News

Contact: Lauren Brendel, M.S.

Bozeman Health Foundation is thrilled to announce that Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center has been awarded a $375,000 grant—due to the generosity of the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation and its member families —to help extend primary care services in Big Sky.

This grant will be used to hire an advanced care practitioner and cover additional supporting services required to extend clinic hours to help Big Sky Medical Center serve those who aren't able to access the Family Medicine Clinic during regular weekday hours. Currently, Big Sky Medical Center Family Medicine provides comprehensive primary healthcare services for pediatric, adult, women's health, and prenatal care from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dr. Maren Dunn Chandler is the primary physician within the clinic, and Dr. Philip Hess, Dr. Jeremy Mitchell, and Dr. Kirk Weber care for patients in the emergency department and in the clinic.

Adding an advanced care practitioner—a family nurse practitioner or physician's assistant—will extend availability for patient care in the clinic as needed during the week and into the weekend. The change will increase the availability of acute or same day appointments, extend evening hours, and add Saturday clinic hours. Big Sky Medical Center's new expanded hours and availability for new appointments will be announced when the medical center's search for the advanced care practitioner comes to a successful close.

"I'm thrilled that we can continue to advance the care of and for patients in our community, thanks to the generous grant from YCCF and its member families," stated Chris Darnell, Big Sky Medical Center administrator. "We know that for a lot of people, especially employees in the hospitality and construction sector, having evening and weekend appointments will make care more easily accessible."

"The Foundation is pleased to help develop extended primary care services in Big Sky. Same day and weekend appointments will be especially valuable to community members that work long and varied hours. We are grateful to our amazing and generous donors that support our community," said Britt Ide, executive director of Yellowstone Club Community Foundation.

In addition to announcing this important gift, Bozeman Health Foundation also shared that YCCF's generosity helped to advance its Caring Forward Campaign, with Big Sky Medical Center being one of that campaign's four fundraising priorities. That campaign has now realized $13.2 million dollars in community support toward its ambitious $15 million goal. The Caring Forward Campaign was announced in April of this year and is expected to come to a close at the end of 2019.