MITCHELL – Fifty years ago, five young medical professionals decided to forego financial opportunities and instead move to Orange County to set up a rural health clinic. The clinic, later to be known as Southern Indiana Community Health Care (SICHC), would be grounded in community service, reflecting the personal faith of the founders, Dr. Terry L. Nofziger, Dr. Luke B. Mosemann, Dr. Richard D. Graber, Dr. Wallace Shellenberger, and Evelyn Shellenberger, NP.
Fifty years later, Gov. Mike Braun formally proclaimed Nov. 14 as “Community Health Care Day” to honor how the original Paoli clinic had expanded to serve thousands of patients in five counties in Southern Indiana, extending well beyond its original Orange County roots to serve patients in Crawford and Lawrence counties as a certified Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). More than 150 people from the region, including Orange County Councilman Marshall Noble, attended the event at the Spring Mill State Park Inn.
During the three-hour dinner and celebration, three of the founders, former Lt. Gov. Sue Ellsperman, numerous department and service heads, and current leaders, in turn, shared powerful stories and anecdotes of service. Many of the accounts reflected the challenges of delivering high-quality healthcare in rural areas. In accepting recognition for his late father, a physician son of one of the founders, Dr. Matt Nofziger, described the special spirit of unique medical service embodied in all the presentations by SICHC professionals.
Dr. Ellspermann, who recently retired as President of Ivy Tech in Indiana, commented: “I am so glad to have gotten to share in the event and learn the amazing impact and beautiful stewardship of SICHC’s team across 50 years. Everyone who works is blessed to work with such an amazing team, and there is no way to describe the founders other than truly being the hands and feet of Christ. It was a gift to my soul to participate in the evening.”
Before presentations by current SICHC leaders, including CEO Nancy Radcliff and Medical Director Dr. Yolanda Yoder, Dr. Brandy Terrill relayed the broad impact of SICHC. To underscore this fact, she read from Gov. Braun’s proclamation, which formally recognized how the work of SICHC “reflects the ‘Power of Community Health Care,’ showing how local vision, collaboration, and compassion can transform health outcomes and restore hope in rural and underserved regions.”
SICHC Board chair Carla McSpadden presented each of the founders (or representatives) with formal recognition and thanks, and CEO Nancy Radcliff concluded the evening with stories of service across the decades. The three original providers finished the evening by delivering a personal blessing for continued outstanding and compassionate service.
