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.
Spondylolisthesis
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.
Emily Stevens, FNP-BC
Emily Stevens, FNP-BC, is a board certified nurse practitioner specializing in Orthopedic Medicine. She works with physicians and other members of the orthopedic team to manage the care of patients affected by a broad range of musculoskeletal conditions, including sports-related injuries. A longtime Minot-area resident, Emily earned an Associate of Science in Nursing from Dakota College at Bottineau, where she received the “Excellence in Nursing” award and was selected for membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Concordia University Wisconsin and completed her Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the University of Cincinnati. Emily’s clinical experience includes seven years working as an RN in Trinity Hospital’s Surgery Department. She and her husband, Ryan, have two daughters. They enjoy spending time together at her husband’s family ranch. She’s a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and North Dakota Nurses Association.
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.
Andrea Sebelius, AGPCNP-BC
A nurse practitioner specializing in Adult Geriatric Primary Care, Andrea works with physicians and other members of the orthopedic team to manage the care of patients affected by a broad range of musculoskeletal conditions, including sports related injuries. Originally from Leeds, ND, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Mary, Bismarck, and completed her Master of Science in Nursing as an Adult Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner through the University of Cincinnati. A member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Andrea enjoys all outdoor sports as well as basketball, which she played both in high school and college.
Cody Pehrson, MD
Dr. Pehrson specializes in orthopedic surgery with a focus on complex trauma and hip reconstruction. His expertise includes anterior hip replacement, an innovative approach that can significantly reduce pain and downtime. He also does total shoulder replacement. Dr. Pehrson is fellowship trained in orthopedic trauma, with specialized expertise in pelvic and acetabular fracture care. He’s dedicated to helping patients regain mobility and return to the activities they enjoy. A magna-cum-laude graduate of Utah State University, he earned his medical doctorate from the Medical College of Wisconsin and received residency training in orthopedic surgery at UCSF Fresno, where he was voted Resident of the Year for the 2014-2015 academic year. Following residency, he completed his Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship with Sonoran Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeons in Phoenix, AZ, where he provided orthopedic trauma care at the four Level I trauma centers in the Phoenix area and trained extensively in reconstructive and revision surgery of the hip, with an emphasis on utilizing the anterior approach. Dr. Pehrson and his wife Jocelyn have five children. They enjoy spending time outside, traveling, and trying new things. Dr. Pehrson is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Orthopaedic Trauma Association.
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
Mary Sadler, FNP-C
A nurse practitioner in Trinity’s Neurology Department, Mary Sadler, FNP-C, works closely with neurologists and other clinical staff to assess, diagnose and treat patients with neurological illnesses and injuries. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1998 from Minot State University and practiced 10 years with Trinity Health in the Rehabilitation, Ortho/Neuro and Emergency/Trauma departments. In 2010 she received her Master of Science/Family Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of Mary in Bismarck. Since then she has served patients in family practice and emergency settings, most recently serving as an Occupational Health/Family Practice nurse practitioner with Sanford Health. She’s a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the North Dakota Nurse Practitioners Association, the American Academy of Neurology and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Dawn Mattern, MD
Dawn Mattern, MD, FAMSSM is board certified in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine and a Fellow in the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. She sees active patients and competitive athletes from all over the region and oversees the Trinity Sports Medicine Athletic Trainers as they serve the extended community. She received her training first at the Center for Family Medicine in Minot and then completed a fellowship at the Ohio State University Sports Medicine Center. Upon graduation, she served as the Head Team Physician for the men’s hockey team at OSU. She returned to Minot in 2002, and has devoted her time to covering local sports teams, education of medical students, residents and MSU Athletic Training students, all while ensuring quality care and rehabilitation of her patients. She is also a volunteer team physician with the United States Olympic Committee, US Ski and Snowboard, and the Justin Boots Sports Medicine Team with the professional rodeo. Her clinical interests include concussions and exercise as medicine.