Health care

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to shortages of everything from toilet paper to cars. Now the American Red Cross and Montana hospitals say they are experiencing a major shortage of blood donations.

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.

St. Vincent Healthcare, RiverStone Health and Billings Clinic said in a joint statement that “Bottom line ... we are requiring our healthcare workers to become vaccinated against COVID-19."

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Adam Meier Friday called the Biden Administration’s new COVID vaccine mandate for health care facilities “unfortunate,” arguing that it will exacerbate Montana’s current health care worker shortage.

Montana is funding a new incentive program to help recruit health care providers in response to statewide staffing issues.

The first tribal college to have a four-year nursing program welcomed a new body to the classroom this fall: a synthetic cadaver. And it's helping Indigenous students prepare to enter health care professions at a time when they're needed most.

Health officials were testing for influenza last flu season, but detected none.

Gallatin County prosecutors have filed misdemeanor charges against an employee at a Bozeman bar accusing him of obstructing a public health officer from inspecting the bar’s compliance with pandemic restrictions.

Dr. Shelly Harkins, the president and chief medical officer of Helena’s Saint Peter’s Health made this sobering announcement Thursday morning: “For the first time in my career we are at the point where not every patient in need will get the care we might wish we could give.”

A nearly $1 million federal grant has allowed the state to contract with six providers that could provide drug treatment to over 400 Montanans over the next two years.