Billings Clinic-Logan Health will now be called One Sky Health in the latest milestone following the healthcare system's merger in 2023.  

CEO Dr. Clint Seger said there's an obvious nod to "big sky country" in the name, but the brand name goes beyond that regional moniker.  

"The sky connects all of us, we all are part of it, and nobody owns the sky. So that's a unique part of that element. The 'one' really speaks to our desire to have a single, unified healthcare delivery system across the state that is interconnected," Seger said.  

One Sky Health covers 25 regional hospitals and clinics across Montana and Wyoming, which includes the region’s first level I trauma center in Billings. Over the last three years, the organizations have made strides to connect their wide-reaching network of services, reorganize their administrative structure and have the entire system on one electronic health platform.  

"Part of this event is a little celebration of the work that has happened over the last three years, which is not a small thing," Seger said.  

Seger announced the brand change to employees on Tuesday while the entire system made the official switchover. Though the name change begins immediately, signage and other branding will be introduced "thoughtfully and responsibly" over the next two to three years, the company said in a press release. 

Hospitals will retain their regional titles, such as One Sky Health Kalispell Medical Center and One Sky Health North Valley Hospital in Whitefish.  

"Patients will continue receiving care from the providers and teams they know, supported by the expertise and resources of a unified regional network," the press release continued.  

Seger said the company worked with a national marketing firm, but the ideas for the new brand came from within the organization — either from the company's history, employees or the communities it serves. The healthcare system started the rebranding process, which took a little over a year, by collecting data and listening to employees and community partners, Seger said. 

"We had hundreds and hundreds of interviews and questions asked of them, then ultimately there were several hundred names that had to be vetted. Those were vetted by our people who made decisions around what really fit us — what would be tied to our history and what was at our core," Seger said.  

Serving a region that spans more than 150,000 square miles, the goal for the healthcare system is to become more interconnected and collaborate on ways to bring services to the states' most rural areas. Seger said that could look like a coordinated effort for triage if a trauma event happens in a rural area or connecting patients with specialists they may not be able to find in their area.  

Most recently, the organization partnered with St. Peter's Health in Helena to collaborating in areas such as clinical services, workforce development, operational efficiencies, technology, purchasing and other strategic initiatives, according to One Sky Health.  

It's been commonplace for patients to fly to metro areas to receive specialized or trauma-related care, but Seger said One Sky Health wants to foster an environment where patients don't have to leave the state to get what they need.  

"The reason why we came together is that we can do more together ... It keeps a service in our state. And at the end of the day, that's what we're trying to do. Not only does it put a burden on patients and families, but it also diminishes our healthcare system if we're sending things out of state that we could deliver here," Seger said.  

One Sky Health has 1,200 physicians and advanced practitioners that provide health care in more than 85 medical and surgical specialties, according to the organization.  

Seger spoke to concerns that the healthcare system is becoming a monopoly due to the merger and acquisition of rural clinics. He said the "traditional corporate takeover that maybe people think about" is not what they are. 

"We're not looking to own or take over healthcare. Our intent is to help support. It's a system of interconnected communities that are actually built on independence, collaboration and interdependence," he said.  

Part of that independence is ensuring One Sky Health's clinics and hospitals remain locally governed, with boards at those facilities that prioritize decision-making "rooted in the needs of the people and communities served," according to the organization. Seger said in addition to the boards at their critical access hospitals, there will be a board for the Flathead Valley properties, as well as one in Billings, and a board overseeing the entire system.  

"The independent community governing element is that there is no out-of-state corporation that makes decisions for us, tells us who we partner with or what type of care we deliver in our state," Seger said. 

Craig Bartholomew, chair of the One Sky Health Board of Directors, said in the release that he has watched the organization grow while staying grounded in the people and places they serve.  

"One Sky Health carries forward the legacies of Billings Clinic and Logan Health and our partner communities while giving us a shared name for the future. Remaining independent, not-for-profit and locally governed means our decisions will continue to be shaped by the region we are fortunate to call home," Bartholomew said.  

Seger said along with the name change rollout, the next goal is to have the organization completely switched over to Oracle, the electronic health record system, by April 1, 2027. While many of the properties have already made the change, clinicians in Kalispell and Whitefish will switch to the new platform in the spring.  

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.