Life-affirming options

There will soon be another Dakota Hope Clinic location to better serve women and men who are experiencing an unintended or otherwise challenging pregnancy.

Dakota Hope staff is excited to announce that a second satellite clinic is set to open on Sept. 13, in Bottineau, a city 80 miles northwest of Minot. Last year, a clinic location opened in Tioga. Both satellite clinics provide the same services locally that are available in Minot.

Located at 104 11th St SW, Ste. 2 in Bottineau, the space has undergone a transformation during the summer months and will be open for clients two days per week, with telephone or texting communication available every weekday and the possibility of appointments on other days as needed.

“We believe that every pregnant woman deserves love and support no matter what her circumstances and that every unborn child deserves to be protected,” said Clinic Director Nadia Smetana.

Services offered

The Minot-based, life-affirming Dakota Hope Clinic offers a safe and judgement free place where pregnant women are given the opportunity to share their story and hear evidence-based information about their options. Services include pregnancy testing, limited OB ultrasound, options consultation, prenatal vitamins and community referral. The “Earn while You Learn” is an incentive-based educational and mentoring program where clients learn about prenatal health, labor and delivery preparation, infant care, parenting skills, relationship building and life skill topics such as budgeting and job interviewing. With each completed lesson, clients earn points that can be exchanged for free items from the clinic’s baby boutique. The boutique inventory includes diapers, wipes, bottles, clothing, toys and other baby supplies.

Dakota Hope Clinic was opened in Minot 10 years ago. During those first 10 years of service as the only pregnancy help center in northwest/northcentral North Dakota, the board of directors and staff concluded that large areas of that region were underserved because of the distance residents live from Minot. That was the motivation for opening the first satellite clinic in October 2022 in Tioga, a city 84 miles west of Minot. Two of the first women who sought help at that clinic recently gave birth to their healthy sons.

Educational and mentoring services are offered through the assistance of background-screened and properly trained volunteers. Medical services and options consultations at the Bottineau clinic will be provided by Dakota Hope RNs under the direction of the medical director, Dr. Tyrone Berenston, of Bottineau’s SMP St. Andrews Clinic. Mandy Crocker, project manager nurse, will provide services at the Bottineau Clinic until Dakota Hope hires a part time nurse for this location. Ultrasound services will be provided by Mandy, or another specially trained RN or sonographer, who will travel to Bottineau with a portable ultrasound machine when needed.

The satellite clinic project is made possible in part thanks to “Twice Blessed” grant awards and matching donations from the Inspiritus Community Health Foundation, formerly the St. Joseph’s Community Health Foundation. The state-of-the-art portable ultrasound machine was purchased thanks to an anonymous donor and matching funds from the Knights of Columbus.

“Over the years, the mission has stayed the same but with added services to better support parents through pregnancy and parenting,” Smetana added. “The incentive educational and mentoring program is now open to anyone in the community who is parenting an infant or toddler, even if they did not come to Dakota Hope while they were pregnant. This has been a very popular program.”

As needs are recognized, the generous support of donors has made it possible to add services. For example, “Her Journey,” is a national faith-based healing program to help women who have suffered abuse. A certified instructor is on staff for this program, and it is open for women to start at any time.

Another program that continues to bless many women is “Discover Peace,” a small group class for women who have grief or regret after a past abortion. This program is facilitated by women who themselves have been through the healing process after abortion and now make it their mission to help others.

Medical services provided by Dakota Hope are under the direction of local physicians or mid-level providers who believe in the mission. They provide another essential service for each community as prescribers for “abortion pill reversal,” a proven method of saving babies when women experience regret after taking the first drug to induce a chemical abortion.

The most recent service made possible by Dakota Hope financial partners is parental support after prenatal diagnosis. Dakota Hope is part of a national program designed to support parents in preserving and honoring the natural life span of their unborn children who have been diagnosed with a serious health condition.

“The nurses and other staff at Dakota Hope continually undergo training and rely on guidance from the Holy Spirit to meet each client where they are at in their journey,” Smetana explained. “Taking time to really listen and understand the effects that past traumatic experiences may have had in their lives is essential. The goal is for everyone to feel safe, respected and cared for when they walk in the door.”

Smetana said that about half of pregnant clients who come to Dakota Hope for help are at risk for choosing abortion. However, if they experience the loving and caring attitude from the staff, hear the facts about fetal development and gain knowledge about the supportive services available to them, many women (about 90%) are empowered to make the courageous decision to carry their babies to term.

When clients choose abortion, they are told that Dakota Hope will welcome them back at any time, should they ever need services or support afterwards.

To refer or make an appointment for any of the clinic locations, call the client line, 701-852-HOPE (4673). This line is answered after business hours by a national hot line that can make appointments at any Dakota Hope Clinic site.

Donor impact

Smetana offered an example of how donors can realize the difference they are making with their support.

“True story — ‘Jane’ (not her real name) walked into the clinic one morning asking where she could get an abortion. After hearing her tearful story, the staff learned that she did not really want an abortion but could not see any other way to deal with the loss of her job, an abusive living situation and other traumas. It is because of God’s grace and Dakota Hope donors that made it possible for ‘Jane’ and many others to give life to their children and to be spared the personal pain and suffering that many post-abortion women experience.”

Smetana added, “It is important to realize that even in North Dakota where the majority in the legislature and many citizens are pro-life, there are unborn children at risk of being aborted in every single community; and abortion is easily available across state lines or by dangerous mail-order chemical abortion pills. Dakota Hope and other pregnancy help centers across the state are on the front lines, offering lifesaving, life-changing alternatives, but they can only help people who are aware of their services.”

Financial gifts of any size and donations of baby items are always welcome. Funds are needed for event underwriting, marketing, rent, salaries, training, insurance, medical supplies and more. Online giving can be set up at dakotahope.org or mail a check to Dakota Hope Clinic at 315 Main St S, Ste 205, Minot, ND 58701. Dakota Hope does not receive government funding and all services are free of charge.

—Staff report