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Your Team of Fertility Specialists in the Chicago Area
Modern management of infertility requires many areas of expertise and demands a team approach. At Reproductive Medicine Institute, each fertility specialist at our Chicago area centers draws on his or her own unique experience as a physician, surgeon, andrologist, embryologist, or nurse to optimize your chances for success.
Once you contact us, we will be able to schedule your initial, personal consultation with one of our physicians. After the initial consultation and review of your records, one of our physicians will arrange for the appropriate diagnostic tests and discuss with you the advantages and disadvantages of your various treatment options. Once the optimal treatment has been selected, the fertility expert will supervise its implementation while our nursing staff coordinates different phases of treatment and provides comprehensive education, information, and support specific to your needs. Our laboratory director and his team will perform laboratory testing and will take care of the gametes and embryos to assure optimal chances for conception. Every fertility specialist at our Chicago-area clinics is committed to providing you with the highest quality care.
Administration
- Lisa A. Rinehart, RN, BSN, JD, Chief Operating Officer
- Sherie Everhart, Finance Manager
- Leslie S. Anastos, BA, Assistant Director of Operations
- Ann Grygo, Marketing Manager
Lisa Rinehart, RN, BSN, JD
Lisa A. Rinehart, Chief Operating Officer, has been involved in reproductive medicine in the Chicago area for the past 30 years. First as a nurse, and later as a health care attorney and consultant, Lisa’s experience touches nearly every aspect of infertility management. Lisa helped establish The IVF Institute-Chicago (formerly, The Rinehart Center for Reproductive Medicine) and, today, is responsible for all operational, administrative, marketing, program development and personnel functions at the Center’s locations.
Lisa also teaches through regular seminars and flyers to OB/GYN physicians and their staff, acts as a health law resource for OB/GYN residents at Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, Il and holds an adjunct faculty position at DePaul University, Chicago, IL and Benedictine University, Lisle, IL, where she teaches health law classes in the graduate programs. Lisa is the former president of the Association of Reproductive Managers, a national specialty group of ASRM, and now is an executive board member of the Legal Special Interest Group of the same organization. She is a frequent speaker across the country on reproductive law, management issues and nursing practices.
Our Clinical Staff
A skilled, well-trained, and compassionate nursing staff is a prerequisite for the success of any medical facility, and Reproductive Medicine Institute is no exception. As an important part of our team of fertility specialists, our nurses are required to continue their education and to acquire new skills and new areas of expertise in the field. Our nursing staff participates in the activities of the Chicago Association of Reproductive Endocrinologists (CARE) and the Chicago Institute of ART (CIA) and attends other local meetings and seminars. Our staff is also actively involved in the annual meetings and postgraduate courses given by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and other professional organizations to which they belong. They take formal training courses in pelvic sonography and participate in the annual meetings of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), and many are certified in reproductive endocrinology nursing and certification in pelvic sonography (RDMS).
Clinical Staff
- Tiffany Abrams, CMA
- Huma Ahmed, Surgical Assist./Coordinator
- Sabah Burki, CMA
- Amy Cara, RN
- Cari Crespo, CMA
- Silvia Del Granado, CMA
- Linda DeOrio, RN, RDMS, ART Center Manager
- Rachel Easton, RN, BSN
- Daisy Fernandez, RN
- Krystyna Fitros, BA, CMA
- Yevie Green, CMA
- Mariola Lata, RDMS
- Tracey Laubscher, CMA
- Shirley London, RN
- Lourdes Magee, CMA
- Heather Michalides, RN, BSN,CCRC
- Sonia Quiroz, RN
- Roxy Skopyk, RN
- Yolanda Smith, RN
- Monika Soltys, RN
Linda DeOrio, RNC, RDMS
Linda DeOrio, RNC, RDMS, has been active in the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility (RE/I) nursing for the past 30 years. She played an active role in the establishment of OBFC and has been the Director of Nursing from its inception. She also helped to develop our IVF program and secure Certificate of Accreditation for First Trimester Obstetrical and Gynecological Ultrasound from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. Linda received her National Certification Corporation (NCC) certification in RE/I nursing in 1989 and was certified as a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer in 1994. She is a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM). Her extensive experience and knowledge is a great resource for our patients as they negotiate the sometimes complex treatment plan. Today, Linda is the manager of our brand new ART Center at our Oakbrook location.
Krystyna Fitros, BA, CMA, IVF Coordinator
Krystyna Fitros, BA, CMA, had more than eight years experience as an IVF clinical coordinator, clinical administrator, and office manager before joining our staff in February 2001. As a member of our IVF team, Krystyna coordinates clinical IVF services and assists our patients during their pre-IVF evaluation and IVF procedures. Krystyna speaks fluent Polish and her bi-lingual abilities are especially appreciated by our Polish-speaking patients. Krystyna's experience and dedication, as well as her warm and compassionate personality, win our patients' trust, confidence, and appreciation.
Heather Michalides, RN, BSN, CCRC
Heather Hobbs-Michalides, RN, BSN, CCRC, graduated from Valparaiso University in Indiana with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Heather's nursing experience includes obstetrical/gynecological nursing, medical/surgical nursing, and diabetes care. Heather joined OBFC in early 2004 as a Staff Nurse. In 2008, Heather earned the title of Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC) and assists in research studies. Heather's extensive, well-rounded nursing background and warm professional manner are appreciated by our patients.
Laboratory Staff
- Carli W. Chapman, BS, MS, ELD, Administrative Laboratory Director
- Jianchi Ding, PhD, Scientific Laboratory Director
- Ghada Istanbouli, Andrologist
- Li Liu, Andrology/Laboratory Technician
- Ming Shen, Embryologist
- Lauren Storms, MS, Embryologist
Carli W. Chapman, BS, MS, ELD (ABB)
Carli W. Chapman, Administrative Laboratory Director, has spent over 20 years practicing embryology. She helped launch several successful IVF programs nation-wide, and is considered a leader in the field of embryology. At Reproductive Medicine Institute, Carli oversees all operational areas of the laboratories as well as regulatory and patient care responsibilities, the development of new laboratory programs, and training of all embryology and laboratory personnel.
Carli continues to practice the delicate ART laboratory techniques she has perfected over her years working in reproductive biology with all of RMI's ART patients in a truly patient-oriented, caring manner. An ABB certified embryologist, Carli remains on the cutting edge of the rapidly expanding horizon of reproductive science and medicine, she shares her wealth of experience as a frequent consultant and CAP certified embryology lab inspector, while promoting her primary concern- the care and keeping of her patients’ embryos and interests.
Jianchi Ding, BS, MS, HCLD (ABB), PhD
Dr. Jianchi Ding,Scientific Laboratory Director, studied biology and reproductive physiology at the University of Yangzhou, China, where he received his B.Sc. degree in 1982 and an M.Sc. degree in 1985. He subsequently was appointed to a teaching and research position in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Yangzhou. In 1987, his interest in 'in vitro' fertilization took him to one of the world's leading embryology laboratories - the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetic Research in Cambridge, England. He spent 18 months in Cambridge as a Visiting Scientist. While there, he studied pig oocyte maturation and fertilization, which became the subject of his Ph.D. dissertation. In 1989, Dr. Ding moved to Canada where he continued his research at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, and received his Ph.D. degree there in 1993.
After graduation, he was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada to further continue his research at the Animal Biotechnology and Embryo Laboratory, University of Guelph. The University of Guelph is one of the leading centers in embryo research in North America. There, Dr. Ding spent more than two years studying rabbit primordial germ cells, bovine embryo development 'in vitro,' and embryo freezing. He mastered the micromanipulation techniques of gametes and embryos while at Cambridge and Guelph.
During the past 20 years, he has published more than 23 scientific research papers in peer-review journals and co-authored two major book chapters. He has presented more than 30 scientific reports at national and international meetings. His research findings have been frequently quoted by other authorities in the field.
Dr. Ding joined Drs. Dmowski and Rana in early 1996 and has successfully incorporated his research experience, especially in the area of micromanipulation, into our laboratory technology. He has also established an 'in vitro' co-culture system of embryos and a patient's own endometrial cells. This has improved the success rate in patients with at least one previously failed IVF cycle. Under his direction, our laboratory continues to maintain high success rates. Furthermore, Dr. Ding is certified as a High Complexity Laboratory Director in the area of embryology and andrology. In 1997, Dr. Ding was appointed as a Visiting Professor at the Nanjing Medical University, helping to establish the IVF center there.
Dr. Ding has also been involved in the clinical and basic research studies at the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Endometriosis. These studies produced interesting results leading to new hypotheses on the cause of endometriosis which indicate that women with endometriosis have reduced spontaneous programmed cell death (apoptosis) in their endometrial cells. This reduction of apoptosis may cause the increased viability of endometrial cells shed during the menstrual period, thus leading to their successful implantation outside the uterine cavity.
Adminsitrative / Reception Staff
- Xiomara Acevedo
- Zainub Ashrafi
- Guadalupe Carmona
- Jolanta Guzy
- Farah Husain
- Suzie Koivun
- Lilliana Mejia
- Wanda Newman
- Krystyna Omilianowicz
- Theresa Purchase
- Vivian Rodriguez
- Tina Ward
- Alisa Whitman
Billing Specialists
- Carolyn Campbell
- Shannon Cangiano
- Debbie Cashion