New LEEP Procedure Strengthens Cervical Cancer Prevention at Connect Medical Clinic

Connect Medical Clinic is pleased to announce the addition of a LEEP machine (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure) to its Holistic Women’s Health Program.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Dickinson Area Community Foundation (DACF), Connect Medical can now offer in-house treatment for cervical abnormalities and pre-cancerous lesions. This procedure plays a critical role in preventing cervical cancer and supporting long-term reproductive health. Because of the grant from DACF, women may access comprehensive, dignity-centered care from providers they know and trust.

The LEEP procedure will be offered by Dr. Thomas Arnold, MD, OBGYN, and Rachael Marshall, FNP-C—experts in women’s health who are deeply committed to personalized, compassionate care. This expanded service is especially meaningful for patients who are uninsured, on Medicaid, Spanish-speaking, or traveling from rural communities across western North Dakota. 

The partnership between the DACF and Connect Medical Clinic reflects the power of a community coming together to invest in accessible, life-affirming healthcare that protects dignity, strengthens families, and ensures neighbors can receive the care they need close to home.

The LEEP’s arrival is timely as January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Globally, cervical cancer remains one of the leading cancers affecting women. In the United States, approximately 13,000 women are diagnosed each year, and 4,000–4,300 die from the disease. Yet cervical cancer is highly preventable with routine screening. Regular Pap tests and well-woman exams—particularly for women ages 35–64, who are most commonly diagnosed—save lives.

At the heart of this expansion is Connect Medical Clinic’s commitment to dignity-centered care. For the past ten years, Connect Medical has served the region with a holistic approach that looks beyond symptoms to care for the whole person—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. The Connect Care Team takes time, listens well, and treats every patient as a neighbor, not a number or a financial transaction.

As a donor-funded nonprofit clinic deeply rooted in North Dakota, community partnership makes this work possible. We invite the community to continue walking alongside us at two upcoming events. 

• Our Annual Fundraising Banquet on April 9 will feature keynote speaker Hannah Gronowski, Founder and CEO of Generation Distinct, calling us to awaken a weary world with hope. 
• On April 10, the Hope Youth Rally at Dickinson High School will challenge students to recognize their God-given dignity and purpose, and to say yes to the wrong they were born to make right.

Please reach out for more information about supporting Connect Medical Clinic or participating in the upcoming events, and help us deliver dignity-centered care where it’s needed most. Together, through care, prevention, and community, we are building a healthier, more connected future—one person at a time.