Libby is located in the northwest corner of Montana. Nestled at the foot of the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness Area, outdoor activities, wildlife, and birds abound. Lincoln County is 3.5 times larger than the State of Rhode Island, but is populated by less than 20,000. Libby’s population is 2,500. Additional information can be found at www.libbychamber.org

Clinic: The Libby Clinic is a MT WWAMI WRITE site, a Rural/Underserved Opportunities Program site, a TRUST site, and has been involved in the training of PA students and family practice residents. The Libby Clinic is fully staffed with a nursing department, medical records, and laboratory. There are three family physicians, one certified also in internal medicine, and two family practice Nurse Practitioners at this clinic.

Hospital: St. John’s Lutheran Hospital is located at 350 Louisiana Avenue. The hospital has 25 beds, 13 attending staff, and 18 consulting staff. Of the 1,400 admissions per year, there are approximately 150 surgeries and 100 deliveries. The hospital's web site is www.sjlh.org

Nursing Home: Libby Care Center is a 100-bed facility located at 308 East Third Street. All providers see their patients at the care center.

Televideo:Two-way live interactive teleconferencing is available at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital. Contact: Karen Stickney at 406-293-0100, ext 103.

What to Expect:
Nestled in isolated wilderness in northwest Montana, Libby offers a unique rural health care experience. With an immediate population of 2,000 but serving an outlying area of close to 20,000, Libby's health care system serves a critical need in this remote area. Students can expect a traditional family medicine experience that encompasses the full spectrum of health needs, physcial and mental, inpatient and outpatient. Medicine call is shared between five family physicians and OB call is shared with four family physicians and the OB/Gyn. Each physician does rounds on his/her patients each morning. WRITE students can work with the ER docs, the OB/Gyn, and the surgeons. Consulting specialists include a psychiatrist who visits Libby once a month, complementing the work of the mental health practitioners (psychologists and MSWs) in Libby. Other consulting specialists include a visiting cardiologist, urologist, ENT, and dermatologist. Two 4th year selectives are now offered in Libby, in OB/Gyn and Surgery.

*Please Note :
In Libby the WRITE experience does not begin in February, but 15 months before when the student is matched with our site. It is expected that the student come to Libby for a site visit to confirm that the match is a good fit for both the student and the doctors at the site. If timing it tight, it's possible to come just for the day from Seattle using Amtrak. We make an effort to stay in touch and connected with our WRITE students, from WRITE match through residency and beyond. If a visit is impossible, then the WRITE student should plan on meeting the precpetor at the January orientation the year preceeding the WRITE rotation.

Housing:
Fully furnished (all the way down to the sheets and towels) 2-bedroom house with washer and dryer. Secluded back yard with a deck. Attached garage. The house is about a mile from the Libby Clinic and hospital. If needed, a bike and/or car may be available. Wireless connection. On occassion a TRUST student or R/UOP student may share accomodations.

Directions:
From Spokane: HWY 95 North through Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry, then HWY 2 East. From Missoula: HWY 93 North, West on HWY 200, then State HWY 56, and then HWY 2 West. 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: Flights are available to Kalispell–90-mile drive; flights into Spokane available via most major airlines–175-mile drive, and Amtrak rail service is available into Libby.

Eateries:
MK Steakhouse, Libby Café, Fiesta Bonita, Treasure Mountain Restaurant, and the Antlers.

Lodging:
Venture Inn, 406-293-7711, Caboose Motel, 800-627-0206, Huckleberry House B&B, 406-293-9720; Rodeway Inn 406-293-2771

STOKR WRITE style! L-R: Dr. Greg Rice w/ 2009 Libby student, Emily Beck, 2009 Sandpoint student Louis Poppler, and Sandpoint preceptor Dr. Dan Meulenberg

Extracurricular Activities:
Area activities include camping, hiking, hunting, road and mountain biking, x-country and downhill skiing (Turner Mountain), boating, snowmobiling, rafting, bird watching, and golf. In March is a weekend Irish Fair and each Mother’s Day weekend is the annual STOKR (Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River), a 2-day ride that raises funds for Habitat for Humanity. Indoor fitness can be attained at the Montana Athletic Club with special rates for medical students through the hospital. The Kootenai National Forest surrounds Libby and the Kootenai River, and a “Blue Ribbon” trout fishing area runs through the town. Area wildlife includes elk, moose, deer, mountain sheep and goats, cougar, and bear. Bald and golden eagles, ospreys, herons, and other birds can be seen nesting and fishing along the river and surrounding lakes. While the Kootenai National forest is full of enough beauty and outdoor adventures for anyone’s taste, Glacier National Park is about a 2-hour drive away.

Weather Trends:
Average temperature in January is 31.8° F and the temperature averages 90° F in July. Keep in mind these are averages--temperatures can reach well below zero in January and February.