Lincoln Hospital District to meet using Zoom

The Lincoln Hospital District Board will hold their regular quarterly meeting as scheduled Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at 5:30 p.m.

Instead of meeting at the Lincoln Library as usual, the LHD Trustees will meet electronically using Zoom. As this will be an open meeting under state statutes, the Lincoln public may attend by computer or smart phone by going to https://zoom.us/j/260801962. You will need to enter the password: 858157. For assistance call Karen at: 406-362-4167.

The agenda for this meeting will include the LHD budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, a request from the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance and input from Jill Steeley, Administrator of PureView Medical Services, on Parker Medical Center’s maintenance needs.

For many years, the Blackfoot Valley Medical Services Association raised funds, established Parker Medical Clinic and secured medical services for Lincoln. The major fund raiser was the Blackfoot Art Auction. When it became evident that the old building at Parker Medical Clinic was no longer adequate, the people of Lincoln voted on May 8, 2007 to establish the Lincoln Hospital District under state statutes.

After research and deliberation, the new LHD Trustees decided it was not feasible to build on to the old Parker Medical Building and that the best course of action was to build a new Parker Medical Building. To accomplish that, a building loan was needed from the United States Department of Agriculture. In 2009, the people of Lincoln voted for two mill levies, one to pay off the USDA loan for the new Parker Medical Center building and another to provide ongoing funds for the maintenance of the new building. The PMC building loan with the USDA is scheduled to be paid off in the latter part of 2023. The maintenance levy which raises about $5,000 a year is ongoing.

The new Parker Medical Center building opened in 2011. The people of Lincoln are to be commended for their part in securing medical services for Lincoln.

The Lincoln Hospital District board is made up of five elected trustees. Present Trustees are Sherri Wood, Chair; Josh Lattin, Vice Chair; Jim Agner, Secretary; Karen Frank-Plumlee, Board Treasurer and Tracy Daniel, Trustee. Per the LHD Bylaws, “the purpose of the LHD is to provide for coordinated, comprehensive and efficient healthcare benefits to the residents in Lincoln, Montana and surrounding communities”.

As such, the LHD has leased for one dollar per year the 2011 Parker Medical Center building to longtime Lincoln provider, PureView Health Center, an independent nonprofit, to operate as a healthcare services facility. PureView, which has been Lincoln’s medical provider for many years ,was formerly known as the Cooperative Health Center. The LHD Board of Trustees is not involved in the securing of medical staff or administration of PureView.

The 1984 Parker Medical Center building is leased for one dollar per year to the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance. The LVA has added an ambulance barn on the west of the PMC property.

The Lincoln Hospital District supports the life-giving work of both the PureView Health Center and the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance and encourages all area residents to support these essential providers.