This is Infertility is a bi-weekly podcast where we fuse narrative storytelling with experience and science to give you a new perspective on what it’s really like to go through a family building journey. Each episode dives into the emotional, physical, and financial burdens carried by those who experience infertility on their path to parenthood. Be it IVF, IUI, egg freezing, surrogacy, adoption, etc., the path is never the same and it can be long, painful, and lonely. It’s our mission to give those struggling a platform to be heard, a community connection, and an opportunity to raise awareness of the 1 in 8 who, for many reasons, struggle with infertility.
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This is Infertility

Bonus Episode 4: COVID-19 – Fertility Treatment in the COVID and Post-COVID Environment

As cities across the US begin lifting restrictions for public facilities, fertility clinics are reopening their doors and seeing patients. But what can a patient expect from their clinics in this COVID and the post-COVID environment? 

In this bonus episode, we are sharing a panel conversation that dives into what to expect regarding fertility treatment in the present and near future, how clinics are prioritizing safety measures, and how patients can prepare for their visits. Learn from three fertility specialists about the trends they’re seeing, questions they’re getting and commitments they’re making to ensure safe and healthy access to fertility care.  

Host:  Dan Bulger 

Experts Lissa Kline, LCSW, Vice President, Member and Provider Services at Progyny, Dr. Debra Minjarez, Spring Fertility, Dr. Brooke Hodes-Wertz of NYU Langone Fertility Center and Dr. Allison Rodgers from Fertility Centers of Illinois.  

For additional resources, check out Progyny’s COVID-19 Resources, and to listen to other family building stories visit Progyny’s Podcast page.  

Be sure to follow us on Instagram,@ThisisInfertilityPodcastand use the#ThisisInfertility.   

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us atthisisinfertility@progyny.com. 

Dan Bulger

Host

Dan Bulger
Producer at Progyny

Dan has been in the healthcare industry for the last six years as a multimedia content producer. Better known as ‘Video Dan’ he as interviewed numerous doctors, patients and other experts in the world of fertility. He’s also the producer for this podcast, This is Infertility. On a personal note Dan’s parents started fostering kids when he was four years old, and he considers himself a proud older brother to over 100 foster children. 

Podcast-Headshot-Debrah-Minjarez-1

Guest

Dr. Debra Minjarez
Co-Medical Director, Director, Center for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Spring Fertility

Dr. Minjarez is an award-winning innovator and educator in fertility journeys, best known for her over 15 years as Medical Director of Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine (CCRM). 

Dr. Minjarez’s decision to join Spring, follows her long track record of innovation and leadership. She left her post as Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Kaiser Oakland and brings a wealth of experience to Spring. 

Dr. Minjarez is a proven and committed physician and patient advocate. She is a Board Certified in both Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, and received her medical training at Stanford University. Dr. Minjarez has won numerous awards, and presented at many national and international conferences on a range of topics including polycystic ovary syndrome, recurrent pregnancy loss, IVF and preimplantation genetic testing. 

She has also served through academic appointments in obstetrics and gynecology at several institutions.  Dr. Minjarez has been published in several publications, including Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology and Clinics of North America. 

Podcast-Headshot-Brooke-Hodes-Wertz-1

Guest

Dr. Brooke Hodes-Wertz
MD, MPH, NYU Langone

Dr. Brooke Hodes-Wertz specializes in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and Gynecology at NYU Langone. She is an Assistant Professor at the Department f Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. 

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Guest

Dr. Allison K. Rodgers
OB/GYN & REI Infertility at Fertility Centers of Illinois

Dr. Allison Rodgers is board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and has been practicing medicine since 2004. She completed her residency at Case Western Reserve-Metrohealth Medical Center/Cleveland Clinic, followed by a fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. 

Dr. Rodgers’ personal experiences with both secondary infertility and pregnancy loss have given her a unique insight into reproductive medicine, and she is well-known for her compassionate and individualized patient care. She has published many original research articles in top medical journals on topics such as Endometriosis, Tubal Factor Infertility, In Vitro Fertilization, and Donor Sperm. 

Her special interests include In-Vitro Fertilization, Endometriosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Unexplained Infertility, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, and Premature Ovarian Insufficiency. Dr. Rodgers’ blog Destination: Parenthood is featured on ChicagoNow. 

You can follow Dr. Rodgers on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram! 

Lissa Kline

Guest

Lissa Kline
LCSW, VP of Member and Provider Services at Progyny

Lissa oversees the Patient Care Advocates and the Provider Relations Team. She worked at Columbia University Medical Center for several years in the division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Involved in Patient Services and the Donor Egg Program, she loved working with patients while they underwent fertility treatment. Lissa graduated with a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University.