Progress2025
Upward and onward
n Surgical upgrade coming to Trinity Regional
n
Hospital debuted new heart center in 2024
By BILL SHEA
bshea@messengernews.net
Amassive project to upgrade surgical facilities at UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center will begin this year. The effort is estimated to cost $39.8 million.
It is scheduled to start this summer and be complete in the spring of 2027. When completed, the front of the hospital at 802 Kenyon Road will appear different, with a new wing to the west of the main entrance. That entrance, however, will remain in the same location.
Currently, there are operating rooms in three locations within the hospital, according to Leah Glasgo, president of UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge. The upcoming project will consolidate all of the operating rooms in one area at the front of the hospital.
She said the new surgical area will include five operating rooms, each measuring 700 square feet, two endoscopy suites, recovery rooms, preand post-operative rooms, sterile processing and other support facilities.
Glasgo said there will be no interruption in surgical services while the project is underway.
In addition to providing state-of-the-art surgical care, it is hoped that the new facilities will provide another bonus, she said.
“We hope it helps us recruit and retain surgeons,” she said.
The surgery renovation project will commence just months after the hospital opened Trinity Heart Center.
In April 2024, Iowa Heart Center announced it would no longer provide 24-hour-
“I
am very happy and very proud to be part of the new team. We are going to continue providing the care that we have been providing and maybe expand upon that. There are some things that we do better here than they do in Des Moines.”
—Dr. Joseph Cookman, medical director of Trinity Heart Center, on the new clinic
a-day cardiology services in Fort Dodge. UnityPoint Health leaders quickly prepared a plan to take over those services, and the new Trinity Heart Center opened in October.
“I am very happy and very proud to be part of the new team,” Dr. Joseph Cookman, the medical director of Trinity Heart Center, said in August when the new clinic was announced. “We are going to
continue providing the care that we have been providing and maybe expand upon that. There are some things that we do better here than they do in Des Moines.”
Reflecting on the first few months of the center’s operation, Glasgo said, “It’s been such a wonderful success.”
The Heart Center is not the only new thing the hospital added in 2024. In November, a
new family planning clinic opened. Glasgo said UnityPoint Health received a grant to provide family planning services to people with limited or no health insurance coverage.
During 2024, the hospital received numerous awards, such as recognition from the American Heart Association for treatment of heart attacks and heart failure. Glasgo is especially proud of the fact that Trinity Regional Medical Center received the top employee engagement score among all the entities within the UnityPoint Health system.
“We’re really focusing on retaining our employees,” she said. “Our people are our No. 1 priority.”
In December, the hospital celebrated 130 years of providing health care in the community, dating back to the establishment of the first hospital. The celebration included a return to the hospital by former leaders Tom Tibbitts and Sue Thompson.
UnityPoint Health to kick off internship program this summer
By BILL SHEA
bshea@messengernews.net
UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge is always on the lookout for new talent to meet the demand for health care workers.
That is why it developed a paid summer internship program that high school juniors and seniors can participate in along with college students.
“We know that health care careers are really important for the community,” said Leah Glasgo, president of UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge.
The interns will participate in a five-week program. This summer, the first session will begin June 2 and the second session will begin July 7.
During each session, participants can select a clinical or non-clinical program.
The clinical option includes the emergency room, dietitians, inpatient nursing, occupational and physical therapy, clinics and cardiac rehabilitation.
The non-clinical option includes administration, finance, health information, information technology, maintenance, marketing and communications, nutritional services and social work.
THIS RENDERING shows how the front of UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center will look after a new surgical area is added on.
-Messenger file photo by Britt Kudla
DR. JOE COOKMAN, of Fort Dodge, holds a signed ribbon during the ceremony for the new UnityPoint Heart Center on Nov. 12.
Leah Glasgo
By BILL SHEA
bshea@messengernews.net
The Iowa Specialty Hospital Fort Dodge Clinic on First Avenue South has been open since 2006, but it looks a lot different than it did when its first patients came in the door.
Significant exterior and interior renovations that were just completed were celebrated in July with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Iowa Specialty Hospital leaders billed the event as a grand reopening.
“We look really small, but we provide a whole lot,” Dr. Kenneth Adams, a gastroenterologist, said after cutting the green ribbon.
The clinic at 2700 First Ave. S. offers family medicine, gastroenterology, internal med-
ment, podiatry and weight loss management. The clinic has a laboratory, X-ray facilities and an MRI machine on site.
“We’ve been really proud of the services we’ve been able to provide here,” said Joetta Promes, the clinic leader.
The staff has 18 providers, including physicians, physicians assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners. There are an additional 35 employees, including nurses, lab and X-ray technicians and administrative personnel.
An exterior renovation job that gave the front of the building a completely new look was completed in 2023.
Steve Simonin, the chief executive officer of Iowa Specialty Hospital, joked that before
that of an auto parts store. Interior renovations were also com-
had a clinic in Fort Dodge since 1994, according to Promes. She said the clinic moved to its current site in 2006.
Ben Becker, PA-C Orthopedics Sports Medicine
Monique Bailey, ARNP Orthopedics
Amy Faga, MSN, ARNP, FNP-C Gastroenterology
Kenneth Adams, DO Gastroenterology
Nathan Hensley, DPM, FACFAS, FASPS Podiatry
Mark Palit, MD Orthopedic Surgery Sports Surgery Spine Surgery
Alex Conley, PA-C Orthopedics
Matt Danilson,
Facial Rejuvenation opens Fort
Dodge Senior High alum offers minimally invasive treatment
Dr. Eric Knox is now offering minimally invasive facial rejuvenation services.
He recently opened Facial Rejuvenation of Fort Dodge.
Knox graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School and earned a bachelor of arts in biology from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, where he was inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma honor society. He then completed his doctorate in dental surgery at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, where he received recognition for his research in prosthodontics, including the Dows Research Award.
He completed a residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery at New York Medical College. During his residency, Knox treated victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and took part in a medical mission to Honduras.
In 2004, he returned to Fort Dodge and joined Fort Dodge Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, where he continues to practice and holds privileges at UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center.
Knox also has a special interest in facial rejuvenation treatments, offering options like Botox, fillers, platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), microneedling, and laser procedures. His approach emphasizes patient comfort and natural-looking results. He stays updated on the latest advancements through regular participation in conferences and continuing education.
In June 2024, Knox completed full course work in Facial Esthetics PRF and Advanced PRF Facial Course for Care Esthetics providers. Facial Rejuvenation Fort Dodge is located at 804 Kenyon Road, Physicians Office Building West, Suite 120, Fort Dodge, IA 50501.
For more information about Knox’s services, visit https://www.facialrejuvenationfd.com/, call 515-206-1285 or email info@facialrejuvenationfd.com
-Submitted photo
DR. ERIC KNOX, a Fort Dodge Senior High alum, returned to Fort Dodge in 2004 to practice oral and maxillofacial suegery. He recently opened Facial Rejuvenation.
A year of transitions
Fort Dodge Fire Department to bid Hergenreter farewell, hire new chief
By BILL SHEA
bshea@messengernews.net
Following a busy year which saw the city’s firefighters responding to more than the usual number of structure fires, the Fort Dodge Fire Department is entering a year of transition.
The year will bring new leadership as Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter retires after 35 years of service to the community.
He joined the department in 1989. He was promoted to captain in 2000 and to chief in June 2017.
His last day on the job will be Feb. 28.
A civil service selection process has narrowed the list of Hergenreter’s potential replacements to Assistant Fire Chief Matt Price and one outside candidate, Michael B. Zylka.
City Manager David Fierke is expected to announce his choice for the job before Hergenreter’s last day. His choice will have to be approved by the City Council.
The Fire Department will be transitioning into some new vehicles this year as well.
The biggest of those vehicles is an elevating platform truck called a tower ladder. It will have a boom attached to the middle of the truck. At the end of the boom there will be an enclosed platform where firefighters will stand while working at fires and emergency scenes. That boom will be able to extend 95 feet into the air.
The tower ladder will take the place of the department’s current ladder truck, which was delivered in 2006. The older ladder truck will be retained as a backup unit to be used when the tower ladder needs maintenance or for situations when two aerial devices are needed.
Hergenreter said the tower ladder will be “much more versatile” than the older ladder truck.
The department will also take delivery of two new ambulances this year.
But one of those ambulances won’t be entirely new.
In a cost-saving move, the department is having the box — that section of the unit in which patients are transported — on a 2016 model ambulance removed from its current Ford chassis and is remounting it on a new Ram chassis.
The other ambulance will be an entirely new unit to replace a 2014 model.
Hergenreter said the initial plan was to replace each ambulance after it has been in service for five years. But he said thanks to thorough maintenance practices, ambulances are now being kept in service for up to eight years.
ABOVE: Fire Chief Steve
Hergenreter congratulates Paramedic Brian Egemo after he received a Lifesaving Award last year for his role in reviving a 4-year-old boy who drowned in a swimming pool. Firefighter/Paramedic Kasey Porter, another member of the team that revived the boy, stands at
while Assistant Fire Chief Matt Price readies his award certificate.
LEFT: A firefighter works at the scene of a house fire at 702 N. 16th St. on Nov. 16. Fort Dodge firefighters responded to more than the usual number of structure fires this past year.
-Messenger file photo by Bill Shea
right
-Photo courtesy of the Fort Dodge Fire Department
Steve Hergenreter
Community connection
Fort Dodge police officers involved in events throughout the year
By BILL SHEA bshea@messengernews.net
If it seemed like Fort Dodge police officers were at all kinds of events and activities during 2024, it is because they were at all kinds of events and activities.
“To continue to build relationships within the community, the Fort Dodge Police Department took part in a large number of community events and conducted numerous presentations to different professional and civic groups,” Police Chief Dennis Quinn said.
The list of activities included presentations to service clubs, training school personnel, and helping to organize Night to Unite, which is the local version of the National Night Out Against Crime.
When elementary school children came to school last spring, they sometimes found police officers there waiting to greet them with high fives.
And all jokes about cops and doughnuts aside, some of the officers went to Dunkin’ Donuts for the Cop on a Roof fundraiser for Special Olympics Iowa. Fort Dodge is consistently one of the top fundraising sites in Iowa for the Cop on a Roof initiative.
Cameras were a focus for the Police Department last year. Quinn said new body-worn cameras were introduced for the officers. New cameras were also installed in the patrol vehicles and within the interview room in the Law Enforcement Center.
The City Council also approved the installation of more cameras throughout the community, building onto a system that was started downtown. Those cameras are monitored by 911 dispatchers. Video from the cameras can be used to do everything from tracing the route of fleeing suspects to determining what vehicle caused a collision by running a red light.
During 2024, the police force had familiar people in new roles and five new officers joined the ranks.
Caitlin Carlyle was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant. Leighton Walker was promoted from patrol officer to sergeant. Jennifer Smith, Trevor Satern, Benjamin Loy, Brandon Mills and Keaton Peart joined the department as patrol officers.
Already this year there has been one promotion, as Matt Weir advanced from patrol officer to sergeant. He joined the department in 2016. He is a member of
“The Fort Dodge Police Department is devoted to finding new and innovative ways to ensure the safety, security and well-being of our community members through professional and proactive law enforcement.”
— Dennis Quinn Fort Dodge police chief
the Special Emergency Response Team and he is a crisis hostage negotiator.
Weir has an associate degree from Iowa Lakes Community College and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
Looking forward to 2025, Quinn plans to work on adding cameras to the city camera system, increase training opportunities for officers and continue to enhance community partnerships.
“The Fort Dodge Police Department is devoted to finding new and innovative ways to ensure the safety, security and well-being of our community members through professional and proactive law enforcement,” Quinn said. “We aim to embrace innovation, collaboration, and modern law enforcement techniques to make Fort Dodge a place where people can live, work and thrive.”
D rink to your Health in 2025
-Submitted photos
ABOVE: Fort Dodge Community School’s School Resource Officer Jordan Hager went shopping with area students in December as part of the annual Santa Cops event.
LEFT: Fort Dodge Police Officer Brandon Mills just started with the department in December. On Dec. 10 and 11, 2024, he was helping area children in need shop for holiday gifts as part of the annual Santa Cops event in Fort Dodge. Fort Dodge police officers were involved in a wide variety of community events in 2024, from trainings to fundraisers and more.
Ready to serve
Loring Hospital honored for pediatric emergency care
SAC CITY — The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services named Loring Hospital in Sac City as the 12th hospital in the state to be recognized for its readiness to provide emergency care for children through the new Iowa Pediatric Emergency Assessment and Care Recognition Program (IPEAC).
IPEAC was designed and launched in 2023 by the Iowa Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program. It recognizes the work of hospitals of all sizes to ensure each is prepared to provide initial stabilization, treatment and any needed transfers to definitive care for ill and injured children in Iowa.
“IPEAC focuses on support, encouragement and resource sharing to help raise the bar for pediatric care in all Iowa hospitals,” said Margot McComas, chief of the state’s Bureau of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services.
“We are so proud of Loring Hospital’s work in pediatric care,” she added. “This recognition really demonstrates that hospitals of all sizes can achieve the program goals and provide quality emergency care for children.”
Participation in the IPEAC program has been offered to all Iowa hospitals after a pilot program in late 2022. To be recognized, hospitals must complete an application that includes requirements for equipment, training and support of pediatric patients and their families. Evaluation of applicants includes a site visit to the hospital.
“We are proud to be the 12th hospital in the state to receive this recognition,” said Stephanie Springer, emergency department supervisor at Loring Hospital.
“As a critical access hospital in a small community, we have the unique opportunity to care for our own friends and family. It’s an honor to be able to lead a department that takes caring for our community so seriously by preparing for any pediatric emergency that may come into our facility.”
“We are proud to be the 12th hospital in the state to receive this recognition. As a critical access hospital in a small community, we have the unique opportunity to care for our own friends and family. It’s an honor to be able to lead a department that takes caring for our community so seriously by preparing for any pediatric emergency that may come into our facility.”
—
Stephanie Springer Emergency department supervisor
Iowa Emergency Medical Services for Children is a program of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. IPEAC and EMSC are funded by a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
“This program has given us the chance to highlight our achievements in preparation for caring for the pediatric population in emergent situations,” said Springer.
-Submitted photo
TOP PHOTO: Loring Hospital in Sac City is the 12th hospital in Iowa to be recognized for its readiness to provide emergency care for children through the new Iowa Pediatric Emergency Assessment and Care Recognition Program.
About Loring Hospital
Loring Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital in Sac City. Services provided to Loring’s healthcare service area include 24-hour emergency care, diabetes education, inpatient care, laboratory, outpatient clinics, radiology, surgery, and rehabilitation services, including cardiac, pulmonary, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
No matter where you live ... we’re there.
www.messengernews.net
-Submitted photo
PICTURED FROM LEFT are Loring’s Nursing Services staff Jessica Neville, Ashley Dahlberg, Ryan Kotz and Stephanie Springer, and Loring CEO, Matt Johnson.
A rare find in rural Iowa
By DARCY DOUGHERTY MAULSBY editor@messengernews.net
LAKE CITY — For any mother, each pregnancy comes with its own challenges. That’s why Paige Hepp was grateful to work with the obstetrics (OB) team at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City.
“I had some complications during my pregnancy with my second son,” said Hepp, 29, of Rockwell City. “Anytime I felt something was off, I appreciated how my doctor listened to my concerns and ordered blood tests, ultrasounds or whatever was necessary to make me feel reassured that my baby was OK.”
Her doctor, Dr. Susan Hornback, was a great help in the delivery room when it was time to push, Hepp added. Hornback is one of three OB providers (along with Dr. Derek Duncan and Dr. Julia Richardson, who was born at Stewart Memorial) who deliver babies in Lake City. Stewart Memorial’s health care providers also offer perinatal services at all four clinics that the hospital serves in Lake City, Rockwell City, Gowrie and Lake View. These services make Stewart Memorial somewhat of a rarity in rural health care today. More than half (55 percent) of rural U.S. hospitals now lack labor and delivery services, according to a recent report from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform.
A 2022 report from Iowa State University and the Iowa Department of Public Health reveals that Iowa has experienced the closure of 41 birthing units since 2000. Today, a majority (62%) of rural Io-
in April 2024.
wa hospitals do not have labor and delivery services, according to the nonprofit March of Dimes. In addition, a third (33%) of Iowa’s counties are classified as maternity-care
Of Iowa’s counties are classified as maternitycare deserts (a county where access to maternity health care services is limited or absent) BY THE NUMBERS 41 62% 33%
Number of birthing units closed in Iowa since 2000
Of rural Iowa hospitals do not have labor and delivery services
deserts (a county where access to maternity health care services is limited or absent).
See STEWART, Page 2E
“At a time when many rural hospitals are facing challenges in maintaining obstetric services, meeting financial responsibilities, and maintaining high-quality levels of care, it’s important to us to continue to offer exceptional services with personalized care, and continue offering the services our area residents have come to expect, including labor and delivery.”
— Linn Block CEO, Stewart
Algona)
-Messenger photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
WHILE 62% OF RURAL IOWA HOSPITALS
Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City continues to offer these vital
families.
-Submitted photo
PAIGE HEPP OF RURAL ROCKWELL CITY gave birth to both of her sons at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City. Her oldest son, Karsten, was excited to meet his new brother, August, after the baby was born
“We’re fortunate to live in a community with such a resourceful hospital,” said MaeLaan Magnani, 32, of Lake City, who gave birth to all five of her children (who range in age from 8 years old to 2 months) at Stewart Memorial. “It’s so convenient to not have to travel outside of town to get full care to have a baby.”
Living in the same town where the local hospital is located also relieves a lot of stress, Magnani added. “Help is always very near.”
Providing this level of care is important to the Stewart Memorial team, said CEO Lynn Block.
“At a time when many rural hospitals are facing challenges in maintaining obstetric services, meeting financial responsibilities, and maintaining high-quality levels of care, it’s important to us to continue to offer exceptional services with personalized care, and continue offering the services our area residents have come to expect, including labor and delivery,” she said.
Providing award-winning care
The number of babies born each year at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital has stayed fairly stable in the last few years. There were 86 deliveries in 2023, and 83 deliveries in 2024 (including 48 boys and 35 girls).
“Here in Lake City, our average distance for deliveries has been 24 miles for the past two years,” Block said.
Less travel time is a plus, said Hepp, who lives on a farm near Rockwell City.
“What I like most about (Stewart Memorial) is that it has large-town facilities with a small-town feel,” she added. “The people are so friendly.”
JENNI MACKE, a registered nurse and supervisor in the obstetrics department at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City, is the hospital’s latest recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Macke has worked at Stewart Memorial for 36 years.
The hospital has seven nurses who help with deliveries and four nurses who help with mothers’ postpartum needs.
Jenni Macke, a supervisor in the OB department, is the hospital’s latest recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
“The birth of a baby is a really happy time for a family,” said Macke, who has worked at Stewart Memorial for 36 years. “In some families, I’ve deliv-
“Being a small hospital allows us more time to spend spoiling our mothers.”
“I know there’s a lot of information on TikTok and Instagram, but it’s not always accurate. I often share real-life stories throughout the class, so patients get a good look at what everything will truly look like.”
— Ashley Mork Nurse education director
ered two generations, including the mother and now her own babies.”
Macke was nominated for the DAISY Award by a patient who wanted to recognize the compassion she displayed.
“Jenni was my nurse at three of my four births,” the patient wrote in her nomination. “She never questioned my decision to have an unmedicated birth, rather she was always so positive and helpful in finding different positions to move things along.
“We’re fortunate to live in a community with such a resourceful hospital. It’s so convenient to not have to travel outside of town to get full care to have a baby.”
— MaeLaan Magnani Lake City mother who gave birth to all five of her children at Stewart Memorial
She is so positive, knowledgeable and compassionate. That first unmedicated birth was 19 hours long, and I couldn’t have done it without her!”
Classes, personalized services help families thrive Stewart Memorial has three rooms where moms can give birth and stay before they go home.
“We don’t move them unless it’s necessary,” said Susan Stevens, a registered nurse who is the OB director. The hospital’s team strives to accommodate each mother’s birth plan.
“Being a small hospital allows us more time to spend spoiling our mothers,” said Nurse Education Director Ashley Mork. The hospital provides parents with an array of services, including the “Oh Baby Prenatal Class,” which covers pregnancy, labor and delivery, pain management, medical interventions, C-sections, postpartum care and recovery, infant CPR and safety, and more.
“There are so many things to know about labor, delivery, postpartum and caring for a newborn,” said Mork, a certified lactation specialist. “Prenatal classes are a great way for parents to prepare for their little one’s arrival.”
In addition, Stewart Memorial offers a Breastfeeding Basics class. All these classes provide science-based, reliable information, along with the opportunity to ask questions.
“I know there’s a lot of information on TikTok and Instagram, but it’s not always accurate,” Mork said. “I often share real-life stories throughout the class, so patients get a good look at what everything will truly look like.”
Magnani appreciates these personal touches.
“My doctor (Dr. Hornback) gets to know the moms personally, instead of just as a patient,” she said. “She wants each mother to have a personalized birth experience. She was a wonderful OB doctor to have.”
Hepp is grateful that her OB doctor is also her two sons’ pediatrician.
“Our family has had great experiences at SMCH,” said Hepp, whose husband, James, was born there in 1990. “I would highly recommend (Stewart Memorial) to any of my friends to deliver there.”
-Messenger photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
Expanding to meet demand
By BILL SHEA
bshea@messengernews.net
The need for its
The center is expanding both geographically and in terms of the types of care it provides.
Expanded locations
In August, the center opened a clinic in Clarion. Initially, just medical care was offered there. Then in December, dental care became available. And early this year, a psychiatric nurse practitioner will begin providing behavioral health care at that location.
“The opening of our Clarion clinic represents another milestone in our ongoing commitment to serving our communities,” said Colleen Miller, the center’s chief operating officer.
The center will have a presence in yet another community when it opens a clinic in Spencer later this year.
“The northwest part of the state has been an area we have been looking at for a few years due to the lack of resources for the underserved population in that part of the state,” said Renae Kruckenberg, chief executive officer of the Health Center.
“We have seen patients traveling from this area to our center in Fort Dodge for care.”
The opening date and exact location of the Spencer facility have not been announced.
The Community Health Center of Fort Dodge has grown steadily in the area it serves since it opened about 19 years ago.
The main site at 126 N. 10th St. opened in 2006. A clinic in Dayton opened in 2014. Sites in Mason City (2018), Eagle Grove (2023) and Clarion (2024) followed. The Fort Dodge facility was renovated and expanded in 2016 and 2020.
The center staff is preparing
to take its dental care operations on the road. Obtaining a mobile dental clinic has been a goal of the center for a few years
With money received through grants and fundraising, a vehicle has been purchased. The
next step is to get all the dental equipment installed in it. That is expected to be done during the first quarter of this year.
Expanded services
Eye exams will soon be of-
fered at the Fort Dodge location.
“We’re excited to start offering eye exams in Fort Dodge starting in mid-January, with plans to expand these services across all our locations as we continue to improve logistics,”
Kruckenberg said.
“Our goal is to ensure that all individuals have access to the vision care they need, regardless of their circumstances,” she added. “With the ability to accept a variety of insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, we hope to make eye care both accessible and affordable for as many community members as possible.”
Optical services were identified as an area where a need existed, she said.
Exams will be provided by an optometrist. However, glasses and contact lenses will not be available through the Health Center. Patients who need glasses will have to go to another local provider or order them online.
The center recently received a grant that will enable the center to provide medical and behavioral health services until 8 p.m. That is three hours beyond the closing time of 5 p.m. Dental and vision services will still be available only until 5 p.m.
“At Community Health Center, we are committed to meeting the needs of our patients, many of whom work in local factories and face challenges accessing routine medical and behavioral health care during traditional hours,” Kruckenberg said. “Their work schedules conflict with office hours, leading to difficult choices between missing work or seeking health care. By offering expanded hours, we aim to offer more flexible appointment times, ensuring our patients can receive the care they need without jeopardizing their jobs or resorting to emergency services for non-urgent issues.”
The Health Center also started its own pharmacy for its patients. Pharmacist Hannah Miller, who was instrumental in getting it started, is a graduate of Southeast Valley High School in Gowrie.
“We’re excited to start offering eye exams in Fort Dodge starting in mid-January with plans to expand these services across all our locations as we continue to improve logistics.”
— Renae Kruckenberg Chief executive officer, Community Health Center of Fort Dodge
“The opening of our Clarion clinic represents another milestone in our ongoing commitment to serving our communities.”
— Colleen Miller Chief operating officer, Clarion
center
-Submitted photo
EYE EXAMS WILL SOON BE OFFERED at the Community Health Center's Fort Dodge location. Rhyan Wing, at right, works with some of the optical equipment.
Making Webster Co. safer
Sheriff’s Department focuses on programming
By KELLI BLOOMQUIST editor@messengernews.net
For the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, 2024 was a year focused on making the county safer through improved programming and strategic hires.
The department hired deputies Matt Miller, Taylor Kennedy, and Keaton Lunn. Both Miller and Kennedy received their Iowa Law Enforcement Academy certifications as part of their hiring.
“The most important aspect of these hires is that they put all of our shifts and detectives’ division fully staffed,” said Webster County Chief Deputy Derek Christie. “When we are short personnel, some of our responsibilities and daily duties may suffer. Being short staffed could mean we are without a detective, a court security deputy, or that we are at shift minimums on patrol. These hires ensure that the sheriff’s office functions at the highest level possible for Webster County.”
According to Christie, both Miller and Kennedy come from law enforcement families and caught on quickly and excelled during their training periods.
In the coming months, Detective Harmon Atwood is expected to move into investigations, and Kennedy will join Sgt. Geoff Miller’s shift.
The Webster County Sheriff’s Department administration also focused on improving current programs to make Webster County safer for its residents.
The Lehigh 911 tower went live in the spring of 2024. Brian Hitchcock, Webster County 911 director, and Emergency Manager Dylan Hagen worked to put the $1.3 million project together to provide better 911 service coverage for the Lehigh community as well as for Dolliver State Park and Brushy Creek State Recreation Area.
Hitchcock and Christy Lumsden also focused on getting Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) running through the dispatch center. All dispatchers are CPR certified and were required to take a 40-hour online course with a final exam. This will allow dispatchers to provide CPR instructions to callers and provide better information to responding emergency medical units.
“This is a new program that Webster County Telecommunications partnered with and received from APCO International,” said Christie. “This service will not only provide 911 callers with some emergency medical processes like CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, and how to stop bleeding, but will also gather pertinent information for responding medical services, thus saving them critical patient time.”
Hitchcock and Lumsden also worked with fire and emergency medical personnel to have mobile incident management in
“As we look to 2025, our continued focus will be building the sheriff’s office through community relations, improved employee training and wellness, employee accountability and fiscal responsibility. We have a tremendous team of dedicated men and women all with a common goal of keeping our community a safe place to work and live.”
—Derek Christie Webster County chief deputy
their vehicles where live updates can also be seen from the dispatch center.
While the county works around a full jail facility, Mark Gargano and John Garretson have focused on making the inmate commissary a better program with a higher county commission rate. The improvements were made with Stellar Services, the inmate banking software that handles inmate fund transactions.
“This service also provides a website and kiosk in the Law Enforcement Center’s lobby where family members can deposit funds on inmate accounts,” said Christie. “Stellar Services partners with Encartele Inc., who provides tablets which allow in-
mates to communicate with family via text messages for a fee.
Tablets also give inmates access to reading materials, music, and other fee-based services. Our previous vendor did not provide such a variety for the inmates to utilize. This service is important
-Messenger
ABOVE: All dispatchers are CPR certified and were required to take a 40-hour online course with a final exam. This will allow dispatchers to provide CPR instructions to callers and provide better information to responding emergency medical units.
LEFT: The Webster County Sheriff's Office now offers a new interactive app. The app includes accident notifications, the opportunity to submit a tip, permit to carry applications, sex offender mapping, civil processes and procedures, meet the deputies links, and more.
to keep inmates occupied and comfortable, and when these basic functions are met, the overall behavior tends to be better.” Stellar Services also allows inmates to order more than 700 items above and beyond what the jail provides, including food, toiletries, and other necessities.
The Webster County Sheriff’s Office has also introduced a new program, Seniors And Law Enforcement (S.A.L.E.), which is new to Webster County and will provide law enforcement updates and assistance to local seniors. According to Christie, some of the topics include elderly scams, dependent adult abuse, human trafficking, and local law enforcement updates and statistics.
“As we look to 2025, our continued focus will be building the sheriff’s office through community relations, improved employee training and wellness, employee accountability and fiscal responsibility,” said Christie. “We have a tremendous team of dedicated men and women all with a common goal of keeping our community a safe place to work and live.”
Derek Christie
Access to health services
By KELLI BLOOMQUIST editor@messengernews.net
Historically, Webster County tends to lean toward being one of the top five counties in the state with sexually transmitted diseases, especially chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.
However, a more than halfmillion dollar grant awarded to the Webster County Health Department will allow testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and more at little to no cost to residents.
“In the past, we have been a community-based screening center through the state where basically we do testing and treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, but we don’t get any funding to do it. It’s all been in kind,” said Bre Case, operations specialist for Webster County Health Department. “A lot of the people wanting to be tested also wanted to know their HIV status and we weren’t able to test for that under the community-based screening services.”
Case and Webster County Health Department Director Jen Sumpter applied for the Syndemic Prevention Outreach and Testing (SPOT) grant, which will allow the department to provide HIV testing, hepatitis C testing, hepatitis A and B vaccines, substance abuse care coordination, as well as looking for bacterial and fungal infections in individuals with substance abuse to get them treatment as soon as possible.
The five-year grant will allow the Webster County Health Department to expand their services throughout the community and to locations that are in need.
“We’re going to be able to partner with organizations that might be in need of testing — Iowa Central, Beacon of Hope, the SALT Center, etc.,” said Case. “There are
“We see the neediest people in Webster County and we want to be here to provide those resources to them.”
—Jennifer Sumpter Webster County Health Department director
“We
—Breanna Case, operations specialist, Webster County Health Department
many individuals who may be homeless or perhaps they just don’t have insurance coverage and they don’t know
their status or what kinds of hepatitis vaccines they’ve had, so with this grant we’ll be able to provide all of these services
in one.” In addition to providing expanded care to Webster County residents through the
SPOT grant, Webster County Health Department also received additional funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings through the Care For Yourself program. According to Sumpter and Case, the health department was previously able to fund only 18 breast and cervical cancer screenings for women who were uninsured or underinsured. However, they were able to increase that now to 56 screenings for residents per year.
“That program has really expanded a lot,” said Case. “We’ve partnered with Community Health Center. We utilize our Spanish interpreter a lot to reach our Hispanic communities as well. The Care For Yourself program has really expanded and has helped a lot of women in Webster County.”
Webster County Health Department also provides maternal health programs, rural water testing, the WIC program, dental health screenings, and much more.
“We see the neediest people in Webster County and we want to be here to provide those resources to them,” said Sumpter. “We have an opendoor policy. We have people come in to fill out applications and we’ll do whatever we can to help with services.”
“We really encourage people to come in,” added Case. “There is no wrong door. If you’re not sure if we provide the services, come in. Just show up and we will help you figure it out. We have people come in because they need help with rent and we end up connecting them with home visitation programs or maternal health services. When you’re here, we’re going to make sure that you’re taken care of and have the resources available to you from top to bottom.”
EMS levy vote coming in March
By BILL SHEA
bshea@messengernews.net
Webster County voters will decide on March 4 if they are willing to pay a new property tax to finance emergency medical services in the county.
The proposed levy is 75 cents per $1,000 of taxable value.
If approved, that levy would generate about $1.7 million a year to be divided between all of the communities in the county to enhance emergency medical services.
“We need EMS because people’s lives are at stake,” said Luke Hugghins, a member of the county’s EMS advisory council that proposed the plan.
“Everyone, regardless of where they live, should have access to EMS,” said Hugghins, who is a volunteer firefighter in Badger and a part-time emergency medical technician for the Fort Dodge Fire Department.
“Fort Dodge Fire Department and our local EMS departments cannot handle the burden as is. People need emergency care at an increasing rate and they deserve the highest level of care in the shortest amount of time, every time.”
The majority of the money would be divided between the three ambulance providers in the county: the Fort Dodge Fire Department, Southwest Webster Emergency Medical Service in Gowrie and the Dayton Rescue Squad.
The city fire department is the only paramedic-level provider. It covers the city and all
of northern Webster County. It also responds into the southern half of the county when a patient there needs paramedic level care.
The city’s share of the money would be used to finance construction of an ambulance station on the west side of town that would provide quick access to highways 169, 20 and 7. That access would enable city ambulances to reach other communities faster. Now, the ambulances have to come from the firehouse downtown.
The volunteer fire departments that serve as emergency medical first response units but do not transport patients would each receive $10,000 annually to pay for equipment and training.
Also a Webster County emergency medical service coordinator would be hired.
-Messenger file photo
THREE OF THE FORT DODGE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S AMBULANCES line up awaiting “victims” during the full-scale disaster exercise at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport in May 2023. Webster County voters will decide on March 4 if they are willing to pay for a new property tax to finance emergency medical services in the county.
Luke Hugghins
-Messenger file photo
A safe place CFR opens Serenity House for women in 2024
By KELLI BLOOMQUIST editor@messengernews.net
Community & Family
Resources has a long history of providing women with support on their recovery journey. In 2024, CFR expanded their recovery opportunities to women in the Fort Dodge area by opening the Serenity House, the second women’s recovery house in Fort Dodge.
for the Serenity House last year, De La Riva said CFR is growing in the area of recovery and now has three recovery houses for men and women.
The house, previously operated by Gateway to Discovery, and located at 701 S. 17th Street, is able to serve eight women at a time, in addition to the nine who reside at CFR’s first recovery house that opened in 2023.
“Recovery Housing is an important aspect of the continuum of care for individuals with substance use disorders, offering ongoing treatment, comprehensive resources, and peer support,” said Michelle De La Riva, the executive director of CFR. “A Recovery House is not simply transitional housing but an extension of the therapeutic community.” During a ribbon cutting
“We cannot thank the community enough for welcoming us,” she said.
Living in the Serenity House, or any of the other CFR recovery houses, is the final phase of the substance abuse treatment process at CFR.
De La Riva said people start in a residential treatment program at the CFR facility on Avenue M West. That treatment lasts 30 to 45 days. They then move into a halfway house for six to nine months. In the halfway house, there is still regular treatment programming.
After the halfway house, people can live in a recovery house for one year. De La Riva said residents of Serenity House are expected to work full time, and if they’re not working full time, they are to be volunteering.
A CFR staff member does not live in the recovery house, but a case manager visits regularly to check on residents.
“The life-changing work that will happen in this house is what helps to make our community great,” said Greater Fort Dodge Growth
Alliance Ambassador Matt Johnson at Serenity House’s ribbon cutting.
Serenity House has been welcoming women since April 2024.
-Messenger file photo by Bill Shea
MARY WILD, center, of Fort Dodge prepares to snip the green ribbon last March to mark the debut of Community & Family Resources’ new Serenity House at 701 S. 17th St. The house will be the home for up to nine women at a time who are completing their treatment for substance abuse.
-Messenger file photo by Bill Shea
PEOPLE GATHER IN THE DINING ROOM of the Serenity House on South 17th Street in March 2024, following the ribbon cutting ceremony conducted by the Ambassadors of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance.
Michelle De La Riva
-Messenger file photo by Bill Shea
MESSAGES OF HOPE and inspiration are found throughout the new Serenity House. This one is on an upstairs bedroom door.
Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage for their entire working life, through employer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to put off or even go without care.
Simply put — without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.
When you’re comparing plans ...
Look for coverage that helps pay for major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures — or pay for preventive care only.
Look for coverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.
Shop for coverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.
Early
The
Previous dental work can wear out.
Even if you’ve had quality dental work in the past, you shouldn’t take your dental health for granted. In fact, your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2
Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need.
Consider these national average costs of treatment ... $222 for a checkup ... $190 for a filling ... $1,213 for a crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.
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“I absolutely love my dental insurance. My dental office files the claims, leaving me with very little balance to pay.” Dorothy P., TN
