Orange City Area Home Health & Hospice will move on October 1 to a new office designed to improve access for patients and families while giving staff more room to coordinate care and support services.
The new office at 626 8th Street SE in Orange City is approximately four-tenths of a mile from Orange City Area Health System’s main campus. It will replace the office at 400 Central Avenue NW, Suite 200, which will close September 30.
Health system CEO Chris Sietstra says the current offices are in the basement of the downtown campus, where navigating stairs can present a challenge for visitors. He says accessibility and a more central location drove the decision to move.
“As we were looking across the health system and thinking of how do we want our community to experience us and to be able to interact with us, making sure that we can provide open, accessible, welcoming facilities is something that’s top of mind for us,” Sietstra said.
Space for Families and Staff
The new location will include a dedicated area for support groups, educational programs, and gatherings for patients and families. Sietstra says the space will also accommodate private meetings with caregivers and bring staff together to discuss patient care.
The Home Health & Hospice team includes nurses, a physician leader, and social workers. Sietstra says communication among those caregivers is an important part of serving patients whose needs vary.
The office will also provide a place for families receiving bereavement support. Sietstra says the hospice team continues following families for a year after a patient’s death.
“We want to be there for those bereavement services. And we want to have places that are welcoming for families and patients alike,” he said.
Supporting Care at Home
Although much of the team’s work takes place in patients’ homes, Sietstra says the office layout can improve how they deliver that care.
The new space will make it easier to store supplies and equipment and load them into nurses’ vehicles. Its location along the highway will also give staff serving patients within a 30-mile radius of Orange City quicker access to main roads.
“It allows us to be more efficient in that so we can get to patients more quickly and be able to serve more patients,” Sietstra said.
Sietstra describes home health as helping people remain at home or return home after receiving care in a setting such as a hospital. Services can include nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Hospice focuses on comfort care and support for patients, family members, and friends.
Services Will Continue Through the Move
The relocation will not change the care or services patients receive. Sietstra says current patients will receive direct communication about the move, and signs at both locations will help direct visitors.
He says the staff providing that care remains central to the department’s work.
“But at the end of the day, it really is those great people providing compassionate care across our communities,” Sietstra said.
Office hours will remain Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For questions about the move, services, or payment options, call Orange City Area Home Health & Hospice at 712-737-5279.
