Hospital caps year filled with improvements and more on the way

By Patti Carpenter

The year 2024 brought carefully considered expansion and well-planned improvements to North Big Horn Hospital, rewarding its patients with more services close to home and its employees with national recognition for their hard work. 

The year started and ended on a solid financial footing, compared to many rural hospitals that struggle to break even. In spite of a somewhat harsh economic climate continuing into 2024 that sent a pall over many rural hospitals, NBHH not only kept its doors open but managed to thrive and grow.

EMERGENCY ROOM

The district’s recently completed state-of-the-art emergency room was put through its paces this summer with multiple patients being treated following extreme accidents that brought them into the ER at the same time. One notable accident resulted in several burn victims suffering from injuries caused by a fireworks explosion that took place inside a passenger vehicle. Another accident brought patients in suffering from injuries caused by a tree falling on them during an excursion in the local mountains. 

The remodel, which had been carefully planned over many years, proved its worth during those incidents. The influx of severely injured patients not only put the new layout and design to the test, but allowed the staff to shine, with many coming in to work on their own on a non-workday. 

“Having a facility like this that can meet those kinds of trauma needs is really important,” said hospital CEO Eric Connell. “It’s costly to have five or six spaces to provide care in the ER. During this past year, we’ve had those moments of multiple trauma with many traumatic ,patients coming through the door at one time, and the facility was able to handle that in a more dignified manner than we have in the past and with more privacy.”

Continued expansion and growth in the emergency room included a new ultrasound machine purchased through a grant and the hiring of a new provider Rustin Myrick, who joined the team of longtime ER staff. Later in the year, the ER was recertified as a trauma center, garnering positive feedback from state certifiers.

ROBOTICS

Newly acquired robotic equipment in the hospital’s surgical suite has already exceeded expectations. The equipment, in many cases, allows for greatly improved recovery time for patients and reduced amount of pain medication required after surgery to little or none.

During a demonstration of the equipment in June, Dr. Michael Hill noted that about 40 of the surgeries took place in the first five months since the equipment was acquired. He reported receiving patient referrals from providers practicing in other areas like Ten Sleep, Worland, Thermopolis, Cody and Powell. A former patient of Hill’s came all the way from Glasgow, Montana, for surgery. By the end of 2024, nearly 100 surgeries had been performed using the equipment.

The success of the robotics program brought anesthetist James Ellis on staff to assist Dr. Hill. Additionally, Ellis provides specialized pain management services to patients.

MOBILE MRI

A state-of-the-art GE Signa Voyager magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) mobile machine was also made available during the year in a cooperative agreement with the Montana-based provider Monida Shared Imaging. The unit is accessible to patients using a mobile unit that visits the hospital every two weeks.

Like a cooperative for farmers or ranchers, small rural hospitals can share the costs of this expensive technology through the co-op, keeping the total cost of care down. It allows NBHH to afford state-of-the-art technology that is equivalent to equipment available at larger hospitals, reducing the need for patients to travel outside the community to access services using similar equipment.  

LAB REMODEL

A newly remodeled lab made the space safer and more efficient for lab staff, especially in the behind-the-scenes testing area. Reorganizing and updating the space also allows for expansion of services in the future should they be needed. Lab manager Kathy Walker said the need for updating the space became very clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the demands for specific types of testing increased dramatically. 

A new biosafety cabinet, approved by trustees in December, will allow testing to take place within the cabinet, which is safer for employees. It will also allow lab workers more space in this critical work area, which could be very helpful if another pandemic were to occur.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

Other improvements include physical repairs to many areas at New Horizons Care Center, including the roof and patio area. An enthusiastic new activities director, Nicole Hilzendeger, expanded the activities program for residents. Specialized dementia training for Care Center staff also began and continues into the new year to serve the needs of a growing number of patients requiring highly specialized memory care.

Clinic staff member Lydia Wood received special training to help patients navigate online insurance options. Wood is not an agent and does not sell insurance, instead, her function is to help those seeking affordable insurance options who are overwhelmed by the complexity of the insurance system. The program is a win-win situation for both the patient and the facility.

New signage, especially on the exterior of the hospital campus is already helping patients quickly find the services they need. Bold new signage for the emergency room has been especially helpful in guiding patients to the new ER entrance.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

This was also an especially big year for recognitions, with the hospital staff receiving two major awards of recognition. In March, hospital employees celebrated being recognized by the Chartis Center for Rural Health as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital. Only a few months later, in May, the staff celebrated again after receiving a letter of notification that the hospital had been listed in the top 20 of critical access hospitals for quality across the nation by the National Rural Health Association.

“Our organization has had a reputation for quality care for a long time, so I don’t think that component is anything new,” explained Connell. “We want to run a great hospital. A great hospital is a place where patients are well taken care of and happy with their care. 

“I think awards like these remind us of those values as an organization. Those values have been instilled in our organization over many years. It also reminds us that this is a great place to provide care and a great place to receive care.”

LONGTIME EMPLOYEES

North Big Horn Hospital is one of the largest employers in Big Horn County. Connell said the organization is “highly focused” on promoting employee engagement and satisfaction.

“We want people to enjoy what they do and see their profession in a positive light,” said Connell. “That’s how you get so many 35 plus-year employees.”

NBHH currently employs 261 people. One hundred thirty of those employees have been employed by the district for five or more years, 85 have been employed 10 years or more, 30 have been employed for 20 years or more. Four employees have been employed by the district for 40 years or more.

“The truly amazing part is that we have people who work in our organization who see their work as a calling and not a job,” said Connell. “Also, it’s fun to work in a place that’s fun to work at.”

THE FUTURE

The future shines bright for the hospital district with more well thought out new programs underway. Connell said much research is conducted prior to introducing new services to determine the feasibility and need. 

“We definitely put a lot of research into any investment we make in our people, our services and our bricks and mortar,” said Connell. “The community demands that we be good stewards in this regard.”

As a result of those efforts, cardiology services are now closer to home with the hiring of Dr. Kristin Scott-Tillery, a cardiologist already well known to patients in the area. Scott-Tillery began seeing patients one week per month in December, saving patients the inconvenience of having to drive to another location for their service. 

In an effort to expand women’s health services, OB/GYN Dr. Brenda Camp also joined the staff at NBHH, starting her practice this week. Additionally, provider Ali Wagner began special training in mental health last year and will expand her practice in this area once she completes her program.

“We’re only interested in hiring the best providers to work here, because we know ultimately it’s that provider/patient relationship that makes a difference,” said Connell. “That’s why we only bring people here who are well-vetted and can make a difference in our community.”

Several equipment purchases are planned in the coming year, as well, including a Dexa scan machine that was purchased with a donation to the hospital foundation. A planned upgrade of the radiology department’s CT scan machine will also take place in 2025, and a new ambulance is expected to arrive in June. 

“We’re happy to provide more services close to home and to bring in the type of providers and staff that attract patients,” said Connell. “So if people have a choice of staying here or going some other place, we can give them the choice of having the quality care they need close to home.”