Clinic: The Medical Arts Building, located at 310 Wendell Avenue, houses several independent physician offices who work as a team, including a surgeon, a radiologist, a podiatrist and two dentists. Primary hospital call is shared with all the primary call physicians. There is a community health clinic that is still in the early stages of development. Lewistown has been a WRITE site since 2005 and hosts R/UOP and TRUST students. |
Hospital: Built in 1977, the Central Montana Medical Center (CMMC) is located at 408 Wendell Avenue. This 47-bed acute care hospital, complete with intensive care and cardiac care units, and its 85-bed skilled nursing center provides service to a population spread over 17,000 square miles. It offers 24-hour emergency room and ambulance service and full-range rehabilitation services. CMMC is supported by an active staff of 16 local physicians, and over 13 consulting/visiting staff, who provide regular monthly services at the facility. These services represent most medical specialties. The Medical Center also supports the Basin Medical Center, located in 50 miles west in Stanford, Montana. This rural clinic provides primary care medicine, from chronic problems to acute illnesses and injuries. The hospital's web site is www.cmmccares.com |
Nursing Home: Located at the Central Montana Medical Center and adjacent to the Medical Arts Building, the Central Montana Skilled Nursing Center is an 85-bed skilled and intermediate nursing facility that provides 24-hour nursing care, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, restorative care services, an activities program with outings, a geriatric day care program, nutritional consultation and meal planning, gardening opportunities and an outdoor courtyard. Physicians see patients at the nursing home.
What to Expect:
With no psychologists or pediatric or OB/Gyn doctors in town, the Lewistown family medicine physicians offer a traditional family medicine practice, covering all aspects of patient care, from newborn to eldercare. In addition to the FM, Peds, IM, and Psychiatry experiences required by the WRITE program, WRITE students are able to work with other community docs and in the ER. Rural surgeon Ron Skipper, M.D., offers students the opportunity to assist with general surgery cases, and orthopedic surgeon Bill Iannocone, M.D., works with students as well. A 4th year surgery selective with Dr. Ron Skipper is now available to interested WRITE students; the rotation would follow the completion of the WRITE program in June. The Lewistown Community Health Center, led by Dr. Chris Cunningham, welcomes WRITE students as well. Consulting specialists visit Lewistown on a regular basis and include a neurologist, orthopedic back surgeon, and two urologists.
Housing:
Two bedrooms, kitchen, basement with laundry, backyard but no garage. The TRUST student will be in Lewistown sharing house at least one weekend during the WRITE experience. Possible that a R/UOP student will overlap a bit in June. No pets allowed. Situated close to downtown and a running trail. Hospital is one mile away (uphill).
 Directions:
Lewistown is North of I-90, 200 miles northeast of Helena & 125 miles northwest of Billings. Distance from Seattle to Lewistown is 785 miles. To see a map of where we are located and/or get directions from other locations, go to maps.google.com (for directions, click "Get Directions" in the upper left-hand corner where you can input the starting address).
Air Transportation: There is an airport in Lewistown which provides service on Horizon or Big Sky Airlines. Bus service operates out of The Petro Bus Depot at 1st Avenue. Amtrak service is available across Montana’s Hi-Line with boarding available in Havre, Malta, and other communities.
Extracurricular Activities:
One of the major attractions of Lewistown and the surrounding areas is the opportunity for year-round outdoor recreation. There are bike/hiking trails in and around town, including an extensive line of rails to trails; nearby state and national parks; the hospital has a gym that the students can use for free; skiing at Showdown (two hour drive); lots of snowmobiling in the Snowies and Little Belt mountains; and a new Big Spring Market that has organic food, fresh local produce when available, and fresh bread daily. In addition there is golfing, fishing, hunting, camping, shooting, canoeing, bird watching, rock climbing, skiing, snowmobiling, skating, biking, hiking and wildlife viewing are just a few of the activities which can be done at many nearby sites. Additional sites include the Charlie Russell Chew Choo and historic Lewistown.
Weather Trends:
Average daytime temperature in January is 30° F and the daily temperature averages 70° F in July. |
Primary WRITE Preceptor: