Roundup Record Tribune & Winnett Times -

Community members in Musselshell County and surrounding areas may soon be receiving a survey in their mailbox. This survey will be sent to a random sample of homes and will help Roundup Memorial Healthcare identify health services needed in the community. This information will be used for strategic planning, grant applications, new programs, and by community groups interested in addressing health issues.

This project, administered by the Montana Office of Rural Health and funded in part through the Montana Health Research and Education Foundation (MHREF) Flex Grant, will assist the hospital in an analysis of local community needs, use of local healthcare services and overall community health. This process was developed to maintain quality healthcare to serve the continuing and future needs of the community.

The community health assessment process promotes healthcare as a local affair. Citizens of rural counties can take responsibility for the health of their community by completing the survey they receive in their mailbox.

Most communities face a large number of complex issues in addressing the health and wellness of their citizens, but fortunately, Musselshell County can engage in effective problem-solving, which is the most important factor in the survival of rural health services.

An accompanying goal of this process is to keep healthcare dollars within the local community. While the vast majority of healthcare can be provided locally, rural citizens often drive to large medical centers for care, spending money on healthcare and non-health care purchases that could be spent locally. It is estimated that within a typical rural community, millions of dollars of revenue are lost in this way. This revenue could be retained in the local community with stronger community- healthcare provider linkages.

Roundup Memorial Healthcare’s services include ambulance services, an audiologist (visiting specialist), chronic conditions management, clinical services, an emergency room, an extended care unit (nursing home), hospital care (in-patient), IV infusion services, laboratory, mobile mammography, physical therapy, a podiatrist (visiting specialist), radiology (X-ray/ultrasound/CT scan/Dexascan), rehabilitation (skilled nursing), and visiting nurses to home-bound patients.

“Roundup and the surrounding communities have been great partners with RMH in steering our direction through open and honest feedback, providing RMH leadership and our governing Board a framework to create meaningful goals,” said Holly Wolff, RMH CEO. “I would like to thank everyone in advance who has participated as a steering committee member, provided a key informant interview, or will fill out our survey. These results help shape the direction of the hospital for years to come.”

“We are pleased to be able to bring some of the best community health resources to Musselshell County. The goal of this initiative is to assist forward-thinking rural hospitals and communities in aligning their resources, to address their present and future needs in the best way possible,” said Natalie Claiborne, Assistant Director, Montana Office of Rural Health. (3/31)