Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 70
As a non-profit organization, the IRS requires Big Sandy Medical Center to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years. The CHNA is an opportunity for the members of the community to express their opinions about what is needed in the area, not just to help support their health, but to support the well-being of the community as a whole as well. You can view some of the current assessments from around the state at the Montana Healthcare Foundation’s website. The last time this was performed, residents of the community rec...
7 brought a lot of progress to the goals at BSMC. The end of the calendar year will not end our production though. 2024 will bring a continued effort to get the new building completed and begin clinic operations there, final set up of the new generator, a dining room expansion, removing the carpet from the walls of the nursing home wing, continued efforts to improve the billing process, continued improvement of our nursing care, continued development of our leadership team, more community education, and so much more. The kitchen addition...
While there may not be much for snow outside, it sure is beginning to look a lot like Christmas over at BSMC. The trees are trimmed, the halls are decorated and the festivities have started. A whole lot of celebration is packed into the month between the Thanksgiving holiday and the Christmas holiday. Last week Mary joined us from Havre to play some beautiful Christmas music on the Harp. Next week, the Big Sandy Rotary will be carolling inside the facility and the BSHS Choir will be performing a...
It’s time for the tea at BSMC. What a busy couple of months down at the Medical Center! Among normal operations in the kitchen, Johnson Controls was in the building last week to finish installing the sprinkler heads in the new dry storage and walk-in cooler areas. That was the last of the items on the to-do list so the kitchen remodel is officially complete! Progress on the installation of the new generator has been less successful. Northwestern Energy pushed back the date on getting the new 2-inch gas line installed to fuel the machine. H...
Tomorrow, November 30th, is the big day! At 5:30 pm, the BSMC Board of Directors, the CEO, and the community with gather at the Senior Center for the 59th Annual Meeting. This meeting is a bit different than the regular monthly Board Meetings. Most organizations hold Annual Meetings, some out of transparency, some due to state requirement. At the Annual Meeting, elections take place, financial audits are reviewed, and the happenings in the business as well as the upcoming goals are discussed. On the BSMC Annual Meeting Agenda are the following...
For three weeks you've been hearing about the role of the Board of Directors and the process for the upcoming election. It is finally time to meet the candidates. Each candidate offered a few minutes of their time to share their thoughts, you'll see them below. Voting will take place November 30 at the Annual Board meeting in the Big Sandy Senior Center at 5:30 pm. If you cannot attend the meeting in person, you are able to get an Absentee Ballot now at the Business Office of the Big Sandy...
We're only three weeks away from the Big Sandy Medical Center's Annual Board Meeting. This will be the 59th Annual Meeting to be held for the facility. Big Sandy Medical Center was originally built in 1965 with a clinic, ER and hospital. The nursing home addition was erected in 1985. In 2019, the Nursing Home status was terminated and the facility became a full Critical Access Hospital. The Board has been there for it all. In reviewing events of the recent years, finding people interested in...
The Annual Board Meeting is slated for November 30, 2023 at 5:30 pm, at the Senior Center. While there is a Board meeting every month, the annual meeting functions a little differently. In this meeting, new members are elected, by-laws and policies are reviewed and the financial audit is explored. The Board of Directors is also responsible, in conjunction with the facility staff, for developing plans to accomplish the organization’s mission: “To provide quality patient care in an innovative and professional manner.” The Board has the final...
In the Spring of 2023, a spot on the Big Sandy Medical Center's Board of Directors became vacant. After careful review of the Board By-laws, the Board learned they must appoint a candidate to that position until the term is completed. Candidates that were interested in being on the BSMC Board were allowed to express their interest through October 16, 2023. At that time, the nominating committee stopped accepting nominations and the Board chose the candidate to be appointed. At the most recent Bo...
The dreaded cold and flu season is upon us! When someone says they have a cold or the flu, what is actually happening in their body? For most people, the “common cold” is a viral infection of the upper respiratory system. In other words, a stuffy nose, head pressure, sore throat, and a cough. There usually is no fever or chills, and maybe just slight body aches. In most cases, this will pass in 5-10 days and over the counter treatments will help to ease symptoms. The “flu,” also known as Influenza, does usually bring fever and chills, body ac...
The Medical Guild is gearing up for the 55th annual rummage sale! The sale is the main fundraiser for the Guild every year, proving successful with last years sale topping $10,000. Guild funds are used to help purchase items for the Big Sandy Medical Center. They donated $20,000 for the kitchen remodel project, have purchased patio furniture, helped with paint and flooring to update the insdie of hte building, and supported countless other projects and needs. The community of Big Sandy has been so great in supporting the Guild, between...
September 10-16 is Environmental Services Week. While Environmental Services (EVS) may sound like a part of the EPA, it is blanket term used to include a facilities housekeepers, maintenance, and laundry departments. EVS is the unsung hero of any building, but especially important in a hospital setting. EVS at Big Sandy Medical Center is responsible for cleaning and surface disinfection, waste management, laundry, pest control, safety and security, maintaining the flooring and fixtures, grounds management, including mowing the lawn and...
The date has been set for the 2023 Harvest Festival! This is the third annual event hosted by the PCW (Parish Council of Women) from the Catholic Church in Big Sandy. PCW hosts Harvest Festival as their only fundraiser of the year. They use the money raised for scholarships to graduating seniors, maintenance and improvements to the church, funeral services, and other services throughout the community. From its inception, Harvest Fest was designed as a multi-purpose event. To raise funds for the...
The Big Sandy Medical Center has seen many changes over the last few years. From the transition to a Critical Access Hospital, adding an electronic health record system, the coming and going of providers and staff, remodeling projects, the opening of the Wellness Center, and the future opening of the Rural Health Clinic building. All of these changes are overseen by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is a team of five community members, who volunteer their time to ensure operations at the facility are in the best interest of the...
As always, the summer months seem to fly by and this year is no different. Harvest is in full swing and our children are already back in school. Soon loud cheers will echo across football fields and volleyball courts. What a great time of the year! And what a great time at Big Sandy Medical Center! In just a few short weeks, we will have a brand-new kitchen with ample food storage space and food prep areas. Korb construction has been working continuously, despite shipping delays, to keep this project moving. The addition is complete and now...
What’s “The Tea”? It is the 411, the low-down, the news, the happenings... it’s the latest here at Big Sandy Medical Center. People have always been the heart of BSMC, so you are invited to Tea, right here, with all the latest information about your home town Medical Center. If you’ve drove by the facility recently, you’ve seen the progress made by Korb Construction on the kitchen addition. The foundation has been poured and they are preparing the external walls. While the final touches are being made to the exterior part of the addition, a...
Everyone looks for ways to save a few bucks, especially when it comes to medical bills. BSMC Laboratory is here to help by now offering Patient Directed Testing (PDT). PDT is a process where you as the patient get to choose which lab tests you’d like completed without a doctor’s order. Yes, you read that right. You, the patient, get to walk to the lab, ask for the tests you’d like, and get them done! Our Lab is regulated by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), a sector of CMS. This regulation, along with compliance of State...
Essential workers took on a whole new meaning during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. In healthcare though, we’ve always known and recognized that CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistants) are essential to the daily operations in any medical facility. Especially the week of June 15-21 when we celebrate Nursing Assistant Week. A CNA assists patients with all the tasks most of us take for granted daily. Things like bathing, dressing, moving from a chair to bed and the like. Because of their close involvement with each patient, they become very a...
In 1962, a plan was devised to build a medical center in the Big Sandy Community. The folks recognized that keeping a doctor around was vital for the town. They knew a sure way to do that was to provide a space for them to work with patients needing medical care. The community came together, raised the funds, and built the Big Sandy Medical Center in 1965. While having a doctor in town was sure handy, the goals of the facility have always revolved around the care of the people it serves. As patients, family members, or the community as a...
Do you know what to do if your loved ones heart stops? Of course you’d call 911, but what will you do while you wait? If CPR is started within one minute of a person becoming unresponsive, they have a 90% chance of survival. Those are pretty good odds, but survival rates dwindle quickly. Their chances decrease by 10% for every minute that the heart is not beating. Living in rural Montana means you can drive from one side of town to the other in just a couple of minutes, however, it also means that help may be hours away. Especially on rural roa...
This week is the 49th Annual National EMS Week. The week was first designated by President Gerald Ford in 1974 with the intention to celebrate all that EMS practitioners do in the community. In Big Sandy, our Emergency Medical Services are provided solely by volunteers. Currently the following names are on the volunteer roster: Dusty Allderdice, Paula Amsbaugh, Tim Bahnmiller, Maggie Cline, Chris Horton, NP, Pete Jerrel, Krystyl Kulbeck, PA, Nathan Merrill, Jessica Ophus, Heather Plenninger, Jim Robertson, and Melanie Schwarzbach. Your passion...
Hats off to Lisa Sipler, and all the staff at BSMC that helped make Hospital Week one for the books. The week kicked off with Neon Day. A day full of colors as bright as the smiles on everyone's faces. The patients got to participate in neon painting with Roberta Edwards and played bingo that afternoon. They were joined by many folks from the community and had a blast. Tuesday was Disney Day. Everyone enjoyed visits from Micky and Mini Mouse, Cruella Deville, Doc the Dwarf, and others. After a...
The American Hospital Association designates a theme for Hospital Week every year. This year: We Are Healthcare; caring for patients, strengthening communities. That is certainly true for the community of Big Sandy and its local medical center, but it is not just a one-way street. The community supports this facility as much as we care for the community. We are pleased to welcome the community back into the facility to celebrate Hospital Week with us, May 8-12. You’ll find spirit week style dress-up days, special meals, and lots of fun a...
Florence Nightingale is said to be the “Mother of Nursing” helping to mold the nursing profession into what we know it as today. She was born on May 12th, 1820. Due to her advocacy for hygiene, nursing care, training, and higher standards she created the foundation of what nursing looks like today. Because of her successful efforts, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) proclaimed May 12th (Nightengale’s birthday) as International Nurse’s Day in 1974. Despite many attempts to recognize nurses in the US-the first documented attempt in 1953...
There are over 100,000 men, women, and children waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, with another person being added to the list every 9 minutes. 17 people die every day waiting for their life saving donation. There is a national system that helps to match those on the list with a donation based on blood type, body size, severity of illness, geographic distance, tissue type, and how long they’ve been waiting on the list. One person who chooses to donate can save 9 lives through organ donation, provide sight for two people, and restore h...