Virtus Health Achievements at the FSA Conference
Virtus Health operates world-class technology and scientific processes in the field of Assisted Reproductive Technologies and our technology and scientific leadership is verified by the large number of peer reviewed and published research papers and presentations at conferences both in Australia and overseas. Our clinicians and scientists travel the world presenting research, new techniques and patient outcome data.
The Virtus Health Group and its associated fertility clinics Melbourne IVF, IVFAustralia and The Queensland Fertility Group were again well represented at the annual Fertility Society of Australia conference, which was held in Auckland from the 28th to 31st Oct 2012.
Over 40 presentations were delivered by specialists and staff of the Group and the diversity of content covered within the invited presentations reinforces the leading position that the Group takes within reproductive health in Australia. Topics ranged from individualising patient care, through to donor programs, fertility preservation, alternative therapies, and scientific techniques for improved patient outcomes such as testing for Sperm DNA fragmentation.
Virtus Health doctors, nurses, scientists and counsellors presented 38 of the 94 (36%) free communication research presentations at the conference. This is a significant achievement given that the 15 Virtus Health ART clinics in Australia constitute 12% of the 79 registered clinics in Australia and New Zealand. In addition, Virtus Health specialists and scientists delivered 26% of the invited presentations and reviews, a measure of the professional respect in which their experience and expertise is held.
We are especially proud of our winners of two of the five prizes for best presentations at the conference. Queensland Fertility Group’s Director of Nursing, Carmel Carrigan, received the prize for Best Presentation by a Nurse for, ‘Patient Perceptions of a Low Cost IVF Model of Care’. The success is a fitting tribute to the whole team at The Fertility Centre, Springwood, who have worked to create positive patient treatment experiences and outcomes within a different model of care. Meanwhile scientist Peter Coleman from Melbourne IVF was awarded the Best Poster Presentation prize for his study ‘Confirmation of Array CGH PGD of Aneuploidy Using Targeted FISH’. This analysed results from Melbourne IVF’s world-leading Advanced Embryo Selection programme.
The Group remains committed to remaining at the leading edge of research into Assisted reproductive technologies and to its goal of “Leading Minds Leading Science” within the sector.