After a lifetime of caring for patients and 13 years with Promise Community Health Center, Dr. Lassen is embarking on a well-earned retirement.

“Love the patients and the patients will love you back”

These are the words that would be at the heart of Dr. Lassen’s extensive career as a medical provider. They were first spoken to him when he was just starting as a medical student at the Orange City Medical Clinic, standing at the scrub sink with Dr. Bushmer, who was getting ready to retire at the time. Now, all these years later, as Dr. Lassen prepares to retire from his position as the Medical Director at Promise Community Health Center, these words still ring true for him, and it shows.

“He treats every patient and every staff member with respect and believes no job is too big or small. His love for his patients and this organization were evident in every interaction,” said Kim Davelaar, Quality Coordinator at Promise CHC, when asked about her time working with Dr. Lassen.

Dr. Lassen has been with Promise Community Health Center for 13 years providing patients with care, compassion, and healing that has gone far beyond just treating their physical ailments. Dr. Lassen’s genuine concern for the well-being of each individual has helped create a safe space within the walls of Promise CHC, where patients feel not only seen and heard but truly cared for.

As Emily Tuschen, Promise’s CEO, reflects on the 7 years she’s worked with Dr. Lassen, she said, “His many years in healthcare have molded him to be one of the best medical providers that I have ever worked beside and his good-hearted personality is unmatched. I have learned so much from his perspective; particularly his ability to never veer from our true purpose – patient-focused care and patient impact.”

Even in retirement, Dr. Lassen will continue to provide this patient-focused care, working one day a week to offer immigration physicals for our patients.

The impact of a dedicated medical provider on a community cannot be overstated, and Dr. Lassen has not only positively impacted Promise’s patients, but the staff as well. “One of the things I appreciated the most about working with him is that he let me work at my highest level of scope and practice and always trusted that I would get the work done,” said Jenna Wynia, Lassen’s clinical nurse. She also noted that Dr. Lassen was known for saying “A busy nurse is a happy nurse!” and she was indeed a happy and better nurse because of her time working alongside him.

Although we are sad to see this exceptional medical provider retire, we are also confident that Dr. Lassen’s legacy will continue to thrive within the community he has cared for. The lives he has transformed, the smiles he has inspired, and the hope he has instilled will forever be a part of the tapestry of Promise Community Health Center. Dr. Lassen’s impact will resonate not only in the memories of those he has treated but also in the continued pursuit of excellence that he has inspired in his colleagues.