BOZEMAN HEALTH FOUNDATION
On July 19, Bozeman Health Foundation announced that Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center was awarded a $375,000 grant from the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation and its member families to extend primary care services in Big Sky.
The grant will be used to hire an advanced care practitioner and cover additional supporting services to extend clinic hours to help Big Sky Medical Center serve those who aren’t able to access the Family Medicine Clinic during regular weekday hours. Currently, Big Sky Medical Center Family Medicine provides primary healthcare services for pediatric, adult, women’s health, and prenatal care from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Dr. Maren Dunn Chandler is the primary physician within the clinic, and Dr. Philip Hess, Dr. Jeremy Mitchell, and Dr. Kirk Weber care for patients in the emergency department and in the clinic.
Adding an advanced care practitioner—a family nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant—will extend availability for patient care in the clinic as needed during the week and into the weekend.
“I’m thrilled that we can continue to advance the care of and for patients in our community, thanks to the generous grant from YCCF and its member families,” said Chris Darnell, Big Sky Medical Center administrator. “We know that for a lot of people, especially employees in the hospitality and construction sector, having evening and weekend appointments will make care more easily accessible.”
“The foundation is pleased to help develop extended primary care services in Big Sky,” said Britt Ide, executive director of Yellowstone Club Community Foundation. “Same day and weekend appointments will be especially valuable to community members that work long and varied hours. We are grateful to our amazing and generous donors that support our community.”
Big Sky Medical Center is currently recruiting to hire for open positions and administrators hope to have the advanced care practitioner begin seeing patients this fall.
Bozeman Health Foundation also shared that the YCCF grant helped advance its Caring Forward Campaign, with Big Sky Medical Center as one of the campaign’s top fundraising priorities. For Big Sky, the campaign, which has raised $13.2 million dollars of its $15 million goal, aims to accelerate the pace at which new specialties and healthcare services become available, in addition to enabling special equipment purchases and provide for emergency simulations and scenario-based training for BSMC employees.
Visit bozemanhealthfoundation.org for more information.
