For the last several years, I've heard about our community's workforce challenge. In several articles in the media and conversations across the region, I've listened to folks share that our community needs to attract more nurses. During this process, my confidence in Sanford's ability to provide the care it promised declined. The messages lead me to believe that when the day came for my wife to give birth, we'd have poor service because of the lack of talent.

On March 18th, my wife discovered her water may have broken. We drove to the new birth center at Sanford and began our birth process. For the next three days, we trusted Sanford's team to deliver our baby and keep our family healthy. As a first time dad I had built up nerves, and in the back of my head, I prayed that we would have an adequate staff to get us through the birthing process.

Much to my delight, we had extraordinary care. My wife and I commented, time and time again, of how well thought-out the facilities were, how professional and kind the staff was, and the incredible use of technology that kept us both informed and cared for. We were blown away by the commitment to the details, and most of all, how courteous and caring the staff was.

As we left the birth center, we heard a lullaby over the loudspeaker, welcoming a new child into the world. As we walked through the lobby, we saw a lineup of donors that had committed to providing the extra resources needed to help our community reach its potential. As we put our baby in our car, a nurse gave that gentle, friendly encouragement we needed to take our baby home. Sanford's team helped welcome our daughter into the world in a safe environment. They also calmed my nerves, knowing they had built a team of top notch providers that can care for our family and our community into the future.

As a community, I hope more folks can learn the lesson I did, that although at times we may need more nurses, we can sleep well knowing the nurses we do have are incredible and go far beyond the call of duty to support us, their community.

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Tehven, of Fargo, is a co-founder of Emerging Prairie.