26 Jun
by Derrick Vander Waal
SIOUX CENTER – Promise Community Health Center employees aren’t feel as cramped anymore.
They have been settling into about 3,000 square feet of expanded space in the east side of its downtown Sioux Center building during the past couple of weeks. The project, which was made possible through a $250,000 federal capital improvement grant awarded in August 2014, has increased the health center’s space by about 60 percent.
Various staff members moved into their new offices two weeks ago. The prenatal team completed their move to their new wing this week and began serving expecting mothers and babies in two new exam rooms. The expansion also freed up space in the health center’s original area for staff members to move into for less cramped quarters.
The project now moves into the renovation phase. The front lobby and reception areas, along with other existing spaces in the medical area, will be remodeled.
Here is a visual tour of the expanded area of the health center:
One of the most exciting components of the building project is the new community education and conference room. The room will be used for board meetings, staff meetings and training sessions, and community health education classes. In the past, Promise had to arrange for such meetings at Sioux Center Public Library, churches or other places in the community. Promise now will be able to offer classes and meetings on site, allowing it to greatly increase community education outreach in the future.
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| Promise CHC staff members participate in a training session led by Mark Grey, director of the Iowa Center for Immigrant Leadership and Integration, as one of the first events in the new community education room. |
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| Promise staff members conduct a smaller group meeting in the conference room. |
The new prenatal area includes two back-to-back work pods and two exam rooms. Previously, the four-member prenatal team shared one tiny office and had just one exam room to call its own.
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| Clinical assistant/interpreter Ruth Hernandez and registered nurse Kari Ney stay busy in one of the two work pods for the OB staff in the new prenatal wing. |
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| Certified nurse midwife Belinda Lassen does paperwork in the other prenatal pod. |
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| The new prenatal wing includes two new exam rooms for expecting mothers. |
Executive director Nancy Dykstra has moved into a new office. Her previous office now houses Dr. Del Lassen, Promise’s medical director, and will be shared by Dr. Kenneth Tjeerdsma, Promise’s new dentist and dental director, when he begins seeing patients in July.
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| Executive director Nancy Dykstra reviews a board packet in her new office to prepare for a meeting. |
The expanded area also includes offices for chief financial officer Amy Kleinhesselink and clinic manager Brittany Hamm and a shared office for executive assistant Amy McAlpine and public relations/development coordinator Derrick Vander Waal. Previously, all four employees worked out of small offices shared by at least three people.
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| Clinic manager Brittany Hamm and new clinic nurse Kristen Schuler go through an orientation session in Hamm’s new office in the building expansion.
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| Executive assistant Amy McAlpine makes copies in a new office that she shares with public relations/development coordinator Derrick Vander Waal in the expansion. |
Promise employees now have a new and larger breakroom that allows many more people to use at one time than in the past. They particularly love the large window that brings in natural light and gives a view to the outside – even the backdrop of the alley and Dumpster! The previous breakroom has been converted into an office for behavioral health consultant Mike Inman and behavioral health care coordinator/interpreter Pedro Ruiz. Inman previously had his office in a procedure room, and Ruiz had a desk area in a back hallway.
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| Promise employees enjoy a potluck meal as a “grand opening” celebration for the new breakroom. They like the more roomy environment and natural light. |
The expansion also includes a behavioral health therapy room that will be outfitted with comfortable furniture and two restrooms.
Promise Community Health Center, headquartered in Sioux Center, is the only Federally Qualified Health Center in the far northwest corner of Iowa. To learn more, visit www.promisechc.org.
