Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'We're All In Shock': Glitches At Two Different Fertility Clinics On Same Day Roil Industry
The Washington Post: Patients Mobilize To Take Legal Action Against Fertility Clinics With Malfunctions
An Ohio couple who lost both their frozen embryos when a fertility clinic’s storage tank overheated last week are the first in a wave of patients heading to court to hold the facility accountable for dashing their dreams of future children. Two Cleveland attorneys said they have been inundated in the days since the University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center’s Fertility Center disclosed late last week that it was notifying 700 patients that their eggs or embryos may have been damaged. The tissue was in a tank that lost liquid nitrogen, which is vital for temperature control. (Goldstein and Cha, 3/12)
The Associated Press: Fertility-Clinic Breakdowns Baffle Experts, Upset Couples
Simultaneous refrigeration failures at two fertility clinics in San Francisco and suburban Cleveland have damaged or destroyed potentially thousands of frozen eggs and embryos in the biggest such loss on record in the U.S. The malfunctions have left parents-to-be heartbroken and baffled experts. Here are some questions and answers about the two cases. (3/12)
San Jose Mercury News: Two Major Failures At Fertility Centers Rock The Industry
Two major and near-simultaneous failures at fertility centers is sending shock waves through the fertility industry, triggering questions about the technology and oversight of egg and embryo storage, which is increasingly popular — and largely self-regulated. (Krieger, 3/12)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Dozens Of Lawsuits Expected In UH Fertility Clinic Malfunction, Lawyers Say
At least three couples whose frozen eggs and embryos were destroyed filed lawsuits over the weekend, as dozens more were expected to sue University Hospitals in the coming days, lawyers said Monday. Plaintiffs attorney Tom Merriman said he met with multiple clients Monday, and received at least 15 emails from among the 700 people whose frozen eggs and embryos were thawed after a storage tank malfunction at the hospital's Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood last week. (McCarty, 3/12)
