Cardiologist joins staff at NBHH

After 14 years of serving patients as a visiting specialist through Billings Clinic, cardiologist Dr. Kristin Scott-Tillery has officially joined the staff at North Big Horn Hospital. Initially, Scott-Tillery will be seeing patients one week per month by appointment during the third week of each month. She said she hopes to expand her office hours to two weeks per month as her patient base in the Big Horn Basin continues to grow.

Scott-Tillery specializes in treatment of heart failure, transplant cardiology and cardiovascular disease. She is a nationally known expert in Fabry disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes valves in the heart to retain waste products, leading to medical complications. She speaks nationally on the subject.

She said she originally wanted to specialize in neurology but chose to specialize in cardiology instead because she felt it was an area of medicine where she could do more to help people.

“At the end of the day, I want to go home knowing I was able to do something to help people,” she said. “I’m able to do that in cardiology.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) heart disease continues to be one of the leading chronic diseases in the United States. It is the leading cause of death for men, women and many racial and ethnic groups. One person dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease, and a heart attack takes place every 40 seconds, according to CDC statistics.

“My whole thing is giving people healthcare they need where they are,” she said. “I believe in meeting people where they are. You make no headway chewing people out for what they’ve done in the past. Instead, let’s be partners and solve problems together.”

Scott-Tillery is a strong believer in preventative medicine and has found even the smallest changes in lifestyle help patients improve their heart health.

Originally from Texas, Scott-Tillery studied medicine at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio, graduating from the program in 2005. She performed her residency at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, followed by a fellowship in cardiology at Washington University in St. Louis.

She joined the staff at Billings Clinic in 2011, initially practicing general cardiology. She expanded her skillset by completing another fellowship at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where she gained expertise in advanced heart failure and transplant. Though she doesn’t perform transplants herself, she said she prepares patients for the lifesaving surgery and treats them following the surgery.

As an outreach specialist for Billings Clinic, Scott-Tillery has treated patients throughout the Big Horn Basin and in Montana. She said she strongly believes that patients who live in rural areas should be able to receive the specialized care they need close to home. That is one of the reasons she’s elected to focus her practice in a rural areas.

Scott-Tillery plans to continue to live in Billings with her husband and two teenage children. The entire family are dedicated ice hockey players. She said she and her husband got involved in the sport after responding to an advertisement offering free lessons some years ago. At the time, neither even knew how to skate on ice. They both eventually joined leagues, and since then she has won three Big Sky State Games medals in the sport. She said both of her children also play ice hockey. Her daughter is currently ranked number one in the state of Montana in her age group. 

Scott-Tillery said she has enjoyed working with the staff at NBHH as a visiting specialist and is pleased to be a part of the staff. 

“I’ve had nothing but great experiences here with everyone,” she said. “I love the congeniality and the can-do attitude of the staff. I’m so happy to be here.”

Dr. Scott-Tillery started treating patients as a staff member of North Big Horn Hospital a few weeks ago. Her schedule was completely booked.

“We are extremely grateful she’s chosen to continue with us,” hospital CEO Eric Connell said. “Her patients are also extremely pleased.”