As Orange City Area Health System prepares to celebrate 20 years at its current campus, longtime CEO Marty Guthmiller says the milestone has prompted reflection on how much the organization, and the region it serves, has grown over the past three decades.
Guthmiller, whose retirement was announced earlier this year, spoke with Sioux County Radio ahead of the health system’s anniversary celebration scheduled for May 21st at Windmill Park in Orange City.
He says one of the most memorable parts of the journey was helping design and build the current campus from the ground up.
Guthmiller says the organization wanted the campus to feel different from a traditional hospital environment, focusing instead on what he describes as a “healing environment.”
He says the design philosophy also helped create a welcoming atmosphere for family members and visitors while allowing patients to receive care closer to home.
Building A Culture
Beyond facilities and expansion projects, Guthmiller says the organization’s culture remains what he is most proud of.
He says Orange City Area Health System built much of its philosophy around what it calls the “Do Right” principles: doing the right thing, doing it the best you can, and treating others the way you would want to be treated.
Leadership also emphasized hiring what the organization calls “decent human beings,” or “DHBs,” alongside professional qualifications.
During Guthmiller’s tenure, the health system expanded well beyond the main hospital campus with projects including Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community, Prairie Ridge Care Center, Kanaal Huis senior living, and additional clinics throughout the region.
He says those expansions reflected both community needs and the organization’s broader mission to care for people close to home.
Guthmiller notes that patients now travel from dozens of communities across the region for services provided in Orange City, particularly in obstetrics and family care.
Regional Support and Celebration
Guthmiller says the upcoming anniversary celebration is designed as a thank-you to the communities that supported the health system’s growth over the years.
He points to one early example of that support: the City of Alton approving a bond issue to help fund the health system’s campus project — something Guthmiller says was believed to be the first arrangement of its kind in Iowa.
The health system will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a free public event on Thursday, May 21st, from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Windmill Park in Orange City, featuring food trucks, family activities, and live music by The Browns.
Guthmiller says the celebration is intended as a thank-you to the communities, patients, and employees who helped support the organization over the past 20 years.
