Sidney, MT) – Sidney Health Center held its Annual Membership Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, at the Sidney Country Club. The event highlighted the organization’s achievements and strategic goals, featuring presentations by CliftonLarsonAllen on audited financials, Medical Staff Representative Dr. Lisa Ross, Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Doty, and Board of Directors President Bob Burnison.
During the meeting, three members were elected to the Board of Directors: incumbents Eric Beenken and Stephanie Livers, along with newcomer Rob Breuer. The Board of Directors also includes Bob Burnison, Susan Duffey, Randy Johnson, Cheryl Van Every, Mike Weber, and Medical Staff Representatives Dr. Tambi and Dr. Noel Nguewoun.
Financial Success in Fiscal Year 2024
Sidney Health Center reported a positive 3.6% operating margin for the fiscal year (July 2023 – June 2024), marking a $5.3 million improvement from the previous year and far exceeding the budgeted negative 0.89% operating margin.
Strategic Plan for the Future
CEO Jennifer Doty shared the recently approved strategic plan, developed with CliftonLarsonAllen, which aims to redefine rural healthcare through patient-centered innovation and collaboration. The plan is structured around five core pillars:
Growth: Expanding healthcare access to ensure more patients receive care close to home.
Service/Quality: Delivering high-quality, patient-centered care that exceeds expectations through enhanced technology and innovation.
People: Building a strong organizational culture to attract, develop, and retain top talent, making Sidney Health Center the employer of choice.
Community: Collaborating with provider organizations, businesses, and community groups to enhance regional health outcomes.
Finance: Maximizing stewardship of resources while working to reduce patient costs.
Meeting Highlights
The meeting celebrated quality recognition awards, shared key organizational statistics, and provided updates on medical staff recruitment efforts. Over the past year, Sidney Health Center has welcomed additional physicians and providers in Emergency Department services, Radiology, Oncology, Orthopedics, and a nurse practitioner for the TeleUrology program and Same-Day Clinic.
Comprehensive Medical Services
Sidney Health Center’s medical staff includes 45 providers, encompassing physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. This diverse team delivers a wide range of services, including emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, ENT, podiatry, oncology, interventional pain management, aesthetic medicine, pathology, urology, and radiology.
A Pillar of the Community
As one of the largest employers in Richland County, Sidney Health Center supports more than 600 employees, with wages and compensation exceeding $63 million annually.
During her presentation, CEO Jennifer Doty emphasized the critical importance of Montana’s Medicaid extended coverage to low-income adults, which is up for renewal in 2025. Doty highlighted the potential consequences of losing this coverage, which provides health insurance for 80,000 Montanans.
“Reauthorizing the existing Medicaid program in Montana is vital to the health of our community and the sustainability of our hospital. If the expanded portion of the program were eliminated, we would face a $7.37 million gap in funding for critical access hospital services alone,” Doty explained. “This would force us to evaluate service lines, ultimately impacting our ability to meet our mission. Many of the individuals covered by Medicaid are working people and caregivers who rely on access to affordable, preventive care.”
According to state data, Medicaid funded $9.72 million in healthcare services for Richland County patients in the 2023 fiscal year, including:
$7.37 million in critical access hospital services
$1.1 million in physician, advanced practice, and clinic/health center services
$780,872 in pharmacy services
Membership Opportunities
Sidney Health Center is a membership organization. Individuals and businesses can join with a one-time fee of $100. Over the past year, 8 new members joined, bringing the total to 215 individual members and 60 business memberships.
For more information on becoming a member, contact Melissa Papka, Executive Assistant, at 406-488-2027, visit Sidney Health Center’s administration office, or explore membership details online at http://www.sidneyhealth.org/About/Membership-Info.
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