WEST YELLOWSTONE - Currently, Community Health Partners is stationed in West Yellowstone as the town's local medical clinic. That will all change in January of 2023 after Billings Clinic has been chosen to move in to become the community's medical provider.
Earlier this year, the town of West Yellowstone sought proposals for new health care services for the community. In May, the council unanimously voted to select Billings Clinic.
“So CHP as well as Billings Clinic were there as well as a couple of others, and ultimately Billings Clinic won through that RFP process,” said Mayor Travis Watt.
Watt believes Billings Clinic is very well suited to be able to take care of the medical needs of the residents within West Yellowstone.
“Billings Clinic has just had a lot of experience with rural health care in Montana," says Watt. "They're huge. Got a huge network. And so I think because of those strengths that they have and the experience with rural places like West Yellowstone, they end up winning that RFP process.”
Watt is not the only person who believes this is a great opportunity for the town. Dr. Clint Seger of Billings Clinic could not agree more.
“It really made sense from Billings Clinic perspective to be able to partner with that community in light of the work we're doing in Bozeman and that geography,” said Seger.
Although there are medical facilities around West Yellowstone, there are none under at least an hour drive. Seger says that the West Yellowstone location of the Billings Clinic will not only be great for the community but for the clinic as well.
“For us, this is a great opportunity to work with a community that has asked up to be a participant in delivering health care to their community,” he said.
Billings Clinic is set to open on Jan. 1, 2023, with a five-year contract. Watt says this will create job opportunities for the community and maybe more than originally expected.
“Depends on how much they expand. There are some minimum requirements we have I believe that's about five employees if I remember right, but it could expand to as many as double that,” says Watt.
For Watt though, Billings Clinic is the right decision for the community.
“Offering more for our community or more for the visitors just anytime we can increase the health services in our little community. It's a win for everybody.”
