Shvetha Zarek, MD

Why I started Arbor.

Hi Friends —

I am Dr. Z, and I started Arbor Fertility because the fertility patients I cared for kept telling me the same thing: the medicine is hard enough on its own, and the bills shouldn't be the part that breaks them. As a second-generation doctor and proud daughter of immigrants, my life's mission has always been to support people on their path to parenthood by making fertility care more compassionate, more accessible, and more inclusive.

I'm a double board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist with experience particularly rooted in the Midwest. My clinical interests are IUI, IVF, ovulation induction, PCOS, male factor infertility, and third-party reproduction — the full range of how families get built. I trained at some excellent institutions, but the most important things I learned about fertility care I learned from patients in St. Louis, Columbia, and across mid-Missouri who were living with the in-between of "still trying."

So we built Arbor differently. One transparent fee schedule, posted publicly, the same for everyone. A warmer clinical experience without the cold-marble lobby. Family structures named explicitly — heterosexual couples, singles, gay and lesbian couples, transgender patients, polyamorous families — because visibility matters more than concision. And a personal cell-phone number, because when you're in the middle of a cycle, you should be able to reach your doctor.

If you're reading this and wondering whether Arbor is the right fit, I'd love to meet you. Schedule a consult, ask the awkward questions, and let's see whether what we do here matches what you need.

With care,
Shvetha Zarek, MD, FACOG — Founder, Arbor Fertility