Revitalization of a Property, Revitalization of Medicine

2020 was a big year of transition for, well, all of us. 7300 Westown Parkway isn’t any different. In the past few years, the most distinguishing feature may have been the Starbucks on the corner, but Penta Partners, LLC and Exemplar Care are changing that. If you grew up in Greater Des Moines (DSM), you know there is more to the story of this property. Prior to 1998, it housed the Continental Western Life Insurance Company, was surrounded by trees and was all-out decorated for the holidays. As the region has grown, the building has gone from the outskirts to the Western hub of the city just off I-80 at Jordan Creek Parkway.

Seeing Something Special at 7300 Westown Parkway

Typically, Penta Partners specializes in larger industrial projects, but this property was special. There was a mural to the left of the entrance that spoke to Travis Sisson, managing partner of Penta Partners, LLC. Someday this building would house medical services for the area. With that destiny in mind, state-of-the-art renovations began, including air purification units capable of UV germicidal irradiation to eliminate viruses, top of the line technology and security, as well as contemporary, modern finishes. 7300 Westown Parkway was now ready for business.

Now insert Exemplar Care. Exemplar Care started with Dr. Jon VanDerVeer as “direct primary care” or membership-based medical care. This model has grown, and in November 2020, it relocated to 7300 Westown Parkway and expanded beyond primary care to include urgent care, opening the area’s only 24/7 in-person or telemedicine urgent care. Other than the ER, prior to February 2021, there was no other option for medical care after hours. Exemplar Care wanted to change that. This urgent care is always available and available to everyone — a FREE service to members, but also available to everyone in the community, accepting insurance and transparently posting cash prices. In addition to traditional Urgent Care services, there is also extended care for patients that need longer monitoring or IV therapies.

Dr. Jon VanDerVeer comes from internal medicine, and his goal is to provide his patients and direct primary care members with high quality medical care including the preventative medicine needed to keep patients out of the hospital. There are also outpatient psychiatrists and psychologists available for all members. Dr. Katie Kuehner comes from emergency medicine, and her goal is to provide patients with the acute medical care they need to stay out of the emergency room. Together, this team at Exemplar Care works 24/7 to help their patients to stay healthy — physically and mentally — as well as to stay out of the hospital, stay out of the ER and not accrue large medical bills.

This model works for individuals, families and especially businesses. When the membership is combined with a high deductible insurance plan to cover major medical expenses, Exemplar Care is more affordable, provides greater access to care and is a much more personal approach to medicine. It’s like having a doctor in the family!

Vaccines at Exemplar Care

We can’t talk about changes in the past year without talking about COVID. Exemplar Care is an approved location for vaccine administration and is taking testing to the next level. Exemplar Care offers rapid antigen testing, PCR testing with 24-hour turn around and blood antibody testing with testing locations at 7300 Westown Parkway, Des Moines International Airport and on-site AT your business.

7300 Westown Parkway is a revitalized property housing Exemplar, a business that is revitalizing medicine and providing the peace of mind we all need right now as we return to work, school, seeing loved ones, traveling and getting back to “normal.”

Greater Des Moines (DSM) has one of the best business climates in the country. The region is nationally recognized for having a talented and educated workforce, a cost of doing business 17 percent below the national average, a low cost of living and an exceptional quality of life.

You can count on The Partnership to continue to share accurate and fact-based updates. See more on COVID-19 here.