Gabbing with Gigi

Adventures in West Dakota

Visits to the Eastern Montana Veterans' Home in Glendive and the St. Vincent Healthcare facility in Billings provided interesting sidelights. Glendive is only 71 miles from Baker, a short trip in this southeastern part of Montana which we dub West Dakota.

Janet knew where to go so she drove us as Becky had business in Glendive.

It was interesting to learn that this Veterans Home is only 10 years old.

It was surprising to ascertain that while the Home is owned by the State of Montana it is an affiliate of the Glendive Medical Center. Skilled and intermediate care is provided along with a special care unit.

Karen Smith, administrative assistant, met with us in the absence of Jeff Lingersalt, administrator. She explained it's an 80 bed facility with a present occupancy of 63 members, an increase from the normal 53 to 55 occupants.

These are primarily World War II and Korean War veterans although Vietnam War survivors are beginning to arrive. Membership includes 10 women, four of whom are veterans. Spouses of veterans are accepted on a space available basis.

Currently the special care unit provides rooms for 10 members. Karen explained that it will be expanded to accommodate 16 veterans with construction to begin in September.

Two plaques on the office wall showed community interest by staff and members at Eastern Montana Veterans Home. One told of the Mayors Award making Glendive a better place to live. Other gave the Home credit as a charter member of the Senior Crimestoppers program.

I always wanted to become a nurse and follow in the footsteps of my namesake. She served as a Canadian army nurse during World War I, tried to enlist again during World War II, but was too old. She did have a military funeral in Quebec. My first nursing experience was as a teenage member of KONA (Kalispell Order of Nurses Aides) at Kalispell General Hospital during World War II.

We enjoyed the second annual Nelles Nurses scholarship pinning at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings. A scholarship program for nursing students was endowed about three years ago by the Ralph Nelles family, longtime Billings owners of Intermountain Distributing. The $ 65,000 annual contribution from Nelles is matched by the St. Vincent Healthcare human resources department.

There are 30 student nurses participating in the program at this time. Twelve nurses have graduated from the program. Nursing students can apply for a $ 2,500 semester scholarship beginning the first semester of their sophomore year.

Nurses in the Nelles program must promise to stay in Billings for one year for each $ 2,500 awarded. There is a five year maximum, or $10,000, and four years of post graduation service in Billings.

Dave Irion, president of the St. Vincent Foundation, introduced scholarship recipients and special guests attending the pinning ceremony.

We were impressed reading sincere stories written by nurses in their new book, Love, Care, Hope, Cry: Writing the Nursing Experience.

It was written by and for the nurses at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings.

There's joy, pathos and a lot of patient caring and sharing sincerely described by nurses, male and female, in the volume.

Gladys Shay is a longtime resident and columnist for the Hungry Horse News.