Based in Minnesota, Dr. Naomi Koenig is a 20 year decorated paramedic, turned doctor. Starting her healthcare journey, she volunteered thousands of hours in nursing homes as a youth, Dr. Koenig learned the value of serving others in their time of need. She quickly became a fierce advocate of those without a voice, volunteering in an AIDS clinic and teaching ESL to immigrants and refugees for years. Notably she is credited with significant military base housing projects at a major military installation where housing was disproportionate to the number of military families needing housing. This grassroots action and working with legislators set course to legislation Dr. Koenig was able to get passed in 2024 for equality in the workforce that has gained national FTC attention and sweeping policy change. Finding solutions to complex problems is what a good paramedic can do. The complex issues only added fuel to the fire of serving others, giving her no pause to volunteer when Strike Teams were being deployed for Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Koenig served as a civilian Logistics Coordinator in one of the first deployments during this tragic time. Impassioned for change, she saw a need for serving underserved people within her own community.
Dr. Koenig has worked for the Selah Wellness Clinic, LLC, since establishing the Sandstone-based primary care clinic in July of 2022. Over the years, she has integrated the office’s primary care services with an array of mental health care, Integrative and specialty services with a focus on reaching nearby rural, traditionally overlooked communities. As part of her bold decision to open a clinic in an area with a 34% opioid mortality over the national average, Dr. Koenig made it mandatory for all of the providers working at Selah to be DEA Certified to treat substance use through the XWaivered program. In addition to this, all Selah providers are Sexual Assault Examiners (SANE) another requirement of the determined Dr. Koenig. This means every patient care visit can address substance use with a trauma informed care mindset.
"Everyone can ask for someone to do something. I heard it for years, 'someone should do something'. Overdoses are constant. Sexual assaults unfortunately are not slowing down. The mental health crisis is only worse after the pandemic. Our region needs to combat these things with tangible, measurable ways. I'm refusing to give up hope that we can live in a better world. I refuse to believe that what we currently have is as good as it gets. People need to know they are cared for, that they can be helped and life can improve. Selah Wellness Clinic is part of that change, we are not the only answer, but we are providing a tangible answer." Dr. Koenig said in a recent interview.
Dr. Koenig as a unique team at Selah Wellness Clinic. The team have won many local and state level awards for their exceptional care. Dr. Naomi Koenig has won Best Doctor in Pine County several years in a row, while her nursing team has also won Best Nurse in Pine County several years in a row. The clinic itself has won Best Clinic/Healthcare Facility in Pine County several years in a row. Selah has also won two state awards, Best of Minnesota Mental Health Clinic silver medal and Best of Minnesota Weight Loss Clinic bronze medal.
Dr. Naomi Koenig is innovating healthcare in her rural area by providing life saving services like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) that can put depression, anxiety and OCD in remission without medications. Dr. Koenig and her team are credited with championing this lifesaving treatment for adolescents in Minnesota, as the first clinic to get major insurance companies to agree to cover teenagers with depression. She has built a mental health program that patients drive from all over the state to participate in due to the significant improvement of symptoms people are experiencing. Dr. Naomi Koenig has established a ketamine/Spravato program that safely helps those suffering with depression and PTSD. The Integrative method that Selah Wellness Clinic and Dr. Koenig's team utilize has helped many people attain remission of chronic conditions, eliminate medications and live a life that is healthier.
Dr. Naomi Koenig has extensive experience working with veterans, underserved and Indigenous patients. She fought for Veterans Choice in an area not providing services and is one of the few Tricare and VACCN approved clinics in rural areas. As a care provider, Dr. Naomi Koenig has established a reputation for developing unique collaborative strategies for meeting individual patient needs. She has received many professional honors during her career, including recognition for her work on the Interstate 35 Bridge collapse, receiving the EMS Medal Of Merit.
Dr. Koenig is a Tillman Scholar and a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society, she graduated summa cum laude. She has received additional academic plaudits, as an American Freedom Foundation Scholar and the Nurse Corps Scholar. She is an active volunteer and further serves her community by authoring grants and legislation designed to help people feel better and live healthier lives. She has authored several legislative bills for 2025 for equality in healthcare as well as equality in the workforce.