A member of our Ear, Nose and Throat team, Robert Fischer, MD, is an otolaryngologist, dedicated to providing high-quality, up-to-date care to adults and children with ear, nose and throat conditions. Dr. Fischer is board-certified in Otolaryngology with three decades of ENT experience. He is well-equipped to provide medical and surgical care for the full range of disorders, from ear and sinus problems, to head & neck surgery and facial plastic surgery. A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Fischer earned his medical doctorate from the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed his Otolaryngology residency at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Virginia as part of a 10-year association with the U.S. Navy Medical Corps. After discharge, he practiced at Duluth Clinic in Minnesota and Wind River ENT in Lander, WY, before joining Trinity Health in 2015. He practiced four years with Sanford Health in Bemidji, MN, before returning to Trinity.
Ear Disorders
Maria Li, MDCM
Maria Li MDCM, MSc, FAANS is a board-certified specialist in neurosurgery. With over 20 years of experience as an attending neurosurgeon, she brings an abundance of expertise to help patients afflicted with a wide breadth of conditions affecting the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves. Dr. Li earned her medical degree, completed her neurosurgery residency including an enfolded orthopedic spine fellowship, and earned a Master of Science in neuroscience in Montreal. Following her training at McGill University and the Montreal Neurological Institute, she did a post-doctoral laboratory fellowship in neurophysiology at the University of California at San Francisco and later completed a clinical fellowship in skull base and cerebrovascular surgery at the Seattle Neuroscience Institute.
She has practiced general neurosurgery in the USA for a decade, trying to improve the services available to local patients, including recently implementing a cranial neurosurgery program where none existed. Her academic career practicing, teaching, and doing clinical research spanned almost a decade in Montreal teaching hospitals affiliated with McGill University and the University of Montreal. Her neurosurgical practice consisted of 50% cranial and 50% spinal surgeries, with a focus on brain tumors.
Dr. Li is dedicated to maintaining the highest, most up to date standards, participating in the annual maintenance of certification program of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, which fosters excellence and lifelong learning. Dr. Li is a member of several medical and neurosurgical organizations. She continues to serve as a reviewer for the journal Neurosurgery.
Alycia Coutts, FNP-C
A board-certified nurse practitioner, Alycia Coutts, FNP-C, cares for patients as a member of our Ear, Nose & Throat team. She works with otorhinolaryngology surgeons and other team members to manage the care of children and adults with acute and chronic ENT conditions such as ear infections and other concerns, sinusitis, head & neck problems, and sleep issues. Alycia received her Master of Science degree in Family Nurse Practice from Simmons University. Prior to that she earned an Associate of Science Degree in Nursing from Williston State College and worked as an RN at Trinity Health as a family practice nurse and a charge nurse in Labor & Delivery. A member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the North Dakota Nurse Practitioner Association, Alycia enjoys spending time outside with her family and watching hockey.
Charles Wood, MD
Charles O. Wood, MD, is a board certified neurosurgeon with extensive experience providing surgical care to people with brain and spinal disorders due to disease or trauma. A graduate of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Dr. Wood completed his internship and Neurosurgery residency at Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, where he also did a year-long fellowship in Clinical Neurotrauma. He founded North Georgia Neurosurgical Associates in 1985 and spent the next two decades serving patients at Gwinnett Medical Center and other area hospitals. During his tenure there he co-developed the hospital’s Neuroscience Center and began a longstanding interest in adopting innovative approaches to neurological surgery, including minimally invasive and image-guided brain and spine surgery. In 2008 he was appointed Director of Neurosciences at Greenview Regional Hospital in Kentucky, where he also served as co-director of the Greenview Stroke Center. He joined Trinity Health in 2016. He’s a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Areas of Neurosurgical Practice:
- Brain and Spinal Trauma
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Image-Guided Brain and Spinal Surgery
- Intracranial and Intraspinal Tumors
- Reconstruction of the Degenerative Spine
- Extra- and Intracranial Vascular Disease
- Stroke Management
Rob Thomas, MD
A specialist in Ear, Nose and Throat Medicine (Otolaryngology) and Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Thomas provides medical and surgical care for children and adults with ear, nose, and throat conditions, including ear infections, snoring, sleep apnea, hearing loss, dizziness, voice evaluation and surgery, and thyroid and salivary gland disorders. He earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, where he was named a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society in recognition of scholarship and professionalism. He completed a five-year residency in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He’s a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.
Durand Jones, FNP-C
A certified nurse practitioner, Durand Jones, FNP-C, cares for patients as part of Trinity Health’s Neurosurgery team. Originally from Memphis, TN, he served in the U.S. Air Force, moving to Minot AFB in 1988. He completed his military service and pursued a career in nursing. He practiced 16 years in Grand Forks and Bottineau and five years as traveling nurse. He also served two years as a clinical nurse instructor at Williston State College and Dakota College at Bottineau. He and his wife, Correen, have a son and daughter. They enjoy many types of outdoor activities.