Billings Clinic

Montana nonprofit hospitals receive millions of dollars in tax exemptions as charities each year in exchange for giving back to their communities. A KHN review found that some of Montana’s richest medical centers are falling behind most state and national hospitals.

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."

A team of federal health care providers is helping to address a staffing shortage in Billings as Yellowstone County continues to lead the state in the number of active COVID-19 cases.

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

Billings Clinic in Montana is past the tipping point as it looks for places to add intensive care unit beds and is on the cusp of rationing care to deal with the surge of sick covid patients in a state with significant anti-vaccination sentiment.

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,” she says.

As COVID-19 cases surge, hospitals say they can’t get enough staff to keep up. Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration says it’s collaborating with hospitals as needs arise.

New COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations in Billings are putting so much strain on the local health care system that one hospital may start rationing care as early as this week.

Montana’s largest hospital is asking Gov. Greg Gianforte’s office to deploy the National Guard to assist doctors and nurses who are stretched thin by the growing surge in COVID-19 cases. This is the second request for assistance in the last month.

The spread of COVID-19 in Billings has claimed its first big local summer event. The cancelation of the Billings Clinic Classic Celebration street party.