For families dealing with fertility issues, the road can be long and heartbreaking. Dr NeeOo Chin started The Fertility Wellness Institute to provide the best care in a compassionate environment with the state-of-the-art technology to help create families one baby at a time.
The story of Dr. Chin is equally as fascinating as the science involved in his chosen profession.
NeeOo Chin was born in Hong Kong and came to the United States at the age of three. His family settled in Cincinnati, where he attended Cincinnati Public Schools, including Withrow High School after he was denied admission to Walnut Hills. It would not be the first time Dr. Chin was doubted and had to change direction, but his mother’s confidence and reassurance kept him going.
Dr. Chin received his undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati. After another denied admission to UC’s medical school, he attended Ohio State University instead, where he finished medical school in three years.
“I would not be where I am or who I am if those disappointments and diversions hadn’t happened,” Dr. Chin says.
He did his OB-GYN residency at Duke University. “I was a second-year resident at Duke when I realized Reproductive Endocrinology was my calling,” he says. “The month I started medical school, the first IVF baby was born in England after so many people said it was impossible. I wanted a happy subspecialty, and the rewards of this subspecialty are immense. I knew what my purpose was.”
Dr. Chin completed his Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship at The Ohio State University in 1987. His passion for reproductive endocrinology turned into a hugely successful career. Since starting his practice in 1987, over 11,000 babies have been born through the assistance of Dr. Chin.
The Fertility Wellness Institute
Dr. Chin opened the Fertility Wellness Institute in 1987, and the new fertility clinic in West Chester opened in 2018.
The science of fertility treatments has improved dramatically in that time. The success rate of in vitro fertilization treatments was approximately 12% in 1987. Today, it is around 61% due to the number of patient options and technologies.
Dr. Chin prides himself on providing many options for his patients and can now do so under one roof.
The Fertility Wellness Institute is a state-of-the-art facility where a woman can receive all the comprehensive care needed during her fertility journey. This includes lab work as well as all the steps involved in the IVF process from start to implantation. The lab is advanced in every area, from air filtration systems to the best safety measures available.
One of these safety measures is the RI Witness System, an identification system used for sperm, eggs and embryos that adds an extra layer of security to each step of the IVF process. All work surfaces in the laboratory and the clinic rooms involving gametes or embryos are equipped with radiofrequency readers coded to identify patients and their reproductive cells. Every culture dish and specimen tube used at any point in the IVF process gets labeled with a unique bar code that links each item to the intended patient’s chart. Each time a patient’s eggs, embryos or sperm are handled in the lab, the embryologist will scan the barcode as additional confirmation that the dishes are correctly labeled and belong to the intended patient.
A Team Approach
This extra step is just one of the many details put into design of the Fertility Wellness Institute. Dr. Chin’s wife, Kim, is the creator of the space.
“As a designer, it was the biggest project I have done so far,” says Kim, who also serves as the vice president and CFO of the Fertility Wellness Institute. “The countless details and regulations involved in building a lab are endless. With the help of our staff, especially Elyssa, who was fundamental in dealing with these regulations, I could not have done it.”
Throughout the space, Kim added the many details that follow their mission: To provide outstanding individualized care in a compassionate and warm environment surrounding you with state-of-the-art technology.
“I designed the space to feel like a home where a woman can feel comfortable sharing,” Kim says.
The Chins are partners in this mission. “What makes us different is we treat the whole individual, who they are and where they are on their fertility journey,” says Dr. Chin.
The first appointment is scheduled for an hour, so there is enough time for the patient and Dr. Chin to get to know one another and begin a level of trust.
“He is one of the best diagnosticians because he listens to what is not being said,” Kim says. “He allows the patient to take the lead, giving the control back to the patient. He advises the patient or couple but lets them make the choice.”
Acupuncture
Kim has had another significant influence on the Fertility Wellness Institute: the addition of acupuncture in fertility treatment.
Dr. Chin has seen its effects firsthand. “About 15 years ago, I became very ill and despite all the medicine that was available, I was not getting better,” he says. “Kim dragged me to her doctor, an M.D. acupuncturist. I was not a believer, but in two hours, my symptoms were better. Within a couple weeks, I was healed.”
Within a month, Dr. Chin enrolled at the Stanford School of Medicine to receive a certification in medical acupuncture. “It was 300 hours and took a little over eight months, all while continuing to operate the practice,” he says.
Dr. Chin now offers acupuncture as part of the fertility journey. “Acupuncture helps to gain a clean slate, an emotional reset. It has a balancing effect where your body heals from within.”
Patients who are dealing with fertility issues can feel overwhelmed. Acupuncture can help relieve some of the stress and can be used throughout the fertility process. “It allows the body to remove any blockages and get the Qi (life force energy) flowing,” Dr. Chin says.
As far as we know, Dr. Chin is the only doctor in the country who shares the subspecialty of reproductive endocrinology and acupuncture, providing a unique service to his patients.
Cutting-Edge Treatment
Along with acupuncture and IVF, Dr. Chin specializes in InvoCell (IVC) and was the first doctor to have a successful pregnancy with IVC in the Ohio and Kentucky area.
IVC is an innovative approach where a woman’s body acts as a natural incubator for fertilization. For many individuals facing fertility challenges, it offers another option for creating a family and one that allows the fertility process to be as natural as possible. Many same-sex couples use this process to allow both individuals to be part of the process.
Dr. Chin has created a practice that gives options to women on their fertility journeys. He credits much of this success to the many staff who have been with him for several years and are a significant part of patient care. Dr. Chin has received countless awards throughout his career, but perhaps there’s no better reward than the 11,000 babies born to happy families.
Kim says, “Everywhere we go, we are blessed to meet the children of our patients. He is like Santa Claus at the Chin Baby reunion events; everyone wants a picture. Dr. Chin is part of their forever story.”
Can Dr. Chin and the Fertility Wellness Institute help in your fertility journey? Visit chinbaby.com for more information.