GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls VA Clinic is celebrating its first year in business.
It is the first in the Montana VA system to implement the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model. The new clinic is all on one floor, and effectively doubles the capacity of the old one across town. With the new model, vets no longer have to move around the building to get their care. Instead, comprehensive care teams come to one room for the veteran.
Clinic manager Ray Tierney explained, “This is set up to be a 'one stop shop,' as I like to call it. If a veteran comes in for a primary care appointment and also needs some help with some mental health needs or needs to speak with an audiologist or a social worker or homecare, the staff from that particular area will come to the veteran in the exam room.“
Having so many resources able to meet with a patient in one room simplifies the entire experience.
“We want to make the process as simple as possible so they aren’t confused with so many appointments,” said Tierney.
Opening a clinic in the middle of a pandemic is difficult by itself, but trying to create a new way of operation on top of that can be an even bigger burden, and Tierney said the team at the clinic rose to the challenge: “Proud is an understatement. This staff has to be flexible and work way above their expected duties. And they did."
The clinic is at 1400 29th Street South. You can call the clinic at 406-771-5800, or click here for the website.
