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As she was nearing the tail end of high school and wondering what was on the horizon, Margaret Nordell, MD, drew inspiration from books she read about Albert Schweitzer and the hospital he founded in Africa. She believed her next chapter of life would involve becoming a nurse with the goal of working in Africa.

However, that dream eventually came to a halt, but that did not prevent Dr. Nordell from living a meaningful life and having an impactful career. While attending the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks, Dr. Nordell was preparing for her second year of college and applied to the nursing school at UND.

“When I applied to nursing school, I wanted to continue with my French studies because French is spoken in many African countries. UND told me I had to focus on nursing and couldn’t take anything else, so then I decided I was no longer going to be a nurse,” said Dr. Nordell.

From there, Dr. Nordell became an English and French teacher before she “out-educated herself” by having a master’s degree while teaching. Eventually, she moved to Dickinson from Fargo. She was having difficulty landing a full-time job as a teacher but was able to be a substitute teacher for a junior high English class.

Dr. Nordell would soon realize that, once again, she was on the brink of a career change and found inspiration from another book. “While I was filling in for the junior high English class, this book called Ms. MD came across my desk. It talked about how women who were going back to school should think of going into medicine because it is a big demand,” said Dr. Nordell.

Following the newest inspiration, Dr. Nordell graduated from medical school at UND and went to Loyola University Chicago (IL) for an obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residency. Little did Dr. Nordell know this would mark the beginning of an illustrious career full of countless milestones and accomplishments.

Upon graduation, Dr. Nordell returned to Grand Forks to begin practicing in 1987. Seven years later, she decided to join Trinity Health in Minot, which was her permanent home until her retirement in 2025. With over three decades of OB/GYN practice experience at Trinity Health, it’s safe to say that Dr. Nordell has seen significant changes in the field throughout her career.

“We went from having tiny, closet-like offices with an old metal desk to eventually moving to a bigger unit at Town & Country. We had nicer practice spaces in there, but things have definitely changed. For instance, what I really like about Trinity Health is they jumped right into computer-based systems,” Dr. Nordell said.

She added, “When I went to labor and delivery in the past, you did rounds, and there were big binders for each patient’s records. We had to handwrite a lot of things and paste information into charts. That process would take forever. Now you get on the computer and know immediately what has been done and what you need to do about it. It’s a magnificent change.”

It wasn’t just in Minot, however, that Dr. Nordell significantly impacted the lives of many. While being a preceptor with the University of North Dakota Family Medicine Residency Program in Minot, one of the residents she worked with was Dr. Monica Mayer, who practiced in New Town. Dr. Mayer asked Dr. Nordell if she would come out to New Town to serve the women and children, to which Dr. Nordell agreed to make trips twice per month.

The two developed a close friendship as Dr. Nordell and Dr. Mayer worked together over the years. It is so close that Dr. Nordell was adopted into the family.

“Dr. Margaret Nordell was adopted by the late May Howard-Coffey as a member of our family. She [Dr. Nordell] was given her Indian Name, ‘White Mother,’ Utna-dagah (Arikara), for delivering and caring for children in Indian Country too numerous to count,” said Dr. Mayer in a statement.

Dr. Mayer added, “Dr. Nordell attended 18 consecutive Little Shell Powwows until COVID hit but has since attended annually. One of which, Dr. Nordell was honored for her service to our children and mothers. It was asked that any mothers or children cared for by Dr. Nordell come into the arena and dance with her. The arena was full.”

In addition to her service in New Town, Dr. Nordell also spent time serving the Tioga community, helping eliminate long-distance travel for those who needed to seek OB/GYN care. Her commitment to these rural areas highlights the critical importance of bringing healthcare closer to underserved populations, ensuring that individuals in rural communities have access to essential medical services without the added burden of travel.

The impact made in the rural communities was one of the many milestones of Dr. Nordell’s distinguished career. A few other milestones occurred early on in her Trinity Health career when she delivered a set of triplets, then again in 1997 when she delivered quadruplets. The triplets were the first multiples in a very long time, while the quadruplets were the first ever at Trinity Health.

Experiencing the delivery of triplets was so unique at the time, but later proved to be beneficial by preparing Dr. Nordell to deliver quadruplets. “I was told to have three bassinets, nursing staff for each baby, and to take instruments and mark the triplets with sterile tape, so you know which triplet is which. We had it absolutely planned out, and it was smooth.”

Making a rare coincidence, Alane Webber, one of the physician assistants who helped Dr. Nordell with the delivery of triplets, gave birth to the quadruplets in 1997. The quadruplets were two boys and two girls. “We were totally ready for the quadruplets, except we just had to have four of everything this time,” said Dr. Nordell.

Over 3000 babies later, Dr. Nordell has brought many new lives into this world and has been an integral part of such monumental moments for families in North Dakota. Seeing the initial reaction from the family is one thing she has never taken for granted over the years.

“One of the most rewarding parts of bringing a new life into the world is holding the baby up for the parents to see. It’s such a wonderful thing. Labor is not easy. When they’ve delivered the baby and gotten through it, they realize it’s all over, and now they have this wonderful baby,” said Dr. Nordell.

Another memorable moment of Dr. Nordell’s career was being so involved with UND residents and helping prepare them for their future in healthcare. She was big on having her students learn by doing things instead of having them observe. The students appreciated this, as Dr. Nordell was awarded an outstanding mentorship award from UND in 2013.

From being named the Preceptor of the Year to receiving the Association of Professors of Gynecology & Obstetrics Excellence in Teaching Award and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists Community Service Award, Dr. Nordell’s legacy not only involved bringing many lives into the world but also shaping the future of healthcare.

After over three decades of dedicated service, Dr. Nordell leaves an extraordinary legacy at Trinity Health and the rural communities she served. Since joining Trinity Health, she has been a trusted OB/GYN, providing exceptional care to countless women and families and a pillar of support in underserved areas, bringing much-needed medical attention to those who need it most.

Dr. Nordell’s unwavering commitment to her patients, colleagues and the region has made a lasting impact that will continue to resonate for generations to come. As she embarks on this well-deserved retirement, she leaves behind a profound sense of gratitude, respect and admiration for all those whose lives she touched.

As for what’s next in the chapter of retirement, Dr. Nordell looks forward to having a clear schedule and relaxing.