SIOUX CENTER, IOWA – Karina Gonzalez did not know what her future held for her when she visited Promise Community Health Center for the first time.
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| Karina Gonzalez recently started serving as a receptionist at Promise Community Health Center in Sioux Center. As one of the first faces that patients see, she wants to help make sure they have a good visit to the health center. |
“I walked in and felt very welcomed,” she said. “I had come in to make an appointment – not knowing that I was going to ask for an application. I saw that everything was clean and so organized. Everyone dressed nice and seemed that they had good communication. In a medical-related environment, it is very important that there is good communication.”
That first visit ended with an application in her hand and, ultimately, led to a job at Promise.
Karina, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, recently assumed the position of receptionist at the health center.
“I was interested in working for Promise since many people have spoken very well of the Promise clinic. They spoke things like, ‘Everyone is so nice and friendly,’” she said, noting that it has turned out to be “way better” than she expected. “Everyone dressed so nice and professional. I knew that I would fit in perfectly.”
Karina grew up up in Los Angeles. Her family moved in 2009 to Sioux City, where she graduated from North High School in 2012. She attended Northeast Community College in the South Sioux City Extended Campus for a couple of years, but she was undecided on her field of study. She might eventually to go back to college.
Karina and her husband, Rodrigo Gonzalez, moved to Sioux Center in May 2015. She then worked for Sioux Center Health for over a year as a collection specialist, interpreter and admissions representative.
She’s now happy to be serving patients as a receptionist at Promise.
“What interests me about my position is to meet new faces and help them out with their visit here at Promise,” she said. “Since we are the first faces patients see, we are responsible for making the visit a good one. I enjoy working in the medical field.”
Promise Community Health Center of Sioux Center is the only Federally Qualified Health Center serving the far northwest corner of Iowa. Promise provides medical, prenatal, dental, vision and behavioral health services. To learn more, visit www.promisechc.org and watch this video.
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