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A
crowd of people met in 1952 to discuss building a hospital. The program
would be eligible as a Blue Cross and Blue Shield facility. Financial
support for the hospital accumulated from contributions from the
community. Meagher
County
residents purchased stock at $25 a share.
Much
of the actual construction was volunteer labor. Music students held a
piano recital and the American Legion Auxiliary held a benefit party.
Individuals and families furnished patient rooms. A single check
finished the operating room and equipment. A kitchen shower was held. A
community-sewing group made patient gowns and doctors' scrubs. The
guild developed a plan for volunteers to keep the hospital clean once
it opened. The clinic was opened in 1953 to better negotiate for a
doctor; the hospital opened December 2, 1957. A health care
facility in White Sulphur Springs was a labor of love. No Hill-Burton
funds were used.
A
31 bed nursing home was added to the complex in 1976. Mortgage payments
on that construction loan continue to be paid by the Harmon Trust Fund.
An activity room was added in 1996 with indoor and outdoor recreational
facilities for residents. The Harmon Trust again provided support.
The
operational issues of 1958 were the same then as they are today -
unexpected expenses including: results from fire life safety surveys,
problems finding enough nurses and payment for services were slow in
coming. During the '60s, the hospital faced closure from time to time
but, with the community's help, survived each financial crisis one step
at a time.
Marguerite Bair Lamb's last will and
testament established the Charles M. Bair Memorial Trust in 1976 which
allowed an annual gift to Mountainview
Medical Center.
A new clinic was opened in 1987 which was funded in large part by the
Bair Trust.
Over
the past half century, patient services revenue has not covered
expenses. Contributions, tax support and endowment income has assisted
MMC in meeting its obligations. Improvements to the structure could not
have been undertaken unless the operation was showing future prospects.
The
realities of an aging building began to grow. During the late 1990’s
there was increased concern about the ability to stand up to regulatory
scrutiny. Key strategic goals were set by the governing board on October 28,
2000
which included the creation of a patient, provider and family
user-friendly facility. The goal was set up on a three-year completion
cycle.
Renovation and remodeling of the hospital
began in June of 2003, with more than half the funds needed for the
project secured. Fund raising and construction continued through most
of 2004. The building project – a state of the art hospital in a
frontier community was completed in December of 2004. Over 70% of the
funding for the project had been secured at that time with the
remaining money secured through a low interest loan from the Montana
Facility Finance Authority.
Today, Mountainview
Medical Center
is a surviving Critical
Access Hospital
in rural Montana.
Services provided have changed in the past 50 years but MMC is still
here for the benefit of the Meagher
County
community members. Future remodel is planned so MMC can continue to
provide quality health services to its community and beyond.
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