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 at Health Center – Medical Arts from 1994-1999. He was associated with Ohio Heart Care, Inc., Canton, Ohio, before returning to Minot.
Trinity Health Medical Office Building
Jeffrey Verhey, MD
Dr. Verhey is board certified in three specialties. He is board certified in Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine and Internal Medicine. His training gives him expertise in treating patients with respiratory and lung conditions. He also is trained to care for those critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit. Dr. Verhey has been with Trinity Health since 1996, and serves Trinity in many capacities. He is the Medical Director for Home Health/Hospice, ICU, Respiratory Therapy and Trinity Health First Response Air. He has served as Trinity’s Chief of Staff from 2002-2008. He is a Clinical Professor of Medicine for UND School of Medicine and has been honored as the Teacher of the Year at the Northwest Campus several times including three years in a row from 2012-2015. Dr. Verhey received his medical degree from the University of South Dakota-Vermillion, and did his Internal Medicine Residency and Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Verhey is a native of Madison, South Dakota. He and his wife, Janelle, have four children.
Ashley Wallner, FNP-C
A member of our Urology team, Ashley Wallner, FNP-C, is a board-certified nurse practitioner, dedicated to caring for patients with issues related to the urinary tract, such as infections, cancers, and kidney stones. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Minot State University in 2007 and earned a Master of Science in Family Nurse Practice from the University of Mary, Bismarck, in 2013. Ashley joined Trinity Health in 2003 as a certified nursing assistant. After earning her degree, she worked as a registered nurse in critical care areas as well as surgical care. She was a member of the Neurosurgery team for nine years prior to joining the Urology staff. A Minot native, she enjoys travel and family activities with her husband and their three children.
Kerena Saltzgiver, CNM, MSN
Kerena Saltzgiver, CNM, MSN, is a proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and was the 12th Native American to achieve certification as a Nurse-Midwife in the United States, according to the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
A Minot native, Kerena recently returned to her community to join Trinity Health, where she provides care in pregnancy, women’s health, family planning and preventive services. Her approach is holistic—focusing on the whole person—and she is dedicated to education, listening and advocating for health equity across all populations. She has been a Certified Nurse Midwife for over 11 years and has supported more than 700 families through childbirth, building on nine years of experience as a labor and delivery nurse.
Kerena earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Minot State University and her Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on Nurse Midwifery from Frontier Nursing University. She has also completed all coursework for her Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Minnesota and is in the final stage of completing the degree. She is an active member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and continues to be a strong voice for maternal health and public health initiatives nationwide.
Nasser Saffarian, MD
Dr. Saffarian is a graduate of the American University of the Carribean, British West Indies. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital where he also fulfilled his Nephrology fellowship. He completed an additional fellowship in Transplant Nephrology at St. Johns Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit.
Erica Riordan, MSN, CNM
A certified nurse midwife, Erica Riordan, MSN, CNM, provides general obstetric and gynecological care for women, as well as contraception counseling and preventive medicine. The Illinois native earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Aurora University in Illinois and received a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on midwifery from Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, Ky. Her experience includes 10 years working as on obstetrics nurse at Illinois Valley Community Hospital. She also was associated with Birth Care Staffing, an agency that assists hospitals in fulfilling specialized nursing needs. She is a member of the American College of Nurse Midwives and Midwives Alliance of North America.
Bryan Phillips, PA-C
Bryan Phillips, PA-C, is a certified PA and a provider in our Infectious Disease Department. He works closely with Infectious Disease specialist Casmiar Nwaigwe, MD, and other clinicians to provide care to patients with various illnesses caused by microorganisms, including bacterial and viral infections. A graduate of Minot State University, where he graduated Cum Laude, he completed his master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies at Des Moines University, Iowa. His experience includes medical rotations in Family and Internal Medicine, as a scribe and ER technician in the Trinity Emergency Trauma Center and as working as a residential treatment advisor at the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. He’s a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Casmiar I Nwaigwe, MD
Casmiar I. Nwaigwe is board certified in Infectious Diseases. He offers expert consultation and treatment of illnesses caused by microorganisms, including bacterial and viral infections, HIV, pneumonia, wound infections and Lyme disease. He also consults on the rational use of antibiotics and treatment of resistant bacteria as well as providing advice to international travelers. Dr. Nwaigwe (pronounced WIG-way) received his medical degree from the University of Lagos in his home country of Nigeria. He completed a three-year Internal Medicine residency and three-year Infectious Diseases fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, where he received awards for his scholarly study and research. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Infectious Disease Society of America, American College of Physicians, and the Society of Internal Medicine.
Bahram Nico, MD
Dr. Nico is board certified in Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology. A graduate of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Nico completed his residency in Neurology and a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He concluded a fellowship in sleep medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Tricia Nechodom, AuD
Tricia M. Nechodom, AuD, is a Doctor of Audiology, skilled in all aspects of evaluation and diagnosis of hearing disorders through the lifespan. Her clinical interests include: hearing aid prescription and fitting, Cochlear implant programming, hearing conservation, pediatric diagnostics, electrophysiological hearing tests for infants and young children and newborn hearing screening program.
Tricia earned her degree at the University of Minnesota and completed her training at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital and the University of Minnesota Medical Center. She is a certified pediatric specialist through the American Board of Audiology and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology. She belongs to the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, ND Hands & Voices and the North Dakota Hearing Society. Tricia aims to advance audiological best practice protocols and guidelines within Trinity and the state of North Dakota by actively participating in local and national continuing education, conferences, and training opportunities.