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- They do not acknowledge your symptoms when you bring them up.
- They conclude that your symptoms are related to a mental illness with no explanation, work up or evaluation to rule out other causes. Additionally, they do not properly screen for or refer you to a specialist to screen for or manage the proposed condition if it is outside of their area of specialty.
- They continually interrupt when you try to explain your symptoms or ask questions.
Some tips that can be helpful in navigating these situations include:
- Ask questions
Having a list of questions for what you want to address during that appointment, in order of priority. Keep in mind that if your appointment is an annual/well check exam, you may need to schedule a separate appointment to address specific questions if they fall outside the scope of that appointment. In these scenarios, ask to schedule a follow up appointment to address your specific concerns.
- Have a support person during your appointment
Having a support person present can help redirect the conversation back to your pressing issues. They can speak up if they find you’re getting stressed, anxious or intimated during the appointment.
- Clarify your plan
You should leave each appointment having a clear understanding of your next steps, whether it be blood work, imaging studies or a specialist consultation. You should also have a clear sense of how the results of these tests will be communicated and how to get a hold of your care team.
- Shop around
If all else fails with a specific provider, find another provider that listens to your concerns. You should feel heard by your provider. You should also leave your appointment feeling that you and your healthcare provider are on the same team.
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― Julie Flygare
For many of us, the story of our journey toward parenthood is a highly anticipated tale of love, excitement, and joy. We have visions in our heads of how that story will unfold and the happiness we will feel at the end. However, many of us encounter unexpected bumps along the way. That journey becomes wrought with detours and delays, which tells a different story. A story of pain and loss. This painful experience of fertility and family planning can be heart-wrenching, leaving one feeling alone and isolated. If you’re anything like me, that sense of loneliness is accompanied by an entire host of other emotions: sadness, fear, shame, frustration, anger, grief, and disappointment. After the initial pain (maybe even shock) of not being able to easily conceive, you are thrust into this new medical world with all its terms, tests, and procedures that can be confusing and overwhelming. In these moments, when one wants guidance the most, seeking help or reaching out to others can seem like an impossible task. We want to put forth a positive outlook and brave face for friends and family. We hide our emotions and push through all the pain and tears. We don’t want to upset our well-meaning friends and family who do not know words of encouragement or advice to offer.
In these moments, building a community with those with a shared and common experience is critical to your well-being. As the quote at the top of the page says, you do not have to carry the weight of infertility alone. At Kindbody, we are committed to fostering a sense of community that brings hope and healing to everyone at all stages of the family-building process. To help you find your tribe and build your community, Kindbody now offers support groups at no charge for any kindbody patient.
Research has shown that individuals participating in groups receive many benefits, which include increasing a sense of hope, learning effective coping strategies, building a strong and supportive social network, decreasing isolation, overcoming stigma, and reducing feelings of loneliness (Worrall et al., 2018). In addition, individuals who engage in support groups report a reduction in symptoms of distress, improved social functioning, and a perceived improvement in overall well-being (Worrall et al., 2018).
Because of these considerable emotional, social, and mental health benefits of support groups, our kindbody team wants to provide this resource and service to our patients.
A primary benefit of support groups is creating a safe, protected space with others on similar paths toward parenthood. Within the comfort of a professionally led support group, surrounded by those who can understand and resonate with your experience and emotion of family planning, we aim to help you build friendships and forge social connections with others on similar paths. The group setting will provide an opportunity for you to talk openly and honestly about your feelings without fear of judgment or shame. You can receive support and may also be a source of encouragement for someone else. Very often, the words of those who have been through similar struggles bring hope and peace. Sharing your stories of strength and courage may heal your heart and bring comfort, hope, and peace to others.
At Kindbody, we recognize how vital these emotional connections are to your overall health and well-being and are a critical aspect of your fertility care. While you may feel like you are the only person on this journey, you are not alone. Finding your tribe is easier than you think. Although it may not seem like it, reclaiming your story of love, joy and happiness is possible… just with a few added footnotes.
References
Worrall, Hugh; Schweizer, Richard; Marks, Ellen; Yuan, Lin; Lloyd, Chris; and Ramjan, Rob, "The effectiveness of support groups: a literature review" (2018). Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A. 5441.https://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers/5441
" ["post_title"]=> string(23) "Why Support Groups Work" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(23) "why-support-groups-work" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2023-04-07 10:30:57" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2023-04-07 14:30:57" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(28) "https://kindbody.com/?p=8475" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [5]=> object(WP_Post)#14628 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(8467) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "1" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2023-03-30 16:55:03" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2023-03-30 20:55:03" ["post_content"]=> string(4574) "The problem:
Infertility is common. One in eight couples experience infertility in the U.S., outpacing diabetes and cancer. 63% of LGBTQ Millennials are considering expanding their families and may require assisted reproductive technology (ART) to do so. High-quality reproductive healthcare is critical healthcare, but it’s inequitable, expensive, and inaccessible to most. It’s no surprise that Walmart, the nation’s largest employer, heard from its associates that improved access to fertility, surrogacy, and adoption support is a priority for them and their families. Walmart set out to solve this problem for its 1.6 million associates with a fertility and family-building benefit solution that would align with the cornerstone of their strategy:
- the highest quality care
- the lowest possible price - nationalized case rates
- equitable access to Walmart's diverse population across the U.S.
The solution:
Walmart named Kindbody as its Fertility Center of Excellence (COE) for family-building. Eligible Walmart associates, partners, spouses, and dependants receive $20,000 for fertility treatments, donor egg or sperm, and fertility medications. Eligible associates will also have access to reimbursement of up to $20,000 for surrogacy and adoption services.
The COE for fertility and family-building builds on Walmart’s proven COE model, which provides benefit support and coverage for certain heart, spine and joint surgeries and cancer treatments, in partnership with some of the best healthcare providers and facilities in the country. At the heart of the COE is Walmart’s commitment to increasing access to some of the best specialists and facilities in the country to ensure its associates have the highest quality care for complex conditions.
Kindbody’s approach:
Kindbody is the only fertility benefits provider that is in the provision of care. As the direct provider of clinical care, Kindbody is uniquely positioned to provide a seamless continuum of care, decrease cost, improve patient experience, and deliver better health outcomes. Walmart associates have access to Kindbody’s network of 32 state-of-the-art clinics nationwide, including a new clinic and in vitro fertilization (IVF) lab in Arkansas, home to Walmart headquarters.
Kindbody delivers superior clinical outcomes, exceptional patient experience, and decreases cost through:
- A broad spectrum of care in modalities to serve associates when and where they need it through virtual appointments, Kindbody signature clinics, and at-home testing.
- Proprietary technology that combines online scheduling for virtual and in-person appointments and a patient portal and electronic medical record (EMR) for increased standardization of care.
- A national bundled payment model that aligns incentives and provides equitable benefits to Walmart’s diverse workforce, resulting in more than 20-30%+ cost savings.
- State-of-art clinics and IVF labs, veteran clinical leadership, and industry-leading success rates including pregnancy rates per IVF transfer that are 30% higher than the national average and a 98% single embryo transfer rate.
- A delightful patient experience with a net promoter score (NPS) that is consistently 88 or higher.
Fertility and family-building benefits that go beyond a navigation platform. Kindbody provides associates with clinical visits in the comfort of their homes, no matter where they are, profoundly impacting the life of associates and their families.
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NEW YORK, May 9, 2023, – Kindbody, a leading fertility clinic network and global
family-building benefits provider for employers, today announced it was named to the 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50 list. The annual list from CNBC recognizes private, venture-backed companies whose innovations are changing the world by revolutionizing their industries and the everyday lives of consumers. Kindbody was recognized for its technology-driven, consumer-centric approach which has helped reduce the stigma surrounding fertility, democratized access to care, and revolutionized the way care is delivered in the U.S.
Since 2018, Kindbody has led the reproductive health industry in innovation, as the only family-building benefits provider for employers that owns and operates fertility clinics. Kindbody’s clinically-managed program covers the full-spectrum of reproductive healthcare from preconception to postpartum through menopause. The company contracts directly with employers to provide comprehensive virtual and in-person care to their employees. As the care provider, Kindbody is uniquely positioned to decrease cost, improve the patient experience, and deliver better health outcomes.
“Access to high-quality fertility and family-building care has never been more critical. One in five married women of reproductive age are affected by infertility in the U.S. and one in four known pregnancies end in miscarriage,” said Gina Bartasi, Founder and Chairwoman of Kindbody. “We’re deeply honored to receive this prestigious distinction. It’s a true testament to our experienced and dedicated reproductive endocrinologists and the entire Kindbody team for their tireless commitment to help people become parents.”
Nominees for the 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50 list were put through a comprehensive and rigorous process of researching and scoring across a wide range of quantitative and qualitative criteria, including scalability, revenue and user growth, and workforce diversity. An advisory board made up of leading thinkers in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship provided weighting for the quantitative criteria, while a team of CNBC editorial staff provided qualitative assessments of all nominees.
Kindbody owns and operates 32 signature clinics throughout the U.S. in Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. To schedule an appointment, visit kindbody.com/book. Employers who wish to learn more about how Kindbody delivers the best patient experience and outcomes while reducing healthcare costs can contact solutions@kindbody.com.
About Kindbody
Kindbody is a technology-driven fertility clinic network and family-building benefits provider for employers offering virtual and in-person care. Kindbody is the trusted fertility benefits provider for 112 leading employers, covering more than 2.4 million lives. Many thousands more receive their fertility care directly from Kindbody throughout the country at signature clinics, mobile clinics, and partner clinics. As the fertility benefits provider, technology platform, and direct provider of high-quality care, Kindbody delivers a seamless, integrated experience with superior health outcomes at lower cost, making fertility care more affordable and accessible for all. Kindbody has raised $315 million in funding from leading investors including Perceptive Advisors, Morgan Health, GV (formerly Google Ventures), RRE Ventures, Claritas Health Ventures, Rock Springs Capital, NFP Ventures, Whatif Ventures and TQ Ventures. For more information, visit kindbody.com and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Leading National Fertility Clinic Network and Family-Building Benefits Provider for Employers Recognized for Revolutionizing the Delivery of Reproductive Healthcare NEW YORK, May 9, 2023, – Kindbody, a leading fertility clinic […]
Morgan Health Invests $25 Million in Kindbody to Accelerate Growth
Latest Investment Aims to Scale Availability of High-Quality Reproductive Health Care and Address Infertility Washington, D.C. – Morgan Health, the JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) business unitfocused on improving […]
Good American’s Emma Grede on fertility struggles: knowing you’re not alone is key
Good American’s Emma Grede on fertility struggles: knowing you’re not alone is key In honor of National Infertility Awareness WeekⓇ (NIAW) Kindbody’s Dr. Angeline Beltsos, CEO, Clinical, sat down with […]
How to Avoid Medical Gaslighting: Tips from Dr. Debo
Medical gaslighting refers to when a healthcare provider downplays or ignores your symptoms and/or complaints. Studies show that women, people of color and people who identify as LGBTQ are less […]
Why Support Groups Work
“I didn’t want to upset my loved ones, but I couldn’t carry this alone.” ― Julie Flygare For many of us, the story of our journey toward parenthood is a […]
Walmart + Kindbody: Giving Associates Access to Fertility and Family-Building Benefits Nationwide
The problem: Infertility is common. One in eight couples experience infertility in the U.S., outpacing diabetes and cancer. 63% of LGBTQ Millennials are considering expanding their families and may require […]