Shop Alto Essentials to add pharmacy products to any delivery!

Your partner in navigating the ins and outs of prescriptions — at no extra cost.

Alto Pharmacy Technician

Alto Pharmacist

It’s official: Alto Pharmacy is a great place to work! We’re honored to join the community of Great Place to Work-Certified™ companies based on team member feedback and a rigorous assessment of our company’s culture and benefits.

Join us in delivering our industry-leading pharmacy care to millions of people across the country. As a member of the team, you’ll play an integral role in improving our customers’ quality of life and redefining what’s possible in pharmacy. 

Be Part of a Great Place to Work — Join Our Team

Hear first-hand from members of the Alto technology teams.

Read the latest Alto blog posts covering healthcare, family health, managing diseases, and other Alto highlights.

Blog | Alto Pharmacy

The Providers Team at Alto is charged with building the tools and service components necessary to deliver an exceptional pharmacy experience for healthcare providers. Read on to learn more.

Get to Know the Team That Has Doctors Calling Alto “The Pharmacy of The Future”

Editor's Note: The post was updated on November 8, 2021 to reflect the rebrand of AltoMD to Alto Connect.

Alto Pharmacy’s mission is to fulfill medicine’s true purpose — to improve quality of life — for everyone who needs it. The healthcare professionals who prescribe medications to Alto and the clinical teams that support them are critical partners in making our mission successful. To this end, the Providers Team at Alto is charged with building the tools and service components necessary to deliver an exceptional pharmacy experience for healthcare providers.

Every day, clinical teams -  including prescribers and other clinical staff like nurses, practice coordinators, and billing specialists - spend hours tracking down insurance information, coordinating approvals and appeals, discussing options with their patients, and playing phone tag with pharmacies. The Providers Team enables these healthcare providers to spend more time on patient care and less time on back office tasks. 

Alto’s provider communications platform, Alto Connect, and related services, including insurance benefits coordination and prior authorization management, remove clinical blockers that traditionally slow down or prevent an individual’s access to treatment. Practices that share Alto with a majority of their patients can save three or more hours per day on pharmacy and insurance administration tasks, with less time spent waiting on hold, fewer faxes and improved employee satisfaction (not to mention happier patients!). 

Anu Kashyap, a Product Manager on the team says, “I joined Alto to make a contribution to people’s health using technology, and the Providers Team is working on specific, painful healthcare problems that are critical to solve. These challenges have been incredibly fulfilling to work on.”

How does the Providers Team play into the overall growth of Alto Pharmacy?

The Providers Team is fairly new, as they were originally part of a larger Growth team within Alto. Kjersten Elias, Engineering Manager, explains: “Alto's growth model is driven by conversations about pharmacy choice in the doctor’s office, and in the fall of 2020, we dedicated an engineering team to optimizing our product offerings and improving the experience for the healthcare providers having those conversations.”

Anu adds, “The key for our business’ continued growth is having healthcare providers trust that we are the best pharmacy for their patients and leverage us as their pharmacy of choice. This type of growth channel is much more powerful than anything direct to the consumer. We can only do this however, if our providers have an excellent experience with us, and we’ve only scratched the surface here.” 

Being part of a newer team has distinct advantages. Software Engineer Dereck Quock notes, “We have unique opportunities to modernize how we build apps and define our infrastructure and technical needs. With the freedom to utilize cutting edge tech and new frameworks, there is so much room for innovation.”

What is the culture of the Providers Team like?

The engineers each raved about a small-but-important recurring calendar invite each Friday: Team Time. This protected time is a space to catch up, banter about anything other than work, and, if folks are feeling brave, face off with Anu, former Teen Tournament champion, in a rousing game of Jeopardy.

It's not hard to see why Kjersten and her team light up when they talk about team culture. Amy Chen, a Software Engineer on the team, shared that  “Kjersten is an incredible manager. Everyone is empowered to ask for and share feedback, fine-tune our processes, and check in with each other.”

“When I joined, I could tell right away this team really lifted each other up and had each other’s backs,” said Dereck. “It’s one of the greatest teams I’ve worked on.”

The Providers Team is hiring! Learn more about open positions here.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 - October 15 every year, Alto is highlighting the important work of Alto Auténtico, our Latinx employee resource group (ERG).

Get to Know Alto Auténtico, our Latinx ERG

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 - October 15 every year, Alto is highlighting the important work of Alto Auténtico, our Latinx employee resource group (ERG)*. Below, Robert Barahona, Provider Success Specialist and co-leader of Alto Auténtico, shares more about the group’s origins, current initiatives, and plans for the future.

Robert: “Auténtico” means authentic in Spanish, and authenticity is central to the ERG’s mission. The group was created to ensure that Alto’s Latinx team members have a presence and a voice within our company culture, and that they are supported in their professional development with meaningful opportunities to grow at Alto.  

Robert: Our focus is both internal and external. In addition to developing a Latinx community at Alto, we also shape Alto’s product and services so that we’re better serving our Latinx users (more about that later). Much of that work involves building awareness of Latinx history and cultural contributions, as well as bringing attention to negative stereotypes that we want to dismantle.

We use holidays and events like Day of the Dead (November 1st and 2nd) and Cesar Chavez’ birthday (March 31) to share educational resources with our team members. On Cinco de Mayo, we hosted a Zoom happy hour and a taco lunch for all our pharmacies.

For last year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, we invited Dr. Robert Rodriguez, the president of diversity consulting firm DRR Advisors and a thought leader in Latinx talent management, to speak at Alto. He shared about his own journey of repressing his background to assimilate in the workplace to fully embracing his heritage and empowering other Latinx employees to be their authentic selves.

How are we celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month this year?

Robert: We’re focusing on celebrating Latinx intersectionality. It’s important to recognize the diversity within Latinx culture and the important perspectives of Latinx women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those of mixed heritage, including our Black and Asian members who also identify as Hispanic or Latinx. Every week during Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re educating the full Alto team about a specific group within the broader Latinx community, with resources for additional learning.

What can team members look forward to from Alto Auténtico in the future? 

Robert: We’re really excited to continue to help shape Alto’s services and resources for customers, making our offerings as inclusive as possible. We’re currently working with the operations, product, and marketing teams to establish a bilingual team to support Spanish-speaking individuals using our pharmacy delivery services across all of our communities. 

We’re also launching a mentorship program in which Alto’s junior Latinx team members will be paired with senior Latinx team members for coaching sessions. This is another important step in continuing to invest in our Latinx team members’ professional development.

How can allies recognize Hispanic Heritage Month?

Robert: Great question! I think learning is key. Simply taking the time to educate yourself about the Hispanic and/or Latinx experience — particularly about our diversity as a group — goes a long way toward building trust, which is key to true allyship.

Interested in learning more about the Alto Auténtico employee resource group? Reach out to altoautentico@alto.com and visit alto.com/careers to learn more about our open roles. 

*ERGs are meant to empower community groups within an organization by directly linking decision makers and implementing policies that support the group’s specific needs. The groups often center around a shared identity or experience and focus on building community, providing support, and contributing to its members’ personal and professional well-being. By creating an open forum for employees to come together, discuss challenges and opportunities, and foster a sense of belonging, ERGs help both individuals and organizations thrive.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 - October 15 every year, Alto is highlighting the important work of Alto Auténtico, our Latinx employee resource group (ERG)

Reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Guy Ringler — a former faculty member at UCLA and an advisory board member at Men Having Babies — was one of the first doctors in the world to help gay men have children through assisted reprodutive technology.

Spotlight on Men Having Babies & Dr. Guy Ringler

There are many ways to start a family and raise a child. And as recent decades have brought forth milestones in marriage equality and the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, the options for LGBTQ+ family building have also expanded.

According to 2019 data from the Williams Institute, almost 29% of people who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community are raising children, up from 16.2% between 2014 - 2016. That includes a growing number of gay men who’ve had children through surrogacy, a process in which a woman who is not related to the child — a gestational surrogate — carries a baby who is biologically related to one of the fathers and an egg donor.

Breaking down barriers to LGBTQ+ family building

Reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Guy Ringler — a former faculty member at UCLA and an advisory board member at Men Having Babies — was one of the first doctors in the world to help gay men have children through assisted reprodutive technology. Throughout the twenty-five years that he’s been in practice, he’s seen how scientific advances and cultural changes have broken down barriers for gay men interested in parenthood.

“Over two decades ago, when I began my career, people barely understood the concept of surrogacy for gay men,” he says. “It wasn’t as easy to find women who wanted to become surrogates for gay couples. There was still fear about HIV, and there were questions about the impact of surrogacy on a child’s development.”

The landscape looks a lot different today. Thanks to cultural shifts and greater understanding of the science behind surrogacy — and to awareness-raising organizations like Men Having Babies — there are now more options than ever to become a parent regardless of your sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Greater acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community and marriage equality has opened people’s minds and allowed them to see that gay families can thrive, just like any family,” Dr. Ringler says. “Gay men are now able to plan for a future that we once didn’t know was possible.”

Getting to meet prospective fathers at Men Having Babies’ annual conferences is one of Dr. Ringler’s favorite things about working with the organization. He’s observed a greater number of gay men pursuing parenthood at an earlier age.

“I’m so inspired by the next generation of gay men, who are planning their families in their twenties. That simply wasn’t an option when I was their age.”

Men Having Babies and financial assistance for IVF and surrogacy

There are many steps on the road to parenthood for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples: fertility treatments, legal consultation, and financial planning are all required to start a family.

“Having a baby doesn’t just happen for gay men,” Dr. Ringler says. “It takes thoughtful planning and there are many decisions along the way.”

That’s why support from organizations like Men Having Babies is so critical. The organization started as a program at The Center (formerly the NYC LGBT Center) in 2005 and officially became a nonprofit in 2012. Today, Men Having Babies supports thousands of gay men and couples around the world in starting their families through surrogacy, with monthly workshops, annual conferences and financial resources. 

Determining how to pay for IVF and surrogacy is an important part of planning your family. As part of the process, Dr. Ringler suggests mapping out a vision for your family. Knowing how many children you want can help you prepare for the cost: “When you’re making the commitment to start a family as a gay man, think about how you will financially support the decision. It may feel overwhelming, but it’s similar to the process of buying a house. If it’s really important to you, you can find a way to make it work.”

There are many resources to help alleviate the cost, including Men Having Babies’ Gay Parenting Assistance Program (GPAP) . The program offers different forms of financial support, including:

Discounted and free services donated by more than one hundred leading IVF, surrogacy, egg donation, and legal service providers to prospective parents (Stage I support)

Discounted and donated ancillary services, including fertility medication, escrow services, and insurance resource services (Stage I support)

Cash grants for approved prospective parents based on income eligibility (Stage II support)

Learn more about the criteria for applying to Stage I or Stage II support from the GPAP.

You must be a member of Men Having Babies to receive financial assistance. You can become a member by making an annual donation of $150 or more. Learn more about the membership process.

In addition, EMD Serono offers financial assistance for fertility medications and Family Equality has a list of family-building grants that help LGBTQ+ families afford fertility treatment. Be sure to also ask your fertility clinic or pharmacy about available financial assistance programs and payment plans.

The importance of researching your options

As Dr. Ringler emphasized, gay men building a family through IVF and surrogacy have many decisions to make throughout the process. For that reason, it’s important to thoroughly research your options and to work with a medical team that you trust. Here are some additional considerations to be mindful of as you plan your family.

Understanding the process of IVF and surrogacy

In IVF, eggs and sperm are combined in a laboratory. When gay men conceive through IVF, the sperm will come from one of the fathers and the eggs will come from a donor. Then the fertilized eggs, or embryos, are placed into the uterus of a gestational carrier who will carry the baby to term.

Not only is this an exciting time for expectant dads, as Dr. Ringler notes, but surrogates can play a big role in raising awareness of LGBTQ+ families.

“In my experience, surrogates who are asked when their baby is due while out in public may feel comfortable sharing that they’re having a baby for a gay couple. This helps open up more people’s minds to the possibilities for LGBTQ+ parenthood.”

Understanding your goals for your relationship with your surrogate is one of many key decisions, and there is a spectrum of options. Some couples cultivate intimate relationships with the surrogates while others prefer to remain more detached. There’s no one right choice — it’s all about understanding what’s best for you.

“If your surrogate wants a little distance, that does not mean that they are any less committed to the process,” Dr. Ringler says, adding that it’s important to discuss your preferences in an open discussion with your surrogacy agency.

Deciding who will be biologically related to the child

Another important decision for same-sex male couples is deciding which parent will be genetically related to the child. When heterosexual couples have babies through IVF, both parents can contribute their genetic material, so that the baby is biologically related to both, even when using a gestational carrier. 

But with gay men, only one father can contribute his sperm per pregnancy, so it’s important to discuss this decision with your partner if having a child as a couple. Some fathers fertilize multiple eggs so that both can have a biological connection with one of their children. Taking time to identify your family building goals will allow you and your partner to plan for the financial cost of more than one round of IVF, if you choose to pursue that option.

Keep in mind that you can establish a legal paternal relationship with your child even if you are not biologically related to them. It’s critical to research your state’s laws about legal parentage procedures once your baby is born. Movement Advancement Project’s interactive map on parental recognition laws is a good starting point. 

Be sure to speak with an experienced LGBTQ+ family lawyer in your state before starting the IVF and surrogacy process. There are many forms of financial support to help alleviate the cost of these legal services, like Men Having Babies’ Gay Parenting Assistance Program.

There's a wide selection of available egg donors, and one of the factors to consider as you choose yours is whether they will be anonymous or open. With an open donor, you can more easily answer any questions your child may have about their genetic background. However, some families prefer anonymous donors, and sometimes an anonymous donor’s physical or personality traits better fit your goals. Both paths are viable options, and it all comes down to what’s right for your family.

Regardless of which option you choose, Dr. Ringler notes that you should be prepared to share information with your child about how they were conceived. You can even get creative with how you share their journey: some of Dr. Ringler’s patients have created story books for the whole family to read together, which helps children understand their background and feel proud of who they are.

Seeking support for your family building journey

While there are many paths to take, and many decisions to make, as you build your family, all will lead to the same destination of parenthood.

“I personally had a very close relationship with my mother growing up, and as gay men, we can’t guarantee our children that same experience,” Dr. Ringler says. He notes that if you have an open donor, your child’s biological mother may be able to have a presence in their life, which is another important factor to consider when planning your family.

But regardless of your chosen family structure, “I’ve seen again and again throughout my career that all you need to start a happy, healthy family is love and fun.”

One thing that’s certain: family building as a gay man is much easier to navigate with support from organizations like Men Having Babies. If you’re feeling overwhelmed while planning for a family, remember that you don’t have to go through this journey alone. Men Having Babies understands the challenges specific to building a family as a gay man, and their resources can help you fulfill your dreams of becoming a parent.

Learn how to become a member of Men Having Babies.

At Alto, we’re proud to support Men Having Babies, and we’re happy to be a part of your family building journey if fertility prescription medications become part of your plan. Reach out any time to get started though the Alto app  or phone at 1-800-874-5881.

This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Get an inside look at the patients team at Alto Pharmacy to learn what it's like to work on Alto's customer-facing apps, which projects are on the horizon, and who makes the best barbecue short ribs.

Get to Know the Team That Builds Alto's Customer-Facing Apps

Imagine an app that allows you to buy things and have them delivered to you the same day, for free. Now take that app and put it in a highly regulated space like pharmacy. You face the challenge not only of building an e-commerce platform from scratch, but also of navigating medication pricing, federal and state regulations, and patient safety—and that's just the way the Patients Team likes it.

"It's a really exciting and fun problem to solve," says Mike Riess, the team's Engineering Manager. Software Engineer Angelique Nehmzow agrees: "There's a really strong product and design aspect, like more traditional startups, but then everything gets a little bit more interesting because it's healthcare."

Below, we chat with the team to learn what it's like to work on Alto's customer-facing apps, which projects are on the horizon, and who makes the best barbecue short ribs.

What does the Patients Team do at Alto? 

Ask anyone on the team why they joined, and chances are, they'll tell you they wanted to be on the product team closest to Alto's customers: "We really try to own the customer experience," says Peter Zeng, the latest Software Engineer to join the team. "If a customer is coming to the web app, or they're coming to our mobile app, we want to make sure that they're able to onboard with us as easily and conveniently as possible."

The team is also responsible for the customer experience beyond onboarding, from the moment a customer schedules a medication for delivery to the time that it shows up on their doorstep. "We already offer great services like free, same-day delivery and cost savings. The Patients Team empowers customers to make the most of our offering," Nehmzow explains. "You can see what prescriptions you have, check on the status of your order, and schedule automatic refills. In a more traditional pharmacy, you don't get that kind of visibility. You have to call them up or even wait in line in person. At Alto, it's a different experience."

What was it like in the team's early days?

Today, there are eleven engineers on the team working to build that better end-to-end experience—but it wasn't always that way. When the team first formed in 2019, it consisted of just three members: Riess, Brian McRae, and Andy Lau, all of whom are still on the team.

"The first priority for us was just stabilizing the foundations," Riess says of the team's early days. Every other week, the three team members, along with Alto co-founders Matt Gamache-Asselin and Jamie Karraker, would meet to audit the app's core flows. "For the first three months we probably didn't make it through some flow at least 50% of the time," Riess recalls. "There would be a ton of bugs in the onboarding experience, things that weren't working with the flows or navigation or deep linking."

Among the team's first projects was a redesign of the checkout flow. "There was a lot of work to be done to streamline the checkout flow, which is pretty much the main function of the app," says McRae, who initially joined the team as a software engineer and later transitioned into product management. "We had to make it easier to add a payment, add your addresses, everything you need to do to schedule your prescription for delivery."

"The growth of the team, in terms of both size and stability of the platform, has allowed us to swing at more interesting bets for the company," Riess says. In particular, the Patients Team has turned their attention toward experiences personalized for specific medical conditions.

"Different customers have different needs. A customer who wishes to start a family will have a different experience than a customer who needs to order their routine heart medications that they've been taking for the last eight years,” McRae says. “The challenge for us is how we serve all these customers well through the app."

"I think that's where Alto can be such a differentiator," Riess adds. "A world-class pharmacy experience is about so much more than just dispensing medications. We want to build tools for customers that help them get the most out of their medications—everything from simple videos teaching them how to perform injections safely at home to the ability to synchronize deliveries for multiple prescriptions for managing complex health conditions."

With these new projects on the horizon, engineers have ample opportunity to focus on the areas that excite them most. "We're full-stack and mobile and web," Nehmzow says. "Part of the team focuses more on experimentation, iterating quickly, and using data to make decisions. Part of the team focuses more on platform work, tooling, and improving the developer experience. There are a lot of areas to explore and contribute to."

One spring night, the Patients Team gathered in a back yard in San Francisco’s Mission District for short ribs and an impressive spread of side dishes. "Kudos to Robbi, who's the grill master. I just provide the grill!" Nehmzow says, laughing. While the team barbecue was the first time some members had met in person, Zeng notes that the team has been supportive of one another even while working remotely during the pandemic.

"The first real project that I was assigned to was working with the communications system. Before writing my first piece of code, I spent two weeks exploring what already exists and understanding the different parts of the system," Zeng says. "I've been really impressed with how understanding my teammates have been. They make the space for you to learn all the different pieces of code we own."

That culture of support is by design, reflected in the six principles—complete with matching emojis—at the top of the #patients-team Slack channel: "Empower each other," "be an owner," "find the path," "learn by doing," "embrace complexity," and "foster trust." 

While these principles echo Alto's company-wide values, they are unique to the Patients Team. "For a long time, we were the only external-facing product team at Alto," Riess says. "These principles were intended to be this motivation around how we win. It's a combination of how we treat each other, how we reason about decision making, and how we approach solving a problem that's never existed before."

As the team looks toward the future, those principles have never been more relevant: "We have a goal and an area we want to focus on, but in terms of which projects we're going to do, it's not a top-down thing," Nehmzow says. "It's very much, 'We're going to figure out how to solve this problem together, even when it's difficult.' That's my favorite part about the team."

The Patients Team is hiring! Learn more about open positions here.

In recognition of Women’s History Month, we highlight four women at Alto shaping the future of pharmacy. These leaders share their advice for women in the workplace, their unique super powers, and what they appreciate most about Alto's culture.

Celebrating Women at Alto Pharmacy

Liz Kelly, Sr. Director Sales, Fertility 

I'm responsible for hiring, coaching and supporting the needs of the national fertility sales team. I also work closely with fertility business and operations teams to deliver on our clinic and customer promises.

Before joining Alto, I was finishing up a sabbatical where I spent my time volunteering on the board of a non-profit called ServeHAITI. Prior to that, I was the West Coast Area Business Director at EMD Serono and worked with Matt and Jaime [Alto’s co-founders] to secure a contract to distribute fertility meds when they were still working out of AG Pharmacy!

What do you appreciate the most about Alto's culture? 

Hands down my favorite part of being on the Alto team is that the patient is truly at the center of every decision we make. I value that we make business decisions with our mission in mind.

What do you like doing outside of work?  

Of late, my favorite pastime is heading to the dog beach with my rescue, Bodhi, who has been the best medicine to ease some of the COVID-19 isolation I experienced over the past year. Before the pandemic, I made sure to travel to at least one new international spot a year. I love the experience of getting exposed to all things about another culture: cuisine, culture, belief systems, language.

I like to think that my super power is seeing the greatness in others, sometimes before they see it in themselves.

I aspire to live by the motto "be the change you wish to see in the world." I encourage women to speak up for what they believe is right, even if nobody else agrees. That includes planning for your own career path and making it a priority to develop your skill sets so that you are prepared to climb the ladder that serves your own greatness.

I graduated from pharmacy school in May of 1979 and started working at AG Pharmacy after passing my boards later that year. I bought AG in 1998 when the previous owner wanted to retire - he had been with AG since it first opened in the early 60's.

My family moved to San Francisco from Hong Kong when I was five years old. Our story is one similar to those of many immigrant families who came to America looking for a better life in search of the American dream: own a home, have a car, raise children safely and give them the opportunity of a good education and a chance to have a better life. My parents raised their children here, emphasizing family, hard work and education. They lived their American dream, and I have them to thank for all that I am today.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work? 

I love to travel. There are so many unique places to visit in this world. With the different cultures, the food, and the amazing sceneries/landscapes, there are endless things to see and experience! 

The thing I appreciate most about Alto's culture is that everyone works so hard together to bring about the best pharmacy experience for all our customers. You can feel the energy and the motivation of all the Altoids. I cannot emphasize how amazing it is to be a part of this team and to watch Alto grow and evolve into the pharmacy of the future and the pharmacy of our dreams!

What’s your favorite memory thus far at Alto? 

In the very early days, when Alto was still Scriptdash Pharmacy, a customer needed to get her trigger shot [as part of a fertility protocol] within the next few hours. It was close to rush hour, and we had no couriers available to deliver to the South Bay. Our CEO Matt came to the rescue on his motorcycle, and off he went to make the delivery. It was such a wonderful and warm feeling to watch and cheer him on together. That is truly what Alto love is all about!

I manage our amazing IT Support team, helping all Altoids get the technology support they need, when they need it. 

For the better part of the last decade I have been managing IT Support teams. From Facebook and Twitter to Lyft and Uber, I’ve seen it all (or at least most of it!).

Our incredible dedication to our mission. In my short time here, I truly see us putting patients first, and it’s moving to see. 

What do you like doing outside of work? 

I’m a big traveler, but since COVID-19 has put a damper on that, I enjoy flying around Colorado with my partner in our vintage Beechcraft Bonanza. I also love hopping on my motorcycle and just exploring! 

I’m in love with Central and Eastern Europe. Some of my favorite places are Prague, Vienna and Budapest. 

I’m originally from Iran but moved a lot growing up, including Oklahoma, Australia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Chicago. I have been in San Francisco for the last six years. I stumbled across software engineering in college and found a passion for building products and teams. I joined Alto as the third engineer and this is now the largest company I’ve ever worked at. 

I lead a group of 20 engineers across three teams. Two teams are focused on getting prescriptions ready to schedule quickly and accurately, and one is focused on enabling faster, higher quality, and more enjoyable product development across the broader product and technology organization. My work involves a lot of collaboration, creativity, transparency, and flexibility. 

I was an early software engineer at a small startup; before that I was a hybrid software engineer and product manager at a design and development studio. 

I like how passionate everyone is about what they do. 

I’m at my best managing a crisis or finding a path through conflicting strong opinions. 

I want to start with some advice for our allies: get more curious about the experience of the women you work with and learn about ways you can support and amplify the work of the women around you. Diversity, equality and inclusion is a team sport and, even if we win a game or two, it’s about the continuous pursuit of excellence. 

For my fellow women at Alto, I wish I knew earlier to focus more on improving my craft and impact so I can get a seat at the table, rather than trying to juggle advocacy and my own work. Once you’re at the table, you can really advocate for hiring, growing, and retaining women. 

To learn more about the work of our six employee resource groups (ERG’s) focused on building community - including Umoja (Black), Auténtico (LatinX/Hispanic), Women (WOAA), Proud (LGBTQIA+), Asian/Pacific Islander, and Working Parents - read our 2020 Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Report. 

Are you passionate about shaping the future of pharmacy? Join us as we deliver our industry-leading pharmacy care to millions of Americans. 

Reverend Stacey, who is also the Executive Minister at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, sat down with us to share more about the challenges of fertility in the Black community, what fertility care providers can do to create more inclusive experiences, and some of her favorite memories in the history of FFCG. 

Rev. Dr. Stacey L. Edwards-Dunn on Her Mission To Improve Black Fertility Care

When it comes to fertility, there is a lot to navigate—from deciding which treatment option is right for you to figuring out how to afford the costs. In the U.S., about 11% of women experience infertility, and studies suggest that Black women are twice as likely to face infertility as white women. 

Rev. Dr. Stacey L. Edwards-Dunn is trying to change this. After working as a health educator in Chicago and an education director at Planned Parenthood, she founded Fertility for Colored Girls (FFCG) in 2013. As a 501c3, FFCG’s mission is to provide education, awareness, and support to Black women/couples and other women of color who struggle with infertility—something Stacey wished she’d had when she was on her own infertility journey. 

With 14 chapters across the country spanning urban and suburban communities, and with more opening each year, FFCG provides services including educational programs, grant opportunities, counseling, and monthly support groups where women can share their experiences and receive support.

What are the reasons Black women are almost twice as likely to experience infertility as white women?

There are a few factors behind this. The first is that in the Black community, infertility is a taboo topic. And it’s not something we expect to experience. In our communities, we have believed the hype that Black women are hyper-fertile. Much of this comes from breeding myths during slavery around our ability to be able to give birth. But the reality is, these myths are incorrect. So it begins with how we have been socialized and educated around our own reproductive health and our Black bodies. 

A second reason is that there are many Black women and couples who don’t trust the medical system. And because of this distrust, we’re not accessing health care. We think doctors don’t take us seriously and impose their biases on us. And even today, we still hear stories of Black women and couples having surgeries done on them and being sterilized without permission.

A third reason has to do with research. Most of the research around reproductive health and treatment has primarily been done on white women. So when research shows that in vitro fertilization (IVF) is not as successful with Black women, it’s because the trials haven’t included Black women. Once we start seeing more research done that includes black and brown women and other ethnicities then we’ll be able to tailor treatments better. 

A final reason has to do with marketing. We still have a number of fertility clinics that aren’t including women and babies of color and other ethnicities in their marketing. So Black women and couples don’t see themselves in the marketing and if you can’t see yourself, it makes it harder to feel welcome and to trust that you’ll get quality care. 

In addition to marketing and staffing, what other recommendations do you have for clinicians and fertility care providers to create a more accessible and equitable experience? 

I would say education. The staff working with women of color need to be educated. They need to be equipped with tools on how to be culturally sensitive to the Black women and couples that are coming into their spaces. Something I hear from Black women and couples is they want the doctor and team to partner up with them in their treatment—not to look down on them or talk at them. They want someone to walk with them on their journeys. 

Education can also help staff understand their own biases which, a lot of the time, they’re unaware of. It’s important they know what to say and what not to say to make sure they aren’t deterring Black couples. In addition, Black and other ethnicities need to be represented in executive roles and throughout the organization —from doctors to nurses to lab technicians. Making sure staff is inclusive, diverse, and culturally-educated.

Finally, they need to work with organizations like FFCG, who have their pulse on the community and can help them create relationships with the Black community. And they should be open to having these conversations not just during Black History Month, but all the time.

For the communities you work with and those who might not understand their family building options and the resources available to them, what do you want them to know? 

I want them to know there are multiple paths to parenthood. And though they are all different, they are not deficient. When I educate the women and couples I coach and that come to me, I help them focus on the goal, which is to be parents and to build a family. When you know the goal, then you can understand that you have other natural options, like IVF, intrauterine insemination, donor eggs or donor sperm, domestic adoption, et cetera. 

There is an option and a path that has been designed for everyone and I help them see that. Because when you have options, there are possibilities. I am very intentional about helping to open up the minds of the women and couples that I work with to help them see the goal. Because when you reach the goal of becoming a parent to a child, the reality is that you’re not going to love them any less because it is the child that God has sent you.

Is there a particular memory or moment that stands out for you since you founded Fertility for Colored Girls?

A powerful moment for me was when we gave away our first free IVF [cycle] to a couple. After experiencing a few unsuccessful IVF [rounds], they didn't have any money left and their state of Mississippi doesn’t have insurance toward infertility treatments. So they put their name into our raffle and won. They took the Megabus from Mississippi up to Chicago, Illinois to meet everybody that they had been talking to on the phone during prayer time. 

At this time, I was also one month away from giving birth to my daughter after seven in vitro cycles, so I really felt for them. Now they have five-year-old twins. This was significant because it was the first time we were able to provide physical resources to a couple in need. 

In addition to this, I am always so honored when women and couples call me and tell me they got a positive pregnancy test after IVF, or that their surrogate is pregnant, or their adoption just got approved. Often, I end up finding out before anyone else in their family does. I’m so honored that these women and couples trust me to share their journeys and their hearts. And most of them have never met me in person, they’ve just talked to me on the phone. 

These are women who have cried so many tears in silence and lived so long in shame, and they’ve found a successful path to starting a family. That is what gives me joy and fuels me to keep doing the FFCG work. It reminds me there’s still hope and the work that we are doing is not in vain. 

Is there anything else you’d like to highlight about your work with FFCG and your mission?

I will add that I think you are able to have peace on your [infertility] journey when the mind, body and spirit are aligned. Because if any of those aspects are not aligned everything can really fall apart. Therefore, my approach, and the mission of FFCG, is to minister to each aspect of a person’s life as they are all equally important. 

In addition, it’s important for people to know the resources that are available to them through FFCG—from grants they can apply for to education to support in our prayer circles. Many Black women and couples struggle with having the resources and support to move forward, so I want to make sure they know this.

To support or donate to Fertility for Colored Girls visit the FFCG site. You can also learn more about the Black Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialists making history and bringing hope to their families on 2/25 at 6 pm CT. Register here.

At Alto, we know fertility treatment can be an emotionally, financially, and physically challenging experience. That’s why we believe choosing the right pharmacy can help you avoid additional stress caused by waiting for hours on hold, tracking down your medication delivery, and navigating insurance benefits.

The health of your gut can impact everything from your mood to your immunity. Here’s what you need to know and how you can keep your gut healthy.

Why Gut Health Is Key (and How To Improve Yours)

You may have noticed in recent years that the topic of gut health seems to come up a lot more in conversation and health news. Why is that? Over the past decade, scientists have been learning that your gastrointestinal (GI) system—of which your gut is a key part—does a lot more than just move food through your body. And that the health of your gut can impact everything from your mood to your immunity. Here’s what you need to know and how you can keep your gut healthy.

Gut Health 101: What It Is and Why It’s Important

Your body is full of trillions of microorganisms that make up your microbiome. Many of these microorganisms are bacteria. Some are harmful and associated with disease, while others are beneficial and key to your health. The ‘gut microbiome’ refers to the bacteria that live in the part of your GI tract where digestion happens—your large and small intestines—where, at any given time, we have between  300 and 500 different species of bacteria living. 

While everyone’s microbiome is unique, a general indicator of a healthy one is having a diversity of bacteria. In unhealthy people, scientists have observed much less diversity although they don’t know for certain which comes first—the bacteria or the disease. 

Inflammation, which studies point to as the root of many diseases, is kept in check in the gut. When the balance of your microbiome gets out of whack, inflammatory bacteria can take charge and, via metabolites, spread inflammation throughout your body. This can affect your brain, heart, and immune system function as well as your skin, weight, and ability to absorb nutrients. 

Having a healthy gut, on the other hand, has been linked to a stronger immune system, reduced symptoms of depression, lower risks of heart disease and certain cancers, as well as reduced symptoms of arthritis. 

So how do we keep our gut healthy? As with many other aspects of health, it largely boils down to the foods we eat and the lifestyle choices we make. Other factors like medication and emotional stress could also play a role. 

To start improving your gut health, it’s helpful to first look at what might be wreaking havoc on your microbiome. While there are many different symptoms that could point to an unhealthy gut, here are the most common.

Upset stomach
Signs of an upset stomach can include gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn. When your gut is in balance, these symptoms should reduce, since your gut will have an easier time digesting and eliminating your food.

Poor sleep (or constant fatigue)
Serotonin, the sleep and mood hormone, is mainly produced in the gut. An imbalance in your gut can impair serotonin production and affect the quality of your sleep. 

Weight changes
Poor gut health can affect your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, regulate blood sugar, and store fat. Decreased nutrient absorption can result in the urge to overeat and unintentional weight gain. On the other hand, a bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine could cause weight loss.

Skin irritation
When your gut is inflamed, certain bacteria and toxins can leak out into the body, which could irritate your skin.

Autoimmune conditions
As mentioned earlier, research suggests that an unhealthy gut can lead to an inflammatory response in the body and affect your immune function. This could make you more susceptible to autoimmune diseases like Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease where the body attacks itself rather than harmful invaders. 

Food intolerances
It’s theorized that food intolerances can result from an imbalance in the gut. When you’re intolerant to a certain food, you may experience symptoms like bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and nausea.

A high-sugar diet
Sugar, often linked to inflammation in the body, can decrease the amount of good bacteria in the gut. This can cause more sugar cravings, making the situation worse.

You don’t necessarily have to keep your gut under a daily microscope, but following some general health practices—from keeping a balanced diet to getting a good night’s sleep—can go a long way. Your healthcare practitioner can also give gut health recommendations. Here are some common lifestyle choices that research shows can improve gut health. 

Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your whole body, including your gut. Some ways to reduce stress can include exercise, meditation, yoga, connecting with friends or family, and decreasing caffeine consumption.

Having a good pre-bed routine can be as important as the sleep itself. Your pre-bed routine could include minimizing screen time and exercise. In terms of the ideal amount of sleep to log, the National Sleep Foundation has recommendations based on your age. 

3. Avoid smoking
Studies have found that smoking can increase the amount of potentially harmful bacteria in your gut, while decreasing the amount of good bacteria. It’s also been shown to affect heart and lung health, as well as increase your risk of cancer. 

Water helps everything from digestion to carrying nutrients to your cells. And it can help maintain the balance of good bacteria in your gut. Drinking at least four to six cups a day is recommended. 

5. Take a probiotic or prebiotic
Probiotics are live, good bacteria that can come in pill form or from foods like yogurt. Though the science is still out on the extent of the pills efficacy, there seems to be a general consensus that adding a probiotic can be a good idea to help restore your gut’s balance. Prebiotics are the food that probiotics can eat and are usually fiber-rich. Having prebiotics in your gut can help promote the growth of the good bacteria. 

6. Exercise regularly 
Working out may help increase gut health by growing the diversity of good bacteria in your gut. How much should you exercise? For general adults, the recommendation is at least 150 minutes a week or 20 minutes per day. 

Minimize the amount of foods in your diet that are processed or high in sugar or fat—all of which can lead to increased inflammation in the body. When it comes to gut-healthy foods, diversity is key. Here’s what studies show are best for your gut:

Fiber-rich foods like legumes, beans, peas, oats, bananas, asparagus, and berries

Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, kombucha, tempeh, miso, and kefir

Garlic and onion which may also help minimize the risks of certain cancers as well as boost the immune system

Collagen-rich or collagen-boosting foods like salmon, bone broth, mushrooms, egg whites, and cashews

Gut health can be key to helping everything from your brain to your immune system function properly. To keep your gut microbiome healthy, a key place to start is with a balanced diet as well as healthy lifestyle practices. Even though we can’t see our gut, there are many symptoms that can help let us know when ours is out of balance and needs some attention. 

If you are concerned about the potential effects of your medications on your gut health, talk to an Alto pharmacist. Our team of patient care pharmacists are ready to help whenever health questions come up. Reach out any time phone call (1-800-874-5881) or in-app secure messaging.

Blog

Get to Know the Team That Has Doctors Calling Alto “The Pharmacy of The Future”

Get to Know Alto Auténtico, our Latinx ERG

Spotlight on Men Having Babies & Dr. Guy Ringler

Get to Know the Team That Builds Alto's Customer-Facing Apps

Celebrating Women at Alto Pharmacy

Rev. Dr. Stacey L. Edwards-Dunn on Her Mission To Improve Black Fertility Care

Why Gut Health Is Key (and How To Improve Yours)

5 Black Healthcare Leaders to Know

2020 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report

A Guide to Year-Round Wellness

The COVID-19 Vaccine & Racial Disparities in Healthcare: A Q&A with Dr. James Hildreth

Supporting Working Parents at Alto

Switch to a better pharmacy.