What will the IVF lab look like in five years?Trying to predict and shape that response is Dr. Denny Sakkas, Chief Scientific Officer at Boston IVF and head of the scientific advisory board for AutoIVF.In this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Dr. Sakkas about what automation really means for embryologists, and how new technologies could transform lab operations, chain of custody, and patient safety.Dr. Sakkas shares:– The potential downsides to automation and where caution is needed– How AutoIVF differs from AURA by Conceivable Life Sciences– His prediction about time-lapse imaging within five years– The areas where embryologists must hold firm on lab standards– The next big innovations he’s watching (and what Boston IVF plans to purchase next year)
Lab directors, how do you make sure your concerns actually reach ownership?Vendors, how are you being vetted by the groups you serve?This week on Inside Reproductive Health, Amy Jones, Chief Quality Officer of Ivy Fertility, talks about how one of the country’s leading networks evaluates quality, chooses partners, and plans for growth.Amy shares:– The specific criteria Ivy uses to vet vendors for cryostorage and digital witnessing– How they’re implementing an AI solution to compare data across EMRs– The patient concierge platform guiding patients through the IVF journey– Where current patient education tools fall short– The tradeoffs of proactive expansion– And why fertility professionals get into trouble when they stay “too stuck in their own lane”
What’s the definition of a cartel, and has the way we pay for care created one in fertility?This week on Inside Reproductive Health, two practice-owning REIs with very different models join Griffin to push that question hard. Dr. Robert Kiltz (CNY Fertility) and Dr. Francisco Arredondo (Pozitvf IVF & The IVF Academy) dig into the economics, the ethics, and the possible alternatives to the status quo.They discuss:Dr. Arredondo’s argument that today’s IVF system resembles a cartel (and what can be done about it)The right question to ask about access and cost in IVFHow insurance helped create today’s medical-industrial complexDr. Kiltz’s meeting with HHS leadership and what it revealedLessons from Aravind Eye Care in India (Could that model work for IVF?)What the IVF Academy is teaching clinicians about entrepreneurship and sustainable practiceThis episode doesn’t offer easy answers. It’s a clear-eyed conversation about structural incentives, mission, and what it will take to make IVF more affordable and accessible.
If you’ve ever tried to get doctors, embryologists, and executives on the same page…you’ll want to hear this one.In this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, Dr. Alison Bartolucci (CSO) and Cara Reymann (CEO) of First Fertility talk candidly about leadership, lab management, and network-wide decision-making.They discuss:– The emotional cost of leading a fertility network– When to build consensus (and when to just drive the bus)– The decision to implement digital witnessing across all nine IVF labs– The “magic question” Cara uses to align stakeholders– Why First Fertility abandoned plans for a single EMR– Why Alison swears by using a lab monitoring service (and the business benefits beyond happy embryologists)
Overwhelm. Anxiety. Cases that stay with you.That’s how some of the field’s most experienced professionals describe genetics in reproductive medicine today.In this episode of Inside Reproductive Health, we brought together leaders from RMA, CCRM, Shady Grove, and GeneScreen to talk about the genetics overload in modern ART.They talk with Griffin about:The liability landmine that genetics has becomeWhy one lab’s “positive” is another lab’s “negative” (The Panel Paradox)Real cases where rare findings blindsided experienced REIsSmart strategies to stratify counseling (Without missing critical risks)The growing complexity of third-party reproductionThe coming wave of whole genome sequencing and polygenic risk scoresThis isn’t a high-level overview. It’s a blunt conversation about the real risks, broken workflows, and what’s coming next for your lab and patients.
Doctors used to dream not just of earning well, but of controlling how they practiced and how they cared for patients.Doctors Cristin Slater, Kevin Maas, and Kyle Tobler—partners at the independently owned Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine—explain why that dream feels so far away for many.Here’s what we cover:Why Dr. Maas says he’d never go back to a private equity-owned networkHidden legal clauses & earn-outs that can trap REIsThe tug-of-war between business interests and clinical decisionsHow independent practices can innovate (including the tech they love)The advice they’d give to any fellow or young REI thinking about their future, and how they can still live the dream
Beth Zoneraich, CEO of Pinnacle Fertility, is back on Inside Reproductive Health to share the hard numbers and the deeper philosophy behind what she calls the Pinnacle Operational Model.We deep dive into::Why they automate the back end of patient care (but never the front)How 3,000 unanswered phone calls became 500 new patientsThe “J curve” of operational change (where things get worse before they get better)Whether business leaders can help achieve work-life balance for clinical staffThe build vs buy debateHow they saved $1M saved by building (not buying) a witnessing system
With a very limited number of genetic counselors nationwide, it’s impossible for every fertility patient to see one. Clinics like RMA New York are getting strategic.In this week’s episode of Inside Reproductive Health, genetic counselor Teresa Cacchione explains why genetic counseling in IVF is becoming increasingly critical and complex.Teresa discusses:Why and how RMA-NY relies on a partner called GeneScreen Why even low-risk carrier results can confuse patients (and what to do about it)The growing demand for informed consent around PGTThe risks of relying solely on lab panelsHow RMA decides which patients need in-house counselingThe legal and ethical implications of not providing sufficient counseling before treatment
They were lucky.The gas to the incubator stopped flowing, but XiltriX caught the failure in time, no embryos were lost… and no headlines were made.But what happens if the next failure isn’t?In this episode, Dr. Matthew “Tex” VerMilyea of Ovation and US Fertility, and Moises Eilemberg, CEO of XiltriX North America, return to Inside Reproductive Health to ask a hard question:What would your lab do in a crisis?You’ll hear:The catastrophic loss Sweden’s biobank suffered (and what you need to learn from it)Why embryologist shortages are reshaping the IVF labWhat standardizing monitoring protocols could mean for your networkWhy Tex believes monitoring as a service is the futureThe steps to take after a public lab failure (and how to avoid needing them)How XiltriX helps fertility labs gain 24/7 visibility, rapid response alerts, and peace of mindThis isn’t about tech. It’s about protecting the future of your lab, your brand, and your patients.
What happens when managed care surges in IVF, reimbursements drop, and physicians are expected to do more work for less?Dr. Ravi Gada and Manish Chhadua are back on the show, and they don’t hold back. Dr. Gada is a partner at one of the largest independently owned practices in the United States and he and Manish co-own and operate a firm called CloudRx, In this episode, they dig into:What 70 fertility centers are doing to slash administrative costs from prior authorization chaos How medication side savings are shifting into the medical services side (and what that means for practices)Changes in the payer market and insurer preferences you need to know aboutWhy Organon and Follistim have gained so much market share in the past 5–7 yearsWhy academic fertility center ratings are shockingly low (and what private practices can learn from that)
From a founding partner about to retire, to an associate just out of fellowship, all five REIs at Carolina Conceptions sat down to share their takes on staying private, staying aligned, and staying real.Carolina Conceptions invited us in, and we talked real talk about:The golden parachute of private equity (and why they’ve resisted it)The tension between high-touch care and the operational demands of growthHow they’re navigating succession, new tech, and alignment across multiple generations of REIs
I've captured and interrogated one of fertility doctors’ enemies…a lawyer.But this one’s on your side.Matthew Maruca has served as General Counsel for Inception Fertility since 2019, and he’s here to walk you through the legal threats and legislative currents shaping the future of fertility care. While this episode isn’t legal advice, Matt brings insight into how reproductive health is being fought for, and fought against, in the courtroom and the legislature.In this episode, Matt covers:- What’s behind the rise in lawsuits and how they’re modeled after personal injury cases- The emerging legislative strategies from think tanks like the Heritage Foundation- Which reproductive treatments are being targeted (like PGT)- How to draft your consent forms to reduce liability- The #1 thing providers can do to protect themselves from unnecessary litigation- How to keep your premiums down when litigation is on the rise.Listen and learn with Matt Maruca.
Fertility doctors are burnt out.Not all of them, but enough to warrant a real conversation.Dr. Jason Yeh is a full-time fertility physician, a national medical director, an academic-turned-industry leader—and very much in the thick of this discussion.In this episode, we unpack the often unspoken reality of REI burnout and why so many are struggling to stay engaged after a decade in the field.In this conversation, Dr. Yeh shares:What REIs are saying in private physician groups about exhaustion and disillusionmentWhy the 7–10 year career mark is so critical for burnoutThe impact of rising caseloads on quality of life (300+ cycles per year)How Inception is trying to stay physician-friendly (and why autonomy matters)Why executive roles don’t always protect physicians from burnoutHis take on corporate vs physician-led leadership in fertility careWhether you’re a newer fellow just entering the field or a seasoned provider feeling the weight of your career, this conversation is for you.
What if your clinic could see 80 new patients while saving 80 hours of physician time… per doctor… per month?That’s what Dr. Mark Amols and his team at New Direction Fertility Center are working toward—while maintaining a 9 out of 10 rating across hundreds of patient reviews.In this episode, you’ll hear:The top-of-license model (From REIs to admin staff)How to structure visits to dramatically reduce physician hoursWhat operational efficiency really means for patient experienceThe role of cost, time, and medications in improving accessWhy combining new patient and follow-up visits might be the next major shift in efficiency.Dr. Amols proves that operational excellence is not the enemy of humanity in medicine—it’s what makes it possible.
Where do business insight and patient experience come together?In this week’s episode, Dr. Eduardo Hariton shares his POV on cost reductions, business opportunities, and what fertility tech gets right (and wrong) when designing for doctors and patients alike.We talk about:70% or 10%, differences in IVF conversion rateHow to reduce patient drop outHow to measure real IVF conversion ratesWhere Cercle fits in the fertility tech stackHow to balance human touch with scalable systems
What if 25–35% of patients in the U.S., Canada, or Europe left for equal-quality IVF at a quarter of the cost?In this episode we take you back to Mexico City, round zero for what may be the next global IVF surge.Juan Moctezuma, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Reina Madre, and Daniel Madero, CEO of Fertilidad Integral, join the show to discuss:The hub-and-spoke model fueling their growthHow they plan to scale egg freezing and IVF nationwideWhy they’re betting big on automated IVF labs from ConceivableHow tech, capital, and Ob/Gyn funnels could transform IVF care across Latin AmericaWhy this may be one of the biggest untapped investment opportunities in global fertility care.
IVIRMA is so big, they had 1,400 people just at their international congress. But what does it take to implement change, scale care, and keep the patient experience high inside an organization that large?This week’s guest, Dr. Thomas Molinaro, Chief Medical Officer of IVIRMA North America, shares what’s working, what’s still being figured out, and what challenges fertility networks of every size should be preparing for.Tune in to hear about:The AI solution they’re using to save REI time (and how it’s going so far)What they’ve learned from piloting patient journey platformsTheir APP-to-REI ratio and how they approach shared workflowsThe evolving debate over who performs ultrasounds (REIs or sonographers?)The marketing on behalf of REIs before the patient walks in that is critical to careIf you’re curious about the operational future of large fertility networks—or want a blueprint for scaling thoughtfully—don’t miss this episode with Dr. Molinaro.
OB/GYNs are entering the IVF space—but what role should they play?This debate is heating up in fertility medicine, and Dr. Stephanie Kuku, a former OB/GYN surgeon in the NHS and now Chief Knowledge Officer at Conceivable Life Sciences, offers her global, tech-forward perspectiveIn this episode, she talks through:What REIs and OB/GYNs really need from each otherWhere the line is on fertility care qualificationsWhat REI oversight could look like in different countriesHow new tech may expand REI roles (not replace them)How Conceivable is building collaborative care models (including their current 100-patient IRB study)The field is changing. How will REIs lead the way forward?
What standards should be non-negotiable in IVF labs?In this week’s episode of Inside Reproductive Health, we’re joined by Dr. Sangita Jindal—lab director at five IVF centers and former SART president—to discuss the urgent need for standardized embryologist training, better oversight, and technologies that minimize catastrophic lab errors.Tune in to hear Dr. Jindal’s insights on:Why embryologists need national certification (and why ASRM should lead it)The pros and cons of expanding training requirements for embryologistsThe limits of automation without skilled human oversightWhat she values most in the lab monitoring system Xiltrix (and why her other labs don’t have it)Whether every IVF lab should be required to implement e-witnessingThis episode was recorded just after news broke of another embryo loss lawsuit—highlighting the real-world consequences of our field’s biggest vulnerabilities. Don’t miss Dr. Jindal’s thoughtful, candid perspective on what needs to change.
What’s the biggest thing happening in the IVF lab?It might just be automation. This isn’t hypothetical. It’s operating now.We visited Hope IVF in Mexico City to see AURA, the fully automated IVF lab created by Conceivable Life Sciences. We sat down with co-founders Joshua Abram, Dr. Alejandro Chavez-Badiola, and Alan Murray to ask the questions you submitted—and some of our own.Tune in as the founders share:The origin of AURA and what problems they set out to solve.How a team of 3 embryologist technicians could run 2,000+ cycles per year.What IVF cycles really cost (And why CFOs should pay attention)The commercialization strategy behind automation.How this might change costs, outcomes, and the embryologist role forever.