COLUMBUS — Healthcare patients in Columbus and the surrounding area now have one less reason to travel to Billings for medical imaging, thanks to a new mobile MRI unit operating at Stillwater Billings Clinic.
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The mobile MRI, provided by Monida Shared Imaging, made its first visit to the clinic on March 21st. Since then, it has already served over 40 patients.
“The MRI project has been kind of full circle for us," said Beth Brosam, the hospital's director of clinic and ancillary services and director of nursing. "It's really supporting our mission of keeping healthcare local and keeping our patients within our community as much as we can.”
For Columbus resident Ann Davey, the timing of the new service could not have been better. After experiencing a flare-up of chronic knee pain during a volleyball game, she needed an MRI scan to assess her injury.
“I had some lingering chronic issues, but it flares up whenever I play old lady volleyball," joked Davey. “Just a lot of like swelling and loss of range of motion and pain."
She was able to get one within two weeks with the mobile unit, something that would have taken longer if she had to travel to Billings.
“I'm sure I would have had to travel and I know that then the wait times can be a little more lengthy, so it was really nice that I got in so quickly," said Davey. "It was very easy. I was in and out in like 35 minutes.”
That kind of convenience can be rare in small-town healthcare and is deeply appreciated.
The mobile MRI arrives in Columbus every other Friday, scanning 10 to 13 patients each visit. It is a vital service for the aging population in the region, many of whom struggle with the travel and logistics of appointments in Billings.
"We do have an elderly population, a geriatric population in this area," said Brosam. "To say you can come here and get your care and not have to send them another 40 minutes, it's not bad for some of us, but for our elderly population, that's a big deal.”
Before the mobile MRI, patients who needed advanced imaging had to be referred to other facilities in Billings, requiring staff to coordinate appointments or transfer records. Now, the staff works closely with the mobile crew, who can integrate into medical records easily.
“When it's in-house, it's a lot easier for us to navigate that for them," said Cody White, M.D., the chief of staff at the clinic. “I think it signs that we as a facility are looking forward to what's the next thing that we can offer, what's the specialty or care that we can provide that this community needs."
Bringing the mobile MRI to Columbus was no small task. The clinic had to rebuild part of the ground structure to accommodate the unit and spent years fundraising through the Jewel Foundation to support the effort. The entire project was completed for under $200,000.
"We spent a lot of time fundraising year after year to raise money to build all of the ground structure here, and then coordinating to be on a cycle of the semi-truck coming through," said White.
Within the short time of its operation, the community's reception to the unit has been largely positive.
"We're very excited about it. We always get calls, 'We saw the MRI truck pull up,' so it's something huge for our community," said Brosam.
"Especially if you live in the area, you cut out the travel to Billings and the wait, so I think it's a great option that we have here locally," added Davey.
For Stillwater Billings Clinic and the people it serves, the mobile MRI has become more than just a diagnostic tool, but a strategic win for a facility that has long strived to offer big-city care in a rural setting.
"We want our community to continue to thrive, to grow, and this is the type of resource that we found a need for and went out and found and got it here, and I think it's going to do really well," said White.
"(Patients) may see our faces. We do the same, so when I bring this truck in, I'm thinking of the exact face that I'm like, 'Oh, we can help them. We can help their family,' and it's all ages. It's something full circle," added Brosam. "In a small town like this, it means everything.”
