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Promise Community Health Center has opened its arms to welcome all patients to receive affordable, comprehensive care for nearly 10 years.
In recognition of the impact the health center has made in community, Promise was honored as the organization to receive the 2018 Community Service Award during Sioux Center’s annual Spirit of Community evening on Tuesday, April 17, at Terrace View Event Center.
Nancy Dykstra, who is Promise’s founding executive director and retired at the end of 2017, was touched by the honor and shared her gratitude with the audience.
“I can say that Promise Community Health Center being established in Sioux Center was probably the biggest joy of my professional journey,” Dykstra said. “I know I speak for staff, the board and especially the patients in saying this means the world to have the support of all of you in the community and the chamber in knowing that you value having the community health center as a safety net in the community. Thank you so much!”
Nathan Vander Plaats, Promise’s new executive director, noted that the health center has had many opportunities to celebrate this year, including the milestone of the 10th anniversary of its July 2008 opening.
“Those celebrations just continue every day at Promise,” he said. “It’s great to see in person the kind of community support this effort has had over that number of years and that it will continue to see in the future.”
Later this month, Promise will celebrate the completion of a successful capital campaign and exterior renovation and interior expansion projects. The ribbon cutting and open house is planned for 4:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 26.
INTRODUCTION OF PROMISE CHC:
Sioux Center mayor Dennis Walstra presented the following introduction for Promise Community Health Center receiving the 2018 Community Service Award:
Ten years ago, Promise Community Health Center was founded in Sioux Center’s former bowling alley with a vision to provide accessible health care and to improve the well-being of the whole community.
Today, Promise is serving nearly 5,000 patients per year. The center offers comprehensive care that includes medical, dental, vision, and behavioral health services, along with family planning and victim advocacy.
Their newly renovated facility has allowed Promise to handle 22 percent growth in patient numbers this past year, with people coming from 162 ZIP codes to access health care there. The center will be adding substance abuse care by the end of this year.
Promise Community Health’s leadership continues to keep an ear to the ground about local needs. The majority of the center’s board is made up of patients who have direct knowledge of changing community trends. Promise leadership recognizes that accessible health care must always be adapting to anticipate and meet those needs.
That has been the case from the beginning.
Fifteen years ago, former executive director Nancy Dykstra saw things changing in Sioux County. The population was growing, and new health care needs were emerging. Nancy met with local health care organizations, schools, community leaders and anyone she could talk to about creating a community health center.
Since the center opened 10 years ago, Nancy guided the organization through the first difficult years when funding was tight, then through continued growth in services and facility expansions.
She reached out to local medical staff, dentists and optometrists to forge connections that would allow more people to access those services at Promise.
Nancy retired at the end of 2017 and has passed the reins on to Nathan Vander Plaats, who is bringing his experience and a passion to continue to evolve the way Promise serves the community.
The vision that was planted when Promise began has only grown and flourished.
From the front desk staff to the dentist filling a cavity, Promise Community Health staff members all understand how they contribute to the greater vision. With servant-hearted attitudes, they seek to improve the whole community’s well-being, one patient at a time.
Please join me in honoring the organization receiving the 2018 Community Service Award: Promise Community Health Center.
