Billings Clinic

Hospitals in Montana are grappling with a nationwide shortage of IV fluids. Hospitals are conserving supplies so they can continue to treat patients.

Billings Clinic announced Thursday that it’s become the state’s first Level 1 trauma center. As a Level 1 trauma center, it will become the primary hospital that people with severe injuries are sent to in the region.

Two of the state’s largest hospital systems announced Thursday they will officially merge in September.

Two of Montana’s largest hospital systems recently announced they intend to merge. Both Kalispell-based Logan Health and Billings Clinic say the merger will save money by keeping more patients in the state. But some experts worry the deal could increase health care costs for employers and workers.

The National Weather Service says hot weather is arriving across Montana this week. Temperatures will range from the mid 90s on Wednesday to near 100 degrees by the weekend. Read here about heat disease symptoms to watch out for.

For one Montana family, lead contamination in their home brought on what one parent describes as the “biggest trial we’ve ever been through.”

Nick Ehli reported for Kaiser Health News that Billings Clinic has hired two dozen nurses from other countries to fill the staffing void. MTPR's Freddy Monares spoke with Ehli about his reporting.

Billings Clinic is just one of the scores of hospitals across the U.S. looking abroad to ease a shortage of nurses worsened by the pandemic. The national demand is so great that it’s created a backlog of health care professionals awaiting clearance to work in the U.S.

COVID cases over the past week have more than doubled and the number of new cases added each day is growing. Hospitalizations in recent weeks have dropped coming off the state’s recent wave fueled by the Delta variant.

Hospitals self-report how much they give in community benefits, and their reporting processes are opaque. Even so, KHN’s analysis found that some of Montana’s wealthiest hospitals were spending well below the state and national averages.