Inside Reproductive Health Podcast

Fertility Bridge

Welcome to Inside Reproductive Health Podcast, where amazing things happen.

  • 59 minutes 55 seconds
    284 Don't Get It Twisted. PGT-G Thwarts PGT-P In Battle for Embryo Genome Sequencing. Drs. Mili Thakur & Sasha Hakman

    A tale of two PGTs.


    One is making bold promises and headlines, the other is quietly gaining traction and relevance.


    Between PGT-P & PGT-G…what’s actually moving the needle?


    Dr. Mili Thakur of Genome Ally and Dr. Sasha Hakman of HRC Fertility break down what they’re seeing in real patients, especially when everything else has already failed.


    We dive into:

    • The real difference between PGT-P and PGT-G

    • Why some genetic claims are under scrutiny

    • Where whole genome sequencing is actually helping

    • How PGT-G may reduce repeated failed IVF cycles

    • Whether this can truly shorten time to pregnancy

    5 April 2026, 1:00 pm
  • 56 minutes 32 seconds
    283 Proof of Concept. IVF Lab Automation. Drs. Jason Barritt & Jacques Cohen

    The results are in: 5 healthy babies born, 64.3% fertilization rate, zero eggs damaged across hundreds of oocytes.


    Lab automation in IVF is no longer theoretical, it’s been proven.


    Chief Scientific Officers Jason Barritt of Kindbody and Jacques Cohen of Conceivable Life Sciences join the episode to discuss a recent study published in Human Reproduction examining AURA, the robotic lab system developed by Conceivable Life Sciences.

    We dive into:

    • What “proof of concept” actually means in IVF lab automation

    • Why this study matters (And where it falls short of current standards)

    • The role of automation as a testing ground for new lab technologies

    • What a fully automated IVF lab could unlock

    • Whether “hub and spoke” models in fertility have been misunderstood (and what they could actually become)

    If automation continues to progress, the scale of what’s possible in fertility care may look very different than it does today.

    29 March 2026, 1:00 pm
  • 52 minutes 43 seconds
    282 Do Fertility Doctors Deserve To Be Happy? Dr. Jason Yeh

    Do fertility doctors deserve happiness?

    It sounds like a strange question, but for many REIs it’s not abstract.

    We step back from operations, technology, and finance to ask a more fundamental question with Inception’s National Medical Director, Dr. Jason Yeh:

    What does a good life actually look like for a fertility specialist?

    In this conversation, we explore:

    • Moral injury vs. burnout

    • The X–Y axis of time and money in a physician’s career

    • Happiness vs. meaning

    • Why fertility doctors often benchmark happiness against the status and performance of peers

    • Living in the moment as an REI

    • The different kinds of regret fertility doctors describe at the end of their careers

    Conversations like this are rare. If you find value in it, please tell us. Because if the field wants more conversations like this, we need to prove they’re worth having.

    15 March 2026, 1:00 pm
  • 30 minutes 43 seconds
    281 Pharmaceuticals. Pharmacy. Supplements. Professional Services. Category Deep Dive

    What are the drug makers up to?

    And who’s about to win or lose in fertility pharmacy?

    This final category overview takes a hard look at the shifting pharmaceutical landscape of legacy manufacturers, rising challengers, supplement disruptors, and the latest in professional services.

    We also dive into:

    • Why the pharmacy “middle” may be hollowed out
    • Which models are positioned to scale (and which aren’t)
    • Who operators are calling when they need expert guidance
    • The consultants and firms quietly shaping growth behind the scenes

    Dive deeper into any of these topics through our Inside Reproductive Health Digest Articles:

    Pharmacy, Pharmaceuticals, Professional Services, Supplements

    15 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 57 minutes 26 seconds
    280 Transparency Now. Pricing Demands From Patients, Payors, and IVF Centers. Bret Anderson. Shruti Sood. Heather Stark

    Patients want clearer pricing, clinics want operational sustainability, managed care wants predictable cost control…

    …and everyone wants more transparency.

    This epiosde centers on the groundbreaking Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics (JARG) paper on Activity-Based Costing in IVF and what it actually costs.

    We’re joined by Pinnacle CFO Shruti Sood, The Fertility Partners CEO Heather Stark, and Chartis Partner Bret Anderson to discuss:

    • Why IVF costs have not been accurately accounted for

    • How activity-based costing could reshape pricing models

    • The real impact of payer consolidation

    • Where clinics confuse capacity problems with volume problems

    • Whether different prognosis patients should be priced differently

    • How managed care pressure will change IVF economics

    8 March 2026, 1:00 pm
  • 37 minutes 51 seconds
    279 Genetics. Diagnostics. Third Party IVF. Patient Finance. Category Deep Dive

    Clinics are feeling the pressure. 

    And one year after the PGT class action lawsuits, the ripple effects are still unfolding.

    We’re back with another Fertility Field Overview, and this one looks at what’s happening across patient finance, IVF benefits and third-party reproduction, genetics and diagnostics, and the evolving self-pay landscape.

    We discuss:

    • Whether IVF benefits managers are helping clinics (or squeezing them)
    • Which lending institutions and loan programs are positioned to rise to the top
    • Why some say the third-party IVF experience is getting worse
    • What’s changed in genetics and diagnostics since the PGT lawsuit
    • How clinics are reducing workload through at-home testing solutions
    • How fertility compares to the broader self-pay healthcare market

    Dive deeper into any of these topics through our Inside Reproductive Health Digest Articles:

    Patient Finance, Third Party IVF, Genetics, Diagnostics

    7 March 2026, 2:00 pm
  • 51 minutes
    278 Category Deep Dive: AI. Patient Journey. Software. Devices. Cryosafety.

    Patients, providers, and staff are doing far too much manual work, and with today’s tech it’s time to operationalize.

    This Fertility Field Overview breaks down the current state of AI-enabled operations, patient journey software, device innovation, cryo safety…

    …and where the field is falling behind.

    This episode covers:

    • My bold prediction regarding IVI RMA’s approach to tech adoption (Hint: Think late 2000s Google)

    • Why manual workflows are burning out staff and frustrating patients

    • The operational tech stack clinics should already be building toward

    • Where large vendors are stalling (and where fertility-first companies are stepping up)

    • How AI, automation, and safer cryo systems could redefine clinic operations

    • What recent conversations with operators, physicians, and scientists suggest about what’s coming next

    1 March 2026, 2:00 pm
  • 21 minutes 52 seconds
    276 Crazy Again. Fertility Network Overview with Griffin Jones.

    “Everyone in our class is freaking out right now…”

    That’s the text I got from a fellow last year during the Park City retreat.

    In this episode, I break down the state of fertility center networks in 2026, based on what I’m hearing directly from physicians, operators, and investors across the field.

    This is not sponsored commentary, and none of the organizations mentioned had editorial control or preview access. This is my unfiltered read on what’s actually happening, and where things are headed.

    We cover:

    • Why most large fertility networks are for sale (and why more consolidation is likely in 2026)

    • How the war for REI talent is driving valuation, strategy, and culture

    • Why groups of 5–10 physician-owned practices may be critical for innovation long-term

    • What younger doctors are actually optimizing for (Hint: it’s not just comp)

    • How burnout, autonomy, research, and safety are becoming competitive differentiators

    • The growing importance of embryology, lab automation, and patient safety infrastructure

    Don't miss the Inside Reproductive Health article diving even deeper into the state of fertility networks in 2026, which can be found here.

    22 February 2026, 2:00 pm
  • 47 minutes 2 seconds
    277 PGT's Crucial Moment. Drs. Meera Shah & Deirdre Conway

    For more than a decade, the debate around PGT has felt like the same arguments, the same uncertainty, and little change in day-to-day clinical decision-making.

    So what’s different now?

    Joining the conversation are two REIs, Dr. Deirdre Conway of Utah Fertility Center and Dr. Meera Shah of Nova IVF. Together they examine how recent events, emerging data, and evolving lab practices are reshaping how physicians think about PGT.

    They discuss:

    • What has changed since the late-2024 class action lawsuit against PGT labs

    • How practices and networks are evaluating PGT lab partnerships today

    • Why IVY Fertility has not yet selected a single PGT lab

    • What additional evidence clinicians want to see around PGT-A and PGT-G

    • Which PGT lab stood out to Dr. Conway (And the story behind her first case)

    This is a grounded, clinician-led conversation about evidence, accountability, and what it would actually take for the PGT debate to move forward.

    22 February 2026, 2:00 pm
  • 56 minutes 20 seconds
    275 What Will Happen to the Legacy of Boston IVF? Dr. Alan Penzias

    As Boston IVF becomes part of a much larger organization, a natural question emerges: 

    Does a legacy brand get diluted, or does its history shape what comes next?

    In this episode, Dr. Alan Penzias reflects on Boston IVF’s deep roots and how that heritage continues to influence the organization’s future within the RMA network.

    The conversation covers:

    • Boston IVF’s founding history and the leaders who shaped it

    • Whether scale threatens (or strengthens)  institutional culture

    • The “buy-versus-build” debate playing out across fertility networks

    • Dr. Penzias’s perspective on AI and evolving clinical infrastructure

    • How Boston IVF’s tradition of Grand Rounds has scaled across the network

    • Serving patients in smaller cities and rural communities (without compromising quality)

    Dr. Penzias also shares updates on longtime Boston IVF leaders, including the evolving roles of Drs. Michael Alper and Selwyn Oskowitz, and reflects on how mentorship and tradition continue to drive innovation.

    This episode is a thoughtful look at legacy, leadership, and how fertility care evolves without losing its soul.

    15 February 2026, 2:00 pm
  • 49 minutes 54 seconds
    274 Fertility Practices Have to Get This Right. The REI-FC Relationship. Dr. Allison Bloom. Cheryl Campbell

    The gap between provider care and financial counseling may be costing you patients.

    This episode focuses on that gap.

    Joining the conversation are Dr. Allison Bloom, practicing REI at Main Line Fertility, and Cheryl Campbell, Director of Operations at BUNDL.

    Together they examine:

    • Where the clinical care and financial counseling should intersect

    • Why patients fall out of care between the provider visit and financial counseling

    • What physicians and financial counselors should (and should not) communicate

    • How misalignment leads to patient drop-off (Even among insured patients)

    • How better preparation before the provider visit improves conversion and retention

    • Why “covered” patients often still lack sufficient financial guidance

    This is a conversation about improving patient experience while strengthening the practice’s top line.

    8 February 2026, 2:00 pm
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