Southeastern Fertility (Knoxville, TN) — Fertlo Editorial Review

Southeastern Fertility — formally organized as Southeastern Center for Fertility and Reproductive Surgery, PLLC — is the oldest independent fertility practice in East Tennessee, operating from 11126 Kingston Pike in the Farragut/Turkey Creek corridor west of downtown Knoxville. The clinic was founded by Jeffrey A. Keenan, MD in 1998 and has been co-directed by John David Gordon, MD since 2019. Both physicians carry faculty appointments at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine and the University of Tennessee Medical Center, and the practice is tightly connected to the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) — a nonprofit embryo adoption program Dr. Keenan founded and continues to direct. For patients across East Tennessee and the broader Appalachian region, Southeastern Fertility is the most accessible full-service reproductive endocrinology group outside of Nashville. The clinic currently shows a 4.9-star rating across roughly 77 Google reviews, a strong patient-satisfaction signal for a specialty practice. For additional clinic options statewide, see our Tennessee fertility clinics directory.

Physicians and Credentials

Jeffrey A. Keenan, MD is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has served as Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility at UT Medical Center since 1992. He earned his MD at Thomas Jefferson University's Sidney Kimmel Medical College (1983), completed OB/GYN residency at Vanderbilt University, and finished his REI fellowship at Wayne State University in Detroit. NPI: 1043395122, taxonomy Obstetrics & Gynecology / Reproductive Endocrinology. You can confirm certification at the ABOG verification portal. Dr. Keenan has a substantial publication record in embryo donation, implantation, and IVF outcomes; PubMed search.

John David Gordon, MD joined Southeastern as Co-Director in 2019 after 20 years in private REI practice in Washington, DC. He is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG), graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University, earned his MD at Duke University School of Medicine (1989), completed residency at Stanford University Medical Center, and finished his REI fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. NPI: 1801980479. He holds an Assistant Professor appointment at UT Medical Center and publishes and teaches nationally on reproductive medicine; PubMed search.

Services

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) — performed in conjunction with partner lab facilities in the Kingston Pike corridor
• Intrauterine insemination (IUI) and intratubal insemination (ITI)
• Egg freezing for fertility preservation
• Donor eggs and donor sperm cycles
• Embryo adoption through the National Embryo Donation Center — a program Dr. Keenan founded that has produced hundreds of births
• Frozen embryo transfer (FET) and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A/PGT-M) coordination
• Reproductive surgery — a clinical strength of the practice, including laparoscopic and robotic surgery for endometriosis, uterine fibroids, pelvic pain, and tubal reversal
• PCOS and ovulation induction, recurrent pregnancy loss evaluation, outside monitoring for traveling patients

Success Rates and Lab Quality

Patients evaluating IVF programs should review clinic-specific outcomes at SART's ClinicSearch portal and the CDC ART National Summary Report. Southeastern Fertility performs IVF in partnership with co-located lab facilities on Kingston Pike, and patients should confirm the current SART ClinicPKID and reporting year directly with the clinic. When comparing numbers across programs, look within your own age band and diagnosis category — aggregate success rates can be skewed by case mix. Our guide to reading IVF success rates walks through the statistics that matter.

Patient Experience and Knoxville Access

A 4.9-star average across ~77 reviews is a strong patient-satisfaction signal for a fertility program. The Kingston Pike location sits directly off I-40/I-75 at the Lovell Road exit and is easily reached from Pellissippi Parkway (I-140). Drive times: ~15 minutes from downtown Knoxville, ~20 minutes from Oak Ridge, ~25 minutes from Maryville, ~35 minutes from Sevierville, and under 10 minutes from Farragut. Patients traveling from the Tri-Cities, Chattanooga, or western North Carolina should build in time for monitoring visits during stimulation cycles; the clinic accepts outside monitoring arrangements for some patients.

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 are over 35), or your physician has already recommended IUI or IVF, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist is the right next step.

Insurance and Cost in Tennessee

Tennessee is a non-mandate state — there is no state law requiring insurers to cover diagnosis or treatment of infertility. Coverage, when it exists, comes from self-funded employer plans, Medicaid carve-outs that generally do not extend to ART, or voluntary rider purchases. A single IVF cycle in the region typically runs $12,000–$17,000 before medications, which add another $3,000–$6,000. For broader cost context see our IVF cost by state comparison, and our fertility insurance mandates by state explainer for where Tennessee sits nationally.

Location and Contact

• Address: 11126 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37934
• Phone: (865) 777-0088
• Website: southeasternfertility.net
• Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM; Thursdays to 6:00 PM

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Southeastern Fertility accepting new patients? Yes. Both Dr. Keenan and Dr. Gordon see new fertility, reproductive surgery, and embryo adoption patients. Call the office or use the website's contact form to request a consultation slot.

Is this a solo practice or a group? Two reproductive endocrinologists — Keenan and Gordon — practice together as Southeastern Center for Fertility and Reproductive Surgery, PLLC. Both hold UT Medical Center faculty appointments.

Does Southeastern Fertility report to SART? IVF outcomes for member U.S. clinics are reported through SART and flow into the CDC's annual ART report. Confirm the clinic's current ClinicPKID and reporting cycle directly with the office and on SART's ClinicSearch.

Can I do embryo adoption here? Yes — Southeastern Fertility is uniquely positioned for this. Dr. Keenan founded the National Embryo Donation Center, and the practice is one of the leading embryo-adoption programs in the country.

Editorial note: Independently written by the Fertlo editorial team; not sponsored. See our editorial policy.