Butte
Butte, Montana WRITE Site
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Southwest Montana Community Health Center Phone: 406-723-4075 |
| Melanie Nelson, M.D.
Participating Physicians: Serena Brewer, D.O. (Family Medicine) Carey Downey, M.D. (Family Medicine) Mark Garnaas, M.D. (Obstetrics) Wendy Grace, MD (FM) John Pullman, M.D. (Internal Medicine) Shawna Yates, D.O. (Family Medicine) Onboarding/Compliance Site Contact: Brooke Taylor: brooke.labreche@imail.org Onboarding: Beyond what the school already provides we need we need a copy of all your immunizations (including COVID unless you have a medical or religious exemption), a copy of your background check (annual), a clear 10 panel drug screen (annual), a head shot for badging, and 2 forms of photo ID. An onboarding packet will need to be completed, which students receive from the site.
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Dr. Melanie Nelson grew up in Kalispell, MT before moving to Seattle to study Public Health at the University of Washington. She completed her Doctor of Medicine as a Montana WWAMI student at the University of Washington. She then moved to Salt Lake City, UT to complete her internship and residency in Pediatrics at the University of Utah/Primary Children’s Hospital. Prior to moving to Butte, she spent a year as Chief Resident for Pediatrics at the University of Utah. Dr. Nelson is passionate about working collaboratively with families to provide high-quality, evidence-based care for children of all ages and backgrounds. In her free time, she enjoys trail running, reading, knitting, and gardening.|
Clinic: Founded in 1986, the Butte Community Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center. We are a mission-driven private, nonprofit organization governed by a community volunteer board of directors. The clinic is partially funded through a grant through the federal government that allows it to offer discounts on services so that healthcare remains accessible and affordable. We are an integrated clinic serving 13,500 patients with an average annual visit count of 57,000. Our patient mix is 50% uninsured, 24% Medicaid, 20% Medicare, 6% private insurance. Our catchment area includes the City and County of Butte-Silver-Bow and surrounding counties of southwest Montana. We believe that every person, regardless of race, age, sex, or personal income, has the right to receive quality health care in a supportive atmosphere. Further, we believe that it is essential that everyone have the opportunity to maintain a state of positive health and have the professional help required to maintain their wellness through prevention, education and counseling. Our physicians cover adult, and pediatric admissions at SCL St. James, Intermountain Health, round at all of the nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the community and regularly participate in community education activities such as “Walk-n-Talk with A Doc” and Butte High School Health Education Classes.
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Getting to Butte: About Butte: For more than a century, copper was king in Butte, Montana and this city became one of the world’s most important sources for the strategic metal. In the process, the wealth generated by mining and refining earned Butte, Montana the name “The Richest Hill on Earth.” For many reasons unrelated to mining, Butte, Montana remains the Richest Hill on Earth. The headframes scattered across the Hill are symbols of this proud mining heritage. Called gallows frames by miners, they lowered men to work in the stopes below and on the return trip to the surface they brought up the rock in the box. They are silent sentinels of the era of underground mining that punctuate the Butte landscape like steel exclamation points. Butte, Montana is rich in history, art and culture in the midst of one of the most beautiful areas of Southwest Montana. Rimmed by the peaks of mountain ranges, Butte provides nearby access to trout fishing, world-class golf courses, hiking, hunting, skiing, soaking (in commercial hot springs), snowmobiling, and many other outdoor recreational opportunities. |
| Housing & Car: A car is a must for the WRITE rotation in Butte as the student works in multiple offices. There are a few house rentals owned by preceptors used or community members that have helped house students. No pets please.
Dress is business casual. |
| Climate: Butte, MT climate is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 60’s and extremely cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 10’s.The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 5.40 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature variations between night and day tend to be relatively big during summer with a difference that can reach 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and moderate during winter with an average difference of 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The annual average precipitation at Butte is 12.78 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is June with an average rainfall of 2.07 Inches. |