WIN is a leading family-building and family-support company providing comprehensive solutions for employers and health plans. The company has helped nearly a half-million intended families on their path to parenthood, drove hundreds of millions of dollars in savings annually for clients, and helped advance a market growing to hundreds of billions of dollars. Pulse 2.0 interviewed WIN President, CEO, and Chairman Dr. Roger Shedlin to learn more about the company.
Dr. Shedlin’s Background
Dr. Shedlin’s background includes a combination of medicine and law, and he has used that training and experience to improve healthcare by building innovative specialty benefit management companies like WIN. Dr. Shedlin said:
“In my work in orthopedics, oncology, other complex specialties, and conditions, and now fertility, I have always been a proponent of applying evidence-based clinical protocols to achieve optimal clinical outcomes and increased efficiencies in healthcare—for purchasers, providers, and patients alike.”
“Achieving success has meant disrupting conventional approaches and challenging traditional thought processes, and demonstrating the business, consumer, and health advantages of using the most advanced treatments by the nation’s leading doctors in a purpose-designed specialty delivery system.”
Formation Of WIN
How did the idea for WIN come together? Dr. Shedlin shared:
“As a physician, attorney, and healthcare entrepreneur, I was uniquely positioned to understand inefficiencies and misapplication of rapidly advancing technologies in the field of reproductive medicine—and apply solutions to correct them.”
“I also had visibility into the tremendous divide between those technologies and the people and organizations who could benefit from their optimal use. The gap was, and still is to a degree, especially prevalent in BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. WIN closes those gaps, creates a better clinical pathway for intended parents, expands access and affordability, and addresses underlying contributors – lack of personal support, stigma, barriers to access to the best and most cost-effective treatments, and inequitable benefits.”
“I wanted to apply what I learned in other complex specialties, bring together the best people, and revolutionize the fertility, family-building, and family support marketplace.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Dr. Shedlin reflected:
“Every day at WIN creates a satisfying memory, especially knowing that we’re literally working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to advance people’s dreams of family and better health—one individual at a time.”
“I’m surrounded daily by professionals from diverse backgrounds that, in many cases, have their own experiences with fertility treatment, adoptions, surrogacies, and raising families, as well as their times of needing support along the way. WIN employees are incredibly passionate and skilled and draw from their personal experiences to help people navigate their unique journeys.”
“Building, evolving, and growing a company over 26 years that delivers on this mission gives purpose to the years of hard work. I’m truly inspired and energized every day.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Dr. Shedlin explained:
“WIN offers solutions and resources that span planning for a family to parenting and aging. With experienced concierge clinical support at the core of the experience, we guide patients through assisted reproductive processes like in-vitro fertilization (IVF), adoption and surrogacy, reproductive genetic testing, egg and sperm freezing, menopause, child development and parent bonding, and more.”
“We also know that planning for a family and managing the changes of life can be a deeply emotional and stressful time, so WIN has on-staff experts to guide and support people with their related behavioral health needs.”
“We’re proud to have helped hundreds of thousands of families and have delivered our products and services to several hundred preeminent employers and health plans, as well as branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Our consumers come from every industry and walk of life, as well as cultures and regions here in the U.S. and across the globe.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Dr. Shedlin cited:
“WIN has been in business for over a quarter-century, and we are approaching a half-million families supported in some of the most significant aspects of their lives: Starting and building a family with confidence and feeling healthier and more productive during the prime of their careers. We’re also there to help guide and support people as they navigate unimaginable challenges and losses.”
“We’ve achieved milestones in better clinical outcomes, have built the nation’s largest network of high-performing reproductive endocrinologists, continually deliver ROI and high levels of employee satisfaction for clients, and our growth is accelerating—both in new clients and members and our existing clients expanding their benefit investment in our programs.”
“Our solutions have continued to evolve and lead the market ahead of demand. We’ve built products and support for surrogacy and adoption, egg and sperm freezing, and focused areas of women’s and men’s health like menopause and andropause, and these are delivered on a modern, flexible, and secure proprietary technology stack.”
“I also consider the talented and diverse team we’ve assembled a significant milestone in WIN’s history. 80% of WIN’s leadership positions are held by women, our executive team is extraordinarily diverse, nearly half of our Medical Advisory Board identify as BIPOC, and well over half of our member-facing staff (Nurses, Social Workers, Service Agents) identify as BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+.”
“This diversity is important. It’s part of a positive cycle of change across healthcare and it ties directly to our success in our mission and closing the gaps mentioned before. Developing compelling products, tools, messages, and a diverse provider community that appeal to the broadest consumer population is only possible through cultural competence, understanding, and our organization reflecting the diversity of our members.”
Evolution Of WIN’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Dr. Shedlin noted:
“WIN’s platform was purpose-built to support fertility and family-building right from the start. This has yielded tremendous advantages as we’ve grown and evolved – from scalability, access and convenience, and flexibility to integrate with partners and other benefit providers in a way that is seamless and frictionless to the client and consumer. As a healthcare company dealing with very personal member experiences, it has also helped us maintain complete confidence in our security and privacy, noted by our HITRUST certification and GDPR compliance.”
“With two-and-a-half decades of experience, we’ve gained valuable insights and implemented processes and tools that help clients design the optimal benefit structure and enable consumers to understand their options, receive valuable personalized guidance, and make confident informed decisions in real time. The data also helps them follow the optimal care path to better clinical outcomes and most efficient use of their benefit dollars.”
“We’ve also invested heavily in expanding our analytics capabilities. Our growing team synthesizes information, experiences, and technology to consult with clients on benefit strategies and direct energy towards the most clinically efficacious and cost-effective treatments.”
“Our technology also empowers patients and families to thrive independently. This could mean using a WIN-provided ovulation tracking device, a parent engaging with their child through video-based guided play on an app, personalized prompts and reminders, and more.”
“An imperative across WIN is to aggressively invest in technology and development in a way that directly ties to success, access, and more equitable solutions.”
Challenges Faced
Has Dr. Shedlin faced any specific bottlenecks in his sector of work recently? Dr. Shedlin acknowledged:
“Staying ahead of the accelerating growth and demand in fertility and family-building requires us to continually address the incorrect perception that fertility treatments and family-forming benefits are beyond the financial reach of both employers and individuals.”
“We’re proud of our progress over the last decade in growing the number of companies that recognize that offering these benefits is vital for recruitment and retention of talent. We’ve proven that properly managed benefits are cost-effective through the avoidance of costly complications, waste, and the impacts of child developmental delays. As organizations compete for talent, WIN is seeing an acceleration of organizations adopting and expanding these attractive benefits.”
“We’re also in a time where we are gaining better visibility to and understanding of the impacts of inequities on health and success—for individuals and organizations alike. This is especially evident in reproductive health, family-building access, and fertility for women, and the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities.”
“WIN’s diverse culture is the foundation of every patient’s family-building journey, and our comprehensive program encompasses fertility medical and pharmacy, egg freezing, surrogacy and adoption services, reproductive genetic testing, behavioral health support, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+-affirming programs, menopause care coordination, and parenting support. This breadth of service allows us to find the most appropriate and effective treatment for all.”
“Geography has also been a traditional barrier to access. Our continually expanding proprietary network of high-performing reproductive and women’s health specialists offers nearby in-person access to more than 90% of the U.S. population, and we continue to translate and culturally adapt our content and tools.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Dr. Shedlin affirmed:
“WIN’s clients and members choose us for a number of reasons, including our clinical approach, provider network, and technology—as they work together to drive differentiated value.”
“Our clinical-first model maximizes access to the best professionals, science-driven protocols, clinical patient advocacy, emotional support, and digital technology. Our targeted initiatives promote treatment options that yield better clinical outcomes, reduce direct treatment costs, lower the rates of high-risk complications and subsequent costs (e.g., NICU utilization), and improve member satisfaction.”
“Our network is another key distinction, giving patients access to the majority of double board-certified reproductive endocrinologists across the country.”
“Clinical support and network access are complemented by a digital patient experience that makes support and coordination available on the members’ terms—including live digital appointments and scheduling, educational tools, interactive activities, trackers, and benefit information.”
“Our clients and members also appreciate the confidence and trust we instill by remaining privately held, independent, unconflicted, and financially stable over 26 years.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Dr. Shedlin concluded:
“WIN is financially strong and well-positioned to accelerate its investment in people and technologies that will continue to lead the market as it grows into the hundreds of billions of dollars. We’re gratified that our business continues to grow, our client base continues to diversify, and our expanding product line and technology continue to drive better outcomes. We expect all of this growth to accelerate.”
“Our platform offers the ability to introduce new features and technology rapidly to benefit patients, clients, providers, pharmacies, and partners, providing wholly integrated products and experience from preconception to parenting and beyond.”
“We’ll continue to demonstrate with employers and public organizations that fertility, family-building, and family health benefits are good for business, and we look to refine and expand solutions in a way that advances equity and compels broader engagement.”
“I also see WIN making continued contributions to advancements in the field of reproductive endocrinology under the leadership of our Medical Advisory Board. Our Board members are involved in cutting-edge research that advances treatment and improves results, and we collaborate to incorporate those into our products, network development, and clinical approach.”
“The next decade offers incredible promise in advancing fertility and family-forming benefits. There’s unprecedented energy, opportunity, demand, and investment across the market, and we’re excited about the future.”
