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Montana is Big Sky Country. Rangelands, forests and farmers' fields spread between our towns and cities. Rural life is at the core of our identity as a state and as a people. Yet, as our country expands and moves forward in many ways, too many Montana communities are stuck facing huge hurdles accessing quality health care.

Fifty two of the 56 counties in Montana are faced with shortages in primary care, with nine of those counties having no doctors at all. One of the first things they teach you as an emergency medical technician is the importance of the “golden hour” following a traumatic injury. Access to health care can mean life or death for rural communities.

Recognizing this lack of access, I started up a small business with my family to provide in-home health care to patients in western Montana. I found that not only did communities just outside of Kalispell or Missoula lack doctors, but they barely had the necessary healthcare infrastructure to ensure the elderly could stay in their homes, or that people with chronic conditions could effectively be treated.