Emmett Branigan, MD

Dr. Branigan and his wife Antoinette, who also happens to be the IVF lab director, started the Bellingham IVF clinic together in 1995. Dr. Branigan is a reproductive endocrinologist who was on the faculty at the University of Washington Fertility and Endocrine Center for four years. He received his reproductive endocrinology training at Harvard Medical School in Boston. His IVF experience began in 1991, and he is an expert in male factor infertility. He has published many articles on both male factor infertility and clinical research (see list of articles in What's New at Bellingham IVF & Fertility Care). When not seeing patients, Dr. Branigan enjoys golfing when weather permits and skiing when the snow falls. But like his wife Antoinette, he mostly enjoys spending time with his daughters. As family man who knows how blessed we are to have children, Dr. Branigan works very hard to help his patients achieve a successful outcome.

Antoinette Estes-Branigan

Antoinette has been an embryologist at the university of Washington IVF Program for five years. Before that, she directed the IVF lab at UCLA. She has a B.S. from Colorado State University, attended USC dental school, and has had IVF experience since 1990. When not in the lab she is shuffling her two beautiful daughters around town.

Kenneth Walker

We were happy to have Ken (a.k.a., Cowboy Ken) join our program. With his help since 2003, our success has continued to grow. He and his lovely wife moved from Texas and have been enjoying living in the Northwest immensely. They both love backpacking in our beautiful Cascade Mountains, biking along the incredible coastline, fishing and crabbing the local waters and running the numerous mountain trails.

He obtained his bachelors degree in biology from Idaho State University in 1990 and has been working as an embryologist/andrologist since 1991.

What he enjoys the most about being an embryologist is being able to see the fruits of his labor. Watching the expression on patient’s faces when they see their first ultrasound pictures of their pregnancy or seeing the new parents and baby when they come to the office after they deliver. Gives him goose-bumps every time!

Zhanna Kononochenko

Zhanna is our newest addition to our office. She attended Blaine High in the 90’s and followed up with a certificate for Medical assistant at Seattle Medical Institute (earning a GPA of 3.98) and has been working in the medical field since, spending 6 years at the child birth center at St. Joseph’s and another 2 years with local cardiologists before we were able to convince her to join us.

Zhanna has been awarded for excellence in work as well as bonuses for her outstanding performances in the workplace.

We love her here because not only is she the best Russian translator, but she tells the funniest jokes! Her laugh is infectious, and we were been lucky to find her.

Karen Anderson

Karen and her wonderful husband Andy moved to the Bellingham area in 1986 to finish raising their two daughters, Kirsten and Kathryn. She actually met Dr. Branigan and Antoinette through her daughter who babysat for them. But now she has a grandbaby of her own so she has less time to do her favorite thing, read murder mysteries while watching baseball with her husband who is the biggest Red Sox fan in the Northwest.

Although she has only been at Bellingham IVF since 2002, she has become such an incredible asset to the practice. We just know that the law offices where she came from are really missing her! Patients and staff just love her, as anyone that calls will see.

Karen says she absolutely loves what we are able to offer to couples who are having difficulty conceiving. She truly admires the patients for their strength while coping with the stress of trying to become pregnant. And when patients bring in their newborn, it is so much fun to watch how excited she gets when she holds them. Her laughter and smile is our reward as well. The staff looks forward to her everyday, she is always buying toys and candy for everyone and she loves to plan parties.

She loves coming to work because it’s such a positive happy place and her coworkers make it so much fun, but mostly, at the end of the day she leaves happy, looking forward to tomorrow when it starts all over again.

Cheryl Rouse

Cheryl joined the Bellingham team in 2005 as our IVF coordinator. Cheryl grew up in Louisiana, getting married and having 3 children before moving to Washington State in 1996. She was remarried in 2004 to a great guy named Gary, who still puts up with her to this day.

Cheryl earned her degree in social work at Southeastern Louisiana University in 1984 and finally received her nursing license from Bellingham Technical College in 2000. Her social work made her a perfect candidate to work here; we all bend her ear when life gets to us.

Her calm demeanor and wry sense of humor is enjoyed not only by our staff, but by our patients as well. Our circle is incomplete when she takes a day off, and she is considered an indentured servant by Dr. Branigan, who states that she can never quit or be fired. Yes, she is that good.