Surgical Services

A team you can trust

Sakakawea Medical Center (SMC) is committed to providing outstanding, compassionate care and service. The surgeons that practice at SMC have completed their education and fellowships at some of the top universities in the country and are board certified.

Surgical Team

Each patient will have a team of experts caring for them which allows us to provide you with the very best of care.

Your surgical team will consist of

• Surgeon
  • Physician that has extensive training in a specialty and will be performing the surgery to treat, diagnose, or repair the patient.
• Certified Registered Anesthesiologist Nurse (CRNA)
  • The CRNA works very closely with the surgeon to help administer anesthesia and monitor the patient the entire time they are in the operating room.
• Pre–Operation Care Nurse
  • The nurse will review health history information, provide education and pre—operative care such as IV starts.
• Circulating Nurse
  • Operating room nurses provide care and support to patients before, during, and after surgery. The nurses are responsible for maintaining a sterile environment in the operating room, monitoring the patient during surgery, and coordinating care throughout the process.
• Surgical Tech
  • The surgical technologist is an allied health professional who works as part of the surgical team to ensure that the operative procedure is conducted under optimal conditions. Surgical Techs create and maintain the sterile field and hand instruments to the surgeon and/or assistant during surgery.
• Assisting Nurse
  • Works directly under the supervision of the surgeon and assists as needed.
• Post–Operation/Recovery Room Nurse
  • The Recovery Room nurse specializes in providing care to the patient during the immediate post–anesthesia time. This nurse is an expert at assessing the patient for respiratory and surgical complications.

Meet our Surgical Team

• Dr. Michael L. Schmit, MD, FACS
• Certified by the American Board of Surgery

• Dr. Schmit, Staff Surgeon at Sakakawea Medical Center specializes in general, trauma, bariatric, and advanced laparoscopic surgery.

  Dr. Schmit received his medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, attended Minot State University where he graduated with Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, and completed his surgical residency at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine.

  A native of Minot, North Dakota, Dr. Schmit is a Fellow member of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the American Medical Association and a member of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma.

• 510 8th Ave NE; Hazen, ND • 7017482225

• Carl Miller, CRNA
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

• Carl Miller, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, has been practicing at Sakakawea Medical Center since January of 2014. He provides anesthesia care to patients in the Operating Room and Emergency Room as needed.

  Carl graduated from the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Program through Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas in December of 2013.

  He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing in 2007 from Medcenter One College of Nursing in Bismarck, ND, and worked as an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Sanford Hospital for 6 years.

  Carl is a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and is certified through the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists.

• 510 8th Ave NE; Hazen, ND • 7017482225

Advanced Technology

Sakakawea Medical Center provides state-of-the-art rooms equipped with the latest, most advanced technology for patients to receive the best quality care. With two surgical suites and a fully equipped endoscopy suite, SMC can schedule your surgery in a timely manner.

General Surgery Procedures

SMC Surgical Services include endoscopy, operating rooms, recovery rooms and surgery center. All procedures are performed in a state-of-the art facility.

The following are some, but not limited to, procedures provided by surgical services

• Appendectomy (removal of the appendix)
• Biopsies
• Carpel Tunnel Release
• Cholecystectomy (removal of gall bladder)
• Colonoscopy
• Colon (bowel resection)
• EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy)
• Hemorrhoidectomy
• Hernia Repair
• Pilonidal Cyst
• Spincterotomy
• Thyroidectomy
• Vasectomy
• Laparoscopic Procedures (appendix, colon, diagnostic, gall bladder, hernia, reflux, soft tissue injury, etc.)