The Center for Reproductive Medicine at Covenant Health has been caring for patients in East Tennessee since 1987, making it one of the longest-standing fertility practices in the Knoxville area. Located at 220 Fort Sanders West Boulevard, Building 2, Suite 106, Knoxville, TN 37922, the clinic operates under the umbrella of Covenant Medical Group — the physician practice organization of Covenant Health, a community-owned healthcare system serving more than a dozen East Tennessee counties. In nearly four decades of operation, the practice has contributed to more than 6,500 pregnancies and continues accepting new patients. For patients exploring fertility clinics in Tennessee, the Center for Reproductive Medicine offers a personalized, community-based alternative to larger regional programs. The clinic can be reached by phone at (865) 531-3011.
The Center's care model centers on individualized attention — a practical advantage for patients in Knoxville who want direct physician involvement at every stage of evaluation and treatment rather than the high-volume, multi-physician workflow common at larger IVF centers. For advanced procedures including IVF, the clinic maintains an established referral partnership with Nashville Fertility Center, allowing Knoxville-area patients to receive initial workup and IUI cycles locally before transitioning to the Nashville program when IVF is warranted.
Physicians and Clinical Team
Dr. Michael C. Doody, MD, PhD is the Center's physician and one of the more academically credentialed reproductive endocrinologists practicing in Tennessee. He earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in 1980 and holds a PhD in Biochemistry — a combination that gives his clinical work a foundation in basic science research as well as clinical medicine.
Dr. Doody completed his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at Baylor College of Medicine from 1981 through 1985, followed immediately by a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Baylor from 1985 to 1987. Fellowship training in REI is a three-year subspecialty program completed after an OB/GYN residency, focused exclusively on diagnosing and managing reproductive disorders, hormonal dysfunction, and fertility treatment. Achieving board certification in both OB/GYN and REI — as Dr. Doody has — requires well over a decade of postgraduate training beyond a bachelor's degree.
Dr. Doody is board certified and recertified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility through the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has served as Associate Professor of OB/GYN at LSU, Tulane University, and the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville — academic appointments that place him among the minority of community-based reproductive endocrinologists with a documented faculty-level teaching record.
His professional memberships include the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the Society of Reproductive Endocrinologists, the Society of Gynecological Surgeons, the Society of Reproductive Surgeons, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. He is also a founding member of the International Pelvic Pain Society, reflecting a longstanding clinical interest in the intersection of pelvic pain, endometriosis, and infertility.
Dr. Doody has performed approximately 9,000 laparoscopic surgical procedures across a variety of gynecologic indications — a volume that places him in a distinct tier for minimally invasive reproductive surgery. His major clinical interests include metabolism, hormone action, and laparoscopic safety. He has published peer-reviewed articles in both basic and clinical sciences. The clinic is hospital-affiliated with Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Parkwest Medical Center, both within the Covenant Health network.
Services and Treatments
The Center for Reproductive Medicine provides a focused range of diagnostic and treatment services for patients experiencing infertility, hormonal dysfunction, or chronic reproductive conditions. Because the practice operates as a single-physician, high-touch environment, treatment decisions involve the attending physician at every stage.
Core services include:
- Comprehensive infertility evaluation — ovarian reserve testing, hormonal panels, semen analysis coordination, and structural uterine and tubal assessment
- Ovulation induction with monitoring — for patients with ovulatory dysfunction or unexplained infertility who want to improve cycle-level conception odds
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI) — a first-line assisted reproduction option for mild male factor infertility, cervical factor issues, or unexplained infertility; IUI cycles are performed locally at the Knoxville clinic
- Hormone therapy — for patients managing conditions such as PCOS, premature ovarian insufficiency, thyroid dysfunction, or menopause-related hormonal imbalance
- Outpatient gynecologic surgery — including diagnostic and operative laparoscopy for endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, ovarian cysts, and other structural causes of infertility; Dr. Doody's high procedural volume makes this a clinical strength of the practice
- Management of chronic reproductive and hormonal conditions — ongoing care for patients with complex hormonal profiles or recurrent pregnancy loss who require specialized follow-up
IVF pathway: The Center does not operate an independent IVF laboratory. Patients who require in vitro fertilization are referred to Nashville Fertility Center under an established partnership. This means that Knoxville patients benefit from local evaluation, diagnostic workup, and IUI cycles before transitioning to Nashville's full IVF infrastructure when clinically necessary. Patients who anticipate needing IVF may wish to confirm the specifics of the referral coordination and scheduling during an initial consultation.
Laboratory and Success Rates
Because IVF is performed through Nashville Fertility Center rather than at the Knoxville site, the Center for Reproductive Medicine does not independently report ART outcome data to the CDC or SART. Aggregate success rate data for this clinic's patient population is therefore not publicly available in the standard SART or CDC format that applies to IVF-performing clinics.
Patients interested in IVF outcomes for the Nashville referral partner can review Nashville Fertility Center's published data through the CDC ART Success Rates database or the SART Clinic Summary Report. These databases publish live birth rates per retrieval cycle broken down by patient age group, giving prospective patients a standardized basis for comparison.
At the practice level, the Center's cumulative track record of more than 6,500 pregnancies since 1987 provides a longitudinal measure of clinical productivity across nearly four decades of operation. Dr. Doody's individual case volume — including his laparoscopic surgical record — reflects a sustained high-productivity practice in a community hospital setting rather than a large multi-physician fertility center. For patients whose fertility barriers involve surgical pathology such as endometriosis or tubal disease, Dr. Doody's procedural expertise is a meaningful differentiator from general OB/GYN practices that offer fertility services.
Patient Experience
The Center for Reproductive Medicine's single-physician model means patients interact directly with Dr. Doody throughout evaluation and treatment — a continuity of care that many patients find preferable to rotating through multiple providers in a larger group practice. Patients who have been seen at the clinic report that Dr. Doody is thorough in explaining diagnoses and treatment options, and that the office team reflects the community-oriented culture of the broader Covenant Health system.
Clinic hours run Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Patients undergoing monitored cycles should confirm the clinic's approach to early-morning appointments, as follicle monitoring and bloodwork during stimulation cycles typically need to occur before standard office hours open. The Fort Sanders West Boulevard location sits within easy reach of the West Knoxville and Farragut communities, and the clinic's affiliation with Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Parkwest Medical Center provides continuity for patients who require in-hospital procedures.
Patients who do transition to Nashville Fertility Center for IVF should anticipate travel to Nashville for retrieval cycles and transfers, which can involve multiple visits over a two-to-three week stimulation window. The Knoxville-to-Nashville drive is approximately three hours round-trip; some patients manage monitoring locally and travel only for procedures, while others prefer to stay closer to the Nashville clinic during active cycles.
The clinic's four-decade presence in the Knoxville medical community has allowed Dr. Doody to develop referral relationships across East Tennessee's OB/GYN and primary care landscape, and it is a recognized point of access for reproductive care within the Covenant Health system.
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
The Center for Reproductive Medicine accepts major insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, among others. Patients should contact the clinic directly to verify coverage for specific services before scheduling, as benefit structures vary significantly by plan and employer.
Tennessee does not mandate insurance coverage for IVF or most fertility treatments. The state's Fertility Treatment and Contraceptive Protection Act, signed in April 2025 and effective July 1, 2025, affirms the individual right to access fertility care but does not require insurers to pay for it. Coverage for diagnostic evaluation, hormone therapy, and IUI may be available under some plans, while IVF coverage is typically limited to patients with employer-sponsored plans that have elected to include fertility benefits.
For services performed at the Nashville Fertility Center referral partner, separate financial counseling and financing options apply. Nashville Fertility Center offers multi-cycle programs and works with fertility-specific financing lenders. Patients who anticipate needing IVF should request a financial consultation from both clinics to understand the combined cost picture — local diagnostic and IUI expenses at the Knoxville center plus IVF costs in Nashville.
For a broader overview of what Tennessee law does and does not require regarding fertility insurance, see the ReproductiveFacts.org Tennessee insurance summary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Center for Reproductive Medicine perform IVF on-site in Knoxville? No. IVF is not performed at the Knoxville clinic. Patients who require in vitro fertilization are referred to Nashville Fertility Center through an established partnership. The Knoxville location handles evaluation, ovulation induction, IUI cycles, hormone therapy, and outpatient gynecologic surgery. Patients anticipating IVF should discuss the referral process and Nashville scheduling logistics during their initial consultation.
What makes Dr. Doody's training different from a general OB/GYN who treats infertility? Dr. Doody holds subspecialty board certification in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology — a credential that requires completion of a dedicated three-year REI fellowship after OB/GYN residency, plus successful examination. He also holds a PhD in Biochemistry and has academic faculty experience at multiple medical schools. General OB/GYNs can treat some fertility conditions but do not hold REI subspecialty certification unless they have completed the fellowship and board exam. For patients with complex hormonal presentations or surgical pathology, the subspecialty credential is clinically meaningful.
What types of surgical conditions does the clinic treat? Dr. Doody has extensive experience in minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery for gynecologic conditions that affect fertility, including endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, ovarian cysts, and related pathology. He has performed approximately 9,000 laparoscopic procedures and is a founding member of the International Pelvic Pain Society, reflecting a specific focus on pelvic pain as it intersects with reproductive health. Surgical services are performed on an outpatient basis through the clinic's hospital affiliations at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Parkwest Medical Center.
How do I find success rate data for this clinic? Because IVF is not performed at this location, the Center for Reproductive Medicine does not appear as a standalone reporting clinic in the CDC ART or SART databases. Patients who want IVF success rate data for the Nashville referral partner can search Nashville Fertility Center's outcomes at the CDC ART database or the SART online report tool. When reviewing those figures, use age-matched data rather than headline rates for the most relevant comparison.