Dr. Longfors is a board-certified general surgeon, dedicated to providing advanced, high-quality surgical care to patients of all ages. Her experience covers a broad range of minimally invasive and traditional surgical techniques, including laparoscopic procedures and Trinity Health’s da Vinci Xi robotic surgery system. Areas of specialty include surgeries of the breast, colon, gallbladder, appendix, hernia, and gastrointestinal system. Born and reared in Minnesota, Dr. Longfors graduated with high honors from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and completed her general surgery residency at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. She practiced general surgery at hospitals in Arizona, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Prior to joining Trinity Health, Dr. Longfors provided general surgery services at CentraCare Health in St. Cloud, MN. In addition to being recognized for academic achievement, Dr. Longfors has been an advocate for improving patient access to surgical care, serving international medical missions in Kenya and other short-term trips in Africa. A member of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Longfors enjoys travel, hiking, biking, and spending time with family and friends.
Varicose Veins
Robert Guttormson, MD
Robert Guttormson, MD, MHA, FACS, is a board-certified general surgeon and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. With a special interest in advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery, Dr. Guttormson is dedicated to providing excellent surgical care to patients, with innovative approaches that involve less pain, less blood loss, and quicker recovery. A Minot native, he earned his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and completed his general surgery residency in Saginaw, Michigan, at an affiliate campus of Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Following residency, he practiced at Altru Health System in Grand Forks for over nine years and served as Assistant Professor of Surgery for the UND Surgical Residency. His volunteer service includes medical missions work in Niger, Africa. His wife and their four children enjoy outdoor activities and travel. He also has an interest in photography. He is looking forward to helping serve his home community as a member of Trinity’s Surgical Associates Group.
Dustin Evans, MD
A member of our General Surgery team, Dustin Evans, MD, provides safe and effective surgical care to patients, with advanced treatment options and minimally invasive techniques for a wide range of surgical procedures. He is originally from Colorado and grew up on a dairy farm in Northeast Colorado. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He remained at UC for his general surgery internship, and completed his general surgery residency training at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. Evans’ experience is broad and includes things from working at a gold mine to volunteering as an EMT with Highland Rescue Team Ambulance Service in Golden, CO. In his spare time, he enjoys shooting sports, 4-wheeling, and spending time with his wife and four children.
Alicia Crosby, FNP-C
A member of our General Surgery team, Alicia Crosby, FNP-C, is a board-certified nurse practitioner trained to provide a wide range of services to patients undergoing surgical procedures, including patient assessment, follow-up care, and education to surgical patients. A Minot native, Alicia received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Minot State University and her Master of Science in Family Nurse Practitioner training from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. Her RN experience includes over five years of experience as a critical care nurse in Trinity Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
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.”
Amanda Weidler, FNP-C
Amanda Weidler, FNP-C, serves in Trinity’s Cardiology Department as a nurse practitioner. She works closely with cardiologists and other clinical staff to provide comprehensive cardiovascular care, including health assessments, care planning, writing prescriptions, and counseling patients on lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular illness. Originally from Killdeer, Amanda earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. She practiced in Bismarck and at Trinity Hospital in Minot, serving patients in the ortho-neuro and post-anesthesia care units. She returned to UND to complete her Master of Science/Family Nurse Practitioner degree. A member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the North Dakota Nurse Practitioners Association, Amanda resides in Velva with her husband, Matt, and their two children.
Samir Turk, MD
Dr. Turk is board certified in general cardiology and interventional cardiology. A graduate of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland, he completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Worcester City Hospital and University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA. He completed fellowships in peripheral vascular medicine and cardiology at Cleveland Clinic Foundation and MetroHealth Medical Center in Ohio. He was an interventional cardiologist with Health Center – Medical Arts from 1994-1999. He was associated with Ohio Heart Care, Inc., Canton, Ohio, before returning to Minot.
Gillian Lavik, MD
A member of our General Surgery team, Gillian Lavik, MD, provides safe and effective surgical care to patients, with specialty interests that include surgical oncology, abdominal surgeries and minimally invasive options for a wide range of procedures. A Rugby, ND, native, she completed her premedical education at Macalester College in Minnesota and received her medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Grand Forks. Her internship and residency were completed at Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, an affiliate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where Dr. Lavik served as chief resident her graduate year.
Jerel Brandt, DO
Dr. Brandt is a board-certified general surgeon, experienced in the full range of surgical procedures. He specializes in minimally invasive techniques, including surgeries utilizing the da Vinci robotic system. A Minot native and 1996 graduate of Minot High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from the University of Mary and a Masters in Kinesiology from the University of North Dakota before receiving his Doctor of Osteopathy degree from Des Moines University in Iowa. He completed his General Surgery residency at Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, MI. Throughout his educational career Dr. Brandt has been active in projects and initiatives to promote health and wellness.
Valentine Chikwendu, MD
Valentine Chikwendu, MD, is a board certified specialist in general cardiology. He provides diagnosis and treatment to people with cardiovascular disease, and also performs invasive/non-invasive cardiology procedures. A graduate of the University of Nigeria College of Medicine, Dr. Chikwendu completed his internal medicine residency and adult cardiology fellowship at Cooke County Hospital in Chicago. He is specially trained to assess heart function by utilizing nuclear cardiology studies and is certified by the Board of Nuclear Cardiology.