A member of our Neurology team, Maria Gonzales, FNP-C, is a nurse practitioner who works closely with neurologists and other clinical staff to assess, diagnose and treat patients with neurological conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and chronic headache. Born and reared in the Philippines, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing before emigrating to the United States in 2005. She practiced 17 years in healthcare settings in New York. In 2017 she joined Trinity Health, where she cared for patients in the Emergency/Trauma Center before completing her Master of Science degree in Advanced Nurse Practice from Walden University, Minneapolis. Maria is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She enjoys traveling when she’s not taking care of patients.
Medulloblastoma
Moayed Ibrahim, MD
A member of our cancer team, Moayed Ibrahim, MD, is a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist, dedicated to providing expert care to cancer patients utilizing the latest anti-cancer therapies such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy. He is also skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the blood and blood forming organs.
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. He was selected as chief resident and chief fellow during his training.
Dr. Ibrahim takes pride in treating his patients as he would like his own family members to be treated. He believes that shared decision-making is the cornerstone of a successful treatment plan.
Dr. Ibrahim is board certified in Hematology, Medical Oncology, Geriatrics and Internal Medicine. He’s been published in peer-reviewed publications and has been recognized with multiple academic and research awards, including the 2020 American Society of Hematology Abstract Achievement Award.
A member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American College of Hematology, and American Geriatric Society, he enjoys cycling, running, and walking his dog, Smoke.
Dawn Romfo, MSN, FNP-C
A board-certified nurse practitioner, Dawn Romfo, MSN, FNP-C, provides care and support to oncology and hematology patients as a member of our cancer care team. A Burlington native and Des Lacs-Burlington graduate, Dawn earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Minot State University. She practiced clinic and hospital nursing in various community settings in the region, including Trinity Hospital’s ICU and Post-Anesthesia Care units. In 2012 she began a long association with Dakota College at Bottineau, serving initially as a nurse faculty member and for six years as Nursing Program Director. She completed her Master of Science in Nursing Education through Walden University in Minneapolis in 2014 and more recently earned a post-master’s certificate in Family Nurse Practice through Maryville University in St. Louis. She’s a member of the Oncology Nursing Society, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, North Dakota Nurse Practitioner Association, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
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.
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.
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.
Earl Brewley, Jr., MD
Dr. Brewley is a board-eligible, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who specializes in treating complex diseases of the upper extremity. His expertise includes advanced shoulder and elbow arthroscopy as well as primary and revision joint replacement surgery of the upper extremity. He earned his medical doctorate from Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC, and completed his orthopedic residency at Albany Medical Center in New York, where he served as chief resident. He completed a highly coveted shoulder and elbow fellowship in Tampa, FL, with Drs. Mark Frankle and Mark Mighell at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute. Under their supervision, Dr. Brewley performed over 150 shoulder replacements and over 100 arthroscopic shoulder procedures. Upon graduation, he completed additional training in Japan under Hiroyuki Sugaya, MD, and Teruhisa Mihata, MD, PHD, to learn additional arthroscopic techniques, including superior capsular reconstruction for irreparable rotator cuff tears. Dr. Brewley’s research interests include age-related outcomes in shoulder arthroplasty, alternative treatments for post traumatic elbow arthritis, and biomechanics stability in revision shoulder arthroplasty. He is a fellow member of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and an editorial reviewer for the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. In his leisure he enjoys reading, hiking, writing poetry, and cheering for the New York Yankees.
Brent Knudson, DO
Dr. Knudson is an orthopedic surgeon who brings advanced expertise to the care of people with bone, joint, and muscle disorders. His areas of focus include joint replacement surgery of the knee, hip, and shoulder. He is also passionate about sports and taking care of sport-related injuries, as well as routine fracture care.
Originally from Mandan, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry/Nutrition from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and received his medical degree at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. His residency training was completed through Michigan State University at McLaren Oakland, known for its advanced orthopedic program. During his residency, Dr. Knudson trained in all aspects of orthopedic surgery, with special emphasis on joint replacement, direct anterior hip replacement, sports medicine, and trauma care.
His experience also includes five years as a flight surgeon with the US Air Force and Air Force National Guard, two and a half years of which were spent with the 5th Medical Group at Minot AFB. The remaining time was spent in Japan, Afghanistan, and Michigan.
Dr. Knudson and his wife, Kelly, have three children. Whether fishing or hunting, they enjoy spending their free time in the beautiful North Dakota outdoors.
Joon K. Lee, MD
Dr. Lee is a radiation oncologist dedicated to providing compassionate care that meets the highest standard of excellence. With extensive training in 3D-CRT, IMRT, SRS/SBRT, and other leading-edge radiation treatment technologies, Dr. Lee is able to provide highly effective cancer treatments for his patients. Formerly of Bellevue, WA, he earned his medical doctorate from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford, IL. Following a transitional year residency at Crittenton Hospital in Rochester, MI, he completed his radiation oncology residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, where he served as chief resident from 2017 to 2018. He received many awards throughout his medical training and has published several journal articles and presented his work at numerous national conferences. Dr. Lee is a member of the American Society for Radiation Oncology, American Brachytherapy Society, Radiological Society of North America, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American College of Radiology. He is also highly-proficient in Spanish and Korean.
Annie Steen, FNP-C
Annie Steen, FNP-C, is an experienced nurse practitioner and a member of our medical oncology team. Working in collaboration with other providers, she offers care and support to patients undergoing medical oncology and hematology treatments, with services ranging from patient education to follow-up care and symptom management. A Minot native, Annie earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from North Dakota State University. She practiced rehabilitation and ortho-neuro nursing at Sanford Health in Fargo, later returning to Minot to work in the area of rheumatology at Trinity Health. She completed her Master of Science in Family Nurse Practice at the University of North Dakota and provided primary care services to patients at CHI St. Alexius Health in Minot for six years. A member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Annie is married with a son and a daughter.