Learn More About Our Great Medical Team At The Fertility Center

Valerie I. Shavell, M.D.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Valerie Shavell, M.D. joined The Fertility Center in August 2013. Dr. Shavell is a board certified Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist. Dr. Shavell’s strong commitment to personalized, comprehensive and compassionate care fits impeccably with The Fertility Center’s mission statement. In addition to caring for couples with infertility, Dr. Shavell has interests in: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Premature Ovarian Insufficiency, and Hysteroscopic Procedures.

Emma Giuliani, M.D.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Emma Giuliani, M.D. is a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Michigan State University/Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners and her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Michigan. Joining The Fertility Center in September 2020, Dr. Giuliani brings with her a passion for caring for individuals with infertility. Some of her special interests include fertility preservation as it relates to oncology patients, recurrent pregnancy loss, and endometriosis.

Dr. Giuliani believes in the importance of providing her patients with personalized, comprehensive, and compassionate care and scientifically based evaluation and treatment. She is fluent in English and Italian.

Gary R. Jones, M.D.

Pronouns: He/Him/His
Gary Jones, M.D. started working at The Fertility Center in 2022. He attended medical school at Northeastern Ohio College of Medicine and completed an internship and residency at the Naval Hospital in San Diego, California. He also completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. His work history includes time as the Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at the Naval Hospital in Oakland, California, as well as being in practice for reproductive endocrinology in Dearborn, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois. He has taught OB/GYN residents and fellows for many years. He enjoys teaching, treating uterine abnormalities, ovulation induction, IVF, and all aspects of infertility care. His personal hobbies include biking, golf, and scuba diving.

Sarah Bjorkman, M.D.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Sarah Bjorkman, M.D. is a board-eligible Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist, and board-certified OB/GYN. She is dedicated to each individual patient’s journey, ensuring that every decision is rooted in evidence-based medicine and the latest advancements in the field.

While specialized in all facets of reproductive health, Dr. Bjorkman takes particular interest in shared decision making, egg freezing, PCOS, natural fertility and treatments, recurrent pregnancy loss, cost-effective treatment, reproductive surgery, and optimizing IVF success rates.  She has also published on factors affecting embryo transfer success, screening of IVF pregnancies, third party reproduction, endometriosis, and uterine anomalies.

Dr. Bjorkman is a Michigan native and attended medical school at Michigan State University before completing OB/GYN residency at Yale, and fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Iowa. Dr. Bjorkman is active on social media, @thedoctorsbjorkman IG & YouTube, where she shares life in medicine and patient education with her husband, Kurt.

Clare Heidtke, M.D.
(Formerly Petoskey Gynecology & Infertility)

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Clare Heidtke, MD, graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1979 and completed her four year internship and residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. She has been board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology since 1987.

In over 30 years of practice, Dr. Heidtke has been a leader in bringing advances in the ever-evolving field of gynecology and infertility to the women of northern Michigan. She has delivered thousands of babies over a 25 year obstetric career, and was among the first gynecologic surgeons to offer minimally invasive procedures in northern Michigan. She has had a special interest in infertility treatment since her Ann Arbor residency, learning from prominent reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists at that time. She brought her infertility expertise to Petoskey in 1983, and since then has remained the major practice in northern Michigan to provide advanced fertility care. Dr. Heidtke closed her general Gynecology practice in March 2023 to devote the next phase of her career solely to the treatment of infertility. In August 2023, we welcomed her to The Fertility Center. She will continue practicing at our Petoskey location. Her goal to provide local access and high quality infertility care to northern Michigan remains.

Dr. Heidtke and her husband, David, have two wonderful daughters and 4 grandchildren. She enjoys the outdoors, reading, and playing the violin, and considers Petoskey “heaven on earth”.

Mili Thakur, M.D.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
(Currently not accepting new patients)
Mili Thakur, M.D. joined The Fertility Center in September 2017. She is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist who specializes in Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility, and Medical Genetics. Dr. Thakur comes to us with a deep passion for offering individualized, evidence-based care for couples with infertility. In addition, she offers her expertise in medical genetics, fertility preservation, ultrasonography, and hysteroscopic surgery. Dr. Thakur’s special interests include research and education. She is fluent in English, Hindi, and Punjabi.

Shana Broxup, PA-C

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Shana Broxup, PA-C graduated from Western Michigan University with her Master of Medical Science and became board certified as a Physician Assistant in 2021. While she began this new role at The Fertility Center shortly thereafter, she first started with TFC in 2011 as a sonographer, becoming our lead sonographer in 2017. Caring for fertility patients is a passion that is very dear to Shana’s heart. As a former patient herself, she knows first hand what our patients are experiencing and is honored to now help others through this process.

Melissa Prins, PA-C

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Melissa started her career in healthcare as a medical assistant working in Women’s Health – Urogynecology, where her passion for women’s health began. She decided to go back to school to earn her Bachelor of Biomedical Science. From there, she continued her education at Western Michigan University, earning her Master of Medical Science and became board certified as a Physician Assistant. She is excited to be a part of The Fertility Center care team and passionate about helping patients build their families.