McKenzie County Healthcare Systems Basic Care in Watford City, ND

Pros

• Regan in Radiology was a breath of fresh air, genuinely personable and professional.
• Kelsey Kuehn, SLP, is amazing with my daughter - patient, encouraging, and welcoming.
• Dr. Joshi represents the gold standard of orthopedics, highly skilled and compassionate.
• The OB/GYN team Newton and Uhlman are highly regarded, and the delivery nurses went above and beyond.
• McKenzie County Healthcare System is a wonderful hospital with top-notch care.
• The rural clinic and urgent care staff are dedicated, friendly, and thorough.
• Dr. Mundorf is an amazing PCP - thorough, evidence-based, and compassionate.
• The facility is state-of-the-art, clean, and well-run, with friendly registration and lab staff.

Cons

• The staff were described as the most unprofessional the reviewer has ever experienced.
• The ER allegedly ignored a life-threatening condition and did only the bare minimum.
• The hospital was labeled a rip-off and accused of being thieves for overcharging.
• The facility was deemed unsafe, with alleged illegal practices occurring.
• The hospital was called the worst, with patients being turned away or left without care.
• The housekeeping and cleanliness were severely lacking, with rooms not cleaned and towels left for days.
• Billing practices were criticized as excessive and opaque, with surprise charges and aggressive collection.
• The hospital was described as dirty and underfunded, with poor maintenance and hygiene.
• One reviewer claimed doctors lied and needed to go back to school.
• A flu test costing $550 was cited as evidence of price gouging.

Review

This community is best suited for families in western North Dakota who want robust, locally accessible acute and primary care with standout orthopedic and pediatric capabilities, all delivered within a rural hospital?clinic network. The strength rests in access to skilled surgeons and clinicians serving Watford City and surrounding towns, with a breadth of services from urgent care to ambulatory surgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics. For residents who prefer not to endure long drives to larger cities, the ability to stay close to home while receiving high-quality care makes this system a practical backbone for everyday health needs and for episodes that require quick, decisive interventions.

Anyone who is budgeting carefully or who prioritizes predictable costs may want to consider alternatives. Several reviews enumerate billing frustrations, surprise charges, and inconsistent communication about fees, including significant out-of-pocket costs for tests and procedures and even disputes over bills. Those who are uninsured or underinsured may face financial hurdles that complicate urgent care or routine visits. In addition, a subset of patients reports delays in responses from clinic or hospital staff, long ER wait times, and instances where bedside manner or cleanliness did not meet expectations. For a family with complex, ongoing care needs or specialized services not readily available on-site, a larger urban system might offer more predictable billing practices and a broader spectrum of specialists.

The strongest positives here center on the quality and range of medical talent and the seamless integration between clinic and hospital services. Orthopedic care, led by surgeons such as Dr. Joshi, is repeatedly highlighted as a high point, with rapid scheduling for procedures and effective post-operative follow-through. The rural clinic network also earns praise for attentive primary care, strong pediatric and obstetric care, and responsive nursing teams in key departments. Lab work and imaging are described as reliable and timely, reducing the need for exhausting travel. Consistently strong performers - like the referenced orthopedists, family practice clinicians, and LPNs/Nurse Practitioners - create a foundation where many families feel well cared for, especially when emergencies arise or long-term follow-up is necessary.

Yet the downside is real enough to weigh carefully. Billing and cost transparency emerge as the most consistently troubling themes, with several reviewers describing charges that feel excessive or opaque and reporting aggressive debt collection actions. Operational inconsistencies - ranging from delayed nurse responses to questions about medication administration and housekeeping gaps - also surface in multiple accounts. Some patients recount experiences in which bedside communication and handoffs felt hurried or incomplete, and a few reviews point to perceived safety or quality lapses in urgent or emergency care. These aren't universal flaws, but they are meaningful deterrents for families prioritizing cost certainty and consistently high service levels.

Practical guidance for making a decision centers on due diligence and proactive engagement. Prospective families should request itemized cost estimates before procedures, confirm what is covered by insurance versus out-of-pocket, and seek a care coordinator who can map the patient's care plan across hospital, clinic, and PT services. Visits to the hospital and urgent care can reveal the bedside manner and responsiveness that matter most, while conversations with orthopedic and pediatric teams - especially Dr. Joshi, Dr. Mundorf, and Dr. Marchenko - will help gauge whether their approach aligns with the patient's expectations. Investigate the Connie Wold Fitness Center and physical therapy options as a throughline for recovery and rehabilitation, since continuity of therapy often drives better outcomes.

In sum, McKenzie County Healthcare Systems Basic Care represents a pragmatic, locally anchored option for families who value immediate access to a broad spectrum of medical services and who can tolerate some variability in cost and service consistency. The community shines when orthopedic and primary care needs collide with the advantage of staying close to home, benefiting from a unified team across hospital and clinic settings. Those whose primary criteria include crystal-clear pricing, flawless housekeeping, uniform bedside care, and highly predictable billing should carefully explore alternatives or demand explicit upfront explanations on fees. For families willing to navigate the billing landscape and leverage strong local medical talent, this system remains one of the most capable rural health networks in the region.

Places of Worship

• Seventh-Day Adventist Church (0.2 miles)
• Watford City Baptist Church (0.3 miles)
• First Presbyterian Church (0.4 miles)
• LIFE youth ministries (0.4 miles)
• Cross Point Church (0.4 miles)
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (0.5 miles)
• Glory of the Lord Family Ministries (0.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Godfathers Pizza (0.2 miles)
• Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse (0.3 miles)
• Outlaw's Bar & Grill (0.6 miles)
• City Bar (0.6 miles)
• JL Beers (0.6 miles)

Parks

• Cherry Creek Park (0.3 miles)
• Tourist Park (0.3 miles)
• McKenzie County Heritage Park (0.6 miles)
• Sunshine Park (0.6 miles)

Transportation

• Watford City Yellow Cab (0.3 miles)
• Watford City Silver Taxi (0.5 miles)
• Shuttle Express (0.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Larsen Service Drug (0.6 miles)
• Barrett Pharmacy & Variety (0.6 miles)

Cafes

• Door 204 (0.6 miles)
• Six Shooters Showhall & Cafe (0.6 miles)
• Main Street Grind (0.6 miles)

Hospitals

• McKenzie County Healthcare Systems (0.6 miles)
• McKenzie County Clinic (0.6 miles)