Michelle Eick has always embraced creativity. Now, with support from Horizon Health, he’s taking a more proactive approach to his health so he can continue enjoying the activities and community he loves.
He moved to Yankton in his senior year of high school after being born in Rosebud and raised in Nebraska. He paints, draws, dabbled in sculpting and is just “really into the arts.” Eick chose a career following his arts passion by working at Dakota Theatre in Yankton, a performing arts center providing entertainment and cultural opportunities to the area.
He enjoys living in a community like Yankton, which is different than the little town in Nebraska where he grew up but retains small-town benefits like closeness to nature.
Making Prevention a Priority
Michelle Eick is living a healthier life thanks to care he received from Horizon Health Yankton.
Horizon Health providers listened to Eick’s concerns and drafted a plan to address his medical, dental and behavioral health needs.
His medical providers prescribed medications, including an inhaler, to help manage his asthma. Behavioral health providers worked with him to manage ongoing anxiety.
“Talking with the therapist I’ve been seeing has really helped,” Eick said. “They listen and they suggest solutions to a problem that I greatly appreciate.”
Eick works alongside his providers, putting steps in place to keep his overall health and well-being on track.
Managing existing conditions and seeking care before symptoms or complications become more serious is an important step in preventive health and regularly seeing a health care provider.
Dental health has also become an important part of Eick’s health journey.
After years of struggling with significant dental problems, he is now on a path toward better oral health.
“My dental health was very poor,” Eick said. “Like teeth were literally falling out of my head.”
Horizon Health referred Eick to an oral surgeon to deal with any teeth that needed to be removed. With those concerns out of the way, his dental treatment has progressed to dealing with run-of-the-mill cavities and protecting his teeth.
His experience demonstrates the importance of addressing dental concerns and maintaining regular dental care. Preventive dental visits can help identify problems early, allowing patients and their providers to take steps that mean less expensive and less extensive treatment.
A healthier future
Today, Eick is in a better place with his overall health. Through ongoing medical care, behavioral health support and dental treatment, he has taken important steps toward managing his health and preventing future complications.
His experience is a reminder that preventive health is about more than treating illness. It’s about building relationships with healthcare providers, addressing concerns early and making regular care part of everyday life.
For Eick, having access to accessible health care in his community has made a difference.
“The staff there are very nice,” Eick said. “The medical treatment is also very nice. I would recommend.”