Melinda A Howe, APRN, CRNA
Anesthesiology located in Minot, ND
Experienced registered nurse practitioner anesthetist Melinda Howe, APRN, CRNA, offers specialized ketamine infusion therapy services at Ascend Wellness MBS in Minot, North Dakota. She helps patients to overcome treatment-resistant chronic pain and mental health disorders.
Melinda is an active member of the 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. She has specialized skills in administering ketamine and vitamin infusions that few providers can match.
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 Academy. 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.
Monica Sivertson, LMT
Licensed Massage Therapist located in Minot, ND
Monica is a 2005 graduate of The Boulder College of Massage Therapy in Boulder, CO. Her main area of focus is sports and orthopedic massage with an emphasis on deep tissue, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy. Monica was a teaching assistant at The Cortiva Institute of Massage Therapy from 2007-2008, where she helped students develop their skills in sports and orthopedic modalities.
Her passion for massage therapy stems from the ability to help people reach their full potential in their journey toward maximum health and wellness. Tracking the progress of her clients and seeing the positive results that massage therapy can have is what drives Monica to continually learn and grow as a massage therapist. Monica has much experience helping athletes with injuries, concussions, prevention of injury, and overall wellness. Monica was born and raised in Westhope, North Dakota, and is excited to be home after 16 years in Colorado. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, and going for walks with her sweet puppy Hank.
Kira Mackay RN, BSN
Kira is a Registered Nurse who graduated from Minot State University in 2017. She has spent the majority of her nursing practice in the mental health field, obtaining the ANCC psychiatric mental health board certification in 2020. Kira has a passion for helping others become their best selves and is currently attending UND Graduate School pursuing a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner degree.
Kira was born and raised in Minot and in her spare time, enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids. Their family loves traveling, camping, and watching their kids play hockey.
Kira is IV Nutrition and ACLS/BLS certified. Her favorite piece of Ascend Wellness is getting to know the patients and seeing the vast improvements with each visit!