Working in a small town and caring for generations of her neighbors and friends is more than a job for Horizon Health Mission provider Alyssa Hicks.
“I enjoy building relationships with the patients and their families,” she said.
In a small town like Mission Hicks gets to watch people’s children grow up, and she cheers them on in achieving their health goals.
“In a small community I might not only be taking care of just the children but their parents and grandparents,” Hicks said. “It’s important that my patients feel like they’re more than just a number here.”
Hicks spends time with her patients, visiting with them about everyday life – how their basketball season is going, how the new baby in the family is doing, whether they’ve had a promotion at work – more than just talking about their health concerns.
“Rural health care is all I’ve ever know and it’s neat to see things come full circle,” she said.
When she was a new grad establishing her practice a middle-aged gentleman whose health was in disarray begam coming to see her. He had several medical conditions that were not under control and struggled with substance abuse. Hicks didn’t sugarcoat his health situation.
“I was pretty transparent that his life choices at that time were not leading him down the path to great health,” she said. “I was afraid he wouldn’t come back. But he did keep coming back again and again.”
Today that man is feeling the best he’s ever felt. His chronic conditions are under control.
“He often tells me how he never thought he would live to see his next birthday and how I saved him,” Hicks said. “In reality he’s the one who saved himself and I was just here to help him on his journey.”