Hospital joins basin partnership

Last week, Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital CEO, Margie Molitor, attended the inaugural meeting of the Big Horn Basin Healthcare Partnership. The meeting was initiated by Amy Quick, Northwest Regional Director for the Wyoming Business Council.

Molitor explained this partnership is designed for basin hospitals to come together and discuss the issues they have in common. At this first meeting, she said, there were people from Hot Springs, Big Horn, Park and Washakie counties, representing hospitals, mental health, free standing clinics, nursing homes, rehab, cancer prevention services, dentistry, the University of Wyoming and Northwest College.

The representatives brainstormed seven different opportunities in which they could improve. Among them: technology, such as telemedicine and the Wyoming Frontier Information (WYFI) Health Information Exchange; workforce, including development and training for not only higher up positions but also entry level; collaboration and communication, how to share information about what facilities already have available; transportation, getting patients quickly to the doctors and specialists they need; expanding markets, such as making mental health more available and reducing the stigma around it; education; and outreach.

Molitor said everyone at the conference signed up to be on at least one of the committees addressing the issues. She expects they will meet again in the next few months to report on any progress they’ve made.

Molitor signed up for the technology committee, and said Hot Springs County is already working on being a part of the WYFI system. The goal for the state, she said, is that all medical providers be part of the information sharing system by 2020, though she hopes our local hospital will be on it before then.

There are also advancements in telemedicine to consider, Molitor explained, noting the technology allows video conferencing between patients and specialists. This is especially useful if someone needs to be seen by a specialist in another community but is unable to travel, Molitor said, and she expects the technology to evolve going forward.

Being a part of the partnership in the Basin, Molitor said, is important to keep healthcare here strong, and to make sure we are maximizing are resources to do right by patients and their families.