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Dr. Costantini recognizes that her background in psychology is an asset to her work now as she can appreciate the emotional element and help patients work through what they are feeling. She has also been able to share her expertise with her colleagues to help the RMA providers learn to treat the whole patient, mind and body--a critical piece of RMA's mission alongside science, success, and support. "It's easy to be your doctor when things are going well, but it's so important to be empathetic and listen when things are not going well. Whatever my patient is experiencing, I understand that the patient is first and should be respected and listened to," Dr. Costantini, said. Every patient is assigned a team that includes not just a provider but also a nurse, and a financial coordinator. There is also a patient navigator who is available to talk with patients throughout their journey. Dr. Costantini, said the navigators are not a substitute for the team but a supplement as a caring individual who checks in regularly and helps to aleve. Continuing the support system along the way, RMA works with FertiliFriends, which is a support group of patients who have gone through or are going through the fertility treatment process. "This is about helping patients connect and not feel so alone. There's nothing like being able to talk to someone who has gone through the same thing. One common experience in fertility is a feeling of being isolated and alone because no one talks about infertility. At RMA we are trying to help erase that," Dr. Costantini said. RMA also offers individualized nutrition, yoga classes, acupuncture, and other types of complementary care that work together for a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Because RMA affects individuals and couples across all walks of life, they are dedicated to providing the best fertility care to anyone and everyone including family- building options for the LGBTQ community, those single by choice, and anyone struggling with infertility. RMA welcomes a diverse population and personalizes care to meet each patient's needs. Patient care is a critical part of the fertility process, but success depends on science and Dr. Costantini said the field of infertility has seen great strides over the past several years. Where previously fertility treatments resulted in multiple births with greater chance for complications, RMA has made embryo transfer much more precise resulting in healthy births. "It's not easy to replicate nature but we can create families and prevent diseases," Dr. Costantini commented. She said the concept of freezing eggs for future use has also seen dramatic advancement and more and more women are choosing this option. "We can freeze eggs safely which leads to future successes. It's not an experimental procedure anymore and many employer health plans are starting to cover the cost," she said. Overall, for those seeking to build a family there are now many more choices and the chances of becoming a parent are much higher than they've ever been. RMA continues to do the research to bring healthy babies to all and will continue to provide compassionate and supportive care to anyone who walks through their doors. Learn more at rmanetwork.com or call (973)656-2089 V U E N J .C O M 48

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