March 6, 2026

The President’s Message is published in the MHA Weekly News Report, a member-only publication of the Montana Hospital Association. To subscribe, click here.

We’re just a month away from the 2026 MHA Health Summit— April 8–10 in Butte. It’s the Montana Hospital Association’s premier spring education and networking event, and one you won’t want to miss.

This year’s event continues its focus on patient safety and quality improvement with specialized programming tracks for Quality Improvement, Rural Health Clinics, Emergency Preparedness and Human Resources. It also will be a key opportunity to pick up the latest on the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) in Montana, with a kick-off luncheon presentation from RHTP leaders at the Montana Departments of Health and Human Services and Labor and Industry.

The track for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) is a relatively new addition to the Health Summit. Added a couple years ago, this track recognizes the critical role RHCs play in sustaining access to primary care and supporting the financial stability of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Thirty-four of Montana’s 49 CAHs (70%) operate RHCs. This focused track will highlight strategies, regulatory updates and operational insights that can help strengthen hospital-operated RHCs as an essential piece of Montana’s rural healthcare system.

The program will also include important sessions focused on pediatric and obstetric readiness for hospitals that do not provide maternity services. In Montana, 68 percent of Critical Access Hospitals are non-birthing facilities, yet nearly every hospital will encounter a birth at some point—often unexpectedly. These sessions are designed to help care teams prepare for those situations, ensuring staff have the training, protocols, and confidence needed to safely care for mothers and newborns when deliveries occur outside of planned maternity settings.

This is a must-attend event for Directors of Nursing, Quality Improvement Coordinators, CEOs, Administrators, Human Resource Directors, Healthcare Preparedness Professionals, and other Executive Staff members.

We hope you’ll join us. Registration and additional details are available at www.mhahealthsummit.org, and early registration is encouraged.