Northern Rockies Medical Center is the first hospital in north central Montana to offer telehealth medical exams.

There are so many advantages to living in a smaller community. For the most part, we all know and recognize what those are, or we wouldn’t still be living here. However, we aren’t blind to the fact that rural towns have some disadvantages too. We tend to overlook some of those problem areas, however, all for the love of the town or city we call home.

Northern Rockies Medical Center is the first hospital in north central Montana to offer telehealth medical exams. Pamela Condon, RN, above, shows the machine which makes it possible for a patient in Cut Bank to be "examined" by a physician in Great Falls without leaving town. NRMC’s telehealth link is with Benefis Healthcare in Great Falls. Photo by Linda Bruch

One disadvantage smaller communities struggle with is the inability to provide up-to-date or technology-driven medical care. Most facilities are too small to afford the equipment that is needed to perform many of the new procedures. Nor do they have the space to put machines and equipment of that size or magnitude.

By Linda Bruch

Full Story: http://www.goldentrianglenews.com/articles/2007/03/01/cut_bank_pioneer_press/news/news1.txt