February 20th, 2024 | 8 min. read
We are happy to share that Illume Fertility's physicians have been honored as 2024 Castle Connolly America's Top Doctors, continuing a long history of the annual recognition.
In this article:
Honoring Our Physician Team
At Illume Fertility, our physicians set the tone for our entire practice, encouraging a high standard of care and pride in everything we do. Their strong leadership empowers our whole team to bring the best of themselves to work each day - from medical assistants to anesthesiologists to nurses to administrative staff and beyond.
This year, seven of our nine board-certified reproductive endocrinologists have been honored with the prestigious Top Doc award by Castle Connolly.
Each Illume Fertility physician receiving the 2024 Top Doc award is at the top of their field (Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility), maintaining the most up-to-date knowledge and skills required to provide the best possible outcomes for patients seeking assistance with fertility or family-building.
A Note From Our Founder
"As we enter our 22nd year as a practice, we recognize what an impact our physicians and patient-focused teams have made in the lives of families, both locally and internationally," said Dr. Mark Leondires, Founder, Medical Director and Partner at Illume Fertility and Gay Parents To Be. "We will continue to prioritize personalized, holistic fertility care as we move forward," he adds.
"Mutual trust and collaboration are the bedrock of our organization, and these efforts are reflected in our 79% success rate* and the more than 50,000 cycles we have completed with patients working to start or build their families," said Dr. Leondires.
*2020 live birth rate per new patient for IVF patients 35 or under using own eggs, according to sart.org
What is Castle Connolly?
Since 1991, renowned publishing company Castle Connolly has compiled an annual list of America’s Top Doctors®. Every doctor on the list is nominated by peers in their specific field and reviewed by a physician-led research team.
Castle Connolly’s research methodology is designed to identify doctors who will achieve the best possible health outcomes for their patients. For a reproductive endocrinologist, that translates to successful fertility treatment cycles (IUI and IVF) resulting in pregnancies and babies.
As a result, only the top seven percent of doctors in the United States receive this prestigious award, and honorees are rigorously selected by their peers from over 900,000 practicing physicians across the country.
Which physicians received 2024 Top Doc awards?
In addition to Illume Fertility's Medical Director and Founder, Dr. Mark Leondires, the physicians who received the 2024 Top Doctor award are Dr. Spencer Richlin, Dr. Josh Hurwitz, Dr. Shaun Williams, Dr. Cynthia Murdock, Dr. Ilana Ressler, and our newest addition to the team, Dr. Barry Witt.
Congratulations to our amazing team! We are grateful to have such dedicated experts leading our practice, who continually go above and beyond for both their patients and coworkers.
This recognition is a testament to all of our physicians’ hard work and passion for what they do, as well as the many lives they impact. Our practice was built to envelop our patients in exceptional, 360-degree care, and this distinction, as voted on by their physician-peers, only affirms our efforts towards maintaining that high level of care.
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How are physicians selected for Top Doc awards?
And why didn't all eight physicians receive Top Doc honors? Great question!
Because Castle Connolly's selection process is so rigorous, physicians must be in practice for a designated amount of time before becoming eligible to receive the Top Doc award.
Illume Fertility is proud to foster the growth of newer, equally talented reproductive endocrinologists as they develop relationships within the industry, work to expand their expertise, and ultimately, become Top Docs alongside their colleagues.
This only goes to show the love and support we have within the walls of our practice - not just for one another, but for helping each other reach personal and professional goals, and most importantly, becoming a better team for all the patients we serve.
What Their Patients Say
It's evident that our physicians take great pride in their work as reproductive endocrinologists (REIs), and strive to provide the best fertility and family-building care possible.
Our team has helped over 10,000 families welcome babies into the world since 2002, as well as assisting countless patients with oncofertility preservation, egg freezing, managing PCOS, and many other reproductive health goals.
We asked a few Illume Fertility patients to share their experiences with the seven physicians who are receiving Top Doc awards this year. Here's what they had to say:
For Dr. Mark Leondires:
"Dr. Leondires is one of the most brilliant and caring people we have ever met. He takes the time to talk to his patients and addresses any questions they may have. His staff is incredible as well. They made us feel welcome and like family. We cannot say enough wonderful things about Dr. Leondires and Illume Fertility. We are unbelievably grateful for everything they have done for us."
-John
Learn more about Dr. Leondires and read his full bio here.
For Dr. Spencer Richlin:
"Dr. Richlin always made me feel so comforted and positive throughout my entire experience at Illume. He always made himself available to talk or answer my questions, take special care and pay attention to our needs. I would recommend Illume and Dr. Richlin to anyone."
-Toni
Learn more about Dr. Richlin and read his full bio here.
For Dr. Cynthia Murdock:
"We feel so lucky to have been under Dr. Murdock's care. She was always so caring and kind while the same time being clear and objective. She helped to build our knowledge and prepared us thoroughly to make decisions throughout the process. We really couldn't ask for any more from a doctor or a fertility clinic."
-Jessica
Learn more about Dr. Murdock and read her full bio here.
For Dr. Joshua Hurwitz:
"I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Hurwitz. From the we met him, he made us feel at ease and took the time to explain things in a way that we could understand. He helped us look at things in different ways and throughout our treatment would even call us before big procedures to say good luck, and call again when we got good news to congratulate us. He was able to flexibly change the treatment plan when last minute tweaks were needed, and is the single greatest reason that my 2-year old son was born."
-Jami
Learn more about Dr. Hurwitz and read his full bio here.
For Dr. Shaun Williams:
"Dr. Williams is always professional and compassionate. He relates well to people and takes time to listen and take appropriate action on the symptoms. He is also good at building trust with his patients. Dr. Williams is one of the most caring doctors I have had the pleasure of working with. He does not rush you in and out, he takes time with his patients and actually listens."
-Ann
Learn more about Dr. Williams and read his full bio here.
For Dr. Ilana Ressler:
"Dr. Ressler is patient and understanding and truly listens and create plans that truly prioritized her patients. She understood my husband and I’s background and took into consideration our culture, morals and beliefs. She took the time to truly explain everything and didn’t just create a game plan on her own and present to us…she took the time to create the plan with us - checking in on us every step of the way!"
-Former Patient
Learn more about Dr. Ressler and read her full bio here.
For Dr. Barry Witt:
"Dr. Witt was outstanding. He was always very clear and never left any questions unanswered. He was direct and to the point, but always with a comforting, warm smile. He is the reason my dream of having a family is now very much a reality."
-Former Patient
Learn more about Dr. Witt or read his full bio here.
Want to speak with an expert?
Reach out to us today to learn how Illume Fertility can help you achieve your fertility or family-building goals with holistic, comprehensive care.
The Right Doctor Can Make All the Difference
Whether you are looking for reproductive healthcare or working to expand your family, finding the right doctor can be challenging. Those who are lucky enough to connect with a good physician who listens, responds, and supports them know just how fortunate they are.
We are proud to have such a dedicated team of physicians leading the way here at Illume Fertility, helping thousands of patients achieve their fertility and family-building goals each year. Being recognized by Castle Connolly is simply an affirmation of their exceptional efforts and the high standard of care we strive to provide.
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