Terris Thompson knows seeing the same trusted provider each visit has improved his health. He was previously shuffled from one provider to the next at different health care locations. It was hard to keep track of his treatment and make progress on medical issues.
Terris suffered from seizures and found out he had Stage 3 colon cancer, as well as a few heart problems. He is now cancer-free but was recently diagnosed with diabetes and is on Medicaid due to his disability status. His provider at Horizon, Bailey Keckler, CNP, is up front with him about emerging medical concerns.
“With Bailey, I really like her,” he said. “She never beats around the bush. Once something is wrong, they hurry up and get on it.”
Today, he sees a specialist in Bismarck who tracks his conditions and communicates openly with Bailey at Horizon Health Eagle Butte. The providers make sure medications they prescribe won’t interfere with any he’s already taking, which was a problem in the past.
“With Horizon, I get to see the same provider all the time,” he said. “One thing about Horizon, they sit there and listen to your concerns. They aren’t trying to hurry up and push you out of the door.”
He likes the overall efficiency he finds at Horizon. He never sits in the waiting room for longer than 10 minutes before going back to the exam room. He can make appointments quickly without waiting months.
Terris Thompson and his family have lived in Timber Lake since the 1980s. Providers at Horizon Health have helped Terris and his wife better manage their health.
“At Horizon, they can get on things right away,” he said.
Terris shared an example of a recent low blood sugar reading that caused him to feel dizzy. He went to the Horizon clinic and was reassured that his sugar level would increase due to having just eaten. They told him to go to the hospital if he continued to feel unwell.
“They were right,” he said. “It took a little while and then I felt good again.”
His wife Marlene has started using Horizon for her primary care as well. They have lived in Timber Lake since the late 80s and raised both of their sons there.
Their older son, Jade, lives in Wisconsin with his family that includes their two grandchildren. Jade served in the Marines and completed tours of duty in Iraq before an IED explosion ended his military career. Their son Conway died at age 15 due to complications from muscular dystrophy. Locally, they have a large extended family of nieces and nephews, who are considered grandchildren in their culture.
He and his wife are survivors. They both beat cancer and lived through the loss of a child. He shares his story with others and lets them know what he’s going through. He understands that keeping things bottled up can cause more problems for his health and well-being. He’s happy to have local care that can help him deal with any health issue his family may have.
“My perspective is I really like Horizon,” Terris said. “If something happens or if they find anything wrong, Bailey will say ‘We’re getting you where you need to be. I know your medical condition; how bad it is – we aren’t going to mess around.’ She isn’t going to wait.”