SIOUX CITY -- When they launched a renovation project more than a year ago, Siouxland Community Health Center officials envisioned ways to make accessing patient services easier.
The ease of navigating the campus near downtown Sioux City was realized just in time to accommodate a growing number of patients.
"Even with the increased volumes, it feels more relaxed, and people are able to move around in the building more easily," CEO Mari Kaptain-Dahlen said.
In its Sioux City and South Sioux City locations, the health center had a combined 131,596 patient visits in 2021, a 9.2% increase over 2020.
A months-long renovation project at the 1021 Nebraska St. location in Sioux City wrapped up in December with the completion of a large education room providing space for prenatal classes, diabetes education and other meetings.
People are also reading…
Because of increasing patient visits, another round of renovations at both sites is either in progress or soon will be.
"We really have a growing and strong patient base in South Sioux City, and you want to make sure you're providing them with all the services that a health center typically offers and are offered at (the Sioux City) campus," Kaptain-Dahlen said.
At the Sioux City campus, work is expected to begin in March on renovations of medical and dental exam rooms and education and meeting spaces. The $800,000 project, paid with American Rescue Plan COVID relief funds, is expected to be done by the end of September.
Work is already ongoing and should be completed this spring on a number of changes to the health center's South Sioux City facility at 3410 Futures Drive, changes made possible after buying the building in April.
"That was a very big milestone for us in our South Sioux City presence," Kaptain-Dahlen said.
Much of the building is currently being renovated, including exam room remodeling, expansion of the laboratory and the addition of a pharmacy and drive-up window for picking up prescriptions. The $200,000 project is being paid out of the health center's cash reserves.
The work to be completed at both campuses this year wraps up some $7 million in improvements during the past two years.
Phase 1, a $6 million project funded through cash reserves, included renovations to improve efficiencies in the Sioux City building, which was built in 2008.
The pharmacy and urgent care clinic were relocated from the upper level to the ground level and are now easier for patients to access.
Through the renovations and relocations, eight new medical exam rooms and two new dental exam rooms were created. The prenatal program and behavior health services also gained enlarged areas. With the expansions, more dental and behavior health workers were hired, and the health center staff has increased to 320, a long way from the one provider and 12 others on staff when the health center opened in 1992.
When COVID struck in early 2020, the health center instituted electronic patient registration and curbside pickup and delivery services from the pharmacy to accommodate social distancing and cut down on traffic inside the building. Those services continue. A mobile clinic unit bought to use for COVID testing is now used for mobile COVID vaccination clinics.
"That's gone over well," Kaptain-Dahlen said. "It's an opportunity to really connect with people."
More expansion is likely on the way.
"Our board is now looking into the future," Kaptain-Dahlen said.
The board hopes to increase services provided in South Sioux City to mirror the Sioux City center's offerings. There's room to grow at the South Sioux City site, and a building expansion could be in the future plans.
Expansion also is likely at the Sioux City campus, either into another downtown location or at the existing site. Parking is already at a premium at the current location and will factor into any expansion decisions.
"We're really looking at how we expand our presence in the downtown area," Kaptain-Dahlen said. "The board has been studying those options and will be studying them very seriously. We value our location and think it works well for our patients."
All expansions will be done while keeping in mind the health center's mission of serving everyone in the community regardless of their pay source, race or ethnicity.
"I think we give great care here and have great providers and great staff," Kaptain-Dahlen said.
