ABOUT US
OUR MISSION
Our commitment is to the patients and their families, whatever their needs may be. Our goal is to achieve the highest level of healthcare for these patients and their families. We are rural USA, therefore, we provide hometown values committed to quality services,continuity of care, assurance of qualified staff, and family involvement for individual patients and clients.
OUR STORY
At McKenzie Health, our commitment is to the patients and their families, whatever their needs might be. Our goal is to achieve the highest degree of healthcare for these patients and their families. We’re rural USA where we provide hometown values committed to quality services, continuity of care, assurance of qualified staff and family involvement for individual patients and clients.
McKenzie Health was born on July 1, 2004, with the merger of the Good Shepherd Home Corporation and the McKenzie County Memorial Hospital Corporation. This resulted in the consolidation of all healthcare services in McKenzie County. McKenzie Health consists of our 24 bed Critical Access Hospital, Rural Health Clinic, Specialty Clinics, Urgent Care, Good Shepherd Home (long term care), Horizon Assisted Living, and Connie Wold Wellness Center. Our goal is to provide our rural communities with access to quality healthcare.
We’re here today because of the hard work and vision of community minded individuals. These people epitomize the spirit of work and caring that made McKenzie County the place it is today. They spoke of the “founders of our community” and how they “spent the vigor of their youth building up the way of life we enjoy today.” They felt a responsibility to provide quality healthcare to those pioneers. With that same attitude, we continue to work to provide healthcare services to those who chose to live and work in a rural area.
OUR IMPACT
At McKenzie Health, we understand how important health care is to the well-being of residents in western North Dakota, and even more so in rural and frontier communities. Medical and health care providers also serve an important component of rural economies.
Economic contribution assessments, like this one, are a tool used to gauge the relative importance of those providers to their host communities and rural counties. The main focus of this study is to provide an overview of the current conditions and trends that affect McKenzie County and to measure the economic contribution of its healthcare system, McKenzie Health.
Economic Impact
View the study completed by NDSU - Center for Social Research.
LEADERSHIP
McKenzie Health’s leadership is some of the most highly engaged and invested anywhere, working collaboratively with each other and with our medical and administrative staff to ensure medical services are available where and when they are needed. We are proud of the work we have done to build a talented, collaborative, and caring team that is committed to optimizing outcomes for patients, improving clinical practice, achieving cost-effective medical care, and ensuring accountability in decision-making.
Pete Edis
CEO
Meet Pete
Peter (Pete) Edis grew up in the Northeast in a small, historic hamlet; his father, a police officer, and his mother, a stay at home mother and licensed beautician. He has a younger brother, who lives close to where they grew up, along with his wife and three children. As a child, Pete spent many summers with his grandparents in the Adirondack Mountains. It was here that he developed a love for fishing (later fly fishing) and spent as much time as possible out on the lake and exploring nearby rivers and streams. He has also been water skiing since the age of ten.
Pete describes himself as a late bloomer, having started his career pushing a broom as a state worker at the local psychiatric hospital. He attended community college, university, and a private Catholic graduate school as an adult, earning AA, BS, and MS degrees, all while working a full-time job. In 2010, Pete earned the distinction of Fellow, by the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Pete and Dona (wife), have three adult children, a Yellow Lab, Harley, and a German Shorthair Pointer, Dakotah. Pete and Dona enjoy fly fishing, riding motorcycles (Harleys, of course), and disappearing into the wilderness on their side by side.
Pete has been working in rural healthcare for his entire career, and he has served in a variety of roles including clinician, program coordinator, director, executive director, and hospital executive (although, it is worth noting that he started his healthcare career quite humbly, as mentioned above).
Pete enjoys getting to know people and contributing to the local community. He believes that success of the healthcare system is in direct proportion to the support it receives from its employees, medical providers, and most importantly, the communities it serves. Pete says he could not be prouder to have been chosen as CEO and he sees a bright future for healthcare in Watford City, McKenzie County, and beyond.
Scott Merkle
CFO
Meet Scott
Scott Merkle has two Masters Degrees in Finance and is a CPA. He has served in other states such as, Alabama, New York, Michigan, Oregon, and Montana. Merkle was born and raised in Alabama, the oldest of six children.
“My father was a country doctor in Alabama. I’ve always loved small towns. It’s nice to get into a smaller town where you really get to know people.”
Merkle has worked in large hospitals and critical access facilities, like McKenzie Health. Hiking and exploring are two things he really enjoys in his free time. Scott is married and has two dogs, Jagger and Jessie.
Theo Stoller
COO
Meet Theo
Theo Stoller has served in executive leadership roles in healthcare for the last 15 years in a North Dakota Critical Access Hospital and North Dakota Skilled Nursing Facility. Theo earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Resource Management from Dickinson State University and a Master of Science in Business Degree from University of Mary. He is an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. His connection to the healthcare industry as a volunteer EMT for ten-plus years, and currently serves on the State Trauma Committee brings a special connection to our community. Furthermore, Theo received the “Outstanding Healthcare Professional” from the ND Center for Rural Health and was named a National Rural Health Day Community Star in 2018. He also received the honor of being on the 40 professionals under 40 list. Theo holds a North Dakota Nursing Home Administrator License and Emergency Medical Technician license.
In his free time, Theo enjoys working on the family ranch and spending time with his family. Theo is married and has two children.
Cheryl Faulkner
Director of Nursing
Meet Cheryl
Cheryl Faulkner graduated from Trinity School of Nursing May 1981 and began her career at McKenzie Health on July 13, 1981, as a staff RN. She was promoted to Director of Nursing in 2005.
Cheryl enjoys spending time with my family, fishing, boating and quilting.
Melodie Johnson
Senior Director of Facilities, Risk, Compliance, and Special Projects
Meet Melodie
Melodie has worked for the healthcare system for 39 years. She started work in the Good Shepherd Home as a CNA, then after high school graduated from Williston State College with her LPN license. Over the years she has gradually worked up to her current position as Senior Director of Facilities, Risk Management, Compliance, and Special Projects. She and her significant other have three daughters and five grandchildren. Her favorite things to do are spend time with family and any outdoor activities. Mel’s favorite travel destination is “anywhere in the mountains of Montana.”
Lynn Welker-Fevold
Chief of Marketing, Communications, Strategy, and Innovation
Meet Lynn
Lynn holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Biological Anthropology from the University of Wyoming with Honors, a Certificate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Complex Business Strategy, and a Masters Degree from Vanderbilt University in Management of Health Care with Honors. Additionally, Lynn is registered as a Professional Fundraiser by the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office; a graduate of the Leadership Wyoming program; a member of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development; a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives; and serves on the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Executive Board.
In her free time, Lynn enjoys fishing, hiking, and going to concerts and sporting events with her husband, Bryan Fevold. Having grown up on the family ranch in Kilgore, Nebraska, Lynn likes to spend time working on the ranch with her mom, sisters, and nephews. She loves the western way of life, spending time with family & friends, and hunting deer, elk, and pheasant.
McKenzie Health Board of Trustees
Back left-right: Randy Quale, Gary Brown, Justin Voll, Dr. Monty Bulzomi
Front left-right: Jan Dodge, Yolanda Rojas, Chase Wiseness, Virginia Ceynar
Not pictured: Krista Heen
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Achieving the highest level of healthcare for our patients and their families is our goal. Our Board of Trustees are volunteers who are dedicated to fulfilling this mission throughout our system. This group of devoted community leaders is responsible for and committed to ensuring McKenzie Health continues to provide quality services, continuity of care, and assurance of qualified staff.
BOARD MEMBERS
Gary Brown, Board Chair
Justin Voll, Vice Chair
Jan Dodge, Secretary
Randy Quale, Treasurer
Dr. Monty Bulzomi, Board Member
Virginia Ceynar, Board Member
Chase Wisness, Board Member
Yolanda Rojas, Board Member
Krista Heen, Board Member
OUR FACILITIES AND LOCATIONS
McKenzie Health has grown steadily over the past decade, adding more services and new equipment to meet the needs of our region’s quickly growing population.
Our new facilities are equipped with some of the best technology to meet the needs of our growing and supportive community.
Connie Wold Wellness Center
The Connie Wold Wellness Center was constructed in 2012 as a replacement for the Healthy Hearts Wellness Center facility. The facility hosts a variety of workout equipment, indoor running/walking track and two indoor endless pools. The center also houses the Physical Therapy department of McKenzie Health and Connie’s Cup, a coffee shop in the Wellness Center Lobby.
Connie Wold Wellness Center
Good Shepherd Home
The Good Shepherd Home was opened to provide Christian care to the aging residents in our community.
GOOD SHEPHERD HOME
Horizon Assisted Living
Horizon Assisted Living has 1 and 2-bedroom Senior Living apartments for Rent! The Horizon is connected to the MCHS Good Shepherd Home, Hospital and Clinic Campus. The Horizon offers seniors the chance to live as independently as possible, providing dinner daily. Additional assistance is available on a fee for service basis.
HORIZON ASSISTED LIVING
McKenzie Health Hospital
McKenzie Health's new state-of-the-art facility features a brand new hospital and clinic, as well as updates to the connected Good Shepherd Home (nursing home) and nearby Horizon Assisted Living.
MCKENZIE HEALTH HOSPITAL
RURAL HEALTH AND SPECIALTY CLINICS
Our Rural Health Clinic offers Primary Care, Medication Management, Chronic Condition Management, Annual Physicals, Women’s Health, Diabetes Monitoring, Well Child Checks, Visiting Specialists, Sports Physicals, and more. McKenzie Health Specialty Clinics offer anesthesiology, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology (ears, nose and throat) and urology.
RURAL AND SPECIALTY HEALTH CLINICS
Urgent Care
McKenzie Health's Urgent Care offers treatments for non-emergency (but urgent) illnesses or conditions.
URGENT CARE
OUTREACH CLINICS
Elbowoods Memorial Health Center
McKenzie Health has partnered with Elbowoods Memorial Health Center in New Town, ND, to offer orthopedic and specialty care and services closer to home.
OUTREACH CLINIC - NEW TOWN, ND
Sheridan Memorial Hospital
McKenzie Health has partnered with Sheridan Memorial Hospital in Plentywood, MT, to offer orthopedic and specialty care and services closer to home.
OUTREACH CLINIC - PLENTYWOOD, MT
Mountrail County Medical Center
McKenzie Health has partnered with Mountrail County Medical Center in Stanley, ND, to offer orthopedic and specialty care and services closer to home.
OUTREACH CLINIC - STANLEY, ND
Tioga Medical Center
McKenzie Health has partnered with Tioga Medical Center in Tioga, ND, to offer orthopedic and specialty care and services closer to home.
OUTREACH CLINIC - TIOGA, ND
McKenzie Health Center - Williston
The Orthopedic Outreach Clinic at the McKenzie Health Center-Williston, ND, offers orthopedic and specialty care and services closer to home.
OUTREACH CLINIC - WILLISTON, ND
McKenzie Health Center - Williston
McKenzie Health has expanded its services in Williston. See the region's top health providers in the former Fairlight Medical Center for medical services closer to home.
WALK-IN CLINIC - WILLISTON, ND
Compassionate and quality healthcare.
Close to home.
Health Experts
Departments
Locations
years of experience
Annual Report
View our Annual Report to learn more about our highlights, activities, and performance for 2023.
Strong Community Connections
McKenzie Health Leadership and major impact donors make McKenzie Health a powerful asset for Western North Dakota.
A Board Dedicated to Success
Cheryl Batchelor presenting to our active and involved board.
Cuddle Bears Make a Difference
We can't thank the community enough for providing helpful comfort friends like Cuddle Bears.
Bonnie Johnsrud Family Donation
This is just one of the families that support what we do at McKenzie Health! We are grateful for them!
Our People Make The Difference
Our patients and their families have access to the best providers and staff in Western North Dakota! Pictured: Pete Edis, McKenzie Health CEO and Dr. Joshi, orthopedic surgeon.
Regional Companies Get Involved
The community and regional businesses show their support through volunteering, donations, and expertise!
Echo Equipment Donation
Making our hospital and health system better are our doctors, care providers and staff alongside the donors that give them the chance to provide the best care with the best equipment.