Podcast Summary: What Happened in Nashville — Episode 3: "You Think That’s Your Ovary?"

Date: December 10, 2025
Host: Melissa Jeltsen (iHeartPodcasts, School of Humans)

Main Theme

This episode investigates how desperation and hope among fertility patients can make them vulnerable to exploitation by both the fertility industry and individual providers. Through the personal stories of patients at the Center for Reproductive Health (CRH) in Nashville, it exposes failures in oversight, accountability, and the emotional fallout from the clinic's abrupt closure—particularly focusing on whether some patients were treated by a provider who was not actually a licensed physician.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Vulnerability of Fertility Patients (03:19–07:23)

• Sarah Davis’s Story:
  Describes her descent into the wellness industry's rabbit hole, trying every supplement, superstition, and product possible to conceive, despite skepticism.
  • Quote: "You can't ovulate harder if you think about it better and you pay more attention to it." (03:19, Sarah)
  • She racks up debt on supplements and products marketed on social media.
  • Quote: "I racked up so much debt trying to do all this. At one point I was on like $400 a month worth of supplements." (04:25, Sarah)
  • Magical thinking, including crystals and online spells, becomes part of her routine.
  • Quote: "You can buy a spell on eBay and someone from, like, Transylvania will say a spell over you and your uterus." (06:13, Sarah)
• Host and guest agree that the intensity of the desire for a baby makes patients easy targets for manipulation.

2. History and Background of Nashville’s Fertility Clinics (07:42–17:19)

• Evolution of Fertility Treatments:
  • Dr. Alan Penzias, Harvard Medical School, walks through centuries-old attempts to treat infertility, from superstitions to scientific breakthroughs (e.g., first IVF baby in 1978).
  • Nashville quickly became an IVF hub, with clinics vying for patients and prestige.
• CRH’s Founding & Dr. Jaime Vasquez:
  • Former Vanderbilt faculty opened CRH in the 1990s, branding it as an intimate, family-focused clinic.
  • Staffed by longtime employees and managed for decades by Dr. Vasquez's wife.
  • Vasquez spoke of his work as a calling rooted in love and legacy.
    • Quote: "The patient is my boss. ... I give them all the options and I say I think that this is more likely to be successful. But I don't have a crystal ball." (12:43, Dr. Vasquez)
• Clinic’s Size and Philosophy:
  • Despite being Nashville’s smallest fertility clinic, it claimed a "personal" approach and boasted over 2,000 babies born.
  • Quote (patient): "I've always joked that Dr. Vasquez knows sperm and eggs like no one else. ... He has always been so warm and friendly." (15:39)

3. The Hiring of Dr. Dyer and Shifts at CRH (17:19–26:47)

• Clinic Changes:
  • 2019: Vasquez’s daughter joins the management; in 2020, a new provider is hired: Dr. Ferrer Dyer.
  • Local professionals are unsure who this "fellow" is, as rumors circulate.
• Sarah’s Experience with Dr. Dyer:
  • She never meets Vasquez; all treatment comes from Dyer, who presents as friendly, relatable, and knowledgeable.
    • Quote: "It felt like a friend. It felt like I was sitting down to talk to a friend." (21:52, Sarah)
  • She undergoes multiple IUIs with Dyer (none successful), growing uneasy after a nurse performing a critical ultrasound appears unqualified and asks, "Do you think that's your ovary?" (25:53, nurse quoted by Sarah)

4. Rising Alarm and the Search for Credentials (26:47–31:13)

• Patient Concerns:
  • Sarah becomes suspicious when prescriptions are issued under Vasquez's name, prompting her to check Dyer’s credentials.
  • She cannot find Dyer listed as licensed anywhere in Tennessee or mentioned on CRH’s website.
  • Another clinic tells Sarah: "You know he's not a reproductive endocrinologist, right?" (29:00, new provider)
• Clinic Closure:
  • After unanswered calls, Sarah learns via news media that CRH has suddenly closed. Soon, reports surface questioning the legitimacy of Dr. Dyer’s qualifications.

5. Emotional Fallout: The Impact on Patients (34:20–37:15)

• Betrayal and Violation:
  • Former patients like Penny Ko describe feelings of violation, especially with Dyer having performed intimate procedures.
    • Quote: "I still feel kind of gross. ... After something like that happens, you're like, if they can be deceiving, how do you know somebody else isn't deceiving?" (35:39, Penny)
  • Penny, who is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, describes the retraumatizing experience.
    • Quote: "If you've ever been sexually assaulted, it puts you back into that category again, where you're just like, I don't want anybody touching me." (36:59, Penny)

6. Dr. Dyer’s Defense and Legal Complications (38:13–44:47)

• Attorney Response:
  • Dyer’s attorney, Chanel Acheson, insists Dyer did nothing illegal.
    • Quote: "Everything that Dr. Dyer did was appropriate under all applicable laws and regulations." (38:13, Acheson)
  • Dyer acted as a "fellow" under Vasquez’s license, did not make independent decisions, and had an MD from a now-defunct and unrecognized school in the UK.
• Licensing Issues:
  • Dyer never obtained a medical license in Tennessee; St. Christopher’s, his medical school, is barred in some states.
  • Acheson admits Vasquez benefited from Dyer’s cheap labor.
    • Quote: "The benefit to Dr. Vasquez was cheap labor. ... Dr. Vasquez sort of left a trail of victims." (44:19, Acheson)
• Patient Disputes:
  • Portal messages refer to Dyer as "Doctor," with no mention of "fellow." Patients say he never explained his status.
    • Quote: "I never once heard the word fellow ever being mentioned. I never once heard anything other than, 'I'm Dr. Dyer and I'm going to get you pregnant.' That's it." (46:56, Sarah)

7. Systemic Failure — No Legal Accountability (47:05–51:27)

• No Accountability:
  • Despite complaints to police, District Attorney, and Department of Health, neither Dyer nor Vasquez are charged.
  • The DA considers, but rejects, a "rape by fraud" charge, finding no evidence of sexual motivation.
  • State law allows delegation of technical tasks—even potentially to unqualified individuals.
  • Patients feel dismissed and invalidated by authorities.
    • Quote: "A group of extremely educated women and their spouses did not misunderstand anything. ... We know exactly what was going on. ... It feels terrible to be told that we're a bunch of dumb girls that don't know better. We’re not stupid." (50:16, Sarah)

8. Preview: Next Episode (51:27–51:46)

• Hints at alarming discoveries during the state’s inventory of embryos, further failures, and deepening distrust in Tennessee’s regulation of fertility clinics.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You can't ovulate harder if you think about it better and you pay more attention to it." (03:19, Sarah)
• "I had gone to a crystal shop and gotten a special crystal ... It was supposed to waste money. That's what it was supposed to do." (05:57, Sarah)
• "Do you think that's your ovary?" (25:53, CRH nurse, recounted by Sarah)
• "I still feel kind of gross. ... After something like that happens, you're like, if they can be deceiving, how do you know somebody else isn't deceiving?" (35:39, Penny)
• "Everything that Dr. Dyer did was appropriate under all applicable laws and regulations." (38:13, Chanel Acheson)
• "I never once heard the word fellow ever being mentioned. ... I’m Dr. Dyer and I’m going to get you pregnant. That’s it." (46:56, Sarah)
• "We are being treated like we're a bunch of dumb girls who don't know how to read. ... We’re not stupid." (50:16, Sarah)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 04:25: Sarah describes debt and desperation in the fertility product market.
• 07:42: Dr. Alan Penzias discusses history of fertility medicine.
• 12:43: Dr. Vasquez explains his patient-first philosophy.
• 17:19: Changes at CRH, arrival of Dr. Dyer.
• 21:52: Sarah’s first impressions of Dr. Dyer.
• 25:53: The infamous "Do you think that’s your ovary?" incident.
• 29:00–30:07: Sarah’s realization and search for Dyer’s credentials.
• 34:20–37:15: Emotional fallout for patients, especially trauma for survivors like Penny.
• 38:13–44:47: Dyer’s legal defense articulated by his attorney.
• 46:56–47:05: Patients recount never being told about Dyer’s fellow status.
• 50:16: Patients express feeling belittled and dismissed by response to the scandal.

Tone and Language

The tone is intimate, empathetic, and skeptical—mirroring both the emotional journey and anger of affected patients and the investigative caution of the host. Patients speak candidly, often with sarcasm and dry humor masking deeper pain and disillusionment. The podcast maintains a careful, clearheaded approach, parsing institutional and personal failings.

Conclusion

This episode powerfully illustrates both the emotional toll and systemic dangers present in today’s under-regulated fertility industry. Through personal voices and detailed reporting, it exposes how easily hopeful, vulnerable patients can be failed—not only by individual clinics, but by the legal and medical systems meant to protect them.

Next Episode Tease

• Promises revelations about possible embryo mishandling and further regulatory failure, underscoring that the CRH crisis is a cautionary tale with implications far beyond Nashville.