In this episode, Griffin talks to Valerie Libby, a second year reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellow at UH Cleveland Medical Center. They discuss what millennial REI fellows want in the process of building their careers, such as mentors, work-life balance, and more business training, and analyze how the risk-averse nature of the medical field and an outdated business model keep fertility doctors from opening their own practices.
Four Reasons the Tech Revolution Has Disrupted Fertility, and Why Practice Owners are Frustrated
CHANGING TECHNOLOGY
For some IVF centers, the change has already done them in. For others, it is the level playing field needed to thrive against massively funded competitors. No phenomenon presents a greater threat, nor a greater opportunity to today’s fertility centers than the technological revolution through which our society is living.
So far, we've deeply explored the four major implications of the following axiom: today's fertility practice is no longer a small, independent healthcare clinic, but an entrepreneurial venture. We talked about business structure, strategy and vision, and accelerated competition. These three tenets pale in comparison to our society’s rapidly changing technological and social behavior.
Flipping the Script is On Us
Whenever I get included in anything infertility and loss awareness wise there are three parts of my brain that fire:
Ego – Duh, my story needs to be a part of this.
Shame – Who do you think you are? You shouldn’t even be included, no one wants to hear or is ready for your story and message.
Gratitude – Thank you so much for including me and remembering my scary story is more common than people think or want to admit.
My name is Justine Froelker, and I am the infertility advocate whose story scares the bejeezus out of most in our community.
6 Things Infertility Taught Me
6 Things Infertility Taught Me
There is no question, my journey to parenthood was the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with. My entire life I dreamed of becoming a mother and the thought of this dream not happening was heartbreaking. I wouldn’t wish infertility on anyone but I do believe that infertility taught me six things that changed my life for the better.
Patience
I’ve always been a Type A, go-getter. I was working in my dream job by age 21, I had my Master’s degree by age 22, I married my high school sweetheart at 23… I really thought I could plan for everything that I wanted in life but this journey taught me not everything is in my control and I needed to be patient. The never-ending waiting for your next doctor’s appointment, waiting for your medicine to arrive, or waiting for the next cycle was extremely hard and it seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel was far, far away. What gave me patience and hope was the many options that were available: IUI’s, IVF, surrogacy, and adoption. There were so many options and I knew one of these options would help me become a mom. Every day I kept telling myself that I was one day closer to becoming a mom and that kept me going.
Strength
There were times that I didn’t want to face the outside world and didn’t want to get on social media because I knew I’d probably see a baby announcement. Though I was always happy for others, I was also incredibly sad for myself. That being said, through the sadness and fear, I kept reminding myself that I was made to be a mother and I needed to be strong and fight like one. Sometimes you have to go through really hard struggles to realize how strong you are.Empathy
In this world, we are so quick to judge. Infertility taught me that you don’t always know what someone is going through. Everyone is going through some tough battle that you might not have any idea about. I wish everyone would look deeper into a person before they make any assumptions. Wouldn’t this world be more beautiful if we all did this?
Gratefulness
One of the best pieces of advice I can give someone who is struggling with infertility is to treat yourself when something doesn’t go the way you wanted it to. Whenever a treatment failed for us, we booked a trip to cheer us up because traveling makes our hearts happy. Due to a lot of failed treatments we were able to travel to several different countries. I’m thankful for these trips because it opened my eyes (and my husbands) to so many different cultures, provided me so much joy during this hard time, and most importantly, it taught me to be grateful for what I do have. I know trips aren’t always feasible but do something that makes you happy and brings you joy after a failed treatment, whether that be a pedicure, a trip, spend the day with a loved one, or even just a night out. You deserve it and it’s always nice to be reminded to be grateful for what you do have.
The TTC Community and TTC Sisterhood is a Real Thing
The TTC Community on Instagram was so supportive and non-judgmental during my journey. We’d pray for each other, cry for each other, and were always there during the good times and the bad. They also “understood” what you were going through. This community made me feel not alone. There are a lot of good people in this world, you just have to find them. If you’re going through infertility, please find us on Instagram (my username is MyTwinMomAdventures). We are a VERY welcoming group and would love to have you.
It Made Me a Better Mother
This will sound very cliché, but I truly believe this struggle made me a better parent. I’m sure I would’ve been a good mom even if I hadn’t struggled with infertility but infertility made me realize what miracles my children are. It made me a more understanding, patient, and grateful mother. I thank God, every single day that I get to be their mom. I will never take being a mom for granted.
When going through infertility, you can easily get caught up in how horrible, unfair, and sad everything is. Or you can take what’s happening and learn from it. I was often consumed in anger and sadness but I did learn these important lessons and I truly believe that I am a better person because of the journey I went through.
BRIANNA IS A MOM TO BOY/GIRL TWINS, CAMDEN AND ELLA! SHE AND HER HUSBAND STRUGGLED WITH INFERTILITY FOR YEARS. AFTER THREE ROUNDS OF IVF (IN VITRO FERTILIZATION), THEY WERE BLESSED WITH THEIR MIRACLE TWINS. WHEN SHE’S NOT WITH HER FAMILY, SHE’S PURSUING ONE OF HER PASSIONS: TRAVELING (40 COUNTRIES AND COUNTING!), WORKING OUT, ORGANIZING, DECORATING, COOKING, BLOGGING, OR WATCHING REALITY TV!
The Natural Route
My husband, Colby, and I received our infertility diagnosis 6 years ago, in April of 2012. As most couples who have been diagnosed with infertility would understand and agree, we were completely caught off guard. You get married and you have kids, right? Well for 1 in 8 couples this is not the case and we happen to fall into that statistic. This diagnosis came quickly and although we were so thankful to find out what we were up against sooner, rather than later, it was still devastating. What we thought was just routine tests before we started our family, turned out to be much different as we were diagnosed with both female and male fertility.
The Battle for the IVF Market: 5 Wall Street backed companies vs. private practice
Multi-million dollar private equity firms offer fertility practices an ultimatum: sell part of their practice, or have their market-share siphoned away.
Major firms spend hundreds of millions of dollars nationwide because they are in a race to consolidate as much of the fragmented IVF market as they can. This is only to speak of companies who own and operate networks of fertility clinics. In parallel, in 2017, PitchBook tallied more than $178 million invested into startups developing fertility products. In our series about fertility practices’ tectonic shift from small clinic to entrepreneurial venture, we’ve detailed the challenges that independent fertility practices face that their big new competitors don’t. So who are these new titans, and what are they up to?
Flip the Script
This week marks an important week in the world of infertility as it is National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW). It’s a week where people unite, help educate others about infertility and open up conversations to all that it all entails. I am so grateful for the infertility community and RESOLVE as we work to educate others on what it’s like to wear these shoes.
I Didn't See THAT Coming! One Woman's Struggle with Infertility and How it Changed Her Life
How did I get here?! I have NO idea how I got here!
As a little girl dreaming about the life I aspired to have – a high powered career, a doting husband, two beautiful children – it never crossed my mind that I might not be able to have one of those things. From a young age I was told that if I wanted something, I just had to work hard enough, and it could be mine; something about the world being my oyster – you know the saying. So, that’s what I did. I worked hard. I was dedicated. I crushed high school. I sailed through college. I landed an amazing job with a Fortune 100 company right out of college at the ripe age of 22. And finally, that sexy guy that I had kept on my arm for the past four years - my best friend turned love of my life - finally asked me to marry him! I was getting everything I ever wanted. But, why shouldn’t I? I followed the recipe of life that had been handed to me – I worked hard and maintained focus. For that, I deserved everything I ever wanted. Crack that oyster open y’all! I want my pearl!!
Our Story of Infertility
My name is Owen and I am so excited to share my story with you guys today. I am a part time orthopedic Physician Assistant and a full-time mommy. I still get butterflies when I call myself a mom… I will never get used to hearing that and I will never take it for granted. Unless you have personally struggled with infertility, you probably have no idea that this week is National Infertility Awareness Week. A week dedicated to bringing awareness to a topic that is under discussed and over prevalent. I'm sharing our story in hopes of removing the stigma surrounding infertility and to help at least one person feel less alone.
Flip the Script - Tia Gendusa
Hello and welcome lovely readers! I am so, so happy you took a few minutes out of your busy day to connect with me here at Fertility Bridge! My name is Tia and I am a former IVF warrior that writes over at ForeverOrchard.
My path to motherhood closed in late 2017, after unsuccessfully going through four egg retrievals, three transfers, and suffering two miscarriages. We fought and failed for five years, and I spoke frankly about our lives and our decision moving forward in THISPOST.
A New Vision and Different Strategy for IVF Centers to Thrive Beyond 2018
We might criticize REI fellows for not wanting to take over existing IVF practices, but they are making the same decision that current practice owners have made for decades. They are deciding to be doctors and not CEOs. At the time, starting an independent practice didn’t mean launching a commercial enterprise. The difference is that new doctors know they can’t get away with that today.
Set Up to Fail: Fertility Clinics Not Structured for 2018
It’s common to razz new subspecialists coming out of their Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) fellowship. I often hear from recruiting physicians, that new REIs are not entrepreneurial. That they have no desire to take over a retiring doctor’s fertility center and run their own practice. It is said that fellows and new specialists want to work for someone else, clock their hours, and go home.
There may be valid points in this general perspective, but I see a much more comprehensive picture. Would you like to see what I observe from my semi-outsider’s vantage point?
5 Tips for Fertility Clinics Who Want a 5 Star Reputation
Fertility clinics help patients through one of the most difficult times of their lives: growing a family. Given the sensitivity and life altering nature of infertility, finding a high-quality fertility clinic is the number one priority for patients.
Today, most patients head online to find their fertility doctor. Even if they’ve received a referral from another doctor, friend, or family member, there’s little chance of them NOT checking you out online. What will they see?
That’s where online reputation management comes into play. Ensuring that the offline realities of the great care you provide are properly reflected online should be one of the main priorities of your marketing. In fact, your online reputation could be the main reason you get - or lose - a potential new patient to another fertility clinic.
The 8 Fundamentals of Fertility Marketing in 2018
7 trigger points that infuriate fertility patients and lead to bad reviews for doctors
A Stern Warning for Fertility Clinics Who Complain About Patient Review Sites
"Change is not painful. resistance to change is painful."
Consider this a gentle "love tap" from a friend.
A direct warning from me is far milder than what the market has in store. If I don't speak up about this single issue now, then I am neglectful in my duty to help protect the field of reproductive health from cultural and technological shock, because the internet-led market has proven to be unforgiving.
Why did these 9 patients just leave word-of-mouth referrals for their fertility doctors on Instagram?
"The only thing that matters is the lab"
That's what a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist (RE) told me over lunch at the 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) annual scientific congress. "The patient experience doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is if they get a baby or not." My efforts to show him all of the evidence to the contrary were fruitless. That was the end of the conversation. Why try to convince the inconvincible?
Flipping People's Peanuts at MRSi 2017: Everything is changing, and it's just the beginning
This is my third annual recap of the Midwest Reproductive Symposium international (MRSi) , so I'm going to have a little fun with this one. I don't feel like writing another list and I think there's a more valuable point I can convey to you. As of right now, MRSi holds the title for my favorite meeting in the field of reproductive health and I want to use it nudge other meetings to follow suit. I should be a fair judge, I go to almost all of them.
It certainly doesn't hurt that it's on Lake Michigan in Chicago in the summer time, and Dr. Angeline Beltsos knows how to incorporate an interesting theme. Those are pluses, but not enough to make a meeting my favorite. It's big enough to have a diverse range of programming and small enough to be very collaborative and social. People get to know each other and build meaningful relationships. I truly understand how important that is for the field. Louise Brown, the first baby ever born from IVF was a guest at the conference.
Start With Why: Association of Reproductive Managers (ARM) Meeting Recap 2017
We didn't plan it this way...really. Yet still, there was a theme.
The Association for Reproductive Managers (ARM) is the practice managers' professional group within the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). As a group, we meet in person twice per year: at ASRM in the fall, and at the ARM Annual Meeting in the spring. We just wrapped up our 2017 meeting on April 28 at the Hotel Chicago (guess which city).
The 7 Steps of the Fertility Bridge Proven Process for Tracking IVF Marketing Results
Jackie Sharpe is Regional Marketing Director for HRC Fertility in Southern California. Once, at an Association for Reproductive Managers (ARM) marketing meeting, I asked Jackie, "Is it easier, or harder, to track the effectiveness of marketing today than it was several years ago?"
I could tell she had thought about it before. "It's harder," she replied.
Harder? We have every tool under the sun, from Google Analytics to every kind of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and marketing dashboard. We can track every click, page view, Instagram like, Yelp review...everything down to how many minutes the average visitor spends on our website. How is it not easier than ever to track our ROI? Yet, you know what? She's absolutely right.