Provider - Nurture Women's Health

Our Providers

Malathi Ellis, MD, FACOG

Board Certified OB-GYN

Malathi Ellis, MD, FACOG, is a highly-trained OB/GYN and co-founder of Nurture Women’s Health, an all-female physician practice in Frisco, Texas. She genuinely cares about the health of her patients, providing them with the highest quality of service. Born and raised in North Carolina, Dr. Ellis began her journey toward becoming an OB/GYN at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. She found her passion for women’s health at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where she received her medical degree. She went on to complete her internship and residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. In 2005, Dr. Ellis moved to Texas and began a private practice, serving the community of Dallas and its surrounding areas. After many years, she decided to join forces with female physicians to create Nurture Women’s Health.

Dr. Ellis specializes in women’s urinary health, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), high-risk pregnancies, infertility, hysterectomy, and natural childbirth. She is highly skilled in both vaginal and laparoscopic surgeries, including vNOTES (vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery) hysterectomies. Dr. Ellis also offers operative vaginal deliveries and supports vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Patients in the Frisco and surrounding areas have come to know and trust Dr. Ellis with their obstetrics and gynecology needs. In her free time, she enjoys being a wife and mother to her three children. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, gardening, running, and reading science fiction and comic books. She has grown to love the Frisco area and is passionate about taking care of her patients. She looks forward to serving for many more successful years with her team at Nurture Women’s Health.

Carrie Patterson, MD, FACOG

Board Certified OB-GYN

Carrie Patterson, MD, FACOG, is a dedicated, board-certified OB/GYN and co-founder of the all-female physician practice, Nurture Women’s Health, in Frisco, Texas. Dr. Patterson received her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she was a Trustee Scholar and graduated magna cum laude. She went on to complete her master’s degree in physiology and biophysics at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. She stayed there to receive her medical degree, where she was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, graduating in the top 10% of her class. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, in Orange, California, where she received the Louis H. Smith, MD, Humanitarian Award in 2008.

Dr. Patterson is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She holds hospital privileges at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Frisco at PGA Parkway. Dr. Patterson consistently uses her efforts to advance obstetric and gynecologic health care by offering women thorough, compassionate, and evidence-based medical guidance. Her goal is to establish a long-term connection with each one of her patients. She provides expert, individualized care during every stage of a woman’s life, from adolescence to pregnancy and beyond. In her free time, she and her husband stay busy keeping up with their twin daughters and two border collies. She also enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, watching sports, and cheering on her beloved USC Trojans.

Board Certified OB-GYN

April Riley, DO, FACOG

OB/GYN April Riley, DO, is proud to offer women throughout Frisco, Texas, and the surrounding area high-quality women’s health services. At Nurture Women’s Health, Dr. Riley partners with her patients to provide support throughout every stage of their lives.

Dr. Riley completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Texas at Austin and then received an additional Master of Science in Medical Sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. She then went on to complete her medical doctorate at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. Dr. Riley pursued her residency training in OB/GYN at Texas Tech University Health Science Center at the Permian Basin, where she served as co-Chief Resident in her final year.

Recognized for her dedication to her field, Dr. Riley was awarded the Dean’s Teaching Resident Award and the AAGL Recognition of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology Award. She also served as the ACOG District XI Residency Program Representative, which allowed her to advocate for women’s health legislation at the Texas Capitol.

Dr. Riley is excited to be back near her hometown of Plano, TX, after practicing in Fort Worth for several years. Away from her practice, she enjoys spending time outside, cooking, sewing, and spending time with her husband and son.

Kimberly Chesshir, MD, FACOG

Dr. Chesshir is a Texas girl born and raised. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Texas Tech University. She then pursued a master’s degree in International Management. After working in the business sector for some time, she realized she wanted to make a childhood dream come true and obtained her Medical Doctorate from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. She furthered her passion for women’s healthcare by completing her specialty training in obstetrics & gynecology at St. Paul Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In 2019, after many years in private practice, Dr. Chesshir pivoted her focus to OBGYN hospitalist medicine, however, she missed getting to know patients in an office-based setting & therefore returned to office practice.

She sees gynecology patients of all ages; but has a special interest in menopausal medicine. She is a member of the Menopause Society; formerly known as the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

In her free time, she enjoys taking care of her cats and spending time with family. When she is not working, she also does some volunteer work. Her hobbies include reading, gardening, and knitting.

Kellie Kannowski, MSN, APRN, WHNP-BC

Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner

Kellie Kannowski is a board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner and has been providing nursing care for women in the Frisco area for over 20 years. She has a love for patient education and strives to incorporate preventative health into every patient encounter.

Kellie completed her undergraduate education at Texas A&M University in College Station and received a Bachelor of Science in Health, with an emphasis on patient education. She then graduated from University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, where she was a member of Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society. Kellie practiced for many years as a registered nurse in labor and delivery, postpartum, and gynecological services.

In 2020, Kellie decided to fulfill a lifelong goal to become a nurse practitioner and returned to student life. She attended Texas Women’s University and graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing, after which she attained board certification as a women’s health nurse practitioner. She previously practiced in a large outpatient OB/GYN clinic at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas before joining Nurture Women’s Health.

Kellie enjoys spending time with family, including cheering on her two boys in multiple sports and traveling to new destinations with her husband. She loves reading historical fiction, gardening, volunteering at church in the nursery, and training her miniature dachshund, Evie.