Office of Rural Programs

Butte

Butte, Montana WRITE Site

Southwest Montana Community Health Center
445 Centennial Ave
Butte, MT 59701

Phone: 406-723-4075
Primary WRITE Preceptor

Serena Brewer, D.O.
Family Medicine

Medical Director, Southwest Montana CHC & Administrative Contact for Clerkship activities at SWMTCHC (Butte & Dillon)
Dr. Serena Brewer has been a medical provider at SWMTCHC for more than a decade. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology at the Willamette University in Oregon and earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, Missouri in 2005. Serena completed her internship and residency in Santa Rosa, California, in 2008 before coming to Butte. Serena specializes in family, adolescent, and women’s health.
Her passion is teaching the next generation of medical providers. She received the University of Washington School of Medicine’s 2018 WRITE Excellence in Teaching Award for Montana. Outside of medicine, Dr. Brewer enjoys spending time at her cabin, cooking and traveling.

sbrewer@swmtchc.org

 

Participating Physicians:

Melanie Nelson, M.D. (Pediatrics)

Carey Downey, M.D. (Family Medicine)

John Pullman, M.D. (Internal Medicine)

Shawn Yates, D.O. (Family Medicine)

Mark Garnaas, M.D. (Obstetrics)

Onboarding/Compliance Site Contact:
Karen Cook:kcook@swmtchc.org (Southwest Montana CHC)
Emily Stenson: Emily.stenson@imail.org (SCL St. James, Intermountain Health)

Type in the onboarding info here.

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 services include comprehensive medical and dental care, pharmacy, and behavioral health all onsite. Our providers specialize in internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics, women’s health, and geriatrics.

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.

Hospital:
The Southwest Montana Community Health Center is affiliated with St. James, Intermountain Health. Founded in 1881 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, St. James has been known for generations for its mission of compassionate care and service to the poor. Today, that commitment is accompanied by St. James’ reputation as a technological leader in Montana’s healthcare industry and the largest acute-care hospital in southwest Montana. St. James is part of SCL Health, a nonprofit faith-based health system with eight hospitals, more than 150 physician clinics, and home health, hospice, mental health and safety-net services primarily in Colorado and Montana.

Getting to Butte:
Butte, MT, lies in the Southwest portion of Montana. It’s about a 2 hour drive to the Idaho border to the south down Interstate 15. Likewise, Missoula is about a 2 hour drive to the west down Interstate 90. Helena, the state capitol, is about 80 miles to the north of Butte along Interstate 15.

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.