A member of our pediatrics team, Melissa Andreasen, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner, dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based care to children and adolescents. A graduate of Minot State University, Melissa earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2013 and began her nursing career as an RN with Trinity Health. She served patients in the addiction services, intensive care, and same day surgery units before shifting her focus to advanced practice nursing. While pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati, she worked part time as a clinical nurse instructor with Dakota College at Bottineau. She completed her Family Nurse Practitioner training 2020 and joined a private primary care practice as a family care provider, helping pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients manage the full range of acute and chronic health conditions. Melissa is board certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She loves spending time with her two children when she’s not at work.
Heart Disease
Ashley Sarasan, MD
A key member of our care team at Trinity Homes, Ashley Sarasan, MD, is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. She works with staff throughout Trinity’s nursing care facility to improve the health and well-being of residents. Her clinical interests include Parkinson’s disease, end-of-life care, and Alzheimer’s disease. A graduate of M.S. Ramaiah Medical College in India, Dr. Sarasan completed her internal medicine residency at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Jersey, an affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Following residency, she fulfilled a passion to serve the medical needs of older adults by completing a fellowship in geriatric medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Prior to joining Trinity Health, Dr. Sarasan served as Assistant Professor of Medicine-Internal Medicine and Associate Program Director-Geriatric Medicine at UNLV School of Medicine in Las Vegas. Among her hobbies – she keeps a collection of all the cards that her patients, medical students, residents, and others have given her. She enjoys reading, cooking, and dancing, and is looking into writing a book on aging and health.
Kevin Clemans, FNP-BC
A board-certified nurse practitioner, Kevin Clemans, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, with four decades of nursing experience, is well qualified to address the complex needs of patients. Originally from Indiana, Kevin received his early RN training at South Western Michigan College and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bethel College, both in Indiana. He practiced in civilian and military hospitals, including 10 years with medical units at Wright Patterson and Elmendorf Air Force Bases in Ohio and Alaska respectively, achieving the rank of captain. In 2013, he earned a Master of Science in Family Nurse Practice from Goshen College in Indiana. He has since worked as an intensivist nurse practitioner in the fields of cardiovascular surgery, hospital medicine, and primary care. He has participated in numerous activities supportive of nursing and emergency preparedness, including serving as a flight nurse, Red Cross nurse, and Disaster Medical Assistance Team member. His many honors include receiving the Distinguished Duty Medal and Silver Star.
Paul DiGregorio, CCP
A key member of our heart team, Paul DiGregorio, CCP, is a certified cardiovascular perfusionist with 40 years of experience providing clinical perfusion and other services to patients. His role during heart surgery is operating the heart-lung machine that assumes the functions of a patient’s heart and lung while the surgeon performs surgery on the heart. A Long Island native, Paul completed his perfusion training in 1980 at State University of New York (SUNY) in Syracuse. He was chief perfusionist at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland for many years. He has practiced in various clinical settings in Ohio, Indiana, and Florida. Most recently he was senior staff perfusionist at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, IN. His experience also includes serving as a clinical instructor and faculty member for the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP). Paul is married with two children. He enjoys golf, dining out, and movies.
Joseph Stonehocker, CPNP-PC
Trinity Health is pleased to announce that Joseph Stonehocker, CPNP-PC, has joined our team of providers at Trinity Health Western Dakota in Williston. A board certified pediatric nurse practitioner, Joseph has spent the last three years serving the healthcare needs of Williston-area young people. He provides primary care to children ages 0 to 18, with an emphasis on general and acute pediatric care, annual well-child visits, and mental health support, including ADHD diagnosis and treatment. He’s also trained in various surgical procedures such as circumcision and tongue-tie correction. Originally from Canada, Joseph was reared in Edmonton, AB, and moved to the United States with his family at an early age. He graduated from Utah State University and earned both his Master of Science in Pediatric Nurse Practice and his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UT Health San Antonio, part of the University of Texas system. A devoted husband and father, he and his wife have five children. They enjoy family time and attending youth sporting events.
Michael Savitt, MD, MSE
A member of our heart and lung team, Dr. Savitt is a cardiothoracic surgeon with over 20 years of surgical experience. His expertise covers a broad range of innovative and minimally invasive techniques for coronary bypass and valve surgery, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). He is also an expert in lung resection and surgical treatment of lung and esophageal cancers. A Milwaukee native, Dr. Savitt earned his medical degree and Master of Science in Engineering from Duke University. He completed his surgical residency at the University of California at San Francisco, where he served as chief surgical resident. He accomplished his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Minnesota and later returned to Duke for a clinical lung transplant sabbatical. Dr. Savitt has maintained a dynamic practice at heart and lung centers in the Midwest. Most recently he served as a cardiothoracic surgeon and associate clinical professor at IU Ball Memorial Hospital in association with Indiana University School of Medicine. He is board certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. A member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the Western Thoracic Surgical Association, Dr. Savitt has been a frequent lecturer on cardiothoracic topics and has authored numerous manuscripts for various medical journals.
William Sisa, MD
Dr. Sisa is a pediatrician, dedicated to providing holistic care that promotes the well-being of children, adolescents, and their families. He is specially trained to manage the full range of children’s physical, mental, and emotional health problems, including acute and chronic conditions, behavioral difficulties, and developmental disorders.
Dr. Sisa earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, and completed his pediatric residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, a teaching hospital affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
Dr. Sisa grew up in Ghana, where he won the Presidential Award for being the best student from one of the 10 regions in Ghana at the Junior High School level, after which he proceeded to Major in Science at the best high schools in Ghana. Upon completion of high school, he started a remedial school in his hometown which is currently a high school in Ghana.
He proceeded to the University of Ghana where he majored in Chemistry. Upon arrival in the USA, he worked as a quality control chemist at NicePak PDI helping to develop some of the HPLC methods used to test the Super Sani Wipe the most popular hospital disinfectant used in hospitals in the USA. Dr. Sisa was pursuing a graduate Studies in Biochemistry at The City University of NY before he decided to pursue medicine at the St. George’s University School Medicine.
During clinical years in NYC, he got interested in teaching and mentoring of high school students in the science field, and completed several hours of volunteer work teaching. During residency, he participated in various research projects and had one of his research topics presented at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) 2020 Conference in Washington, DC.
He loves driving, playing volleyball, and soccer.
Chandni Anand, MD
Chandni Anand, MD, is a board-certified, experienced internist with an integrated, holistic approach to health. Her focus is personalized, compassionate care delivered with integrity. She graduated from University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. After completing internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, she joined Queens Long Island Medical Group in 1991. In 2013 she joined DaVita Medical Group in Florida. She enjoys movies, comedy shows, outdoor activities, and reading. She has two adult children.
Michael Gooden, MD
Dr. Gooden is a board-certified Vascular/Endovascular surgeon with over 20 years of clinical experience. As a vascular surgeon, he is uniquely qualified to treat, by either open surgical or endovascular means, all aspects of peripheral vascular disease, including carotid stenosis, aortic aneurysms, lower or upper extremity peripheral artery disease, renal and mesenteric stenosis, nonhealing diabetic foot wounds, or dialysis access. This includes the most up to date techniques of carotid endarterectomy/stenting, open AAA repair/EVAR/TEVAR, peripheral artery bypass or stenting/angioplasty.
Originally from Iowa, Dr. Gooden grew up in Tucson, AZ. He served 6 years in the US Navy as a Hospital Corpsman, and was recalled for Desert Storm. He received both his Bachelor of Sciences in Molecular and Cellular Biology and MD degree at the University of Arizona. Following General Surgery residency at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Gooden completed a two-year Vascular Surgery Fellowship at Cleveland Clinic in 2004. He is a member of the American Medical Association and a fellow in the prestigious Society for Vascular Surgery. He has worked in a variety of settings over the years, including private practice, academic surgery, and with the VA healthcare system.
“I enjoy working closely with patients and their primary care doctors, treating vascular disease to improve people’s daily lives, prevent stroke and limb loss.” When not working, ” I am spending all the time I can with my wife Erin and our son Colin, doing outdoor or school activities.”
Rym Lamrad, MD
Dr. Lamrad specializes in Palliative and Hospital Medicine, with a focus on the healthcare needs of hospital patients and the medical needs of people with serious or life-limiting illnesses. As a palliative specialist, she works with patients, families, and the patient’s care team to optimize quality of life for those who suffer from chronic, debilitating, or life-threatening conditions. She earned her medical doctorate from Saba University School of Medicine, the Netherlands-Antilles, and completed both her Internal Medicine residency and fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at State University of New York at Buffalo.