In June 2002, the Bernabeu Institute opened its reproductive medicine clinic in Elche. Twenty years later, the institution is celebrating its twentieth anniversary with the same spirit of distinction, personalized care, and excellence. A human team of experts stays at the forefront, applying the latest treatments and cutting-edge technology to help families grow. Margarita was the first mother to have a child born through assisted reproductive techniques at Instituto Bernabeu Elche, followed by María and many more. To date, the clinic has helped bring more than a thousand babies into the world.
To mark this milestone, the Instituto Bernabeu Elche hosted an event on Thursday, June 16, with Elche Mayor Carlos González, the Health Council Member Mariola Galiana, Miguel Hernández University (UMH) Vice-Chancellor for Research Professor Domingo Orozco, and the medical director of the Instituto Bernabeu Group, Dr. Andrea Bernabeu. The gathering highlighted two decades of progress and the ongoing commitment to reproductive care in the community.
Dr. Bernabeu expressed gratitude to the Elche association for two decades of collaboration. He spoke about the clinic’s role not only in assisting couples facing fertility issues but also in offering solutions for broader social realities, such as diverse family models, ovarian preservation for delaying motherhood or cancer treatments, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis to prevent inherited diseases. He stressed a continued dedication to advancing human reproductive medicine and addressing the needs of the people of Elche.
For years, delayed maternity has presented a challenge to professionals, as pregnancies are increasingly pursued at older ages. Egg aging and depletion raise the odds against natural conception, while many women choose to freeze eggs for future use. The clinic emphasizes personalization of every treatment to fit each patient’s unique circumstances.
social benefit
The mayor of Elche conveyed gratitude for the clinic’s progress and underscored the undeniable social value of the Bernabeu Institute, which has enabled the birth of many families. He highlighted the importance of health research in general and reproductive health in particular, noting that scientific inquiry is essential to meeting the demands of modern healthcare.
UMH’s Vice-Chancellor for Research offered remarks of appreciation, noting that anything improving citizens’ quality of life originates in research and praising the Instituto Bernabeu as an example of research excellence. The institute maintains a longstanding relationship with Miguel Hernández University of Elche through the Chair of Community Medicine and Reproductive Health, led jointly by Professor Orozco and his colleagues.
The event concluded with a video that showcased the human team at Instituto Bernabeu Elche and couples who chose to share their motherhood journeys. A family celebrated a second birth following fertility treatment, while another couple anticipated a baby in August after assisted reproduction.
To commemorate these twenty years, the clinic announced plans to distribute palm kernels to fertility patients this year as a symbol of life and the city of Elche.