PRESS RELEASE

(10/4/2006)

Federal Grant Awarded for Embryo Adoption Awareness Campaign

To prevent human embryos from being destroyed

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) announced today that they are in a partnership with Baptist Health System which has just received two new cooperative agreements from the US Department of Health and Human Services to promote public awareness of embryo donation and adoption. The first new funded project will focus on the creation of professional meetings and the second will center on an evidence-based assessment of the embryo adoption field.

Bethany Christian Services, the largest adoption agency in the United States, will partner with the NEDC to provide a national forum for emerging issues related to embryo adoption and donation.

As part of an evidence-based assessment of the field, the NEDC will create a national clearinghouse for literature, media and electronic data currently available on embryo adoption and donation.

Jeffrey Keenan, MD, medical director for the National Embryo Donation Center, stated, “ We are pleased with the exciting work previous grants have allowed us to accomplish in increasing awareness about this important option for infertile couples, and we look forward to maintaining our leadership in this field.”

In partnership with Baptist Heath Systems, the NEDC was a recipient of an awareness grant in 2005, as well as a grant spanning 2005-2007. The accomplishments of the NEDC in conjunction with Bethany Christian Services and the Christian Medical & Dental Associations included: informational brochures for fertility clinics and patients who wish to donate or receive embryos; a national embryo adoption phone responder service was established that is available 24 hours a day; as well as surveys that were designed and mailed out to fertility clinics and couples dealing with infertility to measure embryo adoption and donation awareness. These are only a few key endeavors that have been completed for the first Embryo Adoption Awareness Campaign.

To schedule an interview with Dr. Keenan please contact Marti Bailey at 423-767-3887 or e-mail at mbailey@bhset.org.

This information was prepared and is being disseminated with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under grant # EAAPA941002. The statements expressed herein are those f the National Embryo donation Centers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department.