Out of town Patients

The Alabama Center for Reproductive Medicine of Alabama serves many different patient demographics. One common misperception regarding in-vitro fertilization is that one must live in or near a big city to have access to care. However, this is not always the case. At ACRM, we work with patients from not only Alabama or the southeast region, but with patients throughout the entire country.

There are a few different ways that ACRM of Alabama serves our unique patient population. If a patient lives far away, they have the option to schedule an initial phone consultation with either Dr. Long or Karen Hammond, DNP, CRNP. For a $200 fee, these one-hour conversations between the practitioner and a potential patient allow the individual to determine if our services would be the best option for them without requiring them to travel. Some conversation topics might include reviewing previous medical records from OB/GYN or Reproductive Endocrinologists (REI) and discussing treatments, medications, or procedures that might be best for the patient.

For individuals that live within 2-4 hours of Birmingham, we recommend they take the time to drive to our office and meet with us in person. By informing us that you are coming in from out of town, we can do our best to ensure your day with us is spent efficiently. By meeting in person, the provider would be able to potentially prescribe medicine, complete a semen analysis, or determine your best fertility treatment plan. This allows us to establish a more direct and personal relationship with you. In some cases, it is even possible to combine a new-patient and IVF enrollment appointment to maximize your time spent with us.

Following your establishment as a patient, ACRM can work closely with your local OB/GYN or REI for labs and ultrasounds. By providing them with medical orders, a patient can take medicines and complete monitoring visits where it would be most convenient for them without having to travel.

The next time the patient would be required to be in Birmingham personally would be 2-3 days before their egg retrieval. During this time, the patient will meet with Dr. Karen Hammond DNP, CRNP for a final monitoring visit to determine the precise day and time of their egg retrieval appointment. In most cases patients have approximately five days between their retrieval and embryo transfer. During this time, you may elect to go home or stay in the Birmingham area to enjoy the beautiful mountains and beaches conveniently located nearby.

To simplify your visit to Birmingham, ACRM has established partnerships between our medical practice, Brookwood Baptist Hospital, and local businesses to provide access to affordable hotel rates throughout our community. Please contact our office administration for hotel rates and codes for discounts in the area.