services by the year’s end due to litigation concerns.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Huntsville Reproductive Medicine and the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Mobile Infirmary are among the eight assisted reproductive technology providers in Alabama.