Expansion of Intermountain Health Diabetes & Endocrinology Clinic Brings Added Services and Access

Thanks to the continuing support of local donors, eastern Montana patients will be able to receive new services and increased access to the Intermountain Health Diabetes & Endocrinology Clinic in the Yellowstone Medical Center in Billings.

The renovation will allow the clinic to expand from eight to 12 providers and increase the number of offices and exam rooms from 19 to 31. In addition, conference rooms will be expanded to allow for group visits for diabetes education and weight management classes, and space will be dedicated to telehealth and diabetic eye exams. The care team is also excited to add new space and equipment for exercise services as part of its Weight Management Program.

This renovation was made possible with the generous support of Steve and Debbie Reger and Tom and Maree Ryan. As a family who knows first-hand what it is like to have a child diagnosed with diabetes, Tom and Maree Ryan and Steve and Debbie Reger were moved to make a transformational gift to expand and enhance the Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic. Out of personal experience, a desire to bring the highest quality of care and state-of-the-art technology to this region.

“We are thrilled to improve our clinic and expand our space to better serve our patients from across the region,” said Justen Rudolph. MD, medical director of the diabetes program. “We have highly skilled and passionate caregivers on our diabetes, endocrinology, and weight management teams, and this gift from the Reger and Ryan families is a powerful testament to the trust our community places in our expertise, compassion, and unwavering dedication.”

It includes patients like Maurice Rhoades, who lives in rural Eastern Montana along the Tongue River South of Miles City. Rhoades came to the care of the clinic team after he had an infected wound on his foot that wouldn’t heal. After doing some blood work, it was found that he had dangerously high blood sugar levels. Dr. Rudolph and the care team met with Rhoades at the diabetes center and through virtual appointments.

“We have worked alongside him to develop a plan to help him manage his diabetes through medication and lifestyle changes,” said Dr. Rudolph. “He is now using a continuous glucose monitor so that he can monitor his blood sugar on his phone in real time. And he recently shared how that helps keeps him focused and make things simple.”

For patients, like Rhoades, living in our surrounding rural communities, the care team’s goal is to make management of these conditions something that is attainable and fits into their daily life. The team was grateful to have Rhoades participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on April 7.

The clinic remained open during the renovation, and Intermountain Health looks forward to now offering the completed new space to serve more patients.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a nonprofit health plan called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/. For more information, see intermountainhealth.org/ or call 801-442-2000.