Shelby, Montana’s High COVID-19 Death Rate Is A Warning For Rural America

Shelby, Mont. is home to a lot of wheat and barley fields, a decent high school football team, and an Amtrak train that passes through town twice a day. It’s a place where almost everyone knows everyone.

“The people here are fantastic,” says William Kiefer, CEO of the only hospital in the county that offers 24/7 emergency medical services. “There’s a huge sense of community.”

So when people began getting sick and even dying from COVID-19, it hit hard.

“I think everyone’s reaction is one of despair,” Kiefer says. “We feel terrible.”

By Nate Hegyi, Mountain West News Bureau

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