“The fact that it became a reality (in 2019) for people who have been here 35 years is a huge win,” said CEO Michelle Sleiter. “Putting it all together was another big win for us.”

That win means locals can continue to rely on their county for the medical services they need.

“The majority of locals choose to have care here when they can,” Sleiter said, attributing the hospital’s growth to a combination of patient loyalty and reputation for quality care.

“We’ve built for the future for years to come,” she said.

-Messenger photo by Elijah Decious
New waiting areas in Humboldt County Memorial Hospital are extremely spacious and modern, giving patients a sense of ease at the door.

That future includes a brand new facility, a new service line for mental health, more doctors in the specialty clinic than the last five years and a trend of increasing community participation in various annual events.

“Most, if not all, of our service lines saw an increase in volume,” the CEO said.

One area that has evolved in particular with the expansion is pediatric therapy, with new equipment that’s more kid-appropriate to advance therapeutic needs.

Sleiter anticipates potential new kid-focused events this summer — still in the works — to complement the pediatric offerings.

Mental health has evolved there as well, with a new service line offered by a licensed mental health counselor providing a wide range of services, from family counseling and behavioral health to guidance for anxiety and depression.

-Messenger photo by Elijah Decious
The new front desk at UnityPoint Health’s outpatient clinic adjacent to Humboldt County Memorial Hospital greets patients with a modern and updated but comfortable and homey setting.

“The utilization of (the counselor’s) service has exceeded expectations,” Sleiter said.

She said that as the dust settles from the expansion, the Humboldt hospital is having ongoing conversations about what else it can do to improve in 2020, calling the crossroads of the new decade a unique opportunity to promote and build new areas for patients.

“The dream became a reality. Making that a reality is a big deal,” she said during a tour of the expansion in August, as a key piece of their vision finally opened to the public, expanding and improving on a multitude of services.

The new space offers a cleaner, brighter and enlarged experience to patients in UnityPoint Health’s outpatient primary care and walk-in clinic, diabetes education, dietitian services, therapy, cardiopulmonary services, sleep studies, outpatient specialties and other public health services offered within the hospital.

“One of our biggest drivers,” for the project “was two separate buildings,” said Victor Bycroft, director of nursing. “We needed to get rid of that (gap.)”

It was a prominent concern they heard from anyone needing to go from the clinic to the hospital for necessary services as part of their care in the rain, snow or extreme heat.

But the big change is more than a matter of convenience — it’s part of a new trend in health care that rethinks how providers and patients interact.

“(Staff) work under a patient-centered medical home model,” said Bycroft as The Messenger toured the facility, passing new nurse hubs in open-floor plans that invite collaboration on care that is becoming even more of a priority. “With that sort of model, you get a lot of collaboration between providers and nurses. It’s faster, safer, more efficient and everyone feels better on it by being on the same page.”

This is a move away from the older model in health care as it was reflected in building designs, with compartmentalized work stations.

“Before, we were very siloed,” said D’Etta Lester, clinic administrator at the UnityPoint Health primary care clinic.

Bycroft said that with more minds in one place, conversations can spark real-time solutions that weren’t conducive in old environments.

“Now, we know that collaboration is really what provides for the best care,” said the veteran nursing director. “We want an atmosphere that allows for that.”

New features, such as a back door to connect different provider areas between UnityPoint’s clinic and the outpatient specialty clinic, take feedback from community needs assessments in Humboldt County to heart.

Dramatically larger spaces showcase wide hallways, identical room layouts for ease of provider familiarity, natural lighting wherever possible and modern aesthetics that make patients feel at home, even in a brand new space.

Several drafts from RDG Planning and Design of Des Moines gave the hospital the chance to modernize while remaining true to patient preferences. Bycroft said it took about six months to work through numerous designs that didn’t quite fit the bill before finding the one patients see now. He said some initial designs, though beautiful, were a bit flashy or overblown for local taste.

“We wanted our patients to feel at home and local,” with a fresh feel that managed to balance high-end interior design with down-to-earth practicality,” said Mardi Ratzlaff, director of community development. “The balance between professionalism and proficiency was top of mind.”

In an industry with delicate revenue margins, Bycroft said it was important to keep them in mind as outpatient services continue to dominate current and future projected growth in health care services.

But with the “beauty of new construction,” he said little to no sacrifices had to be made to accomplish the modernization on a wide scale with the facilities.

UnityPoint’s clinic went from about 8,000 square feet to about 12,000, adding more exam rooms, dedicated provider offices and more storage. The new outpatient specialty clinic now features six exam rooms plus two offices, meaning doctors won’t have to work on the counters and take up valuable exam space for non-patient facing work.

Sleiter said that providers have noticed changes in patient attitudes, too.

“They said the patient’s sense of quality that they’re going to receive in a building like this is just different,” she said, describing their reactions in the first two days to the new spaces. “They feel like they’re receiving better quality of care, even though the people and services are the same.”

That newfound sense of confidence with both patients and providers of “understanding what we can provide to get the patient what they need, when they need it,” is a huge boost, she said.

Brand new offerings are driving excitement, particularly in therapy offerings. Sleiter said the reality of building the new facility started with a spark in therapy.

Now, children needing physical, occupational or speech therapy don’t need to make a drive to Ames or beyond. They can get it right at home.

“This is a big new service line; it’s huge,” Bycroft said.

Providers from other areas were already making referrals to the new service in Humboldt before it was built, and just two days in, packed schedules were taking full advantage of the pediatric therapy.

The new physical therapy gym triples the amount of space, alongside an increase of treatment rooms from six to 17. Soothing views of nearby trees and greenery outside the facility offer a calming outlook for patients through large windows.

Another new feature, the activities of daily living lab, will also give occupational therapist providers another tool. Set up like an apartment, the ADL helps patients figure out what daily activities they’re able to do as they make a transition home from rehabilitation.

In other areas of the hospital’s operations, participation in Women’s Health Night Out, a women’s health needs vendor show, and Mission Impossible, a healthy lifestyle program, have seen exponential growth.

A new ambulance with a four-wheel drive truck chassis, purchased in December by the hospital’s foundation, will offer more reliable support for patients in the winter months.

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