Meet Amy Osgood – Coordinator at Forward Fertility
Meet Amy Osgood – Coordinator at Forward Fertility
Amy Osgood has been working as a coordinator at Forward Fertility since September 2018. Her warm smile, kind eyes, knowledge of the health care system, desire to help others, and kindness are what stood out at the beginning. Who knew all of that came with a great sense of humor, a passion for photography, and a mastery of escrow and medical records!
Amy processes egg donor and gestational carrier applications and gathers documentation necessary for applicants who are eligible to proceed with the process. She manages the monthly escrow requests, updates changes with health insurance policies, paystubs, and provides support and encouragement to parents, carriers, and egg donors along the way.
What do you love about working with Forward Gestational Carriers and Families?
I have so much gratitude for the women who are gestational carriers and their families. They are superheroes to me. When I started, I never imagined how in-depth the whole process would be or how I have such a deep connection with wanting to help others create the family they have been dreaming of.
How does your past work experience help you in your role as a Coordinator at Forward Fertility?
I completed my Associate’s degree in 2002 and a Medical Assistant Certification in 2013. I worked in a hospital laboratory doing phlebotomy and specimen processing while concurrently working as a medical assistant. I eventually focused on just being a medical assistant in primary care and diabetes education for about three five years. In 2015, I switched to a new employer and worked as a MA for a wonderful OB-GYN provider for three years.
As a MA, my experience prepping charts, rooming patients, and assisting in procedures has given me firsthand experience with patients with a variety of primary care, OB-GYN, and mental health concerns. Those experiences help me understand what records to obtain for egg donor and gestational carrier candidates and also what the prenatal care process typically looks like for the gestational carriers.
When medical bills come in for carriers, I review if they have been billed properly and have saved parents-to-be money because of my careful eye!
How did you get connected with Forward Fertility?
I was sorting the mail as part of my job working at the OB-GYN office. Forward Fertility had sent out a letter to OB-GYN offices explaining how they are a resource to Wisconsin women seeking to be gestational carriers as well as to the OB-GYN offices who care for them when they are pregnant as gestational carriers. I thought…hmmmm…’this looks interesting’. I googled the website, looked around at other agencies and on Facebook. After a day or two, I sent Christie an email to inquire about working for her. I decided to make a change.
You are the main point person for egg donor applicants. What is that like?
It’s not what I thought it would be like before I started. I was imagining more of a sperm bank, rather than connecting the egg donor who works with specific parents-to-be to donate her eggs once she is matched with them. It is inspiring to me to see women in their 20s who are looking to change the world and help others. The egg donors we work with are very responsive and ready to help. I enjoy being a part of that process.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not at work?
I enjoy outdoors, horseback riding, crafting, and volunteering. As a cancer survivor myself, I volunteer for Relay for Life and a cancer survivor support group. I also have five children (ages 4 to 17), and most of my time is spent enjoying family time and being involved in their activities.
What is your favorite part of working at Forward Fertility?
Well, seeing the baby pictures is wonderful. It’s amazing to see an application come through for someone to be a gestational carrier and a year or so later there’s a cute little newborn. Following along with the match through each of the steps is pretty wild.