It is with profound enthusiasm that I write these words of unwavering support for the Healthy Life Center initiative. 

I learned early in medical school that health care providers treat not just diseases, but more importantly, patients. I learned in a parallel life that the most impactful philanthropic initiatives universally involve investing in people.

The Healthy Life Center proposal is a well thought out and visionary project that does just this – invests in the well-being of Story County residents. To that end, the center’s holistic approach will unquestionably improve the health of our residents. 

Ames and Story County today “is what it is,” a place possessing a high quality of life as measured by any metric – education, health care, recreational  opportunities and a strong retail and entertainment environment, because those that came before us had the vision to support projects such as the Healthy Life Center. Our forefathers would have enthusiastically embraced this proposal had they had the opportunity.

The fact that property taxes will modestly increase with the passage of the bond vote is undeniable. However, the value of the Healthy Life Center – a healthy population; the inevitable lowering of health care insurance premiums;  the eventual increase in our property re-sale values; and as an enticement in the recruitment of world class faculty to the university, the Research Park and the medical campus  – exponentially exceeds this tax expense.      

Implementing a vision takes courage. Ames and Story County residents have always had the courage to assure that the quality of our lives is a top priority.

Please join me in this vision and vote “yes” for the Healthy Life Center bond issue on Sept. 10.

Jon Fleming

Ames