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Meet Zachary Icen, Ovation Fertility Long-Term Storage Operations Coordinator
Zachary Icen, Long-Term Storage Operations Coordinator
Thanks to advances in reproductive medicine, long-term storage has become an important part of many family-building journeys. At Ovation® Fertility, Zachary Icen works as the long-term storage operations coordinator to ensure that these precious reproductive materials stay safe and sound.
How Did You Get Into Your Line of Work?
Before I started at Ovation, I was in the United States Army for four years. During that time, I served with Paul Kang who is now the storage and implementation supervisor for Ovation.
During COVID, I got called in to draw plasma on the West Coast to help with vaccine research. I did this for about a year. Once I finished with this assignment, Paul told me about the operations coordinator role at Ovation. It seemed like a great fit, so I applied and here I am.
What’s an Average Day Like for You?
In my role, I focus on making sure that transportation is safe and effective for patient specimens. This work involves preparing shipments that are going from long-term storage to clinics and labs where fertilization and embryo transfer procedures will occur. I also receive specimens that have come from clinics to prepare them for intake.
In this role, there’s a lot of paperwork and communication with labs and patients. I’ve found it’s important to be empathetic when communicating with patients because the transport process is one of the most stressful parts of their fertility journey. It’s so rewarding when I can help calm them down and provide peace of mind.
What’s Your Favorite Part of Working for Ovation?
I love knowing that I play a meaningful role in a patient’s journey to parenthood by safely transporting reproductive materials for hopeful parents. Every patient is over the moon to hear that everything arrived safely at the final destination, and it’s an honor to help patients move one step closer to having a family.
We also have a really good team here. Everyone is always willing to step in when someone on the team needs help. We all work together to make the end goal happen for patients.
Why Is Ovation’s Work So Important?
Ovation provides so many services that help people achieve their dream of parenthood. Patients can find donor services and surrogacy to help overcome infertility as well as fertility preservation and storage to gain more control of their family-building timeline. I like that Ovation empowers people to take control of their fertility and lives.
What Do You Like To Do Outside of Work?
When I’m not working, I spend a lot of time hanging out with my wife and our dogs. My wife is in medical school, so we like using what free time she has to unwind by hiking and walking with the dogs. We love getting away to Duck Creek in Utah to enjoy nature together.