Our Viewpoint

I was born at Clark Fork Valley Hospital. My brother was born at Clark Fork Valley Hospital. When I broke my foot a few years ago, I went to Clark Fork Valley Hospital. When my mom got sick and needed emergency care earlier this year, we went to Clark Fork Valley Hospital.

Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) has been serving the communities of Sanders County for 50 years. Other county providers have been here for decades as well. Dr. Randy Lovell has been in Thompson Falls for 34 years.

We have excellent healthcare options in Sanders County. More importantly, we have options for healthcare. You might need to go to Missoula or Kalispell or Spokane for certain specialists, but we have healthcare providers and services here in rural northwest Montana. When you or a family member gets sick and needs care, it's nice to know we don't have to drive two hours to see a physician.

For more than a week, Sanders County has consistently had more than 100 active COVID-19 cases. I remember last year, when COVID was what we considered a crisis when we got to the point where we were consistently over 50 active cases. Where is the crisis mode now?

I can't even imagine what our hospital and healthcare providers are going through right now. They are doing their best to treat not only COVID patients, but everyone else that normally comes through their doors for care. It's easy to judge our local physicians from outside the walls of your hospital or doctor's office. However, as a community we need to support these healthcare workers and remember how lucky we are to live in rural Montana and still have access to quality care.

— Annie Wooden