Kathy Meyer Provides Integrative Care in Rural Montana
Twenty years ago, Kathy Meyer, DC ‘93 had a conversation with a doctor passionate about expanding an existing clinic into a more integrative healthcare facility. At the end of the conversation, she casually said “If you ever build it, let me know. I would love to be a part of it.”
Fourteen years later, he called. At that point, she had been successfully running her clinic, Whitehall Chiropractic in Whitehall, Montana, for over 20 years. He was the Chief Medical Officer at Ruby Valley Medical Center (RVMC), a comprehensive medical network delivering accessible, inclusive, and responsive healthcare in remote, rural Montana. Excited by the opportunity, Dr. Meyer said yes, eventually closing her practice to work at RVMC full-time.
She works alongside doctors, nurse practitioners, and nurses, and notes that she is respected as a fellow provider. “During the first year, I heard a lot of ‘chiropractic can do something for that?’ They truly didn’t know what we did,” she explained. “As time went on, the conversation changed to ‘I have a case. Can chiropractic do something for that?’”
Because RVMC is a teaching facility, she also educates physician assistant and nurse practitioner students about chiropractic care. Even just by accessing her chart notes, her fellow providers see how chiropractic care is improving patients’ quality of life. “As the sheer volume of medical knowledge increases, it makes sense for facilities to include a chiropractor for musculoskeletal issues, especially considering the opioid epidemic,” Dr. Meyer explained.
People want drug free choices, particularly those operating heavy equipment. This is ranching, logging, and mining country, along with road construction. Being off work is not an option for many.”
Response from patients has been overwhelmingly positive, and they benefit greatly from the integrative model. For example, a patient came in for an adjustment with a rash. Dr. Meyer was able to diagnose her with shingles, get her in with another provider, then still provide chiropractic care. “It was easy for her to have her condition fully addressed in one visit,” she shared.
This kind of care is crucial for the patient population in rural Montana. The closest towns with chiropractic offices are 40-50 miles away, some over a mountain pass. Given that distance, Dr. Meyer remarked, “Bringing chiropractic services to the facility has been perceived as RVMC genuinely caring about their patients by offering a collaborative team to meet their healthcare needs.”