"Oki Si Ksi Kai Ko Wa Na" Hello from the Blackfeet Service Unit

Home of the Blackfeet Nation

First opened in Browning, Montana in1937, the Blackfeet Community Hospital has since been transformed into an expansive modern day 110,000 square foot 28 bed comprehensive health care facility complete with a 64 slice state of art computer tomography (CT) unit within a fully digitized radiology and lab service department.

Outpatient dental and optometry services are available five days per week. The facility also has in-patient pharmacy capabilities including an automated outpatient pharmacy department filling up to 1200 prescriptions per day. A daily Women's Health Center providing pre and post natal care five days per week and a 24/7 OB/GYN department averages 200 to 210 newborns per year. An OR department provides surgical services for both outpatient and inpatient procedures with a full time general surgeon and contracts with other sub-specialties.

The hospital offers a full time diabetic clinic with daily Podiatry consultations and boasts of a sophisticated 8 bay emergency room equipped with a rooftop helipad transfer complex along with an urgent care/ same day appointment clinic delivering emergent and urgent care for slightly more than 131,000 patient encounters per annum. The facility contracts with other larger medical centers within the northwest to meet the needs of those patients experiencing severe trauma and or requiring critical care.

Located in the western portion of the 1.5 million acre Blackfeet Indian Reservation where Browning is home to over 7,000 descendants of the Ampska Pikuni Nation and bordering the crown jewel of our nations National Park System, Glacier National Park, the hospital picturesquely sits in the shadows of the "Backbone of Mother Earth" or what is more commonly known as the "Shining" Mountains of the rugged Northern Rockies. Several outdoor activities abound within a short driving distance including world class fishing, hiking, camping, boating and skiing. Calgary, Alberta Canada is a stone throw away for those desiring professional hockey and a very diverse Asian culinary culture. Amtrak rail services connect Browning with east west travelers on a daily basis between Seattle Washington and Chicago Illinois on the historic Empire Builder route.

Those hardy enough to endure the varying and dynamic weather patterns where wind speeds can gust to more than 100 mph and temperatures will sometimes fluctuate up to 100 degrees in a single day, Blackfeet Community Hospital employs over 250 FTE Health and Human Service public servants including 9 Family Practice physicians, 4 ER physicians, 9 Family Nurse Practitioner's and or Physician Assistant's, 8 RPh's/pharmacists, 5 dental officers, 1 pediatric dentist, 1 dental hygienist, a respiratory therapist, 2 Physical Therapists, 2 optometrists, 5 psychologists, 2 social workers, 2 Registered Dietitian's, and over 55 RN's with a supporting staff in administration, dietary, facilities, nursing, health information, business office and environmental health services.

The hospital also operates a small health clinic 4 days per week 30 miles south of Browning in the community of Heart Butte where a smaller staff of 1 provider, 1 RPh, a lab tech, an RN and 1 administrative support assistant provide direct patient care to over 5,000 patient visitors per year including pharmacy and general clinic services for the surrounding urban centers of Helena, Great Falls and Butte, Montana.

The Blackfeet Service Unit (et al) is accredited by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Mission Statement

Contact Information

Heart Butte Health Station
P.O. Box 80
Heart Butte, Montana 59448
Main: (406) 338-2151
Fax: (406) 338-5613

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Services Offered

• Care for the community by providing a wide range of abilities.

Physical Therapy

• Acute in patient orthopedic care
• Acute outpatient orthopedic
• Burn and specialized wound care

Risk Management

• Tort claims
• Provider performance
• Peer review
• Patient and visitor complaints

Diabetes Program

• Act as patient advocate
• Coordinate diabetes team
• Provide diabetes education and awareness
• Provide opportunities to enhance individuals’ weight control efforts
• Diabetes and blood pressure screening for the community
• Coordinate home blood glucose monitoring program
• Collaborate with Southern Piegan Diabetes Program

Nursing Department

• Administrative services for nursing department.
• Supervise nursing unit: inpatient, obstetrics, surgery, emergency, ambulatory care, respiratory, and discharge planning.

Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Clinic

• Ear-nose-throat evaluations
• Newborn hearing screening
• Hearing evaluations
• Hearing aid evaluations and fittings

Contract Health Services

• Assists patients with setting up medical appointments with physicians and other hospitals.
• Arranges and provides transportation when medical care is outside the hospital.

Utilization Review and Compliance

• Prevention, recognition, and correction of actual and potential Medicare/Medicaid “Fraud-Abuse-Waste”
• Compliance with all government regulations, policies and procedures
• Assures facility resources are used appropriately and efficiently

Medical Records

• Support all health information that is generated in the facility
• Distribute health information
• Provide medical transcription of health information
• Maintain medical records
• Maintain the integrity, availability and security of health information

Community Health Nursing

• Immunizations
• Communicable disease prevention
• Communicable disease education
• Pregnancy testing
• Counseling on birth control
• Pregnancy alternatives
• Home visits
• Pregnancy education and classes for breathing and relaxation for women
• Well child clinic
• Specialty clinics
• Business Office
• Patient registration
• Admissions
• Third party billing

Office of Environmental Health

• Sanitation provides sanitation facilities for Indian Homes under PL86-121
• Environmental Health Services covers general environmental health, community injury prevention and institutional environmental health

Behavioral Health and Social Services

• Clinical Services to individuals, groups, and families
• Psychosocial evaluation
• Psychological evaluations
• Crisis intervention
• Stress management
• Services address problems of child/adult abuse or neglect, domestic violence or abuse, sexual assault victims, referral to appropriate agency services
• Patient and family education
• Case consultation
• Alcohol after care
• Employee assistance program
• Group facilitation and counseling
• Case identification
• Emergency, outpatient, and inpatient services
• Consultation/liaison service
• Forensic and auxiliary services
• The criteria for use of behavioral or social services includes: persons presenting with problems of an emotional, psychiatric, psychological, or behavioral including marital, parent-child, or grief/loss issues. Patients can either be self-referred or referred by another agency.

Behavior Health is open Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., emergency on-call services from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday and 8:00 a.m. until noon on Saturday and Sunday.

Housing
Housing is located on the hospital compound but availability fluctuates depending on the staffing needs and the rotation of the medical students and residents. Government housing is assigned on an individual basis by the Administrative Officer, Blackfeet Community Hospital. There are single and two bedroom plexed-units, and two and three bedroom homes which are situated around the hospital area. All are within walking distance of the hospital. Civil service personnel are responsible for rent and utility costs in government housing. Commission Corps personnel receive housing allowances that cover the cost of rent and utilities in government housing.

Wood stoves can be installed in government homes providing the occupants request permission from the Chief Executive Officer. Installation and care of these stoves must adhere to regulations. The cost of purchase and installation is the responsibility of the occupant.

Staff also can elect to live in surrounding communities in East Glacier which is 15 miles west of Browning or in Cut Bank, Montana, which is 38 miles east of Browning. Local realtors in those communities can be contacted regarding rentals or purchase of homes. The largest town on the reservation is Browning; one half hour away is Cut Bank, where one can find additional services and shopping.

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Community Information

Schools

Cut Bank Public Schools
Superintendent's Office Phone: 406-873-2229
Cut Bank Elementary Phone: 406-873-5513
Glacier Elementary School Phone: 406-336-2623
Hidden Lake Elementary Phone: 406-336-3695
Cut Bank Junior High Phone: 406-873-4421
Cut Bank High School Phone: 406-873-5629

East Glacier Park Public School
East Glacier Park Elementary Phone: 406-226-5543

Heart Butte K-12 Schools
Superintendent's Office Phone: 406-338-3344
Heart Butte Elementary Phone: 406-338-2200
Heart Butte Junior High Phone: 406-338-2200
Heart Butte High School Phone: 406-338-3344

Tribal College
Blackfeet Community College
Phone: 406-338-5441
Website: http://www.bfcc.org

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Blackfeet Nation Website

Visit the Blackfeet Nation Website

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