Philanthropy

Advocacy Day is an annual event hosted by RESOLVE, The National Fertility Association and sponsored by Shady Grove Fertility where the infertility community comes together in Washington, D.C. to support legislative initiatives that will assist the 1 in 8 couples who experience infertility. It’s a chance to make the voice of the infertility community heard. 2017’s Advocacy Day had the most registrants to date with over 246 advocates from 30 different states including 17 Shady Grove Fertility physicians, staff, and patients. The state of Maryland had the largest state delegation, mainly made up the SGF team.

“Life Experiences Shape Who You Are”

During the morning training session, many RESOLVE board members spoke and gave an overview for how to advocate most effectively. As advocates, it was our responsibility to properly explain the issues and represent those who face infertility. Before we left for our exciting day on Capitol Hill, The Honorable Timothy Waltz, (MN- 1^st District), U.S. House of Representatives, spoke to the room of advocates. He is the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress. He also had trouble having children with his wife and they turned to IVF. He spoke of the long road of infertility and how the pathway to parenthood can be difficult. Rep. Waltz joked that they finally had their miracle daughter and named her Hope, while their second child they simply named Gus. The speech inspired the room as he said “we evolve with the experiences around us” and that your “life experiences shape who you are.” Many people at Advocacy Day probably never imagined that infertility would be the cause they would carry the torch for, but once you’re faced with infertility it becomes hugely important to you.

Supporting Our Veterans

The first bill on the Advocacy Day agenda was the Women Veterans and Families Health Services Act (S 700 & HR 1681). This bill provides veterans wounded in the line of duty with access to reproductive treatments and adoption assistance permanently. The original bill, which was passed after the efforts of 2016 Advocacy Day, provides IVF coverage for 2 years, but we believe it’s time to make the coverage permanent. Dr. Jason Bromer, of SGF’s Frederick, MD and Hagerstown, MD offices, shared the story of his patients, Lauren and Kevin Jaye. Kevin is a veteran and during his service was severely injured by an IED requiring 30+ surgeries, all of which were covered by the VA. However, the only treatment not covered, despite his injury occurring while he was serving his country, was IVF that the couple would require in order to have a baby. The Jayes went on to have a baby with the help of Dr. Bromer, but made their story known by advocating for coverage for all veterans injured during service.

Making Adoption Affordable

Adoption can be expensive, and over 100,000 children are waiting to be moved into permanent homes. The Adoption Tax Credit has been around since 1997, but the importance of it staying intact during the likely upcoming tax reform is imperative to helping the 100,000+ children be adopted. This credit helps encourage adoption and eases the financial burden that adoptive families sometimes face. However, the tax credit helps only those who can use it depending on their income level and if they qualify for adoption expenses.

In addition to ensuring the credit stays intact, the goal is to advance the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act (S 937 & HR 2476) to encourage adoptions. The adoption tax credit needs to be made refundable so that low- to moderate-income families can afford to adopt children.

Stopping Personhood Bills

For the first time, Resolve added the Personhood bills (S 231 & HR 586 & HR 681) to the agenda for Advocacy Day. It is crucial to educate the Government on how Personhood would hurt the safe and effective practice of IVF, infertility research, and fertility treatment. Since 1985, over 1 million babies in America have been born as a result of IVF. This Advocacy Day we stood in opposition in order to protect our current and future patients.

Dr. Gilbert Mottla of our Annapolis, MD and Rockville, MD offices, perfectly summed up the power of Advocacy Day by saying, “Whenever I visit Capitol Hill I feel the strength of our democracy and get just a bit of a chill walking between buildings in front of our Supreme Court and Library of Congress.” At Shady Grove Fertility we enjoy being able to support our patients by speaking up and making our voices heard. Having a family is a basic human right and SGF continues to make parenthood possible for couples all over the world.

 To learn more about Advocacy Day or to schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact our New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755.

 At Shady Grove Fertility, we’re here to give you the caring support you deserve as you start or grow your family. As a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence, we offer patients individualized care, innovative financial options, over 30 accepted insurance plans, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. We offer patients the convenience of 19 full-service and 6 satellite locations across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. More than 1,700 physicians choose Shady Grove Fertility to refer their patients, and more than 96 percent of our patients say they would recommend Shady Grove Fertility’s 35+ physicians to a friend. With 10 Shady Grove Fertility babies born each day, your dream of starting or growing your family is within reach.

Fundamental to our mission at Shady Grove Fertility is to make fertility treatment more affordable and accessible to more people. In many ways, the number of physicians, office locations, financial programs, and various treatment options we offer helps to accomplish this goal. But our mission doesn’t stop at the door of SGF. Our mission is to create increased access for all who face infertility, which is why over the past 25 years, SGF physicians and, proudly, our patients, have been constantly involved in helping improve coverage and access to fertility care all over the nation. Sometimes, this change or increased access to care starts on Capitol Hill.

Listen Up, Lawmakers!

To make a change at the Federal level takes time and persistence, which is why SGF greatly values the individuals and couples who have bravely stepped forward to share their stories, our physicians who continue to fight for our patients, and our partner, RESOLVE: the National Infertility Association, who never ceases to stop fighting for all who might face infertility.

RESOLVE advocates to Federal officials on behalf of couples and individuals to make fertility care more accessible. But it’s not just RESOLVE who has a voice when it comes to making a change with the government, it’s you and it’s us.

SGF Physicians Make a Difference

When it comes to making a difference, many of our physicians have made it their personal goal to improve access to care. For example, just a month ago, Drs. Gilbert Mottla and Stephanie Beall of our Maryland offices advocated for fertility preservation prior to cancer treatment coverage to be included in the Maryland Mandate. Both testified at the local and state levels to help legislators understand how the additional stress and costs leave many patients with a very difficult choice: pay for cancer treatment or risk losing the ability to have a baby in the future.

In January 2016, Dr. Beall testified at the Senate to have the use of donor sperm for heterosexual couples to be included in the Maryland Mandate. She spoke on behalf of patients who would benefit from and would need assistance of donor sperm to have a baby. Fortunately, her testimony, along with fervent advocacy work, made a difference and in May 2016, it was added to the MD Mandate.

SGF Patients Make a Difference

Remember the story of SGF patients, Kevin and Lauren Jaye? This couple faced fertility issues after Kevin returned from service disabled, suffering the loss of a leg and permanent reproductive injuries, after a roadside bomb in Afghanistan exploded. The Jayes and their families made it their mission to reverse the two-decade IVF ban that left wounded veterans without the fertility benefits they needed to have a family.

The Jayes, a former patient of Dr. Jason Bromer, of the SGF Frederick office, shared their story on CBS to raise public awareness and later attended Advocacy Day in 2016 to make Congress listen and hear their story. Their efforts helped win a small victory and funds within the VA are currently able to be used for fertility treatment or adoption services.

How can you make a difference?

1. Attend Advocacy Day
   Over the past several years Shady Grove Fertility physicians, staff, and patients have joined RESOLVE to speak with legislators on Advocacy Day. During this daylong event, women and men living with infertility come together in Washington, D.C. to talk to members of Congress about issues important to our community. This event ensures that you have a chance for your voice to be heard. In preparation for the event RESOLVE provides registrants training and information needed for this empowering day. Advocacy Day is a great opportunity to meet RESOLVE leaders and others from the infertility community who want to make a difference.
   Register to attend Advocacy Day 2017, May 18 in Washington, D.C.
2. Write a Letter to Your Representative
   Can’t make it to D.C. for Advocacy Day? That’s ok! It only takes three letters to get the attention of the average representative and it can take as little or as much time as you have to put everything together. If you want to make sure your voice is heard, this form letter can be quickly printed, signed, and mailed off to D.C. If you have a little more time, the most powerful letters include a personal testimonial about your specific experience with infertility. Sharing your story is a great way to help representatives understand what their constituents need— insurance coverage through state mandates is a great example of legislation related to fertility care. Last year, hundreds of Shady Grove Fertility patients wrote letters to their representatives, making a strong impression among local leaders.

Thank you to all of the SGF patients who have attended Advocacy Day, those who plan to attend this year or in the future, and to all of our patients who have shared their stories. Your voice is the strongest voice of all. If you want to share your story to make a difference, we encourage you to write your story or talk with your SGF physician.

Shady Grove Fertility’s team of dedicated New Patient Liaisons is available to answer your questions and schedule a consultation with a physician. Call 877-971-7755 or click to schedule an appointment.

At Shady Grove Fertility, we’re here to give you the caring support you deserve as you start or grow your family. As a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence, we offer patients individualized care, innovative financial options, over 30 accepted insurance plans, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. We offer patients the convenience of 19 full-service and 6 satellite locations across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. More than 1,700 physicians choose Shady Grove Fertility to refer their patients, and more than 96 percent of our patients say they would recommend Shady Grove Fertility’s 39 physicians to a friend. With 10 Shady Grove Fertility babies born each day, your dream of starting or growing your family is within reach.

National Infertility Awareness Week® (NIAW) takes place this week (April 23-29, 2017), a yearly initiative founded by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, to encourage people to act as their own infertility advocates and to educate legislators and the public about how infertility impacts one in eight couples within our community.

SGF and RESOLVE

Since establishing a partnership with RESOLVE, Shady Grove Fertility has helped to raise not only awareness about infertility, but tens of thousands of dollars in support through annual events that advance RESOLVE’s programming, such as support groups, educational content, public awareness initiatives, and advocacy to ensure that family building options are available to everyone.

#LISTENUP – 2017 National Infertility Awareness Week

The message behind this year’s theme, “Listen Up!” is intended to empower the community to raise awareness to our lawmakers, insurance providers, and employers by educating them about the prevalence of infertility. Together, Shady Grove Fertility and RESOLVE are asking those affected by infertility to educate their community about the importance of being proactive about reproductive health and to know the guidelines for when it’s time to see a fertility specialist.

NIAW is only one of the many ways throughout the year in which Shady Grove Fertility spreads awareness and supports the infertility community. On May 18, 2017, Shady Grove Fertility physicians and staff will let their voices be heard at Advocacy Day, a RESOLVE event, sponsored by Shady Grove Fertility, and in partnership with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), where the infertility community will come together to speak with members of Congress about topics that advance access to family building options and provide financial relief to those in need. This event is an opportunity to let voices be heard and connect with influencers in the fertility community.
Listen Up!: 

Be Your Own Advocate

With one in eight couples experiencing infertility, with the number one predictor of infertility being the woman’s age, it is important for the community to come together and present a unified front, spreading awareness and letting couples know when it’s time to see a fertility specialist—given the importance of early intervention and how predominantly maternal age affects pregnancy outcomes. Shady Grove Fertility physicians typically recommend for a couple in which the woman is younger than 35, has normal cycles, and no risk factors for infertility, a year of trying to get pregnant without success is enough to warrant special attention. However, there are most definitely cases in which the 1-year standard isn’t the best course of action. Generally, when the woman is 35 to 39, a fertility consultation (to make sure there are no infertility-causing conditions besides age) should be considered after 6 months of unprotected intercourse, or after 3 months (preferably immediately) for women who are 40 or older.

In addition to age, other factors have such an impact on a woman’s fertility that a fertility workup is necessary, including:

• Irregular or absent menstrual period
• Genetic disorders
• Two or more miscarriages
• History of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs (formerly known as sexually transmitted diseases, STDs)
• Endometriosis
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Family history or previous diagnosis of premature menopause
• Male factor infertility
• Endocrine (hormonal) disorders such as thyroid disease

To learn more about National Infertility Awareness Week and advocating for infertility insurance coverage, or to schedule an appointment, please call 1-877-971-7755 or click here to complete this simple form.

At Shady Grove Fertility, we’re here to give you the caring support you deserve as you start or grow your family. As a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence, we offer patients individualized care, innovative financial options, over 30 accepted insurance plans, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. We offer patients the convenience of 19 full-service and 6 satellite locations across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. More than 1,700 physicians choose Shady Grove Fertility to refer their patients, and more than 96 percent of our patients say they would recommend Shady Grove Fertility’s 39 physicians to a friend. With 10 Shady Grove Fertility babies born each day, your dream of starting or growing your family is within reach.