Pinnacle Fertility Chicago — located at 680 N. Lake Shore Drive in the Streeterville neighborhood — is a flagship location of the national Pinnacle Fertility network, serving patients from across the greater Chicago metro area and beyond, including the North Shore suburbs, the South Side, and neighboring communities in Northwest Indiana and southeastern Wisconsin. Operating from this address since 2004 under the name Institute for Human Reproduction (IHR), the practice joined the Pinnacle Fertility platform while retaining the clinical team and the patient-first culture that built its reputation. Patients and families can reach the clinic by calling (312) 288-6420 or emailing info@ihrfertility.com. The clinic holds a 4.4-star rating from more than 187 Google reviews, reflecting consistent satisfaction across a diverse and complex caseload.
Physicians and Clinical Team
The Chicago Lake Shore location assembles one of the most credentialed reproductive endocrinology teams in the Midwest. Six board-certified physicians and one advanced-practice provider staff the clinic, each bringing subspecialty fellowship training and years of hands-on IVF experience.
Ilan Tur-Kaspa, MD, FACOG is the Founder and Medical Director of the IHR practice and now serves as Chair of the Innovation and Research Committee for Pinnacle Fertility. He earned his MD from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and trained in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI), going on to serve as a faculty member at the University of Chicago. Dr. Tur-Kaspa is internationally recognized for his expertise in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and has personally overseen more than 1,000 IVF-PGD cycles for patients carrying over 50 different single-gene disorders. He is the author or co-author of more than 90 scientific publications and received the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Star Award in both 2010 and 2015, as well as the ASRM 2024 Service Milestone Award.
David Cohen, MD, FACOG is Co-Medical Director of the Chicago location. Before joining IHR in 2014, he served as Professor and Chief of the REI Division at the University of Chicago and as President of the Chicago Association of Reproductive Endocrinologists (2002–2003). He is board certified in both REI and OB/GYN, and is an active member of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI) and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (SART). Patient reviews consistently cite his clear communication and steadiness through difficult treatment cycles.
Mary Wood Molo, MD, FACOG brings decades of academic and clinical experience to the team. She completed both her OB/GYN residency and her REI fellowship at Rush University Medical Center, where she later directed the IVF program and held a faculty appointment. She founded the Center for Reproductive Care (CRC), which joined IHR and the Pinnacle network in 2022. Chicago Magazine, Newsweek, and Castle Connolly have repeatedly recognized her as a top specialist in reproductive medicine.
Karissa Hammer, MD, FACOG earned her medical degree from Rush University and completed her REI fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School — one of the most selective REI training programs in the United States. She is board certified in both OB/GYN and REI, and is one of the inaugural Surgical Scholars of the Society of Reproductive Surgeons. Her academic background and surgical skill expand the clinic's capacity for complex minimally invasive procedures.
Ijeoma (Ij) Iko, MD, FACOG and Courtney Murphy, MD round out the physician panel, providing additional coverage and ensuring patients have access to prompt consultations and monitoring appointments.
Ines Didovic, DNP, FNP-BC is the clinic's nurse practitioner, coordinating ongoing care between physician visits, managing medication protocols, and serving as a direct point of contact for patients with time-sensitive questions.
Services and Treatments
The Chicago Lake Shore clinic offers a comprehensive range of fertility services covering diagnostic evaluation, medical treatment, surgical intervention, third-party reproduction, and LGBTQ+ family-building pathways:
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
- Egg retrieval and embryo cryopreservation
- Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- Egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) for fertility preservation and elective use
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidies (PGT-A)
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic Disorders (PGT-M / PGD)
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Structural Rearrangements (PGT-SR)
- Donor egg services (in conjunction with the Pinnacle Egg Bank)
- Donor sperm coordination
- Gestational surrogacy support (in conjunction with Pinnacle Surrogacy)
- Semen analysis and male infertility evaluation and treatment
- Fertility medications and ovulation induction
- Laparoscopy and hysteroscopy
- Cancer fertility preservation consultations
- LGBTQ+ family-building programs (gay male, lesbian, and transgender pathways)
- Infertility counseling and emotional support
For a detailed overview of IVF treatment protocols and what to expect at each stage of a cycle, see our full IVF guide.
Laboratory and Success Rates
The on-site embryology laboratory is a central asset of the Chicago Lake Shore location. The lab operates under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification and holds accreditation from the College of American Pathologists, meeting rigorous standards for equipment maintenance, quality control, and embryologist training. The practice is a member of SART (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology), which means annual outcomes data are submitted to the national registry.
Prospective patients are encouraged to review verified success-rate data directly. Pinnacle Fertility publishes clinic-specific outcomes on its website, and national SART data — aggregated from all member clinics — is publicly available through the CDC ART Surveillance System. When comparing numbers, look for age-stratified live-birth rates per intended egg retrieval rather than clinical pregnancy rates, as this metric best reflects real-world outcomes.
The clinic earned Ranked #115 in Newsweek's 2024 List of America's Best Fertility Clinics, and holds ASRM Nursing Center of Excellence certification — a recognition that acknowledges both clinical standards and the quality of nursing-led patient education and support.
Patient Experience
The 4.4-star Google rating earned by Pinnacle Fertility Chicago Lake Shore reflects themes that appear consistently across hundreds of patient reviews: transparent communication from physicians, responsiveness from nursing and administrative staff, and a sense of continuity throughout long treatment journeys.
Reviewers highlight that Dr. Cohen and Dr. Tur-Kaspa take time to explain options and set realistic expectations before starting each cycle. Multiple patients describe reaching nurses quickly through the patient portal for lab results, protocol adjustments, and general concerns. The front-desk team — including staff members mentioned by name in reviews — is frequently described as welcoming and culturally sensitive, a meaningful quality in a clinic that sees patients speaking more than a dozen languages.
The clinic's Lake Shore Drive address is accessible by CTA bus lines serving Michigan Avenue and by several nearby parking garages, making it convenient for patients commuting from neighborhoods across Chicago as well as from the suburbs. Morning appointments begin as early as 6:00 a.m. on weekdays, accommodating patients who need to complete monitoring before work.
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
Illinois is one of a small number of states with a comprehensive fertility insurance mandate. The Illinois Fertility Preservation Act and the Insurance Mandates for Infertility coverage law require most fully-insured group health plans issued in the state to cover diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including IVF, IUI, and fertility preservation for medical necessity. Patients with Illinois-regulated employer group plans or state-marketplace plans may find significant coverage already in place, though plan details, lifetime maximums, and required prior authorizations vary widely.
The financial counseling team at Pinnacle Fertility Chicago can help patients verify benefits, identify any applicable coverage gaps, and build a cost plan before treatment begins.
For patients with limited or no insurance coverage, the clinic works with two specialized fertility financing partners:
- PatientFi — a patient financing platform focused on healthcare, offering personalized payment plans with competitive rates and a streamlined application process.
- CapexMD — a fertility-specific lender offering tailored loan programs with quick approvals designed to minimize delays to treatment start.
Both partners work directly with the clinic to coordinate funding timing with cycle scheduling. Information on current program terms and interest rates is available through the clinic's financial team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pinnacle Fertility Chicago accept patients from outside the city?
Yes. The clinic regularly serves patients from the North Shore, western and southern suburbs, Northwest Indiana, and southeastern Wisconsin. Initial consultations are available virtually, which simplifies the process for patients who live at a distance or have demanding work schedules. Monitoring visits can sometimes be coordinated through a local OB/GYN for patients far from Chicago.
What makes this location different from other Pinnacle Fertility clinics in Illinois?
The Chicago Lake Shore clinic is the original IHR practice, founded by Dr. Tur-Kaspa in 2004, and is notable for its depth of PGD/PGT expertise and its team of six board-certified reproductive endocrinologists. Pinnacle Fertility also operates clinics in Oak Brook and Tinley Park (IHR) and in Naperville, Oswego, and Plainfield (IVF1), giving patients across the region options for monitoring closer to home.
How long does it typically take to get a first appointment?
Pinnacle Fertility markets same-week availability for initial consultations, and the clinic's own website states it aims to schedule new patients as early as the following week. Urgent situations — including cancer patients needing emergency fertility preservation — are given priority scheduling.
What does the Illinois fertility insurance mandate actually cover?
Illinois law requires most fully-insured group plans to cover diagnosis and treatment of infertility, which generally includes IUI, IVF (up to four retrievals per live birth), ICSI, embryo cryopreservation, and embryo transfer procedures. Fertility preservation for medical reasons (such as before cancer treatment) is also covered under separate legislation. Self-insured employer plans (ERISA plans) are not subject to the state mandate, so it is important to confirm whether your specific plan is fully insured and regulated by Illinois.
Patients exploring all fertility clinics in Illinois can use our state directory to compare additional providers across the Chicago metro and downstate regions.