There’s something special about getting the care in your own community.
At least, that’s what Erin Anderson said following the birth of her third baby — her second at Sanford Sheldon in Sheldon, Iowa. She and her husband, Heath, moved to the northwest Iowa community from a small town in Nebraska after giving birth to their oldest son.
Erin, a dentist, quickly fell in love with the size and closeness of the community. Heath is a science teacher and football coach at Sheldon High School.
“It’s a good school district and we like the activities that we’re able to do. It’s a nice size for us to raise a family,” Erin tells Sanford Health News during a visit in Sheldon.
Caring for the whole family
Speaking of family, the Andersons have added two little ones since they moved to Sheldon in 2016. Once they learned about the care they could receive close to home, they didn’t want to go anywhere else.
“Sanford Sheldon welcomed us with open arms and we’ve had very good care since the beginning,” Erin said.
Ryan Becker, M.D., is the Andersons’ family medicine physician who cared for Erin through both pregnancies.
“To care for Erin through two pregnancies from start to finish, as a family medicine physician who specializes also in OB care, that’s a unique experience to have,” Dr. Becker tells Sanford Health News.
Even with an underlying health condition which elevated her risk during her second pregnancy, Dr. Becker’s team was on top of it.
“Any mother knows that you want to keep yourself and your baby safe. I feel like the Sanford Sheldon team was very good about checking everything, making sure that we were healthy and safe,” Erin explains. “I just felt like they were very knowledgeable and I was very comfortable with asking any questions or if I had concerns, they were quick to answer and explain it to a level that I would understand. They were just ready to help us out at any point.”
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“That’s something we take pride in, really caring for our patients. If there is something wrong, if they’re ill or they have questions or concerns about their pregnancy, we try to maintain that open door, open communication policy.”
Working together for patients
While Dr. Becker and his team will provide patients and families with the best possible care, Sheldon physicians and providers will quickly connect with Sanford Health specialists if they need further guidance on patient care.
“Communicating that with our patients is key because most of them want to stay local,” Dr. Becker said. “We’re on call for patients 24/7 when it comes to delivery so that they feel comfortable with who they get when it comes to, what is a very special, somewhat stressful time in their lives.”
That gave the Andersons peace of mind as they awaited for the arrival of their babies.
“All the providers in Sheldon care about their patients. They want you to feel comfortable. They want you to feel safe and well taken care of. I would highly encourage anyone to stay local and get care in their own community.”
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Posted In Family Medicine, Pregnancy, Rural Health, Sheldon, Specialty Care, Women's
