Congratulations to our very own board certified reproductive endocrinologist, Gilbert Mottla, M.D., from our Annapolis, MD, office who was recently honored with the 2017 Arnold P. Gold Foundation in Humanism in Medicine Award by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
This is an award that honors an ASRM member who, as a practicing physician, has best demonstrated the ideals of compassionate and respectful care for a patient’s physical and emotional well-being.
“Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Mottla has advocated for improving infertility policy by testifying in front of both state and national legislators. Most important has been his passionate support of our nation’s injured veterans. This effort paid off when Congressional support was given to provide IVF services through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,” said Chief Executive Officer of Shady Grove Fertility, Mark Segal.
For years, Dr. Mottla has demonstrated a commitment to helping expand coverage to our nation’s wounded veterans. For 2 decades a ban on advanced reproductive technology in the form of in vitro fertilization (IVF) at the Veterans Administration (VA) meant that for approximately 1,800 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who have suffered injuries to their reproductive system, these soldiers were forced to pay for this expensive treatment out of pocket or forego the chance to have a family of their own. Among his many efforts, Dr. Mottla, in close collaboration with the ASRM and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), helped establish the IVF for Veterans Program. This temporary program of IVF care for veterans was supported by 103 fertility practices across the country and offered deep financial discounts on services as a way to immediately provide IVF care until Congress ultimately acted and removed the 20-year ban. Wounded veterans now have access to the IVF care they need in order to start or grow their families.
“I had the distinct privilege of being the medical voice in this successful effort. There were so many other people and organizations who worked equally hard or harder together to change policy, including my fellow SGF colleagues, the ASRM, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, the Wounded Warrior Project, pharma, and the Bob Woodruff Foundation for veterans, among others. The synergy of these efforts now enables our wounded veterans to receive IVF care to start or complete their families,” remarks Dr. Mottla.
The Arnold P. Gold Foundation website describes its vision of humanistic care delivered in the medical arena as “Humanistic medical care is not simply compassion. It is the best of medicine. When skilled physicians build caring, trusting, and collaborative relationships with patients, studies reveal more appropriate medical decisions, better patient adherence with treatment plans, and less costly healthcare outcomes.”
The Foundation recognizes that it is not enough to simply be a very knowledgeable physician, or a deeply caring person, but the blend of all facets of medicine that impacts patients. It calls on the highest level of multiple related skills, including demonstrated compassion and empathy in the delivery of patient care, competence in scientific endeavors, respect for patients, families, and co-workers, cultural sensitivity for those with diverse backgrounds, understanding of a patient’s need for interpretation of complex medical diagnoses and treatments, sensitivity to patient’s psychological well-being, and more.
“I had an excellent experience with Dr. Mottla. He is attentive, knowledgeable, and compassionate. He took the extra step to call me directly to discuss our fertility plan. I am happy to say I am now 8 weeks pregnant with our first IVF treatment,” shared one of Dr. Mottla’s patients.
“The Gold Award is one of the most prestigious in our field and is awarded as a nationwide recognition of patient-centered advocacy. It is especially well-deserved by Dr. Mottla for his tireless advocacy, especially for the most vulnerable of our patients,” stated Eric A. Widra, SGF Medical Director.
“The ASRM is always quite discerning in choosing who to recognize, and it’s been a privilege to work alongside with Dr. Mottla and his SGF colleagues to advance our legislative agenda in support of family building of all types,” said Barb Collura, President and CEO of RESOLVE.
Robert J. Stillman, M.D., Medical Director Emeritus of Shady Grove Fertility, “This is a well-deserved honor for Dr. Mottla. While he consistently serves his patients with compassion and clinical expertise, more importantly, patients here and everywhere have benefited from his considerable efforts.”
“Dr. Mottla was our doctor for two rounds of IVF. After our experience with the first, there was no doubt in our mind that we would look to him when we were ready to try for number two. We couldn’t have been more right in that choice and, if I ever feel we want a third child, I would absolutely turn to him again. He was always extremely pleasant to talk with. His explanations were thorough and presented in a way that we understood. We also always felt very comfortable asking questions of any kind. He even went out of his way to call me after hours twice,” said a former patient of Dr. Mottla’s.
Fundamental to the mission at Shady Grove Fertility is to make fertility treatment more affordable and accessible to more people. Dr. Mottla is among many of our physicians who have led the charge on various access-to-care issues on behalf of our patients. Most recently, he and Stephanie Beall, M.D., of our Columbia and Towson, MD offices, advocated for fertility preservation prior to cancer treatment coverage to be included in the Maryland Mandate. Both testified at the local and state levels to help legislators understand how the additional stress and costs leave many patients with a very difficult choice: pay for cancer treatment or risk losing the ability to have a baby in the future.
The Arnold P. Gold Foundation in Humanism in Medicine Award stands among other distinctions earned by Dr. Mottla. He has repeatedly been recognized by Washingtonian magazine and What’s Up Annapolis magazine in the top doctor’s edition for reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
Dr. Mottla will be recognized as the recipient of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award for Practicing Physicians during the Opening Ceremony of the 2017 ASRM Scientific Congress & on October 30, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Mottla or any of our reproductive endocrinologists, please contact our New Patient Center at 888-971-7755.
