It’s not surprising that the Flathead Valley’s two hospitals have taken a formal step toward further collaboration by creating a joint task force that will study how best to deliver health care to Northwest Montana.

Kalispell Regional Healthcare and North Valley Hospital have worked together on many levels for years. They recruit doctors together and share physicians, specialists and clinical staff. They also share services such as nuclear medicine and cardio-pulmonary rehab.

These are trying times not only for health-care facilities tasked with providing quality care as costs and regulations increase, but also for patients seeking reasonably priced health care.

Hospital administrators say it’s way too early to determine if the task force study ultimately would result in a formal merger of the two facilities. As North Valley Hospital CEO Jason Spring noted, “we’re looking for the right way to develop a valleywide system.”

We like the fact that this task force will strive to preserve each hospital’s unique business model and cultural identity as it develops recommendations for more collaborative care. Each of our hospitals provides medical care with its own finesse, and we hope that would continue.

Enjoy the equestrian Event

If you’ve never attended The Event at Rebecca Farm, make this the year to take in some of the world-class equestrian action at the facility west of Kalispell. The Event is now the largest equestrian triathlon in North America. Its three-phase competition of eventing — dressage, cross-country jumping and show jumping — is the ultimate test of horse and rider.

Organizers of the three-day event that runs through Sunday have gone the distance to make it a family-friendly outing. There’s a Kid Zone with pony rides, arts and crafts with Stumptown Art Studio and games provided by ImagineIF Libraries. And it’s all free! There are ample opportunities to view the horses and riders and the wonderful course that sprawls over the 640-acre complex.

The Event has become an important fundraiser for breast cancer awareness, too. A $5 parking donation goes toward cancer research and community outreach.

Trot on over to The Event. It’s the “neigh”borly thing to do.