A new Sioux Center business is giving men a place to discuss health concerns they may have been reluctant to address.
Brandon “B.J.” Hofland, a nurse practitioner and longtime Sioux Center resident, operates Sioux Center Optimal Health inside Sioux Center Chiropractic at 81 West First Street. Hofland says the practice focuses on men’s health concerns, including low testosterone, weight management, and erectile dysfunction.
In an interview before the business opened, Hofland said his interest in the specialty developed during his education and work in family practice.
“I really want to bring to more light, specifically men’s health and how we can help them.”
A Career Change Leads to Men’s Health Care
Hofland entered nursing school at age 32 after initially pursuing law enforcement, a transition he described as a humbling experience.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northwestern College in Orange City and his master’s degree from Morningside, preparing him to practice as a family nurse practitioner. He later pursued additional education focused on men’s health.
His experience includes work in men’s health clinics in Billings, Montana; Champaign, Illinois; Flint, Michigan; and Des Moines. Hofland said those experiences reinforced his interest in bringing that focus to northwest Iowa.
He said patients sometimes dismiss fatigue and other changes in how they feel as simply part of getting older. His goal is to provide an opportunity to discuss those concerns and explore possible underlying causes.
Preparing to open the business took approximately six months, according to Hofland, with work including licensing, registrations, and getting the office ready.
Care Begins with a Conversation
Hofland said his approach begins with discussing a patient’s concerns and drawing laboratory samples to help determine a course of care.
Privacy is a priority, particularly for patients who may feel uncomfortable discussing personal health issues.
“It’s very discreet. Where it’s just you and I talking in a room, trying to really get you figured out. And that’s where it starts. It starts with a simple conversation.”
Hofland explained that patients would check in at Sioux Center Chiropractic before he escorts them to his office. He also outlined plans for telehealth appointments and follow-up conversations by phone, allowing some discussions to take place without another office visit.
Follow-up care, he said, would include discussing how patients feel and how they are responding to prescribed medication.
Hofland hopes the business will encourage men to seek help for concerns they might otherwise keep to themselves.
“Rubbing dirt on it and saying it’s going to be okay isn’t okay anymore, right? We need to be honest with ourselves saying I’m struggling. It doesn’t mean you’re broken. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. It’s just how it is. That’s how life happens.”
He said his enthusiasm for the practice comes from the opportunity to help patients address those concerns in their own community.
“That’s why I’m extremely passionate about that, to bring this type of medicine to Northwest Iowa.”
More information about the business is available on the Sioux Center Optimal Health Facebook page or Instagram profile.
