Liberty County Hospital

Description

Liberty Medical Center located in Chester Montana provides a variety of health care services to Liberty County and the surrounding area Our medical staff includes expert physicians and consulting doctors We are a 25bed critical access hospital facility that is Medicare and Medicaid approved We are staffed 24 hours a day by licensed nurses

We are a very important part of the economic employment and social structure of the area we serve We are proud to provide stability to Chester and the surrounding area by employing 112 Chester and surrounding area people The nearest hospitals from Chester are in Great Falls 935 miles to the south and Havre Montana 61 miles to the east We provide a valuable resource in providing our area with quality reasonable and expert care close to home
Because of the tremendous support we receive from our community our directors our exceptional staff and talented physicians we believe we continue the tradition of being an exceptional rural hospital in Montana

Mission Statement
Liberty Medical Center is in business to improve the health and quality of life of our commnity

Vision Statement
As a progressive healthcare facility that actively promotes community health Liberty Medical Center will be thriving and financially stable and will provide the best quality of care patient safety and customer service in the state of Montana

Our Values
Excellence We are committed to providing the highest standards and best
practices in quality of care patient safety and customer service

Fiscal Responsibility We remain mindful of our responsibility to the
taxpayers of Liberty County to operate in an efficient and effective manner
in order to safeguard Liberty Medical Center as an asset to the Community

People We recognize that our greatest asset is our staff and providers We
respect and value each individual and serve our customers as well as each
other with kindness and compassion

Integrity We take responsibilty for our actions and communicate honestly and
openly with each other and our community while respecting the privacy of the
people we serve

Leadership and Teamwork As a team we can accomplish more than each of us
individually We work together to promote and improve the health of our
community and to provide the best possible care for every individual we serve

History

Early Beginnings
Medical services were available in Chester as early as 1909 Dr W H Melvin was the first doctor to practice in Chester with offices at the Prairie Inn Dr A A Pastene opened an office in 1912 and Dr L L Mayland in 1913 In the year 1912 Chester supported three doctors In September 1935 Miss Anna Carroll opened the Carroll Hospital in the old Methodist parsonage In 1936 it was moved to the Marshall house on First Street East The Carroll Hospital closed in 1937

Mary Lynn Buck opened the first fully equipped hospital in a twostory building in 1938 During the first year 125 patients were cared for The hospital had nine beds and was equipped for maternity care This hospital operated until March 1946

The Mary Lynn Hospital Chester 19381946

Liberty County Hospital
The first Liberty County Hospital opened in 1948 in the old bank building On January 16 1952 a new tenbed hospital was opened closing soon after and reopening in 1953 At the root of Chesters modern health care facility history is Dr Richard Buker Jr a private physician and surgeon who maintained a private medicalsurgical practice in Chester for over 50 years Dr Buker is renowned for his skill and dedication as Chesters country doctor for the past five decades Retired now and living at Wheat Country Estates Dr Buker is still present in the community

The first wing of the nursing home was completed in June of 1958 The second wing was completed in 1968 adding twentytwo beds making it a 40bed facility
Liberty County Hospital operated until 1974 when the new and present facility came into being

An elevenbed facility was completed in September 1974 at a cost of nearly half a million dollars The hospital was made possible by gifts and donations from community members who realized the importance of good and continued health care in the rural community The old Hospital was made into a Retirement home with an Assisted Living wing and Administrative offices

Liberty County Hospital 1988

Liberty County Hospital amp Nursing Home Inc dba Liberty Medical Center
In 2000 the clinic merged with the hospital facility Liberty Medical CenterClinic is the rural health clinic of Liberty Medical Center and is staffed by two fulltime Primary Care Physicians one fulltime Family Nurse Practitioner NP and one parttime Physician Assistant PA This was done to combat declining reimbursement from MedicareMedicaid programs and to promote clinician retention by strengthening the overall employment package for medical providersIn 2004 Liberty Medical Center hosted a community open house celebrating quot50 Years and Still Caring

In 2007 LMC began operating as a 25bed Critical Access Hospital CAH Critical Access Hospitals provide essential services to a community and are reimbursed by Medicare on a reasonable cost basis for services provided to Medicare patients The CAH program was designed to improve rural health care access and reduce hospital closures The reimbursement that a CAH receives is intended to improve their financial performance and thereby reduce hospital closures

In August 2007 LMC became the second Level IV Trauma Receiving Center is the State of Montana We continue to be the only Trauma Center along the HiLine between Malta and ConradIn April 2011 LMC implemented EHR Electronic Healthcare Records in our clinic

Liberty Medical Center 2011

HiLine Health Center 2011

Today
Today participation in the Northcentral Montana Healthcare Alliance NMHA has been a good partnership for Liberty Medical Center Composed of nine rural facilities located along Montanas Hiline and with Benefis Healthcare in Great Falls as the hub NMHAs goal is to increase access to medical services in rural areas through shared partnerships and resources An example of such shared services is the mobile DEXAScan equipment that travels among the member hospitals

Current day Chesters population is 900 but our medical facility Liberty Medical Center provides medical care to a service area of 3000 and is a critical access hospital facility that is Medicare and Medicaid approved and licensed for 25 beds by the Montana State Department of Public Health amp Human Services We provide services 7 days a week 24 hours a day Liberty Medical Center has been committed to providing quality healthcare services for over 50 years to residents and visitors in Liberty County and along the Hiline