Recognitions include Lifetime Achievement, Trustee of the Year, and Quality awards

(Helena, Mont.) – The Montana Hospital Association (MHA) is pleased to announce recipients of its top honors for 2026. Presented annually at the Montana Healthcare Conference, this set of awards recognizes individuals and organizations dedicated to advancing health across the state through leadership, quality, and service. The 2026 winners of the Montana Healthcare Awards are:

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Mitch Goplen, FMA, EDAC, Construction Consultant & Former Vice President, Billings Clinic Facility Services and Construction.
  • Mitch Goplen is a construction consultant and longtime Billings Clinic vice president whose work during the past four decades has touched millions of square feet of facility spaces across the state and countless patients served within them.
• Trustee of the Year Award: Miles Hamilton, Northern Montana Health Care, Havre
  • Miles Hamilton served on the Northern Montana Health Care Board of Trustees for more than 33 years, a tenure defined by unprecedented dedication and committed leadership that exceeded the highest standard of trustee service on behalf of the hospital and community.
• Quality Program of the Year (awarded by the Montana Rural Healthcare Performance Improvement Program): Granite County Medical Center, Philipsburg

“Each year, the Montana Healthcare Awards recognize the best of the best from across the state. This year’s winners are no exception,” said Ed Buttrey, MHA President and CEO. “Their hard work, passion, and commitment is what makes Montana’s hospitals truly special places for their patients and their communities. On behalf of everyone at MHA, I want to offer my sincere congratulations and thanks to each of these well-deserving winners.”