Go From Classroom to Clinic in Great Falls, MT

Investments in education and training build a skilled health care workforce in Great Falls.

By Teree Caruthers on February 1, 2024

University of Providence

In the Great Falls region, residents benefit from comprehensive care close to home thanks in large part to the workforce development efforts of area colleges and universities, including Touro University, University of Providence and Great Falls College-Montana State University. With new training programs and building projects, these institutions are keeping a pipeline of talent flowing to the health care workforce in Great Falls and enhancing the overall quality of life for the region.

Jeanine Morgan

Transforming the Landscape in Great Falls

In 2023, Touro University opened a College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM), the first nonprofit medical school in Montana. The university is approved for a class size of 125 students per year, and administrators hope many of the graduates will remain in the state to complete residencies.

“It is a well-documented fact that physicians tend to practice where they have been educated and trained,” says Elizabeth Palmarozzi, founding campus dean for the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. 

Touro plans to assist with increasing residency opportunities where appropriate, she says, and increase the likelihood that a graduate stays in the state. Having the medical school in Great Falls will also increase the number of physicians coming to the region and increase access to health care, Palmarozzi says. 

“Increasing access is critically important, and increasing the number of physicians available to provide care addresses some of those access issues,” Palmarozzi says. “Physicians help educate patients on issues of preventative health care and management of any current disease state to guide the patient to an improved quality of life.”

University of Providence

Equipping Tomorrow’s Health Care Providers

As Touro expands its presence in the region, the University of Providence has begun offering more health-related degree programs and guaranteeing its students the chance to have an admissions interview with the COM. In addition, the university is launching its first on-campus nursing program. 

Elsewhere, Great Falls College-Montana State University is working to keep pace with the health care sector’s growing demands by upgrading its nursing program facilities.

“Our registered nursing program runs full every year and continues to provide quality nurses to the region and state. Our licensed practical nurse program touches every corner of Montana as students are able to stay in their local communities by taking the classroom portion of the program online and the hands-on clinicals and labs with partners in their home community,” says Stephanie Erdmann, CEO and dean. 

Erdmann says in addition to nursing, Great Falls College offers health care programs in respiratory therapy, physical therapist assistant, surgical technician, dental hygiene, dental assistant, health information technology and health information coding specialist – all of which play a vital role in the local health care scene.

“Our newest health care facility is the dental clinic. However, our state-of-the-art simulated hospital allows students to test their skills in realistic settings. We also plan to remodel existing classroom space to create a simulated veterinary clinic on campus for veterinary technician students,” she says.

Providing Hands-On Experiences 

Both Touro and Great Falls College partner with area health care organizations and facilities, such as Benefis Health System, to give students hands-on experience. 

“Benefis Health System has been a strong supporter of Touro University and the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Many of their physicians fulfill adjunct professor roles at our campus and help train our third- and fourth-year students while on clinical rotations,” Palmarozzi says. “And we are assisting Benefis with their development of residency programs. Additionally, our faculty volunteer to assist with Benefis’ already robust education programs. The benefits to both institutions are mutual but the benefit to the community is most important.” 

Erdmann says the relationship between the college and the health care community only enhances the quality of care for residents. 

“Medical providers throughout Great Falls, North Central Montana and the state of Montana are very generous, helping our students obtain the necessary hands-on training to become good practitioners,” Erdmann says. “Quality health care is a bedrock of a healthy community, and we are proud of the role we play in North Central Montana and the entire state.” 

Jeanine Morgan

Training Students Early

Priming the health care workforce in Great Falls begins early. Organizations, including Great Falls College-Montana State University, Benefis Health System and the McLaughlin Research Institute partner with local schools to introduce students to local career pathways in health care.

“Students from all over North Central Montana take our certified nursing assistant program, with students from Great Falls High and C.M. Russell High having the opportunity to take the classes on their campuses,” says Stephanie Erdmann, CEO and dean of Great Falls College-Montana State University.

“Many other students who end up pursuing health care careers take prerequisite courses at Great Falls College as dual enrollment students. We also have a strong partnership with Great Falls Public Schools’ Career and College Readiness Center that is housed on our campus.”

Since its founding in 1954, the McLaughlin Research Institute has made a central focus of its mission to provide scientific research access and opportunity, particularly through internship and employment in scientific research. 

Each year, the institute hosts between five and 10 interns from Great Falls area high schools and colleges. 

“They enter a ‘boot camp’ that teaches fundamentals of biomedical research and experimental techniques, and then join the laboratories to work with the faculty of the institute. We currently have eight faculty members with research that is focused on neurodegeneration and rural health,” says Renee Reijo Pera, the institute’s president and CEO and dean of research for the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Reijo Pera says this early education is essential to creating a pipeline that will keep the industry stocked with talent for decades.

“We strongly feel that we have an obligation and an opportunity to provide high school students, undergraduate students and medical students with access to the very best research experiences that they may need to advance their own careers,” she says.

Sarah Yoder, manager of marketing and communications for Benefis Health System, says the organization works with local high schools to introduce students to the diversity of opportunities within the health care field through events, such as career fairs. “Now that we have a medical school in Great Falls, we want students to know that they don’t have to move away to get training. They can get the education they need right here at home.”