Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital is a 25-bed voluntary nonprofit critical access hospital that has served rural Northeast Montana since 1911, treating approximately 30,000 patients annually across four counties. The hospital is supported by the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital Foundation, an independent nonprofit established in 1982 that has provided more than $2.5 million to Valley County for medical needs, funding the latest technology, medical equipment and training as well as scholarships for local students studying in healthcare fields. Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital maintains Joint Commission accreditation, and in 2024 received KLAS Arch Collaborative “EHR Breakthrough Recognition” for its work improving clinician engagement with its EHR system. The hospital leveraged MedPower for structured onboarding training and introduced a “Facts and Snacks” initiative, which comprises monthly two-hour in-person sessions aimed at improving clinician EHR proficiency. Between 2022 and 2024 surveys, the percentage of clinicians who agreed that ongoing training was sufficient rose from 55% to 82%, placing the hospital in the 97th percentile among all Arch Collaborative members, while agreement that training was workflow-specific rose from 79% to 87%, placing it in the 100th percentile. This sustained investment in EHR education reflects the hospital’s commitment to reducing clinician friction and delivering safe, high-quality care in a resource-constrained rural environment.
