Cheryl Bjella, ophthalmology manager and a longtime associate at Trinity Health Western Dakota in Williston, has been named the clinic’s regional director.

As director, Bjella oversees all administrative aspects of the clinic, which offers primary care services to patients of all ages, annual physicals and screenings, laboratory testing, mammograms and advanced imaging, and ophthalmology and outpatient surgery.

“I’m excited to have this opportunity to serve our patients, staff and community,” Bjella said. “My goal is to cultivate a positive work environment that will enhance our services as we continue to offer superior care to our patients and families.”

A lifelong Williston resident, Bjella began her career in healthcare as an LPN at Mercy Hospital. She joined the Williston Basin Eye Clinic, now Western Dakota, in 1987 and in 1990 earned national certification as an ophthalmic assistant. She has performed in various capacities during her 36 years at the clinic, including serving as a nursing/tech supervisor and most recently as manager of the Ophthalmology Department.

Bjella and her husband of 40 years have two grown daughters and six grandchildren. They enjoy camping, fishing, traveling and family time.

Deb Boppre, MSM, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, director of Health Information and Clinical Documentation Integrity at Trinity Health, has been elected to a key post with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Boppre was named speaker-elect of AHIMA’s House of Delegates, a deliberative assembly comprised of health information representatives from across the country. The House of Delegates, along with the Association’s Board of Directors, is responsible for establishing and maintaining the highest standards of professionalism in the field of health information management.

An active AHIMA member, Boppre has chaired the AHIMA Commission on Certification of Health Informatics/Information Management and the Apprenticeship Advisory Committee. At the state level, she has served two terms as president of the North Dakota Health Information Management Association Board of Directors and has been a chapter delegate. She has served as director of health information at Trinity Health since 2011.

AHIMA is a global nonprofit association of health information professionals with more than 71,000 members. Its mission is to ensure that health information is accurate, complete, and available to patients and providers.

The Trinity Health Center for Diabetes Education is accepting registrations for Weigh 2 Change, a CDC-approved diabetes prevention program that helps people with prediabetes take control of their health through nutrition, exercise, and support.

Interested persons are encouraged to a “Session Zero” meeting to learn about Weigh 2 Change and decide whether the yearlong program is right for them. The informational session is scheduled Tuesday, February 14, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Trinity Health Community Conference Room at Town & Country Center. To RSVP or if you’re unable to attend the Session Zero, please call 701-857-5268.

To be eligible for Weigh 2 Change, participants must be 18 years or older, be overweight, and be at risk for – or have – prediabetes. Disqualifying factors include pregnancy and already having a diagnosis of diabetes.

People who decided to commit to the program and are not covered by Medicare will be charged a fee of $220, which covers educational sessions and materials for the entire year. For more information, call the Center for Diabetes Education at 701-857-5268.

Six students enrolled in Trinity Health’s First Response paramedic course have each been awarded a $1,000 scholarship from North Dakota EMS Foundation.

Foundation Director Mark Haugen presented the awards and commended students for their willingness to give back to North Dakota. “We recognize the vital role that EMS providers play in our communities, which is why our focus is to encourage EMS professionals to work in North Dakota, with a special emphasis on serving our rural communities.”

Those who received scholarships are completing practicums around the region: Anne Bosnjak, Jeffrey Fosburg and Brendan McMahon, all with Trinity Health First Response; Joshua Fick, Trinity Health First Response and Velva Ambulance Service; Cassandra Swenson, Rugby Emergency Medical Services; and Bianca Brien, Community Ambulance Service Rolla. All the students are attending college at Dakota College at Bottineau.

The North Dakota EMS Foundation was established in 2004 to promote and support prehospital emergency medical services across North Dakota. The Foundation is dedicated to the state’s EMS providers, and it places a major emphasis on the continued viability of individual rural providers and response groups.

Trinity Health’s Outpatient Nutrition Services will offer a grocery store tour, “DASH Eating Plan for Heart Health,” Tuesday, February 7, from 2 to 3 p.m. at MarketPlace Foods, 1930 South Broadway in Minot.

DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is a heart healthy eating plan that encourages people to reduce sodium intake and eat a variety of foods that help lower blood pressure.

Trinity Health Outpatient Dietitian Kayla Cole, RDN, LRD, will lead the tour, offering tips on heart healthy label reading and focusing on the overall relationship between heart health and grocery shopping. “Sticking to the DASH eating plan starts with the food you buy, which is why it’s important to know what you’re looking for and have a plan in place,” Cole said.

Space is limited. RSVP is required by calling 857-5268 by February 6. Participants are instructed to meet at the east entrance of MarketPlace Foods, near the deli. The event is part of a series of grocery store tours and cooking classes designed to promote healthy eating in 2023.

Moayed Ibrahim, MD, an oncologist at the Trinity Health CancerCare Center, has been board certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

His accomplishment signifies a high level of competency in the treatment of diseases of the blood as well as providing care to cancer patients using the latest anti-cancer therapies.

A graduate of the Hashemite University Faculty of Medicine, Jordan, Dr. Ibrahim did his Internal Medicine residency at East Tennessee State University/Quillen College of Medicine in Mountain Home, TN. After completing a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, he accomplished his Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA.

Dr. Ibrahim is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American College of Hematology, and American Geriatric Society. He is also board certified in Geriatrics and Internal Medicine.

 

Emergency medical professionals will gather in Minot for the Northwest Region EMS Conference January 20-22 at the Grand Hotel in Minot. The conference is designed to refresh ambulance professionals on issues related to the delivery of pre-hospital care.

Four preconference sessions will be held Friday, including a hands-on anatomy lab and simulation training for heart attack and stroke using the SIM ND Truck.

The main conference sessions on Saturday and Sunday will focus on obstetric emergencies, diabetes, pain management, pediatric cardiac arrest, central nervous system emergencies and infectious diseases, among other topics. Also featured will be a presentation on common barriers associated with post-traumatic stress.

Trinity Health physicians Jessie Fauntleroy, MD, and Ashley Sarasan, MD, will join numerous EMS professionals and paramedics as presenters.

The conference serves as a form of continuing education for EMS providers. To register for the conference, go to NDEMSA.org.

Trinity Health’s Nutrition Services Department will offer a cooking class, “Healthy Swaps,” Tuesday, January 10, from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Trinity Health Community Conference Room at Town & Country Center.

The class will focus on creative ways to make meals more nourishing by switching out ingredients, a tool that could come in handy as people work on their New Year’s resolutions.

“Making foods healthier is easier than you may think,” said Clinical Dietitian Kayla Cole, RDN, LRD, “By swapping a few key ingredients, you can transform recipes into healthier versions of themselves and make the foods you enjoy healthier.”

A $10 registration fee will be charged to cover recipes and food samples. Space for the class is limited. RSVP is required by calling 857-5268 by January 9.

The cooking class is part of a series of events by the Nutrition Services Department to promote healthier eating in 2023.

Just as New Year’s revelers were winding down their festivities, a Minot family was welcoming their newest member into the fold.

Laura Price and Joseph Charboneau are proud parents of the first baby born in 2023 – a daughter, Olivia Charboneau, who entered the world at 3:10 a.m., weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces. It is the couple’s second child.

“We weren’t expecting a New Year’s baby but we’d been having some false alarms and were told we should come to the hospital and stay. So that’s what we did,” Laura said.

Nursing staff at the Trinity Health Family Birth Center say Ob/Gyn David Billings, MD, performed the delivery in what was described as a fairly quiet night in the unit.

What is a new beginning for the Charboneau/Price family marks the end of something else. Olivia is the last New Year’s baby born at the existing Trinity Hospital. Next year’s arrival will make his or her appearance at the new healthcare campus and medical district.

Kayla Cole, RDN, LRD, a clinical dietitian with Trinity Health, has completed the Monash University Low FODMAP Diet for IBS course, a 30-hour online training program for health professionals.

A Low FODMAP Diet is intended for people with medically diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and can help patients manage symptoms associated with the condition. This additional knowledge will enable Cole to more effectively manage patients presenting with IBS.

FODMAPs are a collection of short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that aren’t absorbed properly in the gut, which can trigger symptoms in people with IBS. FODMAPs are found naturally in many foods and food additives.

For further questions or information about this diet, please contact Kayla Cole at 701-857-5107, Trinity Health Center for Diabetes Education, Town & Country Center.