Tourette Syndrome (Tourette's)
Maria Gonzales, FNP-C
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.
Melissa Andreasen, FNP-C
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.
Stacy Flaten, FNP-BC
Stacy Flaten, FNP-BC, is a board-certified nurse practitioner and a member of our Behavioral Health team. She works with doctors, counselors, and other healthcare professionals to provide inpatient care to people with mental health and addiction issues. With close to 20 years of nursing experience, Stacy has cared for patients across the lifespan, practicing primarily in medical-surgical, NICU, and orthopedic settings in Fargo, Minot, and Bismarck, often in leadership positions. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from North Dakota State University in 2003 and completed a Master of Science in Nurse Education from the University of Mary, Bismarck, in 2015. She served on the nursing faculty of Minot State University for four years from 2014 to 2018. Later, she developed an interest in behavioral health nursing. She continued to advance her education, completing post-master’s training as a family nurse practitioner through Purdue Global University. Stacy is a member of the American Nurses Association.
Bobbie Buseth, PMHNP-BC
A member of our Behavioral Health team, Bobbie Buseth, PMHNP-BC, is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She provides mental healthcare to patients dealing with a wide range of psychiatric conditions, from depression and anxiety to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. A graduate of Maryville University with a Master of Science in psychiatric mental health nursing, Bobbie began her healthcare career in 2008 as a certified nursing assistant at Trinity Homes. She continued to advance her nursing education, earning her LPN and RN degrees through Dakota College at Bottineau and Williston State College respectively. While at DCB, she received the Compassion of Nursing Award. In 2018 she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Mary, Bismarck, and soon after completed her PMHNP degree. Bobbie’s RN experience includes long term care, pediatric, primary care, and inpatient psychiatric nursing in association with Trinity Health, CHI St. Alexius, and Northland Community Health Center. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Lauren Wake, DO
Trinity Health welcomes Lauren Wake, DO, to our inpatient psychiatry team. Dr. Wake is specially trained to help adults of all ages manage a broad range of behavioral health problems, including serious mental health conditions. Working with each patient, she uses medications, psychotherapy, and other interventions to promote recovery and enhance patients’ physical and emotional well-being.
Born and raised in Michigan, Dr. Wake earned her doctorate at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a four-year residency in Adult Psychiatry at Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University, where she acquired extensive experience treating a variety of mental health disorders. During the final year of her residency, she completed a year-long fellowship in psychoanalytic psychotherapy at Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute in Farmington Hills.
Throughout her medical training, Dr. Wake has been recognized for leadership, earning the Graduate Medical Education Leadership Award and Resident Teaching Awards. She was appointed to serve as junior chief resident and chief resident. She graduated with the Outstanding Graduate Award and Professionalism Award. A member of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Wake and her husband – a ship captain – enjoy sailing, traveling, and spending time with their dog.
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.
Elizabeth Ohiku, MD
Elizabeth Ohiku, MD, MS, BSN is board certified in General and Child-Adolescent Psychiatry. She is uniquely qualified to address the full range of emotional and behavioral health issues affecting children and adolescents, utilizing the latest therapies and interventions. Dr. Ohiku completed her medical degree and General Psychiatry residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. She completed her fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans. Dr. Ohiku has practiced psychiatry with special populations including, forensic adults and juveniles, school based mental health, veterans, the intellectually disabled and severely mentally ill individuals. At one point, she oversaw the establishment of psychiatric services at Richmond State Supported Living Center in Texas, a residential facility for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dr. Ohiku is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Marisa Jennings, MD
A member of our outpatient Behavioral Health Services team, Dr. Jennings is a board-certified psychiatrist, experienced in treating a wide range of mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. She provides outpatient care to adults using evidence-based treatments that help people achieve positive outcomes. A Texas native, Dr. Jennings earned her medical doctorate from McGovern Medical School at UT Health, and completed her residency in adult psychiatry at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. Prior to joining Trinity Health, she practiced in the San Antonio area, where she was associated with the Methodist Healthcare System. Dr. Jennings is a member of the American Psychiatric Association.
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.