RMC Participates In Rural Health Services Development
Roosevelt Medical Center in Culbertson is making healthcare a local affair by participating in the Montana Office of Rural Health -Community Health Services Development process. Through this process, a community steering group has been assembled comprised of local leaders organized with the task of identifying local healthcare needs and establishing health priorities.
Community members in the service area have also received a survey in their mailbox. This survey, which was sent to a random sample of homes, will help the hospital identify the health services needed in the community.
The purpose of the survey is to obtain information from a wide range of participants to assist in planning programs, services and identifying community health and wellness needs. If you have received this survey in your mailbox, your response will represent others in the community, so it is very important that you complete and return the survey by Nov. 6.
“Most communities face a large number of complex issues in addressing the health and wellness of their citizens, but fortunately, the residents in our area can engage in effective problem-solving through this process, which is the most important factor in the survival of rural health services,” said Audrey Stromberg, administrator.
An accompanying goal is to keep healthcare dollars within the local community. While the vast majority of healthcare can be provided locally, rural citizens often drive to large medical centers for care, spending money on healthcare and non-health care purchases that could be spent locally. It is estimated that within a typical rural community, millions of dollars of revenue is lost in this way. This revenue could be retained in the local community with stronger community-healthcare provider linkages.
