May 2008

For couples struggling with infertility, the quest to start a family can be an extremely emotional and personal journey. Therefore, receiving individualized, compassionate care close to home is very important, and it was one of the many reasons why PAMF recently opened its Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility (REF) Department at the Fremont Center.

The department offers a wide variety of diagnostic services and state-of-the-art fertility treatment options, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and artificial insemination.

Although the Fremont Center only began offering fertility services in January 2008, the REF Department has already helped many patients achieve what had eluded them: pregnancy.

“It’s exciting to get that first phone call after a patient gets a positive pregnancy test, especially if it is a couple who has been struggling with infertility for a long time, and they achieve pregnancy with our assistance,” said Anthony Dobson, M.D., Ph.D.

The Fremont Center’s REF Department is headed by Dr. Dobson, who has nearly 10 years of IVF experience. In addition, the IVF coordinator, Eileen Rabuy, R.N., has 15 years of experience in the field and a deep understanding of not only the medical issues involved in fertility treatment, but also the personal and emotional issues patients must cope with.

“Eileen knows all the questions patients would ever ask, and this makes her a powerful patient advocate,” said Dr. Dobson.

Reena Zamora, Dr. Dobson’s medical assistant, and Elizabeth Alves, the patient service representative, round out the team. A second doctor, Sunny Jun, M.D., will join the group in August.

“Because we are a small team, we can guarantee patients a very personal level of care,” said Dr. Dobson. “The open communication possible in such a close group makes individualizing treatment easy, and each member of the team treats patients with enthusiasm and compassion.”

Dr. Dobson enjoys diagnosing and treating infertility problems so that his patients can realize their dream of becoming parents. “Becoming a parent is such a joy,” said Dr. Dobson, who is a father of four boys between the ages of 1 and 7 years. “Before I had children, I had a purely scientific and clinical interest in reproductive medicine. Now as a parent, I could not imagine not having children, so my heart goes out to couples who are struggling to become parents.”

While in medical school at the University of California, Los Angeles, Dr. Dobson also earned his Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology. Over the years, he developed a strong research interest in finding a genetic reason why the eggs and very early embryos of some women, while appearing normal, fail to implant into the uterus or end in early miscarriage. This interest would later shape his commitment to patient care.

He earned several awards for his work, but ultimately decided that working in a clinical setting for a foundation that also has a research component, like PAMF, better fit his goals of applying what he learns in the lab to providing his patients with information and solutions to fertility problems.

“When I started doing research, my plan was to do something that would help infertile couples in general, but the more I worked with individuals, the more I found that I also enjoyed helping patients one-on-one,” said Dr. Dobson. “I still hope to contribute to infertility research, but I also want to help individual patients realize the joy of becoming parents.”

Learn more about the Fremont Center’s fertility services and different treatment options at www.pamf.org/fertility. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dobson or Dr. Jun, call the Fremont Center at 510-490-1222 or 510-498-2982.