Plains
Clark Fork Valley Hospital
10 Kruger Road
Plains, MT 59859
406-826-4800
Plains, Montana, located in Sanders County, has a rich and diverse history that dates back to the 1800s. The area was initially inhabited by local American Indian tribes who recognized the value of the grasses in the Clark Fork River valley for wintering their horses. These grasses provided essential nourishment for their horses during the colder months.
The town of Plains was officially founded in 1907, initially known as Horse Plains. However, it was commonly referred to as Wild Horse Plains due to the abundance of wild horses in the area. The name eventually evolved to simply Plains when the United States Postal Service established a presence in 1905. Its current estimated population is 1,137 (2021). Plains is home to the Sanders County Fairgrounds, with the annual County Fair and PRCA Rodeo in August.
The greater area of Sanders County is rich with the wilderness of the Lolo National Forest and the Clark Fork River. The area is known for fishing, hunting, and lots of opportunity for exploring the outdoors. The Flathead Indian Reservation overlaps with eastern Sanders County. It is within driving distance of Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake.
https://www.plainsmt.org/history
Primary Preceptor:
Jessica Valentine, M.D.
Family Medicine
Born on Vashon Island, Washington, Dr. Valentine is a UWSOM WWAMI alum, receiving her M.D. in 2010. She completed her family medicine residency in 2013 at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. She spent much of her clinical training time in Montana through the WWAMI program. She practiced for about 2 years in a variety of settings before joining Clark Fork Valley Hospital in 2015.
Dr. Valentine completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine in 2018 at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.
Outside of medicine, she enjoys yoga, trying new ways to stay fit, reading, learning, and visiting new places.
Participating Physicians:
Donald Damschen, MD
Darren Herzog, MD
Matthew Ingle, MD
Richard Ingle, MD
Nicholas Lawyer, PA-C
Joshua Spake, DO
Barbara Steward, DO
Onboarding/Compliance Site Contact:
Melody Taylor, Student Coordinator, mtaylor@cfvh.org
Hospital and Clinic:
Clark Fork Valley Hospital and Family Medicine Network is a not-for-profit community healthcare organization providing services to patients since 1971 in Wildhorse Plains, Montana. Clark Fork Valley Hospital is a 16-bed critical access facility serving the residents of Sanders County and the surrounding area. We additionally manage a long-term care facility with 28 resident beds.
In an effort to extend our quality of care, our Family Medicine Network operates three family medicine offices located in Thompson Falls, Plains and Hot Springs.
Hospital website: https://www.cfvh.org
Housing:
Housing will either be an on site one bedroom apartment on the hospital campus or a rented studio or one bedroom within driving distance of the hospital.
Climate:
In Plains, the summers are short, warm, dry, and mostly clear and the winters are freezing, snowy, and mostly cloudy. Summer months see an average high temperature of 83 degrees Fahrenheit with average lows (nighttime) in the low-fifties.
