MPCA News

Gallatin Community Clinic Becomes a Community Health Center (CHC) Satellite in Bozeman

Buck Taylor and Stephanie Robino, Gallatin Community Clinic staff, at the recent Open House celebration.

When Gallatin Community Clinic opened for business on October 17, 2001, they had new funding, a new location, and expanded services. As the result of a $441,000 grant from the Bureau of Primary Health Care to Livingston's Community Health Center (Community Health Partners), Gallatin Community Clinic had become a CHC satellite, offering the full range of CHC primary care services on a sliding scale. "For the past five years, Gallatin County has been fortunate to have an active volunteer-based clinic, however, we couldn't possibly meet the need. We are thrilled that Park County, specifically, Community Health Partners, has teamed up with us to make this new clinic a reality," said Buck Taylor, the clinic director.

The Bureau of Primary Health Care supports such satellite clinic structures through existing Community Health Centers as a way to improve access and avoid duplication of needed administrative functions. For example, Community Health Partners will provide patient billing services and financial administration for the new clinic site using their experience and their systems already in place.

Andrea Cady, M.D., a family practice physician, is the clinic's full-time medical provider. There are plans to add a part-time provider, Liesl Pessl, a family nurse practitioner, in January of 2002. The clinic previously offered services through a cadre of medical volunteers - nurses, physicians, and MSU students. The clinic intends to retain those volunteers and recruit new volunteers to supplement the health services that the staff can offer. Buck estimates they will be able to schedule 4,500 patient visits or more this year.

Home of the Gallatin Community Clinic, 111 South Tracy Avenue, Bozeman, MT

On November 13, 2001, the clinic hosted an Open House for community members and supporters across the state. One of the attendees was John Nordwick, CEO of Bozeman Deaconess, an important partner in the clinic project. To help the clinic, the hospital has offered to provide sliding scale discounts on outpatient hospital services to CHC patients such as lab and x-ray. In addition, within 2 years, the clinic will move to the hospital campus where some space will be provided by the hospital at no charge. Other important partners include local physicians who will be providing some call and after hours support to assist Dr. Cady and members of the Montana Dental Society, 6th District who are working with clinic administrators to set up a referral system for adult dental care.

The clinic is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays and from 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For more information about the clinic, call Buck Taylor at 406-585-1360.