An Interview With Dr. Phillip Romanski

What inspired you to pursue OB-GYN and a specialty in reproductive endocrinology?

I have always had a great passion for women’s health and find it very rewarding to be able to help my patients navigate the exceptional and complex biology of reproductive health. There is no greater joy than family building and as a reproductive endocrinologist, I have the privilege of working with patients as they are planning their reproductive future. I enjoy taking time to listen and learn about my patients’ reproductive journey and how I can best help them to accomplish their family-building goals. Together, we will discuss evidence-based options that incorporate patient preferences in order to create a treatment plan that is supported by data and specific to each individual patient. 

Today, approximately 12% of women 15 to 44 years of age have reported ever having received any infertility services (evaluation and/or treatment). What do you attribute the rise of infertility to?

There are many variables that I see among my patients that are linked to an increased utilization of fertility services. Other than the obvious explanation of some patients
choosing to start their family building later in life which can increase the risk of infertility, one common theme I see is an increase in familiarity and comfort with fertility treatments which has resulted in more patients seeking fertility treatment when they have been unsuccessful in trying to conceive on their own. In the past, it was much less common for people to talk about their challenges with fertility. Today, you read about people going through fertility treatment all the time and patients feel more empowered to share their experience and their journey with their friends and family. This has led to a normalization of infertility which is a big deal in our field.
Infertility is common and it is a disease that often requires treatment. We want patients to feel supported, we want patients to feel educated on their options, and we want patients to have a voice when it comes to their treatment and their family.

To what extent have groups like RMA NY advanced the "standard of care" when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, and how has this affected outcomes?

It is our mission to not only offer our patients the leading fertility treatment protocols and techniques, but to lead our field in the development of these advancements. At
RMA NY, we are part of one of the only private practice fertility centers in the nation to employ a full-time dedicated research team with our top priority being to conduct research that makes a difference in the lives and treatment plans of our patients. As the Research Director, I work to actively guide these research questions so that we can continue to develop fertility treatments with the highest chance of success. When we identify an unanswered question, we aim to explore it through research so that we can provide our patients with evidence-based treatment recommendations. Of late, our group has been responsible for performing large randomized trials aimed to better understand tests of endometrial function and to eliminate unnecessary injections during treatment which have led to practice changes that reduce time to treatment, reduce patient costs, and eliminate painful or unnecessary interventions.

What advancements or research within the field of fertility are you currently most excited about? 

A current major focus in our field is the development of artificial intelligence systems that we hope can help to assist the physician and embryologist in improving patient outcomes. Currently, decisions are made by REI physicians based on a deep understanding of the complex nature of reproductive physiology and their extensive clinical experience. With the use of artificial intelligence, we may be able to train systems to interpret millions of data points to more accurately be able to predict patient outcomes, personalize treatment protocols, and assess embryo development and viability in a non-invasive manner. As the need for fertility treatment continue to grow, the incorporation of artificial intelligence may be the next big breakthrough in our field.

At The Lanby, we value hospitality as a key factor in optimizing health outcomes. In what way do you apply the tenets of hospitality to your approach to care?

My focus on hospitality in patient care aims to ensure my patients always have the answers to their questions and the support that they need throughout their fertility journey and I do this with the support of my incredible team. This team includes a patient care coordinator that assists patients in collecting their medical records and scheduling all parts of the evaluation, an experienced fertility nurse that is an invaluable resource for patients as they begin their fertility treatment, and a financial counselor that works with patients to navigate their insurance benefits and to assist with all financial questions, and of course myself. I remain actively involved in patient care from start to finish and am there for my patients to guide them every step of the way.