Lab tech responsible for embryo mixup may not have been certified

A recent twist to Ochsner Elmwood’s recent embryonic disaster regarding the mislabeling and invalidation of an unknown number of frozen embryos complicates the matter even further. It is now alleged that the individual responsible for the mixup may not have even been an employee of the hospital and, further, even certified to be working in the professional capacity he was working in.

While contracting out medical specialists is not new for hospitals, this new kink adds fuel to the fire of the argument some have regarding the lack of concrete regulation in regards to fertilization and embryonic storage.

The Times-Picayune reports

A embryologist who is accused of mislabeling human embryos at Ochsner’s in vitro fertilization center in Elmwood was not employed by the clinic and may not have had proper professional certification, according to a report by New Orleans CityBusiness.

Vincent Williams is being sued by a couple who names him as the lab worker they believe was responsible for the problems at the clinic. But the report contends Williams did not work for Ochsner, but rather had a contractual relationship with the clinic.

CityBusiness quotes the administrator of the American Association of Bioanalysts, the health system contracted with Vincent Williams’ company to run the clinic, as saying that nobody by the name of Vincent Williams is certified with its board.

This new facet to the case shows an even bigger element of responsibility that Ochsner, or the company through which they contracted, will have to overcome to avoid responsibility for this matter. Any couples or women who froze their embryos at the Elmwood location of Ochsner are encouraged to contact an attorney immediately to find out their legal rights in this chaotic matter.