The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

There is always a refreshing feeling of renewal with the turning of the calendar. Starting the new year brings about renewed energy and commitment to goals, plans for the coming year, and a desire to bring about change in your daily life.

It is no different inside the walls of BSMC. There is certainly an air of change floating around and all the excitement that comes with it. One could say the facility is adopting the "New Year, New Us" motto that is so commonly expressed this time of year. With the new clinic building, the CT, the potential for new providers and services, there is a different kind of wind in the sails of BSMC. At the helm of the ship through these upcoming changes is CEO Ron Wiens. Ron is new to the facility as of Oct 2022. He accepted the position of CEO after coming on as an Interim CEO last summer and will be celebrating his 6-month anniversary with the facility on January 11. He said the environment of the facility and the town of Big Sandy encouraged him to join the crew permanently and gladly accepted the invitation to stay.

Ron and his wife, Kim currently reside in Helena, MT; he commutes to Big Sandy during the work week and home to Helena for the weekends. Prior to working here at BSMC he was the CFO at Shodair Children's Hospital for 16 years. Mr. Wien's hospital experience does not begin and end with his time at Shodair, he also worked as the CFO for the hospital in Libby MT for 17 years. He spent about 3.5 years working at a CPA firm in Billings prior to that. His working history is a great asset to the facility as it embarks on some substantial changes in facilities, services, and appearance in the coming months.

While he is a Michigan native, he enjoys much of what Montana has to offer and is happy to call Montana home. On his time off you may find him enjoying a good hike, birdwatching, biking, or appreciating the local wildlife and landscape. He also has an 11-year-old granddaughter that occupies his time frequently, with no objections from him!

When asked why he continues to come to work every day, this is what Ron had to say,

"I often remind myself that nearly 60 years ago, a group of Big Sandy residents with a pioneering spirit of sacrifice and hard work, came together to create a healthcare organization to meet the healthcare needs of the community. At some point they passed the torch on to us to be good stewards of what they created and to continue the vision they had for this place. This is a huge honor and responsibility. So, every day that I come to work, I remind myself of this stewardship role and the accountability I have to past generations for the work being done at Big Sandy Medical Center."

What a great perspective to hold when coming into a new role in a new community! When you see him out and about, be sure to say hello and help him feel welcome. After all, it is the people that are the heart of BSMC; staff and patrons alike.