Missy Schrock

What drew me to the Center for Healing & Hope is the fact that it’s a local organization helping in the community. I was ready to settle into something that was going to make a difference, specifically with my neighbors, whether I knew them or not.

Our current location has served the organization well for the last almost 10 years, and we are so grateful for the home that we have had here. However, the pandemic really brought to light its limitations. It became really important for us to think about how to deal with that in the moment, and also in the future. When the opportunity for us to move into 400 W. Lincoln Avenue presented itself to us, we felt like it was something we really needed to do.

We take possession of the building on April 1 and will start seeing patients on April 12 in our new facility.

Our patients are often uninsured, low-income, immigrants. It is a sign of respect for them, as human beings and members of the community, to be able to have their medical needs taken care of in an office that is specifically designed to take care of medical needs.

I am working with a team of people who are just as dedicated to the mission as I am – a team of very strong female leaders. It’s just very gratifying to feel empowered and supported in our work as women.

As of this month, we’ve conducted 25,000 coronavirus tests. I think it was all possible for us because we’re small, and we’re nimble and resilient. I think medical director Dr. Michelle Shelly and I made an extraordinary team to be able to roll this out and be able to provide this service to the community.

I would say that COVID has been a catalyst for us to reevaluate our programs, reevaluate our processes, and also pay attention very specifically to what people in our community need instead of thinking about what we can offer. We started a strategic planning process last summer, and we are trying to live into that.

I’ve been here at the Center for Healing & Hope for a year. I don’t have institutional memory to bring to the table, but I definitely have the opportunity to effect change in ways that I think are going to help us to be more effective in the community.