Hospitals: Booster shot for economy

Perhaps the way out of our area’s economic doldrums will come from the health-care industry.

The $75.5 million in new hospital construction slated in Northwest Montana may well be the proverbial shot in the arm that could jump-start the region’s economic turnaround.

Considering that health-care is the No. 1 industry in the Flathead, that’s nor surprising — but it is definitely a good sign.

Major hospital construction projects in Kalispell and Libby promise to not only upgrade health-care facilities but also provide a big boost for the troubled construction industry.

Kalispell Regional Medical Center is embarking on an ambitious $42 million project to build the first phase of a new surgical services tower.

The initial three-floor construction, projected to begin in January is the first step in a 10-year expansion plan for the hospital. The project just received the go-ahead from the Kalispell Planning Board on Wednesday.

To the west in Libby, construction work is expected to start in the spring on a brand new St. John’s Lutheran Hospital. The $33.5 million, 77,000-square-foot building will feature a mountain-lodge look and be built on a seven-acre campus adjacent to the current facility.

Add to that recent improvements in area hospitals such as St. Luke’s in Ronan and St. Joseph’s in Polson, and you have got plenty to brag about. In Flathead County, North Valley Hospital is only three years removed from opening its new $27.9 million facility that is the centerpiece of a growing medical campus in Whitefish.

It’s uncertain how long the local economy will remain in the doldrums, but the improvements at area hospitals are bound to have major positive impacts both on the economy and patient care.

LET’S TAKE TIME today to pay homage to our nation’s veterans.

It was our nation’s warriors who gave us our freedom, and then kept it for us — for more than 230 years. Soldiers, sailors, Marines and veterans of all stripes deserve not just our thanks, but our continued reflection on the meaning of their service and sacrifice.

If you have a veteran in your own family or among your friends, thank them for all of us. There are many ceremonies and services planned today. Attend them if you have a chance, but most important of all — don’t forget your nation’s veterans the day after Veterans Day.

Every day of “liberty and justice for all” is a day we owe to them.