August 6, 2019
St. Peter’s Health today announced plans to open a new medical clinic in Townsend, Mont. and expand the health care services available locally to residents of Broadwater County. The St. Peter’s Health Townsend Clinic will include primary care, urgent care, visiting specialists, laboratory and imaging services. The clinic is slated to open to patients by the end of 2019.
“As the regional health system serving Broadwater County, St. Peter’s has a strong understanding of their health care needs and is uniquely positioned to extend care into this community,” said St. Peter’s Health CEO Wade Johnson. “We feel a responsibility to ensure our patients in Townsend have access to high quality, sustainable health care.”
St. Peter’s has identified a location for the clinic and will release more information once details are finalized.
“We have several primary care and specialty providers in Helena who are interested in expanding their practice to Townsend, so we’ll be increasing access to health care services that are already available as well as bringing new services to the community,” said Johnson. “Ultimately, our goal is to stabilize health care services in Broadwater County and ensure these services are sustainable for years to come.”
The decision to open a new clinic in Townsend follows a signed Letter of Intent with Broadwater Health Center (BHC) and their subsequent decision not to pursue an institutional affiliation. BHC had approached St. Peter’s after several years of financial hardship to discuss a partnership that would bring stability to their operation and ensure continuity of health care services for their community. Teams from both institutions have been meeting regularly since April to identify and prioritize the community’s needs and develop a successful transition plan.
“We’re disappointed with BHC’s decision and the way the process was handled, but our focus will remain on how we can best meet the health care needs of Broadwater County,” said Johnson.