A critical access hospital in rural central Montana will use millions of federal dollars to build a new facility in the community it serves.
Wheatland Memorial Healthcare officials announced Tuesday that it’s receiving a million dollars in grant money and roughly $19 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help build a critical access hospital and rural health clinic in Harlowton.
“We have an outdated facility and struggle to keep providers here that live in the community,” said Wheatland County Commissioner and Harlowton business owner Jeff Sell, who also sits on the Central Montana Health District Board of Health.
He said the project could help the area better attract and retain medical staff.
A news release from Wheatland Memorial says the clinic serves roughly 2,600 residents in the area, and a modern critical access hospital and rural health clinic is needed to meet demand. Its current facility is roughly 70-year-old.
The new hospital and clinic is expected to open in December 2024.
