A certified registered nurse anesthetist, Denise Zahn, CRNA, provides anesthesia care to patients across a wide spectrum of surgical cases. Denise earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and received her anesthesia training at the Mayo School of Health Related Sciences in Rochester, MN. She practiced at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis for seven years and spent a year at Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital in Illinois before joining Trinity Health in 1995. A member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Denise is certified by the National Board of Certification and Re-certification of Nurse Anesthetists.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Anthony Udekwe, MD
Dr. Udekwe (Oo-dek-way) specializes in caring for children of all ages – from newborn to adolescent. He is experienced in managing a wide variety of problems ranging from infection and illness, to chronic conditions as well as developmental problems. He provides immunizations and regular checkups to help keep children healthy. A graduate of the University of Nigeria, Dr. Udekwe completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s National Center and Howard University Hospital, both located in Washington, D.C. He is certified in Advanced Pediatric Life Support and Neonatal Resuscitation.
Nicole Underdahl, CRNA
A certified registered nurse anesthetist, Nicole A. Underdahl, MS, CRNA, provides anesthesia care to patients across a wide spectrum of surgical cases. Originally from Hazen, Nicky earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from MedCenter One College of Nursing, Bismarck, in 1996, and received her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, in 2009. Prior to joining Trinity’s Anesthesia department she worked in Trinity’s ICU and was a flight nurse with Northstar Criticair. A member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the North Dakota Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Nicky is certified by the National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists. She and her husband have two grown children.
Ashley Stevens, CRNA
A certified registered nurse anesthetist, Ashley L. Stevens, CRNA, provides anesthesia care to patients across a wide spectrum of surgical cases. The Minot native earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Minot State University and received her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia from Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth. Her CRNA training included a two-and-a-half-year residency at St. Alexius Medical Center, Bismarck, and an obstetric epidural/spinal rotation at Parkland Memorial Hopsital, Dallas, TX. Prior to joining Trinity’s Anesthesia department she worked six years in the Intensive Care and Post Anesthesia Care units as an RN. A member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the North Dakota Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Ashley is certified by the National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists. She and her husband, Guy, have a daughter.
Brian Tin-Maung, MD
A board certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Tin-Maung manages patient pain levels before, during, and after surgical procedures, with a focus in obstetrical and cardiac anesthesiology. Born and reared in Myanmar (Burma), he earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine 1 in Yangon and completed his Anesthesiology residency at New York Medical College, Valhalla.
Kari Rist, CRNA
A certified registered nurse anesthetist, Kari Rist, CRNA, provides anesthesia care to patients across a wide spectrum of surgical cases. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Nursing from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, and received her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. Prior to pursuing her advanced degree she served as a registered nurse at UniMed Medical Center and later at Trinity Health after the two systems merged. She’s been a member of Trinity’s Anesthesia Department since 2004. A member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Kari is certified by the National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists.
Diana Peterson, MD
A board certified pediatrician, originally from New Philadelphia, Ohio, Dr. Peterson earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed her internship and residency at Keesler Medical Center, Biloxi, Mississippi. She joined Minot Air Force Base’s 5th Medical Group as a staff pediatrician. She served as Chief of Pediatrics at the base hospital prior to joining Trinity Medical Group. She’s a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics.
Christine Nelson, CRNA
A certified registered nurse anesthetist, Christine M. Nelson, CRNA, provides anesthesia care to patients across a wide spectrum of surgical cases. A Minot native, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Minot State University and completed her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. She was a staff RN with Trinity Health for five years prior to joining our Anesthesia team. Christine is a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the North Dakota Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
John Nwankwo, MD
A member of our Anesthesiology team, John Nwankwo, MD, provides safe and effective anesthesia care for patients undergoing the full range of surgical procedures. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the American University of Antigua College of Medicine in the Caribbean and completed his four-year Anesthesiology residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He also holds an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Plymouth State University, New Hampshire. Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Nwankwo spent his early career as a petroleum geologist, exploring for oil and gas deposits in Malaysia and performing geological survey in Las Vegas. He also practiced as a Registered Nurse in Houston, TX, prior to pursuing his medical career. He is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Medical Association.
Friday Osuala, MD
Dr. Osuala is a pediatrician specially trained to manage the full range of physical, mental, and emotional health problems of children of all ages, including infections, injuries, chronic conditions, behavioral difficulties and developmental disorders. A graduate of the University of Nigeria College of Medicine, he worked as a general pediatrician at Tobago Regional Hospital in the West Indies for five years, where he provided outpatient and inpatient care for a Level 2 nursery and pediatric emergency room. He completed residency training in Pediatric Medicine at the Pediatric Department of Woodhull Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY.