Arizona Reproductive Medicine Specialists (ARMS) — Phoenix, AZ

Rating: 4.6 stars (2024 patient satisfaction survey) | 1701 E. Thomas Rd., Suite 101, Phoenix, AZ 85016 | arizonafertility.com

Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the United States and the anchor of one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the Sun Belt. For residents of the Valley of the Sun — and for patients traveling from Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale, and Gilbert — access to high-quality reproductive medicine has historically required a trip out of state or a long wait at an overburdened academic center. Arizona Reproductive Medicine Specialists (ARMS), operating under the tagline "A Family Building Families," has been filling that gap for more than three decades. Founded by physicians trained at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine — the program that pioneered IVF in the United States — ARMS brings academic-caliber expertise to two Arizona locations: a flagship clinic in central Phoenix and an East Valley satellite in Gilbert. With a 4.6-out-of-5 patient satisfaction score from its 2024 survey, a SART-reported live birth rate of 58.7 percent for patients under 35 in 2023, and a trio of national egg freezing quality awards, ARMS has assembled a record that positions it among the most credentialed independent fertility practices in the Southwest.

Physicians and Clinical Team

ARMS is built around two board-certified reproductive endocrinologists and infertility specialists who share an uncommon training pedigree: both completed fellowship training at The Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Norfolk, Virginia — the program where the first U.S. IVF baby was born in 1981 and which led the nation in assisted reproduction research for decades. That shared foundation is not incidental; the Jones Institute's emphasis on laboratory science and personalized protocols defines the way ARMS approaches clinical care.

Drew V. Moffitt, MD, FACOG is the Medical Director of ARMS and brings more than 30 years of clinical experience to the practice. He is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and holds Fellowship status in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FACOG). Dr. Moffitt has been repeatedly named a "Top Doc" in the Phoenix region and is fluent in Spanish — a meaningful capability in a state where a substantial portion of patients are Spanish-speaking. He is known among patients for personally calling prospective new patients on the same day they reach out, before a formal visit is even scheduled, to address questions and help them understand their options without pressure.

Linda R. Nelson, MD, PhD, FACOG holds both a medical degree and a PhD, reflecting deep roots in reproductive science. Like Dr. Moffitt, she is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Nelson has been recognized as a Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor and serves as a professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix Campus, connecting the private practice to academic medicine. Both physicians also lead the infertility programs at the University of Arizona Medical School and Banner University Medical Center, ensuring that the clinical standards at ARMS track current evidence in the field.

The support team includes embryologists, nurses, and medical assistants, many of whom have personal experience with infertility treatment — a detail ARMS highlights as central to the empathetic culture it aims to provide.

Services and Treatments

ARMS offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic services spanning low-intervention treatments through advanced assisted reproductive technology:

• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) — including Optimal IVF, Gentle IVF (reduced-medication protocol at approximately 50% cost reduction), and a Simplified Medication Option that consolidates injections
• Shared Hope IVF — a discounted IVF program offered in partnership with Donor Egg Bank USA, designed as one of the lowest-cost IVF pathways available in Arizona
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) — for couples and individuals with unexplained infertility, mild male factor, or cervical factors
• Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) — for significant male factor infertility
• Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT-A and PGT-M) — chromosomal screening and monogenic disease testing of embryos prior to transfer
• Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) — the clinic's preferred transfer approach, citing superior outcomes with frozen-thaw cycles
• Egg Freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) — for fertility preservation before medical treatment, elective deferral, or donor programs
• Egg Donation Program — full-service donor coordination; ARMS was awarded Donor Egg Bank USA's Superior Outcomes In Vitrification Egg Freezing Practice Award for three consecutive years
• Embryo Donation — for patients building families with donated embryos
• Fertility Preservation — oncofertility and elective preservation prior to surgery or other medical intervention
• Comprehensive Fertility Testing — semen analysis, ovarian reserve assessment, hysterosalpingogram (HSG), sonohysterogram, hormonal panels
• Assisted Hatching — laser-assisted zona pellucida thinning to facilitate implantation
• ARMS Embryo Watch — the clinic's proprietary time-lapse embryo monitoring platform (see Laboratory section)

Appointments are available mornings, afternoons, evenings, and Saturdays, and the clinic reports that most patients can begin a treatment cycle within two weeks of their initial consultation.

Laboratory and Success Rates

The ARMS embryology laboratory operates on both Phoenix campuses and is equipped with state-of-the-art incubation and vitrification systems. A distinguishing technology is the ARMS Embryo Watch platform, a time-lapse imaging system that livestreams each embryo's developmental stages directly to the patient's device without removing embryos from the incubator's controlled environment. Integrated AI software assists ARMS embryologists in flagging developmental milestones and compiling findings into patient-facing reports — a transparency feature uncommon in independent fertility practices of ARMS's size.

The clinic's egg freezing laboratory has been recognized for exceptional vitrification outcomes. ARMS received the Donor Egg Bank USA Superior Outcomes In Vitrification Egg Freezing Practice Award for three consecutive years and holds the DEB USA Seal of Quality Assurance. The National Egg Bank has additionally recognized ARMS for the highest success rate for IVF with frozen eggs among participating member clinics — a validation of the lab's survival rates and downstream embryo quality.

On the outcomes side, ARMS participates in annual SART (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology) reporting, and its data is also published through the CDC's ART Surveillance report. Per SART, ARMS's live birth rate per new patient under age 35 — after a first retrieval, with no prior ART cycles — was 58.7% in 2023, consistent with or above the national average for that cohort. For patients undergoing donor egg IVF, the clinic reports historical live birth rates between 50 and 85 percent per cycle, a range that reflects variation in individual recipient characteristics. The clinic's most recent internal data (July–September 2025) shows a 66.3% clinical pregnancy rate per cycle across all age groups when PGT-A testing is used.

ARMS appropriately cautions patients against over-relying on clinic-to-clinic comparisons, noting that differences in patient age mix, entry criteria, and treatment protocols make raw rate comparisons incomplete without clinical context.

Patient Experience

Several consistent themes emerge from patient feedback and clinic self-reporting that give a textured picture of what it is like to be a patient at ARMS.

Accessibility and responsiveness stand out. Dr. Moffitt's personal same-day callback policy for new patient inquiries — unusual among practices of any size — is frequently cited as a differentiating first impression. The clinic also offers complimentary IVF consultations for second-opinion seekers, lowering the financial barrier for patients shopping among providers.

Low-pressure counseling is an intentional design choice. ARMS explicitly states it does not pressure patients toward more aggressive or more expensive treatments; instead, physicians work from each patient's full picture — age, diagnosis, financial situation, personal goals — to recommend what is clinically appropriate. The availability of the Gentle IVF and Shared Hope programs reflects this philosophy, giving patients options that reduce cost and medication burden when maximum stimulation is not medically necessary.

Bilingual care is available throughout the practice. Dr. Moffitt is fluent in Spanish, and several clinical and administrative staff members are also bilingual, making ARMS one of the few REI practices in the Phoenix metro equipped to provide substantive clinical communication in Spanish without a third-party interpreter.

Transparency via technology is another hallmark. The ARMS Embryo Watch system gives patients real-time visibility into their embryo's development — a source of reassurance during the notoriously stressful days between egg retrieval and transfer. Patients can watch developmental milestones unfold on their own device rather than waiting for a single nurse call.

ARMS is also named a Center of Excellence by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Optum/UnitedHealthcare, designations that reflect a quality review process by major payers and simplify in-network access for patients with those plans.

Considering At-Home Insemination?

Not every fertility journey begins in a clinic. At-home intracervical insemination (ICI) is a lower-cost, private option that suits patients with no known fertility diagnosis — including single parents by choice, same-sex couples, and people who want to try a few cycles before committing to clinical treatment.

At-home insemination kits like those from MakeAMom come with step-by-step instructions designed for donor or partner sperm. Kits are a one-time purchase that can be reused until conception succeeds, require no clinic visit, and arrive in plain, discreet packaging. Many patients use them as a first step while working toward a fertility consultation — or alongside ovulation tracking while they wait for an appointment slot.

If you have a known fertility diagnosis, have been trying for 12 months without success (six months if you're over 35), or your physician has already recommended IUI or IVF, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist is the right next step.

Insurance and Financing

Arizona is one of the majority of U.S. states with no state-mandated IVF insurance coverage, meaning most patients bear the full cost of fertility treatment out of pocket or rely on whatever voluntary coverage their employer plan provides. Employers who have chosen to add fertility benefits — increasingly common among large companies — will typically find that ARMS's Center of Excellence designations with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Optum/UnitedHealthcare facilitate smoother in-network claims processing.

ARMS offers more than 10 financing, discount, and special pricing programs to help patients manage costs. These include standard medical financing through third-party lenders (which typically offer 0% promotional periods), the Gentle IVF reduced-cost protocol, and the Shared Hope IVF program — which ARMS describes as the least expensive IVF option currently available in Arizona. The clinic's financial counselors work individually with patients to identify which options apply to their situation.

For patients considering egg donation using the Donor Egg Bank USA partnership, the Shared Hope program offers an additional cost offset. Patients can also consult the clinic about medication discount programs, which can significantly reduce the out-of-pocket cost of stimulation drugs.

For a broader overview of coverage by state, see our guide to fertility insurance by state.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes ARMS different from other Phoenix-area fertility clinics? The two distinguishing factors cited most often are physician training and laboratory recognition. Both Dr. Moffitt and Dr. Nelson trained at The Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine — the birthplace of U.S. IVF — which is an unusual credential. On the lab side, ARMS has received the Donor Egg Bank USA vitrification excellence award for three consecutive years and recognition from the National Egg Bank for top egg freezing outcomes. Add in the ARMS Embryo Watch time-lapse monitoring system and the bilingual clinical team, and the practice offers a combination of academic pedigree, technological investment, and patient accessibility that is rare among independent fertility practices.

Does ARMS accept my insurance? ARMS is designated a Center of Excellence by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Optum/UnitedHealthcare, making it an in-network preferred provider for patients on those plans who have fertility benefits. For other carriers, the billing team can verify benefits and explain out-of-pocket costs. Because Arizona has no IVF insurance mandate, coverage depends entirely on your employer plan. Call (602) 351-5327 or contact the clinic online to confirm your specific benefit status before your first visit.

How quickly can I start treatment after my first consultation? ARMS reports that most patients are able to begin a treatment cycle within two weeks of their initial consultation. Dr. Moffitt personally calls new inquiries on the same day they reach out, so the intake process can move quickly for patients who are ready to proceed. The clinic offers flexible scheduling including evenings and Saturdays to reduce the logistical friction of treatment for working patients.

Where can I find ARMS's IVF success rate data? ARMS participates in SART reporting and its outcomes are published in the annual CDC ART Surveillance report. The clinic's 2023 SART data shows a 58.7% live birth rate for patients under 35 on a first retrieval cycle. Prospective patients can view the clinic's SART profile directly at sartcorsonline.com and review the CDC data for year-over-year context.

Arizona Reproductive Medicine Specialists serves Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale, and the broader East Valley from two locations. To explore all accredited practices in the region, see our directory of fertility clinics in Arizona. For a thorough overview of what to expect from the IVF process — including protocols, timelines, and cost ranges — visit our IVF guide.