Marcus Rosencrantz

Be ready to play different roles. Take care of what is in front of you and let your team know you are their to help always!

 

Dr. Marcus Rosencrantz has been helping people with infertility for over ten years, first while training at UC San Diego, then as the Infertility Division Director at Kaiser Permanent in Orange County, and now as the founder of Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC). “There is nothing more rewarding than helping people with their dreams of parenthood.” Dr. Rosencrantz.

His mission has always been to have 100% success with patients, but the fertility industry is not there yet. There have been incredible advances but still not every patient gets pregnant. Dr. Rosencrantz found himself becoming more and more restless. He knew we could do even better for patients if we could provide more comprehensive care. He needed a center that was fully committed to both the science and to the whole person.

Using that restlessness as a driving force, he decided to take a risk, leave his secure job, and start his own IVF center where he would do everything possible to give patients the best chances of success. It took a bit of time, but after two full years, he made his dream a reality. He built a state of the art IVF laboratory with the newest equipment and its own dedicated air filtration system. He added wellness services to infertility treatments to deal with other issues that affect fertility like stress and nutrition. He brought in the best fertility wellness experts to help support his vision. And he personally committed himself to be there for his patients at every step.

This journey over the past two years hasn’t been easy but it has been worth it. He is so glad for staying true to his dreams and found that his patients are too. The best advice he can give is to stay true to yours.

Where did the idea for Reproductive Health and Wellness Center come from?

I established Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC), a state-of-the-art IVF center, because I wanted to be part of a fertility center that did everything it could to give patients the best chances of success. In order for that to happen, I knew we needed to start looking at infertility through a new light and be as committed to the whole person as we are to the science. We know from years of research that there is more to fertility success than just eggs and sperm. Other factors like stress, nutrition, and weight clearly play a role in our fertility and if we really want our patients to have the best chances of success with their fertility treatments, we need to address these issues as well. That is what we do at RHWC every single day and I couldn’t be happier or more fulfilled.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I wake up at 5 in the morning, grab a bite to eat, and get in some exercise. I am usually at the office by 630 AM ready and energized to start seeing patients; unlike most other busy IVF centers, my goal is to see every patient at every visit. In the mornings I typically see patients who are undergoing treatments. Reinvigorated after a quick lunch, I do consultations in the afternoon, seeing new patients and following up with old ones. If the day allows it, I am off to soccer practice with one of my two boys after work and typically we are all together as a family for dinner and homework.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Two years passed from the time I started thinking about going into private practice to actually opening my doors. Over that time, I had countless conversations with colleagues, family, and friends trying to learn as much as I could about having your own business. I remember the day that I finally picked up a pencil and a piece of paper and I started writing. We were on a family vacation and it was like a fountain of thoughts, from my timeline to my mission statement to costs and so on. All those hours that I spent thinking, reviewing, discussing, and writing were priceless in making my dreams a reality.

What’s one trend that excites you?

The advancements in technology in fertility care over the past 5 years have changed the landscape of what we can do and how we can help patients. Things like genetic testing and egg freezing have modified our practices and opened up more options for patients. We are still limited on several fronts, especially in our ability to improve egg quality, so there is more work to be done, but I am so excited to be part of it all. I honestly can’t wait to see what the next five years will bring. Personally, I won’t be satisfied until my pregnancy rates are 100%.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I would like to say gratitude. I am incredibly grateful for my staff at RHWC who do so much and allow me to focus my attention on what is most important, delivering exceptional patient care. Everyday I try to let them know how much I value them because people who feel appreciated are far more committed to our mission — helping every patient achieve their fertility goals by integrating state of the art therapies with a steadfast commitment to their reproductive wellness.
Of course that gratitude goes beyond my colleagues and includes my patients who have allowed me to be such an important part of their lives and includes my friends and family whose love and support and encouragement sustain me.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell myself to slow down and enjoy the day to day. I was very goal oriented when I was younger and I didn’t take the time to cherish the little moments. High school was about getting into college, college into medical school, medical school into residency, and so on. Time goes too fast and life is too fragile to say “I can’t wait for this” or “I can’t wait for that.” Now, I can wait. In fact, I enjoy the wait.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

“It’s never too late.”
As an infertility specialist, patients come in all the time worried that it’s too late for them to have a family. Fortunately it’s (almost) never too late. We have such amazing technologies like IVF, egg donation, and gestational carriers (surrogacy), and they can be very successful for the right patients. I love talking to patients about their different options and helping them understand how I can still help them achieve their dreams of parenthood.
On a personal note, it also wasn’t too late for me to chase my dreams. Before going into private practice, I was the infertility division director and IVF program founder for Kaiser Permanente Orange County for 9 years. In my experience, there are very few physicians that would leave Kaiser after that length of time but I knew it wasn’t too late for me. I know that I took a huge risk leaving but I believe strongly in what I am doing and I know that my patients would love what I have to offer.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Say thank you. Thank you to your staff for helping you. Thank you to your colleagues for being there for you. Thank you to your patients (or customers) for trusting you. And thank you to your family for supporting you.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

I put myself out there as much as I can. I have made myself as available as possible for my patients and for my colleagues. I have used social media to let people know who I am and what I believe in. And I have opened myself up for interviews, seminars, and lectures to educate people about fertility and wellness.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

I thought that after practicing infertility in OC for over 9 years, if I just left Kaiser and opened my own center, patients would find me and that I would be busy from day one. Of course that did not happen. We were slow and I was scared, but I knew that offering more comprehensive infertility care was the right thing to do for patients.
This was reaffirmed by the patients I met with who love what we have to offer. And honestly, so do I. I believe that I am giving them their best chances of success. So I put my feet to the pavement and met doctors in the community. I put my face on social media, I did videos, and I sent out letters.
Through these efforts, by letting people know how committed, how comprehensive, and how innovative we are, we are getting busier and busier.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

When I left Kaiser to open my own medical practice, I knew I would need to find the businessman in me because at my core, I am a physician. I went to medical school because I wanted to help people. I finished an OBGYN residency because I loved all things women’s health, from primary care to delivering babies to being in the operating room. I completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility because, to me, there is no greater honor than helping people grow their families. I would love to give a business idea away and I would if I had one. All I can tell you is that there is nothing luckier in life then loving what you do. Chase your dreams. Follow your passions. It will pay off.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

For Giving Tuesday I donated to the LGBTQ Center Orange County. The center’s mission is “to advocate on behalf of the Orange County Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer/Questioning communities and provide services that ensure its well-being and positive identity.” Of course being charitable is important but as a fertility specialist, I have always made it my mission to be welcoming of all patients regardless of their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their ethnicity, or their marital status. The LGBTQ center does great work and I am proud to support equality in all forms.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

When I opened Reproductive Health and Wellness Center, my first priority was to ensure that patients received the best possible care. That is why I included wellness but it also why I invested heavily in our infrastructure which includes an electronic medical record system (emr).
Nowadays medicine is extremely complicated and infertility care is no exception. In my mind, an emr is an essential part of delivering exceptional health care. Not only does it keep patient records safe and organized, it also integrates with our electronic consent system, our internal imaging systems, our internal embryology laboratory, our external blood draw results, our appointment booking, our insurance billing, and our general accounting. These emr’s can truly do it all!

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. It is an incredibly inspiring book about a young girl with cerebral palsy who challenges our assumptions and navigates childhood with bravery and perseverance.

What is your favorite quote?

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

Key Learnings:

• Persistence pays off. As time goes by do not stop dreaming, they will come true.
• Share ideas with your team, they have insight you might not be aware of.
• Be ready to play different roles. Take care of what is in front of you and let your team know you are their to help always!