Inside Reproductive Health Podcast

Dr. Rachel Mandelbaum and Dr. Sahar Wertheimer, both REIs at HRC Fertility, try to solve the problems holding the fertility field back.
They agree on a lot, disagree on some and hold very little back.
They dive into:
Why every clinic defines RN, MA, coordinator, and sonographer roles differently

Whether a CRNA or anesthesiologist should handle IVF emergencies

The PGT-P versus PGT-G debate (and who they refer out to)

How clunky EMRs quietly create real patient safety errors

Why insurance prior authorizations are killing time-sensitive IVF cycles

It’s hard enough to run one fertility center, let alone several of them. It’s even harder to change the way they operate.
We dive into this challenge with Dr. Amanda Hurliman, Medical Director of Pinnacle Washington. She shares what it took to implement the Pinnacle Operational Model, first in Oregon and then in Washington, where the process proved even more difficult when the entire surgery center team left.
We dive into:
Why Washington's operational model rollout was harder than Oregon's

Rebuilding a surgery center after the entire team left

How care navigators take cycle coordination off the nurses' plates

Inside Pinnacle's hands-on care navigator training program

Why independent testing matters when patients choose supplements

What happens when carrier screening shifts from an opt-in choice to an opt-out default?
At Northwestern Medicine, opt-out carrier screening has become the standard. 
But how does it affect the clinic? The practice workflow? The patient experience? Should other fertility practices be doing the same? 
In this episode, Dr. Eve Feinberg, REI at Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and consulting medical director at Natera, explains why her clinic moved to an opt-out model and how it operates in practice.  She is joined by Jennifer Saucier, MS, CGC, VP of Women’s Health Product Management at Natera, who offers insight into how lab partners can support clinics through the operational demands of carrier screening.
They dive into: 
Why Northwestern adopted opt-out carrier screening 

Managing results as screening volume grows 

Preparing patients for expanded panel findings 

Standardizing and customizing donor screening panels 

What genetic screening reveals beyond reproductive risk 

It’s working for Northwestern, and it might just work for you too. Have a listen and find out.

What does a fertility practice manager do when there is no formal training for the job they were just promoted into?
Peter Fuzesi, Jessica Medvedich, and Jennifer Straub, explain how the Association of Reproductive Managers (ARM) gave them the business education this field never built. They also preview the new Business of Medicine certificate and the ARISE conference.
They dive into:
• Why an MBA does not prepare you for IVF leadership
• The staffing ratio math that convinces physicians and investors
• The malpractice coverage gap most IVF programs miss
• What the Business of Medicine certificate will actually teach
• Why ARM is the go-to network for fertility managers

Patients are coming into fertility appointments more informed than ever.
They’ve talked to ChatGPT, researched their treatment options, and sometimes even come in with an idea of what they think their doctor should recommend.
So what does that mean for the REI?
That’s the question Dr. Maria Costantini explores. She’s a Partner REI and Medical Director at RMA, and she believes self-awareness may be one of the most important tools physicians have as the patient-physician relationship changes.
We dive into:
Why patient self-education is reshaping fertility care

How technology is changing physician decision making

Dr. Costantini’s belief that self-awareness may prevent provider burnout

The balance between authoritative and collaborative consultations

RMA’s new AI and how it supports the patient journey

AI may be changing what patients bring into the exam room, but Dr. Costantini argues that how physicians respond may come down to something much more human.