The Clinic: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow co m m u n i ty n ews
As the first telemedicine network in Montana, the Eastern Montana Telemedicine Network began more than twenty years ago as a cooperative effort between Billings Clinic and five rural health care facilities. Today this technology links over 60 medical specialists with patients in 39 rural communities using two-way interactive video conferencing, allowing patients to receive specialty care close to home. In addition to telemedicine, outreach clinics are provided across the region. More than 50 Billings Clinic specialists in 20 specialty areas of medicine travel each month to provide face-to-face specialty care for residents of rural Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota. In 1997, Billings Clinic accepted an invitation to begin a management agreement with Pioneer Medical Center in Big Timber. Since that initial agreement, 10 additional Critical Access Hospitals have invited Billings Clinic to enter into similar relationships and more recently, four have evolved into shared governance relationships in which representatives from Billings Clinic serve on the local Board of Directors. These shared governance affiliations include Beartooth Billings Clinic in Red Lodge, Stillwater Billings Clinic in Columbus, Livingston Healthcare in Livingston, and Glendive Medical Center in Glendive. Through this affiliation, new
hospitals have been constructed in Red Lodge and Columbus, and construction is currently underway in Livingston. Billings Clinic Affiliates include: 1. Pioneer Medical Center – Big Timber, MT 2. Colstrip Medical Center – Colstrip, MT 3. North Big Horn Hospital – Lovell, WY 4. Daniels Memorial Hospital – Scobey, MT 5. Beartooth Billings Clinic – Red Lodge, MT 6. Stillwater Billings Clinic – Columbus, MT 7. Livingston Healthcare – Livingston, MT 8. Roundup Memorial Hospital – Roundup, MT 9. Sheridan Memorial Hospital – Plentywood, MT 10.Glendive Medical Center – Glendive, MT 11.Wheatland Memorial Hospital – Harlowton, MT
Billings Clinic Regional Partnerships Timeline e ar
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KEY Red = Shared Governance Black = Management Services