Dr. Shelby Sortino (Lee) was born and raised in Minot, ND. Dr. Shelby knew she wanted to be a chiropractor at a young age due to her struggle with scoliosis. Chiropractic helped her feel better through the years.

She attended the Minot State University for 2 years studying anatomy and cell biology before moving to Bloomington, MN in January 2015. There she completed her Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and received her Doctorate of Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University in April 2018. Throughout her studies, she saw firsthand how chiropractic and acupuncture paired well when treating patients. She decided to continue her schooling and received her Masters of Acupuncture in April 2020.

Dr. Shelby is passionate about promoting evidence-based health to her patients through the use of chiropractic, acupuncture, and other holistic modalities. She connects with her patients through trust, education, and a “whole-body” approach to health care. She is excited to be back in her hometown providing care to her community and helping individuals reach their health goals. When not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her amazing husband, beautiful daughter, family, and friends.

Memberships:

• American Chiropractic Association Member
• North Dakota Chiropractic Association Member
• Minot Chamber of Commerce Ambassador

Specialties:

• Chiropractic Acupuncture Board Certified
• Graston Practitioner
• Rocktape and Kinesiology Taping
• Nutrition Certificate

Melinda Howe MNA, CRNA, APRN owner and provider here at Ascend Wellness. She is an active member of the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, the Society for Opioid Free Anesthesia, the American Society of Ketamine Physicians, and the North Dakota Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

Born and raised in Minot, Melinda began her nursing journey at Minot State University in Minot and worked for Trinity Medical Center in Minot’s Intensive Care and Criticair Flight Program for several years. Melinda decided to pursue anesthesia as her specialty because of her intense interest in the field, and she attended the prestigious Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, earning her Advanced Practice Nursing degree with a specialization in anesthesiology. Adding to her training, Melinda underwent specialized instruction in ketamine therapy and IV hydration and nutrition at the online Ketamine and IV Nutritional Academy. She is also AFMCP certified in Functional Medicine via the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). She spent several years gaining invaluable experience at a variety of hospitals and surgical practices across the United States before bringing her skills home to the Minot community.

Melinda has a personal interest in therapies for conditions like chronic pain, as her father struggled for several years without finding any treatments that truly improved his quality of life. She believes there are better options available now, and she wants to make them more widely available. She looks forward to delivering expert therapies in a safe and fully monitored environment and hopes that these novel treatments will help patients in their recovery from psychological and physical pain. She has a strong interest in working towards root cause exploration while working with patients and combines Holistic and Western medicine methodologies to help you feel your best. She is most proud of her family- husband Wayne and 3 beautiful children. She is happy to have been able to bring them back to the Minot area as it is such a special community to raise a family.
Dog’s name: Ziggy Stardust (you may see him from time to time at Ascend. He loves hugs!)

Sally is a Minot native and a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She has 19 years of clinical experience serving the Minot area. She has practiced in areas of Critical Care, Adult and Geriatric Medicine and Family Practice.

She is a graduate of the University of Mary, Family Nurse Practitioner Program and is certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Sally is an active member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and North Dakota Nurse Practitioner Association.

Sally is passionate in supporting and empowering people in their healthcare journey and sees herself as a partner in this process. She believes that her role is to provide the necessary education, resources, and motivation so that patients can be successful in reaching their health goals.

When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, going to the lake, and being outdoors.