It is time. Hannam Fertility Has Suspended All In-Person Operations.

By Dr. Tom Hannam MD FRCSC REI

Since Friday, there has been a growing and more urgent plea from key Public Health Officers requesting that all non-essential businesses close as soon as possible.

Hannam Fertility has always put the health and safety of its patients first, so I strongly believe, based on the information available, that I have no other responsible option than to suspend all of our in-person operations until such time that it is safe for all of us to resume.

There remains great uncertainty about the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak. For now, our responsibility is to our community, and as individuals we must closely and diligently follow the orders of our leading officials; this includes practicing self-isolation and physical distancing.

We look forward to having each and everyone of you back as soon as it is deemed healthy and safe to do so.

Active Patients:

Stay in close contact with your clinical teams just as you have been doing. To our few patients arriving for retrieval tomorrow: We are fully prepared for you with complete procedure and lab teams ready.

Pregnant Patients:

Like you, we want to know that your pregnancy is safe and viable. Close contact with your clinical team as always.

We are a Virtual Clinic Now

That is, you can still reach us (email is usually best; for me it is tom.hannam@hannamfertility.com but active patients will want to reach out to their own teams).

Our clinicians are ready for you. If you need help, reach out.

Be reassured that taking care of your frozen embryos is not an elective service. We will be doing so seven days a week, as always.

I’ll close with an open letter we received today from my colleague Dr. Elin Raymond. To clinicians from other sites reading this blog, please consider responding directly to her. I know we are all doing our best.

Yours,

Tom Hannam

22 March

You as Fertility physicians are in a unique position to contribute in a significant way to the impact that COVID will have on us. All of our careers have been put on hold in many ways.

We are putting out a plea for the donation of surgical masks or other PPE (personal protective equipment ) that may be used by our front line health care workers.

A simple mask may prevent the spread of this virus to patients and to co-workers on the front line. This way many ICU beds are less occupied and health care workers can keep working. Cancer surgeries are also on hold due to lack of PPE.

ANY donation of masks and PPE will go a long way in this effort. No amount is too small. Money will not make a difference. Our donation drive starts tomorrow and information can be found at https://theppedrive.com/

Any help would be appreciated. We also promise to stand by you and advocate for expedited access to PPE for your clinics when you can reopen. If you need help with pick up/delivery -please let me know and I will arrange.

In solidarity,

Elin Raymond, Ob/Gyn

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About the Author

Dr. Tom Hannam
The founder of the Hannam Fertility Centre, Dr. Hannam has sat on the board of the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, and is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Canada, and the European Society for Human Reproduction and Endocrinology.