Jessie Conta: Laboratory Stewardship Advocate Guides GSF Forward
We are pleased to highlight board member Jessie Conta, who brings her expertise in genetic counseling, patient advocacy and lab stewardship to Genetic Support Foundation.
The Balancing Act of Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy
By Jenny Rietzler, MS, CGC In my first year as a reproductive genetic counselor, I had a case that I still reflect on to this day. Without sharing too many specifics, my patient had gone through IVF and she and her partner had decided to have pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) on their embryos. …
The Balancing Act of Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy Read More »
Reflections on the 2023 PLUGS Summit
PLUGS stands for – Patient-centered Laboratory Utilization Guidance Services. PLUGS is housed at the Seattle Children’s Hospital and consists of a network of experts and people who care about lab stewardship from organizations throughout the county. The mission of PLUGS is to improve laboratory test access, ordering, retrieval, interpretation and reimbursement. Genetic Support Foundation (GSF) …
Discrimination and Eugenics in the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Guidelines for Gamete and Embryo Donation: A Series
By Devin Shuman, MS, CGC and Jenny Rietzler, MS, CGC Okay, so we now are all well aware that there is endless perpetuation of LGBTQIA+ Discrimination in the ASRM recommendations. Time for another hard truth – the guidelines also discriminate against people who have disabilities, genetic conditions, and/or are neurodiverse. When we hear the term …
Educational Videos to Support Informed Patient Decisions
An important priority for Genetic Support Foundation (GSF) is to develop and share educational resources about genetics and health that include up-to-date, fact-based information that is free of commercial bias. With this in mind, GSF has developed numerous helpful videos related to genetics and health, all of which can be viewed on our website. Many …
Educational Videos to Support Informed Patient Decisions Read More »
LGBTQIA+ Discrimination and Eugenics in the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Guidelines for Gamete and Embryo Donation: Series 2: Nod towards Cisgender, Heterosexual couples
By Devin Shuman, MS, CGC and Jenny Rietzler, MS, CGC Hopefully after reading part one of our new series, LQBTQIA+ Discrimination and Eugenics in the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Guidelines for Gamete and Embryo Donation, you’ve reviewed the ASRM recommendations and realized that their failure at inclusivity extends far beyond their discriminatory practices …
Cobie Whitten: A Tireless Advocate for Supporting Cancer Patients Brings Her Passion for Understanding the Psycho-Emotional Impacts of Health to GSF
We are pleased to highlight board member, Dr. Cobie Whitten, who brings her experience and passion as a patient advocate to the Genetic Support Foundation. For more than 30 years, Cobie Whitten has worked tirelessly to support patients facing a cancer diagnosis and improve survivorship services for those patients and their families at all points …
LGBTQIA+ Discrimination and Eugenics in the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Guidelines for Gamete and Embryo Donation: A Series
By Devin Shuman, MS, CGC and Jenny Rietzler, MS, CGC Have any of y’all read the most recent American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommendations for gamete and embryo donation lately? Probably not if you don’t work in ART (assisted reproductive technology). It’s a bit painful, particularly if you comb through it with a JEDI …
Ten Years of Genetic Support Foundation
Hello friends of Genetic Support Foundation (GSF)! We hope your 2023 is off to a great start! As we move more fully into this new year we mark 2022 as a milestone and are reflecting on all that we have achieved over the past decade. The year 2022 was the 10th anniversary of GSF’s founding. …
Daniel Bellissimo: A Leader in Molecular Diagnostics and Human Genetics Is Helping to Shape GSF’s Future
Genetic Support Foundation board president, Daniel Bellissimo, has been a national leader in the field of molecular diagnostics and human genetics for over thirty years. Daniel earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Duke University then spent 23 years at BloodCenter of Wisconsin in Milwaukee as director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory. He is currently an …