About Us
Harlowton, Montana is nestled between the snow-capped peaks and forests of four different mountain ranges and is located near the geographical center of Montana at the intersection of US Highway 12 and US Highway 191. This central location places Harlo" within an easy 2 hours travel time of four of Montana's major cities. Harlowton offers a variety of recreational activities such as a nine hole golf course, antiques, crafts, museums and a movie theatre. For the outdoor enthusiasts, this area is home to excellent big game and bird hunting as well as world class trout fishing. There are abundant opportunities for other outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, skiing, boating, and snowmobiling.; Harlowton offers fresh air and the close knit characteristics of rural America. The local school system is excellent and offers great educational opportunities for children with small class sizes that allow teachers to spend more time with each student. The academic and athletic programs are well respected. A local foundation provides four full college scholarships for graduating high school seniors from Wheatland County.
Wheatland Memorial Healthcare Practice
Wheatland Memorial Healthcare is a tax exempt 25 bed critical access hospital. The 25 beds are dual licensed for acute and swing bed care. The average daily census is around 23 patients with most of those being long term care. The hospital emergency department is a certified Trauma Receiving Facility that averages 1 to 2 visits per day. A unique trauma activation system allows for the quick call in of additional nursing and ancillary staff for major traumas or critical medical patients. The imaging department includes filmless computerized radiology with teleradiology capabilities 24/7 for quick interpretations by radiologists. CT is available on site with a single slice helical GE scanner to provide routine scanning with or without contrast. Ultrasound includes routine exams such as abdomen, aorta, DVT, pelvis, etc. Color Doppler is available for carotid and echocardiology studies. Bone mineral density testing using a full body system allows us to perform not only spine and hip densitometry but lateral spines, wrists and BMI indexes.
WMH offers a fully equipped laboratory with automated chemistry, hematology, coagulation, cardiac markers, urinalysis and blood gases. Blood banking is available uses the gel technique. Microbiology for urine, sputum, throat and wound performed in house and other micro specimens are sent to referral pathology group. Histological, pathologist reviews and flow cytometry available from referral pathology group. EKGs, holter monitoring and event monitoring available. Spirometry, pre/post is also available and performed in the laboratory department. Imaging and laboratory staffed Monday through Friday during normal business hours and available on call all other times.
Rehabilitation services include physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Retail pharmacy is available in-house from the first telepharmacy in the state of Montana. The hospital pharmacy has recently installed an automated dispensing machine and utilizes consulting pharmacists from St. Vincent Healthcare who are available 24/7. The facility also has a telemedicine studio for specialty consults as needed. The hospital is in the early stages of a multi-year implementation of the Healthland electronic health record system. The order entry system and pharmacy systems went live in January 2010. The remaining modules of the system will be installed over the next few years.
The hospital operates a provider-based rural health clinic attached to the hospital building. The clinic has 4 exam rooms and one treatment room. The normal day includes about 18 to 20 patient visits in the clinic. The clinic is open Monday through Friday. The Dr. First electronic prescribing system is currently used by the providers. An ambulatory EHR is planned to be installed within the next couple years as part of the EHR implementation mentioned above.
