Family Atmosphere Key To Success at Dakota Pediatrics

Editor's Note: Each month, Inver Grove Heights Patch asks the owners of a well-established, local business what makes them successful. We publish their answers in our regular feature, "Secrets to Success."

When a new remodel of Dakota Pediatrics is completed, the Inver Grove Heights-based health care provider might be a place kid’s look forward to visiting, instead of a place they dread going. After all, that remodel will include Xbox and Play station 3 gaming consoles in the waiting room.

But Robert Deeb knows the clinic that his parents founded over 30 years ago needs to provide much more than games and toys to be the go-to resource for families seeking local health care solutions. And that's what Deeb and his wife, Lindsey Deeb, strive to provide.

Dakota Pediatrics, located along Carmen Ave. E, provides primary healthcare services to children, from birth through college, to area residents. Those services include the typical health services you would receive at any primary care pediatric practice, including physicals, sick visits for coughs, colds, sore throats, ADHD consults and management, behavioral consulting and more. The clinic also features an on-site lab to run common tests. 

Deeb is the clinic administrator while his wife Lindsey is the CEO and owner and also works as a Registered Nurse and Certified Nurse Practitioner for the clinic. They took over the clinic in 2010, shortly after Deeb's mother, Dr. Jane Van Roekel, passed away from her third battle with cancer. In addition to providing outstanding health care services, Dr. Van Roekel stressed the importance of a true family atmosphere.  That is a tradition the Deeb’s still hold near and dear to their heart.

"Our patients truly get to know their providers," said Deeb. "In essence, they become part of the family.  When we took over the operations of the clinic, I can't tell you how many parents came up to me and said that they had brought their children to my mother and that they knew everything that I had been doing in my life because of their relationship with my mother. Not many people can say they know their doctor so well that they know what is going on with their doctor's children.  All of our providers, and almost all of our staff, are parents and all are active participants in their family's healthcare, so really, the families that come to us just become an extension of our own."

Lindsey Deeb agreed: "Working at Dakota Pediatrics allows us to truly connect with patients and families," she said. "Our patient-provider relationships, which are unique in today's healthcare industry, provide the best all-around care for the patients that need it the most, our children."

Dakota Pediatrics is a small operation, yet the clinic handles a wide variety of clientele. Deeb, who has background in electrical engineering, handles multiple administrative and technological functions—roles that most clinics hire multiple people to do. The clinic has made two large investments in technology that reduce the need for large billing and administration staff. But the staff members they do have are experienced and well-trained, according to clinic officials.

But Deeb knows ultimately, it's not video games, new toys, or the latest and greatest technology parents and families want. It’s customer service and belief that their health care providers can take care of them when needed.

"People come to us because they trust us with their children's health," he said. "Most of our staff members know our families by first name. Our providers truly get to know their families and follow their children throughout their life, which is something you will never find at a corporate practice."

Correction: This article has been changed to correct an inaccuracy. Lindsey Deeb is the CEO and sole owner of Dakota Pediatrics.