Fora (noun) for-ə

Latin, meeting places for open discussion and exchange of ideas.

At Fora, we meet you where you are.

The foundation of Fora Fertility is that each patient’s forum is unique…a forum where we will meet you to discuss YOUR dreams and goals, YOUR ideas and questions, YOUR body and fertility.

A forum especially for you. 

Small and personal, boutique and individualized, at Fora Fertility, we provide expert medical care using the most advanced, state of the art treatments.

Your fertility journey will be an empowering experience with a patient centered approach led by your Fora Fertility physicians.

Fora was founded to provide you with exactly what you need to understand your fertility, grow your family, or preserve your future fertility. At Fora, we do not believe that bigger is better. We know that your forum is as unique as you are, and we are here for you every step of the way.

Physician owned.

Female founded. 

Award winning.

Modern. 

Personal.

Boutique.

This is your forum.

Meet Your Fora Fertility Physicians

Amanda Skillern, MD

  • Dr. Amanda Skillern completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated with double honors in Psychology and the Plan I Liberal Arts Honors program. Her studies culminated in an honors thesis in health psychology focusing on coping mechanisms in women’s sexual and reproductive health, solidifying her interest in this area. Dr. Skillern went on to earn her Medical Degree at Texas Tech, followed by a Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and a Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of California, San Francisco.

    Dr. Skillern is Board Certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

    Dr. Skillern returned to her Texas roots after completing her fellowship to open and oversee the fertility clinic at RMA of Texas in Austin, serving as the IVF Director of that clinical location from 2013 to 2020. She also came full circle by returning to the University of Texas at Austin as an Assistant Professor and the REI Educational Experience Coordinator for the Women’s Health Residency Program at Dell Medical School. Dr. Skillern is proud to have been a part of so many Austin patients’ family building journeys and is thrilled to continue to serve her Austin patients at Fora Fertility. She develops and maintains personal relationships with all of her patients and her greatest reward is their continued communication over the years. 

    Dra. Skillern habla Español y le da labienvenida a los pacientes de habla Español para que llamen o envíen correoselectrónicos en Español para solicitar una consulta.

  • Dr. Skillern’s areas of interest include ovarian aging, diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), and options for extending fertility, such as oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing), embryo cryopreservation (embryo banking) and donor egg IVF. Her scientific research has focused on the process by which primordial follicles (eggs) diminish overtime, to better understand how the ovary ages and stimulation protocols to optimize patients with DOR. A large part of Dr. Skillern’s clinical practice focuses on patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) who have often been told that they are not candidates for treatment or fertility preservation using their own eggs. Dr. Skillern is also passionate about the biopsychosocial model of health that she adopted during her early psychology research years. Specifically, she uses her expertise in women's health coping mechanisms to inform her approach to caring for her patients. In sum, Dr.Skillern’s unique background allows her to care for the whole patient on the whole journey. Dr. Skillern truly views assisting her patients on their family building journeys as her life’s work. Dr. Skillern has been awarded the Texas Rising Star from 2019-2022 for her work as an outstanding fertility specialist in Austin.

Natalie Crawford, MD

  • Natalie Crawford, MD completed her undergraduate education at Auburn University obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree with honors in Nutrition Science, solidifying a strong passion in nutrition and lifestyle factors on reproductive health. She went on to earn her Medical Degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch, followed by Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of North Carolina while concurrently obtaining a Master's Degree in Clinical Research. Dr. Crawford is Board Certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr. Crawford is proud to be a Clinical Assistant Professor of Women’s Heath at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School and enjoys teaching the next generation of physicians. She has a strong interest in promoting and amplifying other women, and she co-founded Pinnacle Conference, a leadership organization for women in medicine.

  • Dr. Crawford values developing close connections with her patients throughout their fertility journeys and is passionate about education and promotes fertility awareness through social media and community outreach. Follow Dr. Crawford on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and visit her blog at nataliecrawfordmd.com. She also hosts the “As a Woman” podcast and her YouTube channel with the goal to empower women through education. Dr. Crawford was awarded Top Doctor for Women and Top Doctor in Austin in 2022, 2021 & 2020 by Austin Monthly, she won “Best Fertility Specialist in Austin” at the 2019 Austin Birth Awards and was the 2019 Recipient of the Hope Award for Social Influence, by Resolve, the National Infertility Association. She was one of Austin’s Top 40 under 40 for her work empowering women in our local community and beyond. She is married to Austin native Jason Crawford, and they have two children.

    Listen to the As a Woman Podcast PODCAST

    Watch Dr. Crawford's YouTube YOUTUBE

Your fertility journey should be as unique as you are. 

You deserve a team dedicated to you.

You are more than just a number. 

You are more than just a patient. 

This is the Fora Family. 

This is your forum.

Meet The Fora Team

At Fora, we value teamwork and communication. Your care team is small, personal, and we want to know you and your story. Meet the team members who will work together to help you on this chapter of your journey.

Administrative Team

Jessica Vendetti

Practice Director

  • Jessica has dedicated her career to women’s health and helping people grow their families. She had a son early in life but met the man of her dreams several years later. Jessica and her husband tried to conceive but were not ever able to achieve their fertility goals. Now, Jessica is the Practice Director for Fora and ensures that patients have every opportunity to make their dreams come true. After losing her son in a tragic accident, she knows that family is what matters most, and she wants each Fora patient to have that joy of parenthood. You may not always see her up front but know she is working diligently behind the scenes so you can have the best fight without having to fight. She is the heartbeat of this team. Jessica loves all things Austin and all things tattoos. She has the cutest dog (Moose) who rates his own Instagram and a grand cat (Missy) both of which are very spoiled!

Lindsey Rooker

Billing Manager

  • Lindsey grew up in a small town in North Texas where there were more cows than people. From there she made her way to Texas State University to get her Bachelor in Fine Arts. A few years later, she returned to earn her Master's in Creative Writing. During her second round of promising educational paths, Lindsey found she enjoyed helping her fellow students succeed while working for the Office of Disability Services. This blossomed into a career in Medical Billing. While attending night school to receive her Medical Billing and Coding Certificate, Lindsey worked as a medical biller for a large cooperate optometrist company. Although that position was fundamental in her growth as a Medical Biller, Lindsey wanted to work somewhere more personable and passionate about their healthcare services. This led her to Fora Fertility. Here she can work with patients to verify their benefits and hold insurance companies accountable for their services. On the personal side, Lindsey is a love-struck newlywed, dog mom of two, with a passion for Renaissance fairs and plans to start a family in the future.

Karlie Ventura

Administrative Coordinator

  • Karlie grew up an army brat so in turn was able to see various parts of the world, but always knew Texas was home. While growing up she soon realized she had a passion for caring for others and being the sunshine in the room. With that she knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. While working as a Patient Care Technician on the Mother/Baby unit at a local hospital, she saw that she wanted to help family’s find that same joy of expanding their new family. Eventually, she found Fora and hasn’t looked back. Karlie is currently a student at Austin Community College pursuing a degree in Healthcare Administration. In her free time she loves to check in with her patients at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (If you are a Greys Anatomy fan, you know!) Karlie is a proud mommy of 2 fur babies, Isabella Marie (Calico) and Ozwald Chesterfield (Pug).

Emily Chambers

Scheduling Coordinator

  • Emily graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, AL with a BA in Family Studies and Psychology and a Masters of Divinity in Biblical Counseling from Southern Seminary.

    She has spent the past decade leading the Women Studies Program at Sojourn Church in Woodstock, GA.

    Emily loves helping patients navigate infertility and makes the scheduling process smooth and caring. She has three kids, a goldendoole and loves spending time with her family, a good fantasy book, and eating cookie cake.

Clinical Team

Melissa Harmon

Clinical Manager

  • Melissa or “Mel” is thrilled to be working with Fora and rejoining some of her former colleagues and making new ones! She graduated from Texas Christian University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Although her interest was always in Women’s Health, she found her true passion with fertility and has had the amazing privilege of helping to make dreams come true and build families for 18 years! Over the years, she has worked in various clinics throughout Texas and New York City and has experience in gynecological surgery, fertility cycle management, sonography, intrauterine inseminations, third-party reproduction, and multiagency compliance. Although she started her fertility journey as a staff nurse directly out of school, she has enjoyed working as a mentor, recruiter, trainer, and Clinical Nurse Manager for most of her career. When she is not at the Fort, she enjoys quality time with her two precious girls and extremely talented husband with all his artistic ventures with their biggest baby, Lola weighs in at a whopping 90 plus pounds.

Rikki Richardson

Cycle Coordinator

  • Rikki was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. She worked at UCSF Center for Reproductive Health, where she fell in love with fertility. Here is where Rikki met Dr. Skillern during her fellowship. She finds helping someone achieve their dreams of a family extremely rewarding. Rikki is a master phlebotomist who enjoys making the fertility journey's stressful moments more manageable. She and Dr. Skillern have worked together since their days at UCSF in 2011. When Rikki is not in the office helping everyone along their journey you will find her with her family. Rikki's children have been the apple of her eye since day one. The love that she has instilled in her babies, is the same love she gives our patients. Whether you find Rikki in the blood draw room, in an IVF class, or running around the office during monitoring (or dancing/singing around), trust that she thinks of you as her very own to walk along next to during your time here with us, and what makes her the happiest is seeing you after you have left her care. Also, Rikki loves all things purple, and the purple monster drink is her fav!

Hannah Sullivan

Cycle Coordinator

  • Hannah is new to the Austin area and new to the fertility world. However, the minute she met the team virtually not only did she know this would be her next job, but so did the team with her infectious personality and drive to jump in the car alongside the team with Thelma & Louise. Previously working as a labor and delivery nurse in Philadelphia, she is enjoying the clinical side of women’s health. You will often find Hannah in the OR assisting with egg retrievals and embryo transfers. When she is not at the Fort, she enjoys spending time fishing and paddle boarding across Austin’s waterways.

Savannah Yanes

Cycle Coordinator

  • Savannah earned her BSN in 2021 from Concordia University Texas and started her career as a postpartum nurse at St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas. Always knowing she wanted to help women achieve their dreams of becoming mothers, she transitioned into fertility nursing. During her free time, she’s learning how to be a (dog) mom to her new puppy, Ivy. She loves spending time with family, and friends, and trying new restaurants around Austin. Savannah is our quiet addition to the office, some days we worry we might all run her off with our loud voices and cackling laughs, but deep down she fits right in with the jokes, one-liners, and radiant light she projects and desires to connect with patients along their journey. She is often seen observing the rest of the team while they “star” in their own dancing routine or performing for FFF.

Embryology and Laboratory Team

Hank Werland

Lab Supervisor

  • Jennyfer grew up in the rodeo capital of Texas (Mesquite, Texas) and graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a BS in Clinical Laboratory Science. She received her master’s degree in biomedical science specializing in Clinical Embryology and Andrology from Eastern Virginia Medical School. Jennyfer is the embryology lab manager and oversees laboratory maintenance, quality control/quality assurance, and operations at Fora Fertility. She comes to Fora with extensive experience having worked previously as a lab manager and as an embryologist consultant for various IVF practices in Oregon, Texas, Colorado, and New York. She enjoys working with patients and helping illuminate the science behind IVF. In her spare time, she enjoys playing racquetball, trying new restaurants (there are so many in Austin!), traveling, and learning new recipes to cook. Jennyfer is the one we can all thank for those Fora babies. She enjoys introducing the embryos to the musical stylings of Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart as their first babysitter.

Jennyfer Nguyễn

Senior Embryologist

  • Hank is born and raised in San Antonio, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Biology. He spent a couple of years chasing the dream of becoming a major league baseball player, but one shoulder surgery later led him into a laboratory career as a Medical Technologist working in a Microbiology laboratory at Clinical Pathology labs here in Austin. He went to work at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas where he became interested in working in the field of Assisted Reproduction. In 2002 he began training as an embryologist, receiving Technical Supervisor certification in both Andrology and Embryology. In 2004, I moved back to Austin and have held many roles throughout the yeams - Embryologist, Senior Embryologist, and Lab Manager, and most recently as a travel embryologist. My desire to spend more time at home with my wife and 2 daughters brought me to Fora. For fun I like to cook and spend time either on Lake Travis or saltwater fishing on the Texas coast. But none of that compares to the joy of changing our patient’s lives and helping them become parents.

Ruth Ojeda

Junior Embryologist

  • Ruth was born in Austin, Texas, and raised in Manor, Texas. She graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and decided to pursue embryology soon after. She went on to receive one-on-one training from experts in the field of Andrology and Embryology at Embryo Director IVF Academy USA. When she is not at work, she is outside spending her time walking her dog, Tico, and with her family. Ruth is the Fora firecracker, you might not hear her coming but when she shines, she lights up the sky.

Award winning doctors

Modern, patient centered approach

Boutique fertility care

This is your forum

Fora Babies

TESTIMONIALS

  • CD

    To me, Fora is more than a clinic, it is a movement. It is run by women who really know their craft. These women took risks to create this clinic. They went out on a limb to follow their own principles and realize their own dreams. These women are doing what they believe in every day. They do it for themselves and they do it for their patients. They are models for young girls everywhere who want to be medical professionals. They are a godsend for women like me who want to be mothers but could not follow the easiest path to get there. I am lucky to be a patient at this place, and what's more, I feel like more than a patient. I feel like a member of this movement and I am proud of it.

  • DE

    In January 2021, after a heartbreaking entry into the world of infertility. After leaving another clinic that wasn't right for us. We found Fora. We instantly felt something different at Fora. Every interaction, every phone call, every appointment we felt cared for and important. During a time in life when infertility can feel so isolating, all the women at Fora went above and beyond to make us feel valued as patients, and as a couple trying to build their family. We can't thank the women of Fora enough for everything they did to make our dreams of having a family a reality

  • EG

    I have worked with Dr Skillern since 2016 and followed her to Fora. I ONLY recommend Fora, either Dr Skillern or Dr. Crawford, to anyone local or otherwise. The staff is exceptional, the service is unparalleled. I love being a part of the Fora family

  • TV

    I have had fertility experiences with 3 different clinics. I can say without a doubt that the experience I had with Dr. Crawford and her staff at Fora was no comparison to the other clinics. The experience I had at other clinics appointments, I would wait 45 min-2 hours to even be called back and be seen by the doctor. I never waited more than 20 min to see Dr. Crawford. The staff at other clinics was not a good experience. They treated you like you weren't important to them. They didn't give me a calendar of when I was supposed to do things (and being new to the fertility world, I didn't know I needed that stuff). They would forget to call me back with important information I needed. It took 13 months to get pregnant with my son, and went through 3 Frozen embryo transfers with no positive results. The staff at Fora treated me like I was the only patient in the whole clinic.

  • KG

    I have been a patient of Dr. Crawford's since 2018 and am about to have baby number 2 thanks to her and her wonderful team. In fact, I have followed her from two previous clinics which included transferring frozen embryos from one lab to another--this is how much I trust her. She has always been honest, informative, and supportive of my goals. I recommend her to anyone seeking help with fertility and starting a family. I also can't say enough good things about Dr. Skillern. I experienced bleeding in my first trimester and called her on a weekend--she spent nearly 20 minutes on the phone with me, calming me down and providing reassurance. Finally, all the staff at Fora are professional, friendly, and responsive.

  • KY

    I highly recommend Dr. Crawford and the entire Fora team. We came to Fora after needing a change from a prior specialist. The folks at Fora made the transfer cycle so incredibly stress free, which is exactly what we needed in order to achieve successful results. Everything at Fora is designed to make treatment cycles and procedures as peaceful and worry-free as possible.  Both Dr. Crawford and Dr. Skillern were wonderful to work with--smart, very skilled in their field, thorough, genuinely empathetic, relatable, non-judgmental, and always easy to talk to. The nurses/cycle managers are both wonderful and help keep things moving along and the lines of communication open.   I highly recommend the entire team at Fora Fertility. goes here

  • JK

    I could not recommend Fora Fertility more. Dr. Skillern and Rikki Richardson were a team made for us; they were consistently honest, careful, thorough, and patient-centered throughout our entire process. My wife and I met Dr. Skillern April of 2020. She did thorough testing and guided us through the options for us, laying out statistical likelihoods of each path and leaving the decision up to us. We chose to do reciprocal IVF and began the first cycle in the summer. Our first transfer from our first retrieval resulted in our perfect daughter, born in summer 2021. Every day with her is a gift and we will forever be grateful to Fora Fertility and our dream team Dr. Skillern and Rikki for making our most beautiful dreams materialize. We are moving back to California next month, but will be back in Austin without question for Baby #2. We couldn't imagine trusting our future with anyone else.

  • AP

    I am eternally grateful to the Fora team for
- Being highly organized.
This includes appointments, patients portal, communication, and clarity on pricing. 
- Focusing on getting the job done.
Each bump on the road was tackled as best as possible. And there will be bumps on this road. 
- Providing context and options for each decision we were making.
I felt informed and in the loop at all times.

So if you are like me, data-driven, result-oriented, and committed to getting pregnant, this is the best team in town. I hope you look no further, and good luck on your journey. Speaking from the other side, it was all worth it!

  • PC

    I was very pleased with the fertility treatment and services provided by Dr. Crawford and the entire Fora team! I didn't feel the calling to be a mom until after I was 40 and due to advanced maternal age, my husband and I needed help conceiving. I started my journey with Fora in June 2021 and began IVF in September 2021. After 3 rounds of IVF and one embryo transfer later, I'm now 14 weeks along. My husband and I are expecting our little one April 2023! The Fora team was amazing from my  first consultation appt all the way to my 8 week graduation ultrasound.  I was taken care of with empathy, compassion, and encouragement every step of the way. Each step was explained to me thoroughly and all questions were answered by the doctors and nurses. Dr. Crawford and Dr. Skillern are highly experienced and will help support your goals. They are very data driven and research everything to help you build your family.  

  • MY

    Currently in my 3rd trimester with a Fora baby! Dr Crawford was my main dr but had appts and egg retrieval with Dr Skillern who was great too. Their knowledge and passion are amazing. I love my nurse coordinator and everyone in the office made everything easy and comfortable. This is the perfect place if you want personalized care and don’t want to feel like a number. I was so sad when I “graduated” I didn’t want to leave!

  • JS

    Dr. Crawford is great and a true professional. She was thorough and informative throughout the entire process. The whole Fora team is so wonderful. Sarah in billing was SOOOOO HELPFUL! Infertility is hard enough, so having someone dedicated to working with our insurance company was so refreshing. The nurses are wonderful. EVERY question that we had was addressed during our treatment process. My husband and I went through a successful IVF and Transfer cycle with Fora Fertility and we are happily awaiting the birth of our baby girl. Thanks Fora!

  • ED

    I cannot begin to express how much I love Dr. Skillern at Fora Fertility, but I'll go ahead and try! I have PCOS and had been trying to conceive naturally with my husband for 3 years. To no avail, we had zero luck. It was a long journey with numerous OBGYNs, as well as with another local reproductive endocrinologist, to just receive the care that I deserved. As stated, I was with another RE and was given the run around IVF and the entire process. I went ahead and decided to switch to Fora Fertility having heard great things about Dr. Skillern as well as Dr. Crawford. I'm so glad that I made the switch! The care that I had received before, during, and after my embryo transfer was amazing. I was actually treated like a normal person and not criticized for other health issues. Dr. Skillern was always down to earth and never once made me feel unworthy of pregnancy. Please, if you are hesitant use my advice as a way to ensure that you will be in the best care with Dr. Skillern. Fora Fertility is the best, hands down. I will never be able to express my gratitude.