Founded in 2005, MedTech is a unique company with extensive, broad-based experience in the healthcare field with a particularly comprehensive knowledge of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) industry. The collaborative approach of our team is designed to provide practices of all sizes with customized solutions for their full range of needs. MedTech members have over 125 years of collective fertility practice development experience. We have helped 20 ART practices or IVF laboratories nationally to relocate, design/build, manage or develop their own successful programs.

Executive Team

Dwight P. Ryan – President and CEO, is a seasoned executive possessing extensive finance, accounting, and operations experience in healthcare and technology with early stage start-ups as well as Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Ryan was formerly the Chief Financial Officer of the publicly-traded infertility services company, IntegraMed America and developed a revolutionary infertility case management company to streamline patient care and contain medical and pharmacy costs for leading healthcare insurance companies. Mr. Ryan has spent the majority of his career in the area of infertility. He was previously the Chief Operating Officer of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey and currently is also the Chief Operating Officer of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, one of the leading ART facilities in the country. Mr. Ryan is currently a board member on the national board of RESOLVE, having served for a total of over 8 years, four years as its treasurer and member of the executive committee.

Kathleen Miller, D.H. Sc. – Vice President of Laboratory Services, leads the team specializing in assisted reproduction technologies. The author of more than 100 abstracts and papers on fertility and assisted reproduction technologies, Dr. Miller is well known for research advances in the field of blastocyst culture, and pre-implantation genetics as well as a leading expert in laboratory management, quality improvement programs, and single embryo transfer.

Dr. Miller and her MedTech team have designed state-of-the-art laboratories at Billings Clinic, University of Alabama, Advanced Reproductive Medicine and Gynecology’s Fertility Institute of Hawaii, Aurora Reproductive Care in Saskatoon, Coastal Fertility Specialists in Charleston, SC, University of North Carolina Fertility Center in Chapel Hill, NC, SpringCreek Fertility in Dayton, Ohio and Family Fertility Center at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. All of these ART laboratories continue to deliver exceptional pregnancy rates and cutting-edge technologies.

Dr. Miller is actively involved in research projects relating to many areas of assisted reproduction. As Scientific and research director at IVF Florida, she is actively involved in research projects at the University of Miami, Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University. At IVF Florida, she continues to work on time-lapse technology to select embryos that have the best chance of developing into a successful pregnancy and birth.

Michael J. Faulkner, Ph.D. is Vice President, Practice and Business Development. Michael’s focus is on fertility practice start-up and relocation services, practice operations support and development, strategic partnerships, and new business development. Mr. Faulkner has served as a health care business development executive for over 20 years, including fertility practice and laboratory development, physician practice management, ambulatory surgical facilities, and hospital strategic planning. Most recently he served as Vice President for Fertility Services for a women’s health care management company. He has also served as Vice President, Development for CareSelect Group, a cardiovascular physician practice management company with 94 physicians in four states; Vice President for Strategic Business Development for Physician Reliance Network, an oncology practice management company and Chief Development Officer for Paragon Ambulatory Surgery, a private company which developed and operated ambulatory surgical facilities in three states and later merged with a predecessor company of HCA Healthcare. Mr. Faulkner received his B.S. degree in business administration from Cal-State University in Northridge, California, and also holds an M.H.A. from U.C.L.A. and Ph.D. in health care administration from the University of Minnesota.

Concierge Services and Practice Operations

Dorothy Pinkerton - Operations Manager and Practice Administration: Dorothy has over 20 years of experience in all practice management areas including accounts receivables and payables, HR, charge entry and insurance billing and collections. After a successful career with serving as the patient financial Manager with IVF Florida, Dorothy now assists other clinics in achieving their practice management goals.Overseeing all aspects of practice management for fertility clinics, Dorothy’s expertise also includes policy development and procedures, training staff and billing.

Strategic HR and Talent Management Solutions

Rita Gruber has more than thirty-five years experience on a senior executive level both in retail and healthcare management. Her credentials in RE administration are supported by twenty-three successful years in HR and operations administration as IntegraMed’s first Director of Human Resources, followed by VP of Human Resources at RMA of New Jersey, and currently President of the Gruber Group, LLC doing consulting work with the MedTech For Solutions Team for RE practices and clinics across the country.

Rita received her BA from the College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY and her Paralegal degree from Mercy College, White Plains, NY.As a senior executive in NY retailing she acquired strong operations and process improvement competencies that complement and bring increased value to her HR administration skills.

During her career in RE, Rita has hired executives and staff in all the RE disciplines; chaired PG Courses and Symposia for ARM at several ASRM conferences and other professional meetings; coached and mentored physicians, managers, and staff in leadership and performance competencies; served at the Rutgers University Career Development Center, volunteering her expertise to help graduating students prepare for job interviews, and was a client adviser to Total Compliance Solutions (TCS/MedSafe).

CLINICAL SERVICES

Jennifer Machovina, RN, BSN -  Clinical Nurse Consultant, is a graduate of the Villanova University nursing program. She has worked as a reproductive endocrinology and infertility nurse specialist since 2000, specializing in Third-Party Reproduction including Donor Egg IVF and Gestational Surrogacy cycles.  She continues her clinical work today at a large IVF practice in Virginia.

Prior to entering the Reproductive field, she worked at a large Washington, D.C. Hospital as a labor & delivery, postpartum and NICU nurse. Jenn has been instrumental in advancing IVF and third party programs at several large fertility clinics as well as making a significant contribution to the inception of the Fairfax EggBank, a world-renowned frozen donor egg bank. She works closely with clients interested in starting and/or improving egg donation programs and provides education on FDA regulations, ASRM guidelines and other operational needs in the Third Party Reproduction specialty. Her deep clinical experience and patient-first approach offers clients extensive knowledge to better identify issues and develop solutions to improve patient care and regulatory practices.

Laboratory Team

Off Site Directors

Gary D. Smith, Ph.D., H.C.L.D. (ABB) is Professor in the Departments of Ob/Gyn, Physiology, and Urology at the University of Michigan. He is Director of MStem Cell Laboratories and oversees the United States leading Disease-Specific Human Embryonic Stem Cell production program aimed at understanding how congenital birth defects develop, progress, and discovery of novel ways to treat or cure diseases such as Adrenoleukodystrophy, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease, and Spinal muscular atrophy. He is also the Co-Director of the Reproductive Sciences Program at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the University of Michigan Dr. Smith was on faculty at The University of Chicago.

Since 1995, Dr. Smith has been Scientific/Laboratory Director of Andrology, and/or Embryology at University of Chicago, University of Michigan, Huntington Centers for Reproductive Medicine of Brazil, Reproductive Gynecologist Inc. of Ohio, and Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. In 2002, Dr. Smith co-founded one of the Nation’s first Fertility Preservation Program integrated within the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center to provide seamless reproductive care for male and female cancer patients and survivors. His pioneering works on oocyte maturation / vitrification, semen cryopreservation, embryo culture, and non-invasively embryo analysis and selection have been supported by the National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Agriculture, Lance Armstrong Foundation, and Coulter Foundation.

Within his research laboratory, investigations focus on regulation of oocyte meiosis and chromatin segregation, male and female gamete cryopreservation, preimplantation embryo development, and integration of new biotechnologies (microfluidics and artificial matrices/scaffolds) in gamete/embryo/ human embryonic stem cell isolation, culture, and selection. Studies in his laboratory range from very basic in nature to translational research aimed at introducing new, or improving existing, means of preserving fertility or treating infertility.

Dr. Smith has published over 80 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 20 book chapters. He is Board Certified as a High Complexity Laboratory Director (AAB) in both Andrology and Embryology. Dr. Smith is very active in Assisted Reproductive Technology education, surveillance, and information dissemination through committee service on the Infertility National Action Plan Committee. Division of Reproductive Health (DRH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services, USA and the Michigan Infertility Advisory Committee.

Salah Abdelgadir, B.V.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., T.S., (ABB), H.C.L.D., (ABB), Laboratory Director and Clinical Consultant at numerous full service laboratories performing all aspects of andrology, embryology and assisted reproductive technologies including in vitro fertilization, ICSI, embryo cryopreservation, thawing, transfer, semen analysis, sperm wash and semen cryopreservation. Dr. Abdeligadir is certified by the American Board of Bioanalysis as a High-Complexity Laboratory Director and a Technical Supervisor (andrology and embryology). He received his Ph D, (reproductive endocrinology), and his MS from Oregon State University. He earned his BS at the University of Khartoum in the Sudan, where he was born and raised.

Karen Elkind-Hirsch, MSc, PhD, HCLD is Scientific Director of Research, Woman’s Metabolic Health and Research Services, Woman’s Hospital and Adjunct Professor at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Dr. Elkind-Hirsch, who has been actively involved in basic science and clinical research for 30 years, was Director of Research and Development at the Center for Reproduction and Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. She served as the chair of the Reproductive Biology Professional Group (RBPG) of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), and as the ASRM Practice Committee RBPG representative for 5 years.

Dr. Elkind-Hirsch received her undergraduate degree from Skidmore College and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Tulane University where she was a National Science Foundation pre-doctoral fellow. She then was awarded a 3 year Andrew Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in reproductive endocrinology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Woman’s Hospital. She received her H.C.L.D. Board Certification in 1995. She has served on the editorial boards for the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism and Journal of Drugs in Endocrinology. Dr. Elkind-Hirsch has published over 100 articles on topics in reproductive medicine and endocrinology with an expertise in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), insulin resistance and gestational diabetes. She has served as the principal investigator or co-investigator of over 50 clinical and basic science trials, with the most recent trials involving medical and lifestyle treatment of PCOS and screening and prevention of gestational diabetes.

Jennifer E. Graves-Herring, Ph.D., HCLD earned her Ph. D. (Biological Science) from Clemson University in 2008 where she also earned her M.S. (Animal Physiology) and B.S. (Animal Science). In her post-doctorial fellowship at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park, Department of Reproductive Services she is performing research studying the preservation of cat oocytes by desiccation and developed of a study to increase the percentage of blastocyst obtained from in vitro production of cat oocytes. Previous laboratory responsibilities include implementation of FDA requirements, developing laboratory procedures and ensuring compliance. She is a member of the AAB and is certified as a High Complexity Clinical Laboratory Director (andrology and embryology).

Joy Peterson, B.S., T.S. (AAB), ELD (ABB), earned her B.S. in animal science from Illinois State University and has pursued graduate coursework in aquaculture and reproductive physiology at Illinois State University and the University of Missouri. She is certified as a Technical Supervisor and an Embryology Laboratory Director with ABB. Joy worked as a clinical manager of fertility and with more than 20 years of ART laboratory experience she joined MedTech For Solutions as an Consulting Embryologist and Quality Assurance Manager.

Laboratory Consultants

Colin Craig, M.Sc., T.S. (AAB), holds a Masters Degree in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Clinical Andrology and Embryology from the Eastern Virginia Medical School. He received his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences from Rutgers University.

He has more than 10 years of ART laboratory experience. Most recently he was the Laboratory Manager for a major southeast IVF laboratory. He was directly responsible for training and evaluation of laboratory staff, played a major role in the development and implementation of lab protocol and policies and ensured maintenance of the highest levels of patient care.

Colin was been trained under the direction of Dr. Kathleen Miller, Vice President of MedTech Laboratory Services as senior level manager for IVF laboratories.

Michelle Marconi, B.S., M.T. (AAB), earned her B.S. in biology from Florida International University in Miami, FL and has pursued graduate M.S. coursework in Biomedical Sciences (Clinical Embryology and Andrology) from the Eastern Virginia Medical School. Michelle has been trained under the direction of Dr. Kathleen Miller, Vice President of MedTech Laboratory Solutions as senior level manager for IVF laboratories. She is certified as a Medical Technologist with AAB, has more than 10 years of laboratory experience, and has joined MedTech For Solutions as an embryologist/andrologist.

Amanda Schultz, MT (AAB)), earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Iowa, and has been an embryologist for 10 years with experience in all aspects of embryology and andrology. Amanda has assisted in training embryologists and lab technicians, maintaining the highest laboratory standards and in oocyte retrievals, ICSI, Assisted Hatching, Embryo Transfer, Embryo Grading, Slow cryopreservation, and Vitrification/Vitrification warming. Amanda joined MedTech For Solutions as an embryologist in 2016.

Nika Bick, M.S., earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Brigham Young University-Idaho and her Master of Science in Biotechnology from Colorado State University. She has been an embryologist for three and a half years with experience in all aspects of embryology and andrology. Nika joined the MedTech For Solutions team in 2020 as an embryologist.