Doctor Profiles

Joseph S. Bird Jr., MD

Retinal surgery was the specialty that Joey Bird planned to pursue at East Tennessee State University’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine. That was before his scheduled rotation with a reproductive endocrinologist. “I fell in love with the patients and the way the doctor became a part of their stories,” he says. “Through the pain, the treatments, the disappointments, the happy endings – he was connected to those couples.”

Dr. Bird’s four-year residency began in 1990 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology within the Chattanooga Unit of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. A two-year fellowship followed at the University of Louisville School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Division before he returned to Chattanooga.

For Dr. Bird, the most fascinating part of his work is the range of exposure to all facets of reproductive life. “My patients can be children, young couples, middle-aged people or elderly folks,” he says, “and every case is interesting and rewarding in its own way. I’m never bored.”  You often see Joey in the office on his day off.

One thing you won’t find is Dr. Bird in a white coat at the Fertility Center. “I don’t want any barriers between me and my patients,” he explains. “I’m not their miracle. I’m just privileged to be a part of it.” His view on humanity’s limits is fueled by a strong faith and solid belief in a Higher Power, and he encourages all of his patients to find hope in some form of reliance. “Successful outcomes require the ability to count on something you can’t see.”

Dr. Bird began dating his wife, Suzanne, while in college after they’d been acquaintances for several years as a result of a friendship between their parents. They jokingly refer to their 
19-year marriage as having been “arranged.” 

Joey enjoys snow-skiing as well as all kinds of water sports with his teenage son and daughter. He also participates in triathlons and other events that motivate him to exercise and stay healthy.

You are in capable and gentle hands with Dr. Bird and may even find that this extraordinary man becomes one of your favorite people. 

Barry W. Donesky, MD

In 1987, Barry Donesky graduated from Loma Linda University Medical School in Southern California with a doctorate in medicine. He completed a two-year internship followed by a three-year residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loma Linda’s Medical Center. He traveled across the country in 1991 to begin a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of Maryland at Baltimore and spent the next three years on the East Coast.

While moonlighting during his residency, he prescribed a fertility medication for a patient. It worked, and Dr. Donesky was hooked on what he calls “a happy specialty” and has never looked back.

Dr. Donesky and his wife, Nancy, have been married for more than 18 years and have six children: three teenage boys (ages 16, 14 and 11) in addition to a set of 8-year-old triplets (two boys and a girl). Ironically, the Donesky’s multiples were not the result of any assisted reproduction – honest! The family enjoys camping and biking, and Barry gives his normally sterilized hands a break whenever he can find a little time for vegetable gardening and landscaping.

“I believe that the most effective way God can show us how much He loves us is through our experiences raising children,” Dr. Donesky shares, “But some couples will be robbed of that opportunity unless we find a way to give them a chance. Taking care of patients and fanning sparks of hope – that’s the bottom line for me.”

His dedication is only one of many reasons you’ll want Dr. Donesky in your corner when your future is on the line.

Partnership

Practicing together for 12 years, Drs. Bird and Donesky have built a strong foundation of open communication and understanding. Both are certified members of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as the Board’s subspecialty division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

The two first met at Barry’s wedding in the spring of 1989. Joey had been in the same nursing class as Dr. Donesky’s future wife years earlier and stayed in touch when she headed out to California and met Barry.

Dr. Donesky finished his training just two years prior to Dr. Bird and decided to search for opportunities near his wife’s hometown. He ruled out the Atlanta, Nashville and Knoxville areas and responded to an ad from Chattanooga. He got a call about the advertised position being withdrawn and found out he fit the bill for a much-needed reproductive endocrinologist in the same group. Shortly afterwards, Barry and Joey began talking about opening a practice together.

“Once I got to know this kind man, I became confident that we could become partners in caring for the couples in this community,” Dr. Bird says. “We both love what we do and truly enjoy seeing patients.”

Dr. Donesky credits the “complimentary differences” between the two of them for bringing balance and uniqueness to their alliance. Add to that the Fertility Center’s small-town, approachable way of doing business with a vital focus on making patients feel valued and respected, and you’ve found an unbeatable team.