On August 6, the Mix, a Billings radio station, posted an article stating that two of the fastest ERs in the nation were located in Montana. A law firm in Georgia, compiled in and out times of over 4000 hospitals in the nation, and discovered the McCone County Health Center in Circle, MT has the 10th fastest time. And your local facility, the one that was built for the community, by the community, the facility that has been standing for over 65 years, the Big Sandy Medical Center, has the 4th fastest in and out time in the NATION, with an average of 53 minute visits.
Someone questioned if that meant the care was sub-par. To the contrary. That means that the small but mighty, team at BSMC is efficient, well organized, and ready for whatever may come through those doors. The ER is usually staffed by a mid-level provider, currently, Krystyl Kulbeck, PA-C, or Heath Horton, NP, and one RN. They are supported by staff from the Laboratory and Xray when needed. Due to the facility's small size, most nights, this group of staff are at home on-call, when someone comes to the ER for treatment. When you consider the average response time of each of these staff members is 10-20 minutes, having you in, treated, and out in under an hour is truly impressive.
Staff often hear comments like, "I can drive from Havre to Big Sandy, get treated, and drive all the way back home before I would have even been placed in an ER room at another hospital." And they are not wrong. While there are always exceptions to the rule, most of the time, a patient is taken directly into a room. There is not a triage nurse or admitting desk. It's a one-stop-shop if you will. Your nurse will likely be the one to do everything from register you as a patient, to performing your vitals, assessment, and tests like an EKG, and call in other necessary staff. Your Provider will perform their assessment, and utilize the other data gathered to make an informed decision about the course of your care. If that includes a transfer to another facility, that process is started immediately. The ER staff are supported by the Big Sandy Volunteer Ambulance crew as well. Their rapid response times help aide in the ability to get a patient in and out so quickly.
168 patients were seen in the BSMC ER from January 1 to July 31, 2024. Most get to return to their home, some stay in the hospital for a short time, and some are transferred out to a higher level of care. Patients who need a higher level of care in transport, or who just need to get there quickly, are usually transported by air. Mercy Flight out of Great Falls, or MedFlight out of Billings are often utilized as well. If they cannot fly due to weather or flight team availability, a nurse will often accompany the EMTs in the ambulance to Great Falls. No matter the outcome, processes are in place to make transport arrangements quickly, preventing as much lost time as possible.
Big Sandy will never be known for it's size, but great things come in small packages. The next time you're in need of Emergency Care, rest assured, the team at the BSMC ER will get you in, treated, and out as quickly as possible.
