They are the key to providing great health care to the community they serve, according to Leah Glasgo, the market president for UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge.

She said all those individuals bring their diverse talents together to create the organization the community relies on.

“We really think that we have something special here,” Glasgo said.

That special quality has been recognized over the past year with numerous national awards including:

• The Pathway to Excellence designation for the fourth year in a row.

• Top Place to Work Award from Becker’s Healthcare.

• Stroke Gold Plus and Stroke Rural Recognition Bronze from the American Heart Association.

• Best Employer Award from Forbes.

The individual efforts of UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge team members also received national and statewide honors.

Dr. Elijah Miller, an orthopedic surgeon, received the 2022 Bob Green Memorial Award from the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics.

Also, Anna Hewett and Mallory Nelson were named as Great Iowa Nurses. Hewett is the nursing supervisor in the wound healing center, while Nelson is the charge nurse in the critical care unit.

Throughout the year, UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge also recognized its own team members with the ACE Award for outstanding acts, the DAISY Award for nurses and the ROSE Award for patient care technicians.

UnityPoint worked to expand its community outreach efforts in 2023.

“We really feel like it’s important to give back to our community,” Glasgo said.

On April 19, the first Health Fair was held in the front lobby of Trinity Regional Medical Center. About 20 booths staffed by representatives of various clinics and hospital departments were set up there. Visitors could learn more about each department and meet health care providers.

Another health fair is planned for this year, though the date has not been announced yet.

Also in April, a free check for symptoms of oral, head and neck cancers was conducted in a partnership between the Norma Schmoker Cancer Center and the Iowa Central Community College dental hygiene program. About 60 people were examined.

Another community outreach event provided sneakers to about 290 middle school students in Fort Dodge. This was done in August in partnership with Athletics for Education and Success and local businesses.

The Back to School New Shoes effort started in 2022 with sixth-graders, In 2023, it was expanded to sixth through eighth grades.

In 2024, UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge will continue to focus on employee retention and satisfaction.

Recruiting more physicians and other health care providers will also be a priority.

To recruit future generations of health care workers, UnityPoint Health will continue to reach out to students as young as middle schoolers with initiatives such as nurse camp.

“We recognize that you have to drive interest early,” said Shannon McQuillen, vice president for ancillary services.

“It is our responsibility to make sure we are in front of those students to talk about the importance of health care,” she added.