For many Montanans living in rural communities, accessing specialized healthcare isn’t as simple as booking an appointment. It can mean hours on the road to cities like Great Falls. But a growing outreach effort from health care like Benefis Health System is changing that reality by bringing providers directly to patients.

Brianna Juneau reports – watch the video here:

Providers travel to bring specialty care to Montana communities

Instead of requiring long-distance travel, Benefis doctors and advanced practice providers are hitting the road, delivering care in towns across North Central Montana. The goal: reduce barriers to access and ensure patients receive timely treatment closer to home.

“In this geographic area, sometimes some of the more medically complex children are seen by pediatricians,” said pediatrician Rachel Amthor. “It can be an opportunity to try to reach some children with medical complexity who do live in a rural area.”

That access can be especially impactful for young patients. In some communities, clinics are located near schools, allowing children to attend appointments without missing an entire day of class.

“There’s very much a community atmosphere with the clinic,” Amthor said. “I’ll have some patients walk from school during the day to come to their checkup and then walk back. They don’t have to miss a lot of school because everything is so close.”

But for many adults, particularly those working in agriculture, traveling for care can be a major obstacle.

“They either have to arrange transportation or they don’t drive at all—it’s an ordeal,” said Elizabeth O’Connor, a cardiothoracic nurse practitioner. “Some of our patients travel for a whole day to get here and back, or they have to spend the night. A lot of farmers and ranchers just can’t leave their property for that long.”

By bringing services into rural towns, providers can catch health issues earlier and make critical adjustments before conditions worsen.

“We’re able to make some simple adjustments in their medications that may prevent heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, admissions,” O’Connor said. “Providing access can certainly improve—if not longevity—the quality of their life.”

Benefis’ outreach clinics now serve a wide range of communities, offering specialty care that would otherwise require travel:

Choteau: Cardiology, OBGYN, Podiatry, Pediatrics

Fort Benton: Pediatrics, Cardiology, Podiatry, Dietician/Nutrition services, Diabetes Education, Functional Medicine and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Conrad: Cardiology

Cut Bank: Women’s Health

Havre: Nephrology and Neurology

Rocky Boy: Women’s Health and Nephrology

Shelby: Orthopedics

White Sulphur Springs: Women’s health

Lewistown: Orthopedics and Dermatology

Browning: Nephrology

Many of these services are critical for managing chronic conditions, ranging from heart disease to kidney disorders, where consistent follow-up care can significantly impact outcomes.

For providers like Amthor, the outreach effort is deeply personal.

“I became a pediatrician because I wanted to treat kids in underserved areas,” she said. “I was not expecting to be working in rural Montana, but that has been different and very good.”

As the program continues to grow, Benefis leaders say they hope to expand services even further, reaching more communities and reducing healthcare disparities across the state.

In places where distance has long defined access, these traveling clinics are helping ensure that quality care is no longer out of reach, but right down the road.

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Nevada Immigrant Coalition held a march and rally in downtown Las Vegas on May Day, joining similar demonstrations across the country to demand better treatment for immigrant families and workers.

The event coincided with First Friday, drawing attention to the economic pressures facing local businesses and workers as costs continue to rise.

Noe’ Orozco, a representative with the Nevada Immigrant Coalition, said the group is focused on elevating people over corporations.

WATCH | Nevada Immigrant Coalition rallies on May Day to demand worker protections

Nevada Immigrant Coalition rallies on May Day to demand worker protections

“We’re trying to put people above corporations, and we one way. You can do that is definitely by supporting the local businesses, because a lot of the local businesses, they, they sustain themselves,” Orozco said.

Many local business owners and workers say they rely on the foot traffic that First Friday generates each month.

“It’s our one night a month that we get walking traffic as if we’re on Fremont Street or on the Strip,” said a business owner at First Friday.

Workers also described the financial strain of the current economy.

“It’s very difficult to be living in the economy now without having two jobs,” said another business owner at First Friday.

The coalition said it is also responding to a recent surge in immigration enforcement activity across Nevada, which it says is negatively affecting local families.

KTNV

“Since the start of last year, we’ve seen a lot more of those overlapping conversations happening. And so, as I mentioned, right, highlighting the workers’ rights and a lot of those workers, a lot of workers that we engage with our migrant or immigrant workers, immigrant families, and so regardless of what industry you’re looking at, there is going to be an immigrant household that is being impacted,” Orozco said.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Hikers heading into the Sandia Mountains are being reminded to never underestimate Albuquerque’s trail system after a man was found dead earlier this week along the popular La Luz Trail.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man as Samuel Gurule. Authorities say there are no signs of foul play and no obvious trauma, though the investigation into his death is ongoing.

While details remain limited, officials say the tragedy is serving as an important reminder for hikers to prepare carefully before heading into the mountains.

“Respect the mountains, respect the outdoors,” said Steve LaRese with the New Mexico Search and Rescue Council. “We want to see everybody outside. Everyone deserves to be outside.”

With hiking season in full swing, trails throughout the Sandias are drawing more visitors. While the Sandia Crest remains closed, lower‑elevation routes like La Luz are open — and can appear deceptively manageable.

“It looks very obtainable and very two‑dimensional,” LaRese said. “But when you get in there, it’s a lot of rolling terrain.”

Between steep terrain, heat, elevation, and winding paths, conditions can change quickly — and it’s easy to get turned around.

“Little things turn into big things,” LaRese explained. “It’s very easy to get off the main trail and end up in a steep area or somewhere you don’t want to be.”

Search and Rescue officials say that’s why preparation is critical, even on shorter hikes.

The New Mexico Search and Rescue Council encourages hikers to over‑prepare, even if they don’t expect trouble. Recommended items include:

• A light source, even for daytime hikes
• A whistle, which can help rescuers locate you
• Plenty of water and protection from the sun

If something does go wrong, officials stress that hikers should not hesitate to call for help.

“Search and Rescue in New Mexico is free,” LaRese said. “You won’t be charged for calling 911 or for a rescue team coming out to get you off the mountain.”

As temperatures continue to rise across New Mexico, hikers are urged to listen to their bodies and avoid pushing past their limits.

“Check your heart rate. Be realistic about your physical abilities,” LaRese said. “There’s nothing wrong with hiking two miles up and saying, ‘That’s a good day,’ and heading back. The mountain will always be there.”

One final reminder for hikers planning a summit route: never assume the Sandia Tram will be operating for a ride back down.

Weather conditions or maintenance closures can leave hikers stranded — sometimes facing a long descent after dark.

Officials say preparation, awareness, and knowing when to turn around can make the difference between a great hike and a dangerous situation.