A certified registered nurse anesthetist, Jennifer Olson, DNP, CRNA, provides anesthesia care to patients across a wide spectrum of surgical cases. Originally from North Dakota, she earned both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. Prior to earning her doctorate, she worked as an RN at Trinity Health, caring for patients in the Intensive Care Unit and serving as a flight nurse with Trinity’s First Response Air. A member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists, Jennifer’s leisure time interests include spending time with her family, reading and being active.
Trinity Hospital
Christmas Fundraisers 2023
Featured Holiday Event
Christmas Bingo
All proceeds and donations to the Trinity Health Auxiliary will be used to support the clinics and hospitals that serve our neighbors and communities in Northwestern North Dakota. This Christmas season we are having fun with a special game of Christmas Bingo.
How can you play?
Participate by purchasing $10 bingo cards from the hospital gift shop at the Healthcare Center and Medical District. On December 1st the game will begin, and a daily text will be sent out to participants with a daily word. Each day 2 words will be drawn to fill up the cards until all prizes are claimed.
What are the rules?
Each participant can purchase multiple bingo cards but only one win per card is allowed. Each word needs to be viewable on the card in order to claim prizes at the Gift Shop. On Monday’s a text will include how many prizes have been claimed.
Brieann Backes, PA-C
A member of our Emergency/Trauma team, Brieann Backes, PA-C, is a board-certified physician assistant, dedicated to providing high quality care to people with emergent and life-threatening conditions. A Minot native, Brieann graduated from the University of Mary, Bismarck, with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, and she completed her Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Concordia University Wisconsin. Her experience includes medical rotations in a broad range of specialties including Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and North Dakota Academy of Physician Assistants.
Family Birth Center
We Make More Possible by putting your family first.
At Trinity Health, our passion is providing excellence in family-focused care using up-to-date research and evidence-based practice that respects the family bonding experience. That includes:
- Skin-to-skin contact with your newborn immediately after birth.
- High-quality security system to ensure infants and new families are safe.
- Rooming in with newborns for the entire hospital stay.
- Spacious and home-like environment to promote a calming atmosphere.
About the Family Birth Center
The Family Birth Center is located on the third floor of Trinity Health Hospital. It includes 12 labor rooms, two rooms for monitoring labor symptoms and urgent pregnancy concerns, and three dedicated antepartum rooms should a soon-to-be mom require specialized in-hospital care prior to delivery.
Two operating rooms are located inside the Family Birth Center allowing C-Section deliveries and recovery to happen in one place. After delivery, mom moves to one of 16 available private postpartum rooms until discharge.
Prepare for Your Stay
No one can predict exactly what their birth experience will be, but making a plan before it’s time for baby’s arrival will help you feel more prepared and in control. A couple of important questions to consider include:
- Who will be your support person?
- How do you want to address pain?
Trinity Health offers information and classes to help you answer these questions and practice skills before baby arrives. Check out our free prenatal and newborn classes.
You can also find details on essential items provided at the hospital and a list of things you may find helpful to bring from home on our What to Bring checklist.
Labor and Delivery
Your birth experience begins in the labor and delivery unit of Trinity Health’s Family Birth Center. Patient rooms here are more spacious than regular hospital rooms and include private bathrooms, large windows with scenic views, comfortable accommodations for your support person, wireless monitors, and state-of-the-art technology.
Our team of nurses, doctors, midwives, and support personnel have special training in women’s health, making them uniquely qualified to help fulfill your ideal birth plan or address any issues that may arise. They also understand the positive impact of a quiet and calming environment for the laboring patient and work hard to minimize exterior noise.
C-Section
If your birth experience includes a planned or emergency cesarean section (C-section), you will move from the labor and delivery unit to a nearby surgical suite. The Family Birth Center contains two well-equipped cesarean section suites located near labor and delivery for both safety and convenience.
NICU
Some infants require extra support after birth. Trinity Health operates a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) dedicated to the care of babies born prematurely or those requiring more complex care. Learn more about our NICU services here.
After Delivery
Following your initial recovery period, our team will take you to one of our private and comfortable Mother/Baby Suites. These rooms feature plenty of space for visitors, a sofa bed, private bathroom with complimentary toiletries, and streaming internet/tv. You will stay in this suite until discharged.
Feeding Your Baby
Our specially trained lactation consultants and counselors will help you navigate the process of feeding your newborn. That might include:
- Assistance and support with latching your infant to the breast
- Education regarding the “Golden Hour”
- Education on and promotion of skin-to-skin bonding with your infant
- Education regarding the use of breast pumps
- Assistance and teaching in hand-expression
- Assessment of the need for breastfeeding assistive devices
- Formula feeding education to include appropriate volumes
- Referrals for lactation follow-up visits in the clinic
- BIBS Breastfeeding Support Group information
- Post-discharge follow-up phone calls
For those who want more information and an opportunity to practice some skills before baby arrives, consider attending one of our free prenatal and newborn classes.
Women’s and Children’s (Inpatient) Services
Why Choose Trinity Health?
The team at Trinity Health is dedicated to addressing the unique medical needs of women and children with a family-centered approach. That means the patient defines their family and together, the patient, family, and healthcare providers determine how they will participate in care and decision-making. This approach honors personal beliefs and choices and integrates cultural and religious preferences into the plan of care. It also prioritizes sharing accurate, complete, and unbiased information with patients and families in ways that are affirming and helpful.
The third floor of the new hospital is devoted to women and children, with the Family Birth Center, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatrics all situated in close range.
Our team of nurses, doctors, midwives, and support personnel have special training in women’s health, children’s health, and neonatal health making them uniquely qualified to address a wide range of conditions. Learn more below:
Family Birth Center
Having a baby looks different for each person and each pregnancy. At Trinity Health Family Birth Center, rest assured that your labor, delivery, and postpartum needs will be met with compassion and medical excellence. The Birth Center has large rooms and two OR suites so C-Section deliveries and mom/baby recovery can occur in one location.
NICU
Some infants require extra support after birth. Trinity Health operates a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) dedicated to the care of babies born prematurely or those requiring more complex care. The NICU consists of 22 bassinets, including 11 single rooms, three rooms for twins and one for triplets. There’s also an overnight room for parents and baby to stay the night before they leave the NICU.
Inpatient Pediatrics
When kids need a hospital stay, you can count on Trinity Health’s pediatric experts to deliver high-quality medical care in a child-friendly environment. Our team uses a family-centered approach that encourages participation from the patient and parent/guardian. When everyone works together, children feel calmer, more in control, and experience better clinical outcomes.
Prenatal and Newborn Classes
Trinity Health offers information and classes to help you prepare for labor and delivery and practice important skills like feeding before baby arrives. Click here for a list of our classes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Get answers to some of our most frequently asked questions about labor, delivery, post-partum, and lactation services.
Janika Vondrak, PA-C
Trinity Health is pleased to welcome Janika Vondrak, PA-C, to our Emergency/Trauma team. Janika is a board-certified physician assistant with extensive experience providing immediate care to people with emergent and life-threatening illnesses and injuries. A graduate of Gonzaga University, Spokane, she completed her master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from Touro University California, Vallejo. She subsequently joined the Emergency Department at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where she operated a clinical decision unit within the level 1 trauma center. Most recently she was a surgical first assistant in the OR at Desert Orthopedic Center, Las Vegas. Janika is board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
Keith Ryan, MD
A member of our team of anesthesia specialists, Dr. Ryan is a board-certified anesthesiologist with nearly two decades of experience. He is highly trained to provide safe and effective anesthesia care to patients undergoing the full range of surgical procedures.
Dr. Ryan earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. After a transitional residency he completed his residency in Anesthesiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, where he served his last year as Chief Resident.
Since then, he has practiced and held leadership positions at care settings in Wisconsin and Wyoming. Most recently he provided anesthesia services to patients at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen, SD.
Dr. Ryan is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
Sashi Kuppala, MD, MS
Trinity Health is pleased to welcome neonatologist Sashi Kuppala, MD, MS, to our care team in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Dr. Kuppala is double board certified in neonatology and general pediatrics, with a philosophy of care that prioritizes quality measures to ensure that infants receive the highest level of care possible.
Dr. Kuppala graduated from Rangaraya Medical College in India, where he earned both his primary medical degree and post-graduate diploma in child health. He says his early training led him in the direction of neonatology. “What stuck with me is that in the NICU, you’re supporting the life of a human being who could very well go on to make an enormous contribution to human achievement.”
Dr. Kuppala did his pediatric residency at Cleveland Clinic and completed his neonatology fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Later, to enhance his expertise he earned a Master of Science in Healthcare Quality and Safety Management from Thomas Jefferson University in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Kuppala practiced neonatology at hospitals in Kentucky and Indiana. He also served two years as medical director for Signature Care Network Health Insurance. Most recently, he served as staff neonatologist and medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Women’s Hospital in Newburgh, Indiana.
An avid hiker and mountain climber, Dr. Kuppala and his wife, Kavita, who is also a physician, have a daughter and son.
Myca Kleespie, CRNA
A certified registered nurse anesthetist, Myca Kleespie, CRNA, provides anesthesia care to patients across a wide spectrum of surgical cases.
David DeSautel, CRNA
A certified registered nurse anesthetist, David DeSautel, CRNA, provides anesthesia care to patients across a wide spectrum of surgical cases.