Williston’s Health Care Renaissance: A New Era of Wellness Blooms

Lynn Welker-Fevold

Tucked in the northwest corner of North Dakota, Williston has roared into prominence and experienced a powerful population surge due to its location in the oil and natural gas-rich Bakken formation. The explosive growth has caused the Williams County seat to nearly double in size during the last 15 years, along with growing demand for quality healthcare close to home.

Committed to meeting this important need, two recognized rural health leaders – McKenzie Health and Sanford Health – have increased medical services in Williston, with a focus on improving the overall quality of life for all ages in the community.

McKenzie Health

It has been a dynamic season of expansion for McKenzie Health, with the opening of McKenzie Health Center-Williston in the former Fairlight Medical Center on Fourth Street in downtown Williston in 2024. The busy center offers a broad range of orthopedic and walk-in urgent care for adults and children, including imaging and laboratory services.  

Given McKenzie Health’s proximity to Williston (about an hour away in Watford City, the McKenzie County seat) and many of its medical providers utilizing the Williston Basin International Airport, “expanding our services beyond McKenzie County simply makes sense,” says McKenzie Health CEO Pete Edis, who has dedicated his career to rural health. “This strategy is mutually beneficial: It helps meet the pressing health care demands in Williston while also sustaining the availability of primary and a wide range of specialty care for McKenzie County residents.”

More recently, after the outgrowth of the initial Williston clinic, steps were taken to expand its local footprint. When the former VA clinic became available for lease, it was an easy decision to make plans for a second location called Williston Health Center-West. Excellent accessibility, ample parking and being in nearly move-in ready condition were major pluses. Initially, family medicine providers transitioned there, with plans for a full range of services to be added.

“At McKenzie Health, we are proud to play a growing role in supporting the health and well-being of not just our own county, but that of the broader region. Our expansion is driven by one purpose: to provide exceptional care closer to home for everyone who needs it,” Edis says.

Kyle Martin

Sanford Health  

The largest rural health system in the U.S., Sanford Health has a strong commitment to providing health care to the heartland of American, including Williston, with its recent acquisition of the Great Plains Women’s Health Center.

Located at 11th Street West, the facility was rebranded 11th & Gate Clinic and is easily recognized with the bright blue entrance sign.

“Williston and Sanford Health share a common vision for the enhancement of health care in western North Dakota and eastern Montana. We are excited to expand the services offered at the Sanford 11th & Gate Clinic to better care for patients in these rural communities,” says Dr. Todd Schaffer, president and CEO of the Bismarck region of Sanford Health.

Providers who specialize in pediatrics and sports medicine now travel to the clinic on a regular basis to provide care, joining behavioral health, diabetes education and virtual maternal fetal medicine with a future goal of in-person outreach.

Other specialty services include cardiology and four full-time OB/GYN clinicians. Most women will be able to see their same provider and benefit from a full range of services, including gynecological care and surgery, obstetrics from preconception to postpartum, menopause management and more.

“By expanding our services, we can meet the increasing demand for care in Williston, setting the foundation to develop and offer the best patient care possible with the goal of high-quality care close to home,” says Schaffer. “We plan to continue to invest in Williston and look forward to contributing more to this important economic development initiative for the community. Together, we will continue to build a healthier community for generations to come.”