AgCountry Farm Credit Services awarded the Mountrail Bethel Home $25,000 as a recipient of the Rural Community Grant Fund. The grant funds will go towards purchasing patient beds for the nursing home.
Stephanie Everett, Mountrail County Health Foundation Director and MCHC Administrator, accepted the check that will be used towards that purchase.
“AgCountry Farm Credit Services is proud to provide grant funding for new patient beds for the nursing home facility,” said Scott Ruzicka, Relationship Officer with AgCountry Farm Credit Services. With the completion of the new state-of-the-art nursing home, and hospital and assisted living expansion, the facility is integrating Panacea 8000 Bariatric Beds and accompanying equipment in the nursing home, providing caregivers with ergonomically efficient tools that will improve daily care. “These features address unique healthcare challenges, ensuring higher-quality care and greater comfort for every patient,” adds Ruzicka.
The Mountrail Bethel Home serves residents from across the region, including Stanley, New Town, Ross and Minot. Ag Country Farm Credit Services believes it is important to give back to the community.
AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit Services of Mandan, and AgriBank, established the Rural Community Grant Fund to assist in the implementation and development of projects and programs in communities and rural areas in western North Dakota which have been impacted by mineral exploration.
The RCGF is currently accepting applications for future funding requests. Interested parties can apply at www.AgCountry.com.
A week after the dedication of the new Mountrail Bethel Home nursing home section, there was another gathering on Wednesday, March 11, at the Mountrail Bethel Home. This time, those gathering were there to say goodbye. This was a time for families to return, remember, and give thanks. It was one last visit to the original nursing home before it is taken down, including a prayer of blessing and an opportunity to visit loved ones’ rooms.
The hallways already show the beginning of the work to take down the north and south wings of the old nursing home. It was quiet in the gathering space, a place that was used by residents for many of their activities throughout the day.
Pastor Erin Tormanen offered his thanks for these spaces that held a special place in the hearts of those attending. This day was a time to remember those who had made the rooms their home and where they lost many of them. He says this is true in nursing homes, where those living there were cared for in the last chapters of their lives.
He asked that the memories continue to be a blessing. As they were taking one last walk through the spaces, he encouraged those attending to remember the faces and let the memories come back as a precious gift from God. He encouraged them to let the memories flood in and fill them with the love and life they shared.
Angels were left on the ledges in the old nursing home with those attending encouraged to take those home with them. They were given a time to wander and see these spaces in whatever manner they chose before leaving.
Crews are beginning the work in the north and south wings as they prepare for the next phases of construction that will lead to the hospital renovations. It will start with the removal of the old nursing home wings to create a new entrance and parking area.
There will be a gift shop and a new waiting room. Construction down the current south wing of the nursing home will include adding an out-patient infusion suite, pharmacy suite and an MRI suite.
Purchasing will be moving from the basement to the upper level. The downstairs area will be renovated to accommodate a new specialty clinic that will allow the facility to bring in more specialists. It will also include a minor procedure room.
The final phase of construction will be adding seven new apartments to Rosen Place. The assisted living facility always has an extensive waiting list, showing the need for the new apartments. These will all be single apartments based on the footprint space available.
The entire project cost is estimated at $47 million, with $29 million of that for the new nursing home. The Mountrail County Commissioners committed $25 million over two years for the nursing home portion of the project. Other donors and fundraising efforts have left the entire project with $5 million left to raise. The Foundation continues to accept donations from the public including the ability to donate on their website: www.mountrailcountyhealthfoundation.org/how-you-canhelp.
Wednesday, March 4, was a big day at the Mountrail Bethel Home in Stanley as the new nursing home was opened to the public for the first time with a dedication and open house in the afternoon.
The day began earlier for the residents of Mountrail Bethel Home as they got their first look at what will be their new home in the morning. Residents were able to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included a prayer of dedication with activities director Chuck Repnow.
Following the ribbon cutting, they were able to tour the new facility and find their new rooms. Faces lit up as they were given their tours of all of the new spaces before going back to the older wings of the nursing home for now. Residents were expected to begin moving into their new rooms on Monday, March 9.
The new rooms are larger and more modern. There is a new family room for private events and a new outdoor patio with fire pits and grill. The facility also added a new beauty and nail salon for residents.
The dedication ceremony was one of thanks, opening with Administrator Steph Everett welcoming everyone to this new nursing home which has been decades in the making. She thanked board members who have made this positive decision over the years and construction company McGough for their beautiful work. She said the generosity of donors, including the Mountrail County Commissioners, have made this possible. She also thanked the staff for their “all hands on deck” work to get ready for this day. She looks forward to the amazing resident and patient care that will come from the entire project.
Dr. Mark Longmuir said this is a new chapter in the lives of the residents. It is a celebration of the commitment of all in the community. He thanked family members for trusting the facility to care for their loved ones.
While this is a new journey for all, the new facility is the representation of decades of planning and a shared belief that everyone deserves the very best.
He thanked all those who have put in so much time and effort getting to this point, including McGough and their contractors, CEO Steph Everett for her work put into the planning and details, Jim Clark for the decades of work preparing for this project, and the maintenance staff and housekeeping staff for the work preparing for this day.
To the residents, he said this opens a new chapter of joy, peace and love, ending with “welcome home”.
Board member Heath Hetzel said that projects like this take change. The community will continue to see that change when the north and south wings of the old nursing home begin coming down.
He also pointed to the chapel at Bethel Home, which is amazing. When the north wing comes down, that chapel and its beauty will become a focal point.
He also expressed how excited they are to have a new home for the residents and gave all glory to God for the process.
Current MBH board chairman Ryan Gjellstad gave his thanks to all of the staff and commended them for the work to take care of everything, saying he has all the confidence in the world in the future of the facility.
Former board president Bob Grant said that over twenty years ago, while he was on the board, they discussed what they could do to help the residents but they faced the space struggles. They looked at whether they should remodel, fix or build again, all the while wondering what it would take.
Looking at the way the facility is now a campus with the nursing home, hospital, clinic and assisted living, he commends those who followed after them for following through. He, too, looks forward to seeing the chapel as a front focal point for the facility. He ended by saying that he is proud of all they have done, building for the future and adapting to the changes.
Former board president George Olson remembered the time in the 1950s when the homes in rural communities were filled with older, retired people. They were faced with the challenge of what to do to help them. It was these people who formed the committee and created MBH and he is thankful for that. He said this new facility is a place where people can come and be blessed again. He expressed his gratitude to the community, the generations before us, and those to come.
Pastor Erin Tormanen reflected on the official groundbreaking on July 17, 2024, with the goal of MBH to create an environment that works to satisfy the physical, emotional and spiritual needs for the residents and their families.
While the physical facility is now here, it is more than a building. It takes love, personal and intimate care for those residents. The command to love and take care of our neighbors is woven through God’s creation and scripture. He offered praise to God for all of the efforts to bring forth this facility, making it a glorious reality to serve those precious and beautiful souls that will come in and fill the rooms. He ended with a prayer of dedication for this new facility.
Following the official ceremonies, those attending were treated to an amazing charcuterie spread that filled the nurses’ station. Those attending were also allowed to tour the facility, checking out all of the amazing new spaces and rooms.
Groundbreaking on the new nursing home was held on July 17, 2024. This first phase of construction is the new 36 bed nursing home, including ten basic care rooms. This is the same number of beds as the former nursing home.
With that work now complete, construction will move to the hospital renovations. Those will start with the removal of the old nursing home wings to create a new entrance and parking area. The public is invited to join the facility again as they host a farewell to the original Mountrail Bethel Home on Wednesday, March 11 at 12:00 noon. This will be a time for families to return, remember and give thanks. It will be one last visit to the original nursing home before it is taken down, including a prayer of blessing and opportunity to visit loved ones’ rooms.
There will be a gift shop and a new waiting room. Construction down the current south wing of the nursing home will include adding an out-patient infusion suite, pharmacy suite and an MRI suite.
Purchasing will be moving from the basement to the upper level. The downstairs area will be renovated to accommodate a new specialty clinic that will allow the facility to bring in more specialists. It will also include a minor procedure room.
The final phase of construction will be adding seven new apartments to Rosen Place. The assisted living facility currently always has an extensive waiting list, showing the need for the new apartments. These will all be single apartments based on the footprint space available.
The entire project cost is estimated at $47 million, with $29 million of that for the new nursing home. The Mountrail County Commissioners committed $25 million over two years for the nursing home portion of the project. Other donors and fundraising efforts have left the entire project with $5 million left to raise. The Foundation continues to accept donations from the public including the ability to donate on their website:www.mountrailcountyhealthfoundation.org/how-you-canhelp.
Last week, the Stanley Lions Club presented a check for $10,000 to go towards the building project at Mountrail County Medical Center. They are also pledging another $5,000 per year over the next six years.
The funds this year came from the golf cart raffle ticket sales and other fundraisers. Some of the funds have also come from memorials received, including some very generous memorials given in memory of their members who have passed away.
The Lions Club encourages other service organizations to consider donating to this project as well.
As the project continues on the nursing home side for the next few months, plans are to be able to have the residents move into their new home in March. Once the nursing home phase is complete, work will begin on the renovations for the hospital side of the project and then conclude with the addition of more apartments at Rosen Place.
Fundraising continues for the project with MCMC Administrator Steph Everett saying they still have a goal to raise another $3 million dollars.
Pictured above are MCMC Administrator Steph Everett and Stanley Lion Roger Gjellstad in the new family room space in the new nursing home.
Jill Schramm/MDN Construction workers with McGough raise wall supports inside what will be a new nursing home at Mountrail County Health Center on Feb. 24.
STANLEY – Mountrail County Health Center in Stanley has launched a three-year, $53 million construction project designed to enhance care for its community and particularly for its long-term care residents.
Currently, the contractor, McGough, has construction underway on a new 46-bed skilled and basic care facility to replace the existing Mountrail Bethel Home, with completion expected in March 2026.
“We’ve talked about this project forever, so I’m excited to have it come to fruition,” said Stephanie Everett, administrator and foundation director for MCHC. “The residents deserve a nice home.”
The 60 year old nursing home building is showing its age, she said. Pipes are crumbling. Bathrooms are too small to accommodate lifts and barely fit wheelchairs.
The new nursing home will have 36 skilled care beds and 10 basic care beds, as does the existing facility. Everett said maintaining the number of beds is important with the continued aging of the Baby Boom generation.
A couple of construction workers with McGough secure exterior covering on the side of a section of a new long-term care facility in Stanley Feb. 24.
Visitors entering the new nursing home will be greeted by the nursing station, located near a large, open area with tall ceilings and large windows.
“We want to have events, but sometimes we have to take it off campus because we just don’t have the space. So, we’ll be able to now have this great space to have our health fairs and all kinds of different events that we want to do,” Everett said.
The new nursing home will offer mostly private rooms, with more spacious rooms and full-sized beds. There will be two double rooms available for skilled or basic care per state requirements.
Green spaces and patios will be located around the facility, with a patio area with a firepit just outside the facility’s family room. A new beauty and nail salon will replace the current salon space.
North Dakota law allows counties to donate to local medical centers for new construction. The Mountrail County Health Foundation approached the Mountrail County Commission with a $25 million request and received $15 million last year and $10 million this year.
A construction crew with McGough works Feb. 24 inside a new long-term care facility that is coming to fruition in Stanley.
“I thank them and credit them for that donation, for allowing this project to happen,” Everett said. “I cannot thank the county enough for their support and having the vision of wanting to support their local nursing home and see it survive.”
The $25 million will pay the bulk of the nursing home construction cost. As of February, the foundation had $14 million yet to raise through donations and grants to fully fund the $53 million project.
Eight local Lutheran churches that have ownership in Mountrail Bethel Home also are looking at ways to support the project. Community financial support is critical to be able to make the improvements, Everett said.
“You don’t make money running a nonprofit, rural nursing home or rural hospital,” she said. “You literally are doing it for your community. You want to bring in the best providers. We’re blessed to have local providers.”
A future phase of the proposed construction includes a new hospital gift shop, extended ambulance bay and extended hospital waiting room.
Equipment and crews with McGough break up ground where work is ongoing on Mountrail County Health Center’s new long-term care facility Feb. 24.
This spring, construction will start on the ambulance garage. That work is set for an October completion. The waiting room in the middle of the hospital will move closer to the ambulance side of the building.
The kitchen will double in size during renovation scheduled to commence in March 2026 and finish in 2027. Additionally, the 11-bed, critical access hospital, built in 2001, will get a new entrance.
Once the new nursing home opens, both the north and south wings of the existing facility will be demolished, allowing expansion of the hospital and creation of a parking lot. A single parking lot ending in a circular driveway in front of the facility will connect the access points to the nursing home, hospital and clinic.
The hospital expansion will include space for MRI equipment and an infusion suite, both of which will be new offerings that will allow for more outpatient services, Everett said. Pharmacy will be getting a new suite, and a suite area will be created for outside specialists who come to provide care.
“We have six specialists that come in now, but we need to designate a space for it because it’s just getting too tight in the clinic,” Everett said.
The expansion construction is scheduled for July 2026-September 2027.
Rosen Place on 8th Assisted Living and a chapel, both built in 2019, will stay, and a new wing will be added to Rosen Place during 2027. As of February, Rosen Place had a waiting list of 31 individuals. The plan is to add seven more units to the current 14.
If all goes as planned, MCHC will have its new look fully completed by December 2027.
The latest projects come after an earlier series of projects that started about 15 years ago with the addition of a CT scanner, expansion of the emergency room and enclosure for the ambulance bay. That was followed by a clinic expansion and construction of Rosen Place, an executive conference room and chapel.
Stanley, ND — The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted $238,556.00 to Mountrail County Medical Center to purchase a Mindray TE X ultrasound system for the ER and a GE Logiq E10s for the Radiology Department as part of a $27.4 million ultrasound initiative in North Dakota.
The initiative includes more than $21.8 million to help 69 North Dakota hospitals and health centers purchase ultrasound imaging devices and nearly $5.7 million to boost sonography and point of care ultrasound (POCUS) training opportunities across the state.
“The Helmsley Foundation has provided the ability for our radiology department to bring more advanced ultrasound services to Mountrail County and our neighboring communities”, explains Brenna Williams, Radiology Manager for MCMC. “Our new machine will provide higher quality echocardiograms and more detailed imaging in pre-natal and breast exams along with general, vascular, and pediatric ultrasonography. The generosity of the Helmsley Foundation will play a key role in achieving superior diagnostic imaging and setting the standard for exceptional rural health care. Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of structures inside the body. This safe, cost-effective tool supports other clinical information to help providers make timely diagnoses and provide appropriate treatment.”
Walter Panzirer, a Trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, said the grants will help improve access to top-notch medical treatment for North Dakotans, whether they live in Fargo, Bismarck, or Grand Forks, or a smaller rural community such as Bottineau, Rugby, or Hettinger.
“These grants will help ensure that hospitals and health centers across North Dakota have the latest in state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment and training,” Panzirer said. “Facilities need to stay current with rapidly advancing technology so they can continue to provide the very best healthcare close to home.”
The majority (134) of the devices purchased through the grants are POCUS machines, which are used by providers at the bed or tableside for immediate assessment of a patient to quickly determine a course of action. The grants will also provide 57 general ultrasound systems and 24 cardiovascular ultrasound systems, which aid in imaging of the heart.
“The Helmsley grant has allowed us the ability to update our point of care ultrasound system to provide further advanced technology to the Mountrail County Medical Center bedside,” states Brittany Haugtvedt, MCMC’s ER DON. “The new ultrasound system offers a full suite of innovative features and AI powered Smart Tools to help expedite clinical decision making. We are very grateful to the Helmsley Foundation for allowing us to have the best-in-class imaging to help provide a higher standard of care in the rural health care setting.”
The initiative also includes nearly $1.9 million to North Dakota State University and nearly $3.8 million to High Quality Medical Education (HQMEDED) to expand sonographer expertise and provide comprehensive POCUS training to doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. Additionally, more than $64,000 will go to individual facilities to boost sonographer training.
The Helmsley Charitable Trust has committed a total of $72 million to fund ultrasound equipment and training initiatives for rural communities and underserved populations in Nevada, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wyoming.
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $4.5 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program funds innovative projects that use information technologies to connect rural patients to emergency medical care, bring the latest medical therapies to patients in remote areas, and provide state-of-the-art training for rural hospitals and EMS personnel. To date, this program has awarded more than $750 million to organizations and initiatives in the states of Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and two U.S. Pacific territories, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For more information, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.
Created in 2011 by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH), National Rural Health Day is an annual celebration of rural healthcare providers and other organizations dedicated to addressing the unique healthcare needs of rural communities.
With dozens of webinars and other events highlighting various aspects of rural healthcare, National Rural Health Day helps healthcare providers, community partners, and individuals celebrate the healthcare wins and address the struggles of their communities.
This year’s National Rural Health Day was on Thursday, November 21st. To celebrate at MCHC, we asked some of our long-term staff what they think is the power of rural healthcare. Here’s what they had to say.
An Interview With MCHC Staff: The Power of Rural Healthcare
Jim Clark—Director of Plant & Maintenance, 37 Years of Experience
What do you love about working in rural healthcare?
I love working in rural healthcare because I love providing for a community that I have been part of for most of my life.
What would you say to a college graduate about why they should consider working in rural instead of urban healthcare?
I would ask them if they like living in a small community and getting to know the people they work with. There is more of a personal touch in the small communities.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing rural healthcare today?
The biggest challenge facing rural healthcare is staffing shortages, as well as finding quality employees.
What traits does someone need to have to work in rural healthcare?
You have to be willing to step up and be able to work in many different departments and wear many different hats.
Pat Aho—Dietary Services, 34 Years of Service
What do you love about working in rural healthcare?
It gives me the chance to help people when they are in the most vulnerable time of their life.
What would you say to a college graduate about why they should consider working in rural instead of urban healthcare?
You have a chance to get to know the people you work with versus in urban healthcare you see so many people, you don’t get the same closeness.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing rural healthcare today?
I think smaller communities have a harder time keeping up with the benefits they can offer compared to urban areas. Urban areas have more resources and can offer employees more pay and better benefits.
What traits does someone need to have to work in rural healthcare?
I think someone in rural healthcare needs to be compassionate and understanding of people’s wants and needs.
LaDonna Kinnoin—Purchasing/CSR, 35 Years of Experience
What do you love about working in rural healthcare?
I love taking care of people and being able to provide what they need so they do not have to travel so far to get the care they need.
What would you say to a college graduate about why they should consider working in rural instead of urban healthcare?
I would tell them that it is very rewarding.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing rural healthcare today?
In my job, it’s the cost of supplies. Because we are a smaller facility, we do not get some of the discounts offered when you buy in bulk.
What traits does someone need to have to work in rural healthcare?
Someone working in rural healthcare needs to be friendly, kind, and want to help others.
Janel Borud, RN—Clinic Director, 27 Years of Experience
What do you love about working in rural healthcare?
I love working in rural healthcare because I get to know our patients more intimately due to our smaller population. I have assisted in caring for the same patients from birth to adulthood and cared for their parents and grandparents. It is a sense of community.
What would you say to a college graduate about why they should consider working in rural instead of urban healthcare?
There are plenty of loan repayment/forgiveness options when working in a rural area. Also, due to the deficit of healthcare workers in rural areas, facilities work hard to incentivize those open positions. Help in relocating may also be part of the incentive package. Being rural also means specialists are few and far between, giving you the opportunity to see a wider scope of patients and gaining a great deal of experience.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing rural healthcare today?
Lack of healthcare workers, increased cost of delivering care, insurance companies not paying enough for the cost of care for patients, and the inability of the patients to pay their share of the high treatment cost. I don’t think this is only an issue within rural healthcare, as healthcare facilities in urban areas are seeing this as well.
What traits does someone need to have to work in rural healthcare?
They need to enjoy a slower pace of life, be adaptable and versatile, enjoy community, and have a team player mentality.
Taina Karow, RN — 39 years of experience
What do you love about working in rural healthcare?
I love rural healthcare because it is extremely rewarding to me to do what I love in such a wonderful community of people who I have come to know and love, with genuine concern for their wellbeing.
What would you say to a college graduate about why they should consider working in rural instead of urban healthcare?
It is the heartfelt care I want to give our patients, always knowing that I am caring for someone’s loved one as I would my own. This comes easily because of the interpersonal relationships that develop in a rural community.
I am also thankful and honored to work in a rural hospital, as a team player who cares about others and works together for the common good of our patients. Each day we have an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. That is the beauty of community and rural health. For the small things I do, it comes back to me tenfold.
Please join us in thanking the entire MCHC team for their dedicated work throughout the year to ensure our community has the quality healthcare they need to thrive. Together, we’ll continue to build a healthy community for many years to come.
Looking for a career in rural healthcare? MCHC is hiring! Check out our careers page for open positions.
