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93 - From Private Practice to Academia: The Benefits of Working in an Academic REI Division, an interview with Dr. Eric Forman

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Dr. Eric Forman currently serves as the Medical and Lab Director at Columbia University in New York City. After his fellowship and early years as an REI in a private practice, Dr. Forman took an opportunity to join one of the most well-known academic REI divisions in the country.

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin and Dr. Forman take a look at both the private practice and the academic REI division models, dissecting the pros and cons of each. From restrictions on care to cumbersome processes, Dr. Forman corrects some preconceived notions and offers his advice to new fellows searching for the right career path for them.

92 - Increasing Access-to-Care for All Patient Populations, an interview with Dr. Marjorie Dixon

Marjorie Dixon is the founder, CEO, and Medical Director of Anova Fertility and Reproductive Health in Toronto, Canada. After completing her training in the States and experiencing what the field was like in her home country of Canada, Dr. Dixon knew she wanted to start a new clinic that used the best technology, provided the best care, and increased access-to-care for the LGBTQI+ population, one that was close to her heart.

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin digs into why Dr. Dixon chose to start her clinic in Toronto and what she does to not only increase the availability of care to all populations, but what she does to make them feel welcome in her practice.

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91 - What to Consider When Starting a De Novo Fertility Clinic, an interview with Dr. Cindy Duke

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Dr. Cindy Duke is the founder Physician, Medical Director, and Lab Director at Nevada Fertility Institute in Las Vegas. While finishing fellowship, Dr. Duke began to pursue a unique start to her career in fertility: a de novo clinic for a fertility network. Combining her passion for research and patient care, she was able to form her own clinic, all while remaining under the umbrella of a supporting network.

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin and Dr. Duke dig into why she chose this career path and just how she was able to get a nationwide network on board. Dr. Duke also shares the balance between influencer and leader in her clinic and the field as a whole. Griffin and Dr. Duke also reminisce about Rochester, New York and the benefits of “small town” fertility clinics.

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90 - The Best of 2020

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As we head into a new (and hopefully better) year, we wanted to take a look back on all the wonderful, inspiring guests we had on Inside Reproductive Health throughout the year. We talked about affordable care, mentoring new staff in the clinic and the lab. We learned about independent clinics and how they thrive despite heavy network competition, networks and how they continue to provide personalized care even after becoming publicly-owned. We talked about reducing physician burnout and increasing patient communication. And so much more.

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, we highlighted your favorite episodes and compiled the best clips into one episode for you to enjoy as 2020 wraps up.

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89 - How to Reduce Physician Burn Out and Increase Patient Satisfaction, an interview with Dr. Serena Chen and Dr. Roohi Jeelani

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Patient advocacy has always been an important part of the fertility field. With great organizations and lots of outspoken patients, patients are receiving more education outside of the clinic. But should physicians be involved in this sort of advocacy, too? Don’t they have enough on their plates?

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin spoke to Dr. Serena Chen of IRMS and Saint Barnabas Medical Center and Dr. Roohi Jeelani of Vios Fertility. Together, they co-authored a recently published paper, “Is Advocacy the solution to physician burnout?” They discuss why physicians should be more involved in advocacy and educating patients outside of their clinic. And why, against what one might think, it could reduce burnout for physicians in the long run.

88 - Cultivating the Provider-Patient Relationship: Improving Communication in Your Clinic, an interview with Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is a single-physician practice owner, operating out of her clinic in the San Francisco Bay area. When she entered the field in 2008, she had one goal: reach every person who needs access to fertility care. To her, that doesn’t necessarily mean treating every patient, but it does mean putting out valuable information for patients to help them make informed decisions and, hopefully, help them reach their dreams of becoming pregnant.

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin and Dr. Aimee explore all the ways that she is trying to change the patient-physician relationship through communication both in and outside of her office. From her extended hours and lax phone call policy to her Podcast and YouTube channel, she has made herself accessible to her direct patients and her audience around the world. She shares what our clinics can do to further build their relationship with their patients and help make patient journeys just a little bit easier.

87 - Restarting Growth After Plateauing, an interview with Dr. Matt Retzloff

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Dr. Matt Retzloff of Fertility Center of San Antonio. This time, they discuss how Fertility Bridge was able to help FCSA increase their new patient appointments, ramp up their referral network, and ultimately increase their retrievals after years of plateauing and even dropping.

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86 - Embryo Disposition: Implications and How to Protect Your Clinic, an interview with Igor Brusil

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The disposing of embryos has long been a controversial topic in the world of IVF. Clinics can’t afford to keep embryos around when patients have stopped paying their bills. But the ethical and legal implications keep embryo disposition from being a simple decision. Plus, patients aren’t really properly educated on what the limitations of cryopreservation are and clinics aren’t always fully prepared with proper consents and contracts when the time comes to freeze embryos.

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin spoke to Igor Brusil, attorney-at-law and per diem embryologist and legal counsel for the American College of Embryology in Houston, Texas. After working as an embryologist, Igor became interested in the ethical and legal implications of lab procedures, specifically embryo disposition. This led him to pursuing a legal degree and working as counsel for a variety of clients, but his focus remained in healthcare law, risk management, and professional liability.

He brought his unique experience to the show, sharing his thoughts on what clinics can do to protect themselves when it comes to the issue of embryo disposition.

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85 - Venture Capital and Its Interests in the Fertility Field, an interview with Dr. David Sable

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Venture Capital has been slowly making its way into the field over the last several years. But just what is it looking to improve?

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Dr. David Sable, a retired REI and current serial investor in biotechnology and other companies that aim to make the field more efficient and accessible by the patients we aim to treat. They discuss what it is going to take to scale to a million cycles in the US and 15 million around the world. From lessons from oncology to bottlenecks holding us back, Dr. Sable shares his biggest hopes for the fertility field and what entrepreneurs need to do to get it to the next level.

Dr. David Sable co-founded and served as director of the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey, was founder of Assisted Reproductive Medical Technologies, and was co-founder of Reprogenetics. In addition to serving as a reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Sable also sought to help the field as a whole by finding investors to create new technology to increase the amount of people served by the field. Today, Dr. Sable is a life sciences portfolio manager, an adjunct at Columbia University, and serves as director, advisor, and board member for a wide range of biotech and advocacy organizations.

Learn more about Dr. David Sable at www.dbsable.com or find him on Twitter @dbsable.

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84 - Pivoting Clinic Operations in the COVID-19 Era, an interview with Dr. Yemi Famuyiwa

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When COVID-19 entered the United States, it felt like a scramble to figure out what our next steps were as a field. Do operations continue to give patients the best chance of success? Or do the risks outweigh the benefits? Some clinics pivoted quickly, following the ASRM guidelines precisely. And some clinics panicked with feelings of apprehension of stopping treatment altogether.

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Dr. Oluyemisi (Yemi) Famuyiwa, the leader of a clinic who seemed to be well-prepared for the unknowns of the virus. Dr. Famuyiwa is the founder and director of Montgomery Fertility Center, an independent clinic located in Rockville, Maryland. Dr. Famuyiwa aims to provide state-of-the-art care based on emergent technologies and ongoing research. And this philosophy was truly exposed when COVID-19 first came on the radar.

Her ahead-of-the-game research got her clinic appropriately prepared for the emergence of the virus in her area, keeping volume steady--and even at the highest it has ever been. So what lessons can other clinics take from her experience in the COVID-19 era?

Learn more about Dr. Yemi Famuyiwa and Montgomery Fertility Center by visiting montgomeryfertilitycenter.com.

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83 - Growing an Independent Practice in the World’s Most Private Equity Dominated Market, an interview with Dr. John Crochet

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On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Dr. John Crochet of the Center of Reproductive Medicine. CoRM is an independently-owned clinic based in Houston, Texas, one of the largest markets in the field. In recent years, PE-owned and PE-backed clinics have started to take over the city, making the independent clinic almost obsolete… or have they?

Together, we discuss how the Center of Reproductive Medicine continues to thrive despite the money being funneled into their competitors in the market. From how they hire new docs to their philosophy on patient experience, we hear it all.

Dr. John Crochet trained in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Duke University and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas. Originally from Texas, Dr. Crochet went back to his roots, joining the Center of Reproductive Medicine in 2012. As an REI, Dr. Crochet has a goal of providing personalized care and an evidence-based approach to each family hoping to expand.

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82 - The Business Case for Fertility Surgery, an interview with Dr. Matt Retzloff

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On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Dr. Matt Retzloff, a Reproductive Endocrinologist from the independently-owned Fertility Center of San Antonio. Dr. Retzloff is board certified in both RE and OB/GYN and has special interest in fertility-related surgery, focusing on minimally invasive surgeries.

Dr. Retzloff is a firm believer that surgery for infertility-related issues are best managed within a fertility practice, allowing for continuity, confidence, and best outcomes for the patient. But looking at it through the lens of business, those benefits don’t always align with business operations and finances.

Together, we dig into the pros and cons of keeping fertility surgery in the purview of the REI.

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81 - Ethical Implications of Physician Investment in Fertility-Related Businesses, an interview with Dr. Kevin Doody

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Despite busy schedules taking care of patients and often running clinics themselves, it’s not uncommon to see doctors getting involved in ventures outside of their clinic’s four walls. From investing in pharmacies to serving as medical directors for new ART companies to starting software companies, REIs can be found doing a lot. No matter what the venture is, there is always the potential for creating a conflict of interest. So how do doctors draw the line? How are they able to ensure they are keeping the patient’s best interest at heart, and not just making decisions that are beneficial to the physician?

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Dr. Kevin Doody. Dr. Doody founded Care Fertility in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife, Kathy, in 1989. He is also co-creator of Effortless IVF, which is a new ART technology treatment that uses INVOcells. He is also the Chief Scientist of Global Fertility and Genetics.

Together, Griffin and Dr. Doody talk about entrepreneurship in the fertility field and then, we dig into conflicts of interest in the field: what is acceptable and what isn’t.

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80 - Up-selling Fertility Treatments: Beneficial or Exploitative? An interview with Dr. Mark Trolice

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Reproductive endocrinologists and other professionals in our field all have the same main goal: helping people build their families. But we all know that treatment is expensive, and the resulting revenue is how clinic owners get paid. In some cases, treatments can involve ‘extra’ services, resulting in additional revenue, but it may not always mean a better chance of success for the patient.

So when do clinics start to toe the ethical line when presenting options to their patients?

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Dr. Mark Trolice of Fertility CARE: The IVF Center in Winter Park, Florida. From his perspective as a former patient and as a provider of care in a non-mandated state, we look at fertility treatment “up-sells” such as egg freezing and PGT and the ethical implications of REs owning their own labs.

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79 - Uncovering the Pros and Cons of Mandated Fertility Coverage, An interview with Jay Palumbo

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As of August 2020, less than half of the states in America have some form of mandated insurance coverage for fertility treatments. Some require coverage for IVF, some cover preservation, but more than 30 states still have no requirement for covering fertility treatments in any form. But why? Is coverage really beneficial on the business side of the fertility field?

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin spoke with writer and women’s health advocate, Jennifer “Jay” Palumbo. Jay is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Wonder Woman Writer, LLC and is an avid women’s health advocate. From her award-willing blog “The Two Week Wait” to working at major fertility benefits companies, her experience has helped shape her mission to advocate for women’s health needs, especially when it comes to infertility.

In this episode, we uncover the pros and cons of mandated coverage from both the patient and the clinic side.

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78 - Is Private Equity Putting Money Ahead of Patient Care? An Interview with Dr. Francisco Arredondo

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Wall Street has been moving into healthcare for several years and it has been making its mark in the fertility field. Some practices have taken advantage of the influx of money in the field, but several haven’t. But several docs have some concerns, specifically when it comes to decision making.


Do private equity firms or people who invest in fertility clinics and businesses really have the best patient care in mind?


On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Dr. Francisco Arredondo, founder of RMA of Texas and author of his upcoming book, MedikalPreneur. Together, we dive into the pros and cons of money entering our field in the form of private equity.

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77- Is Work-Life Fit Attainable for All Fertility Doctors? An Interview with Dr. Stephanie Gustin

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August is here. Usually, it's the time for vacations and recharging. But not in 2020. It's a different time now and finding the balance between work and life is trickier than ever.

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Dr. Stephanie Gustin of Heartland Center for Reproductive Medicine, PC in Omaha, Nebraska. Between seeing patients, running her independent practice with her partner, teaching OB/GYN residents, raising a family of her own, and making time for herself, it’s safe to say that Dr. Gustin has a pretty full plate. Despite it all, however, she has found a work-life fit that works for her. So what is her secret?

Learn more about Dr. Stephanie Gustin at heartlandfertility.com

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76 - Leaving a Legacy: Retiring from the Fertility Field, An Interview with Dr. Selwyn Oskowitz

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Choosing when to retire, or more simply, whether or not one should retire, is a difficult question. It takes lots of reflection, looking back on one’s journey throughout their professional life and whether or not they feel like they’ve left no stone unturned as their journey comes to an end. In the field of fertility, it can be even more difficult to make that decision.

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Dr. Selwyn Oskowitz, founder of Boston IVF and heads the Rwanda Fertility Initiative, an organization with a mission to provide affordable fertility services to every citizen of Rwanda. Dr. Oskowitz retired in 2016, leaving behind a legacy that left its mark across the entire field of reproductive medicine in the United States and beyond. In addition to sharing what he’s been doing with RII, Dr. Oskowitz also discusses why he chose to retire and what he sees are the biggest positive changes to come to our field.

To get started on a marketing plan for your company, complete the Goal and Competitive Diagnostic at FertilityBridge.com.

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75 - Mentoring, Motivating, and Sharing the Journey: Being An Effective Leader in your Fertility Practice, An Interview with Rita Gruber

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Are you leading your employees? Or are you just managing them through every task?

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Rita Gruber, President of Gruber Group, LLC, a consulting firm helping people in the medical field become effective leaders in their organizations. She shares with us the change in business management practices over the years, how to empower your employees, and what you can do today to help yourself become a better leader.

Whether you are a physician-owner, an office manager, director of a department, are part of the C-suite, or aspire to be any of the above, this episode is for you!

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74 - Physicians and Business People: Polar Opposites or One in the Same? An interview with Dr. Francisco Arredondo

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Can physicians be business people? It’s not a part of their medical training. And medical problem solving isn’t exactly like business problem solving. So is it even possible for successful physicians to be equally successful entrepreneurs?

On this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin talks to Dr. Francisco Arredondo, founder of RMA of Texas and author of his upcoming book, MedikalPreneur. Dr. Arredondo digs into a few concepts discussed in his book, focusing mainly on the similarities and differences between the traditional physician and the traditional entrepreneur. Listen to find out what it takes for physicians who wish to also be entrepreneurs in the fertility field to be successful in both endeavors.