Business
Medical center receives donations, plans for MRI unit
Published
9 years agoon
By Joseph T. O’Connor EBS Managing Editor
BIG SKY – Knee injuries in ski towns are as ubiquitous as moguls midseason. Since 1973, Big Sky Resort skiers needing medical imaging for injured knees or other maladies were transported to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital some 60 miles north through Gallatin Canyon.
Now, more than 40 years later, and thanks to over $1 million in donations since January, that could change.
Winter 2015-2016 will see a new area medical facility, the Big Sky Medical Center, set for completion in early December. In 2015 alone, donors have given the nonprofit Bozeman Deaconess Foundation $1,035,000 to assist in completing Phase 1 of Big Sky’s 43,000-square-foot facility, which will include a six-room emergency department; primary care clinic; pharmacy; medevac helicopter-landing pad; laboratory services; a four-bed inpatient unit, and an imaging center.
Contributions from Boyne Resorts along with private donations have helped fund Phase 1 construction costs, but one major contribution will help BSMC’s five newly hired physicians determine if some patients – including those with certain knee injuries – need transport to Bozeman Deaconess Health Services, the health system that’s managing BSMC.
An $850,000 donation spearheaded by Steve and Robin Stephenson will support a permanent, state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging scanner, or MRI, to allow doctors to diagnose damaged ligaments, tendons or other soft-tissue injuries.
Given in the form of a “challenge grant” through the Charles and Peggy Stephenson Family Foundation, the Stephensons are hoping other donors will step forward to help make the dream a reality. Their donation covers approximately half of the $1.7 million needed to completely fund MRI services, according to a recent press release.
“Both Steve and I feel passionate about being in Big Sky,” said Robin, a retired special education teacher
who moved from San Diego to Big Sky in 2006. “We have pledged an initial payment for the cost of the MRI and to build out the space [and] hope others will join us.”The MRI suite is being built in the center of the facility adjacent to a CT scan area. The stationary MRI suite is part of Phase 1 and replaces original plans to house a mobile MRI scanner at the back of the hospital.
“Having that MRI between the emergency department and the clinic will improve both patient care and workflow for our medical staff,” said Jason Smith, executive vice president of BDF.
Both imaging capabilities are essential to proper patient care, according to Dr. Phil Hess, who will assume his position as BSMC’s medical director in early August.
“There are several applications through the emergency department where MRI is preferable to CT scan,” said Hess, who was hired by BDHS in February. “When a patient presents with a stroke, for example.”
The new machine will have a higher magnetic field than the mobile unit, providing better image quality for accurate diagnoses, Hess said. And having the unit stationary ensures patients will have access to medical imaging when they need it.
“A permanent MRI machine is always here,” Robin said. “You don’t have to wait until next Tuesday for it to show up.”
BDF’s Smith says he hopes the Stephenson’s generosity – as well as that of other corporations and individuals who made financial commitments – will be contagious in the Big Sky community.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during their regular Toddler and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m. The free program, presented by the Bozeman Symphony is especially for children ages 3 to 5. Children will be able to listen to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks actor Emma Rather, who will be joined by Bozeman Symphony Bassoonist Sam Macken. The goal of the program is to encourage a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Additional programs are scheduled at the Library on April 10 and June 12. For more information, visit www.bozemansymphony.org or call 406-585-9774.
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