health center

SIOUX CENTER – Tysa Lloyd was steered into her life’s work as a dental assistant through a career placement quiz taken during high school. Lloyd, who has five years of experience working as a dental assistant, started in that role at Promise Community Health Center in Sioux Center last week. Tysa Lloyd assumed her role as a dental assistant at Promise Community Health Center last week. She discovered her interest in the vocation after taking a career placement quiz in high school. “I never thought about doing that, but that popping up on the quiz really interested me in looking more into it, and I found it to be a good match,” she said. “It helps people, and that’s something that I always wanted to do.” Lloyd grew up in Sheldon and graduated from Sheldon High School in 2009. She took general classes for a year at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City before earning her dental assistant certification while working 2011-13 at Siouxland Dental Health in Sioux City. She then s...

SIOUX CENTER – Alejandra Dueñas always found the receptionists at Promise Community Health Center in Sioux Center to be “really nice and willing to help” when she came in as a patient. Therefore, she’s glad to now have the opportunity to fill that role. Alejandra  Dueñas looks forward to helping people in her new role as a receptionist at Promise Community Health Center in Sioux Center. Alejandra began serving as a new receptionist at Promise last week. “I’ve always been the type of person that likes to help out when I can, so I think this position will be a great opportunity to do that,” she said. Alejandra was born in Chico, CA, but lived most of her life in Hull. She graduated from Boyden-Hull High School in 2012. Before starting at Promise, she worked previously at Natural Food Holdings in Sioux Center and Dakota Treats in Hawarden. She is excited to be part of a “great organization.” “I think Promise is a great organization because they provide a lot of resources and opportu...

Rebecca Hooyer, dental hygienist for Promise Community Health Center, cautions people who work outside about the danger of skin cancer on the lip. She recommends the use SPF chapstick. by Rebecca Hooyer, dental hygienist Summer is a busy time for our farmers and anyone who works outside. How many, though, are using Sun Protection Factor (SPF) chapstick? I can think of very few men. However, using SPF chapstick can help prevent a dangerous, rarely talked about problem: skin cancer. To be more specific, skin cancer on the lip. The bottom lip is exposed to more sun than the top lip and can be a site for either basal cell carcinomas or squamous cell carcinomas. It is more likely to appear in fair-skinned men over 50 years old who spend a lot of time outdoors. It is quite treatable if caught early. One should look for sores in or around the mouth, especially on the bottom lip, that do not heal within a couple weeks. The earlier it is caught, the better. There is a greater risk for people wh...