Billings Clinic Broadwater Bids Farewell To Employee Of 37 Years
Author: Joe Salyer - Billings Clinic Broadwater
Joe Salyer
Billings Clinic Broadwater
Townsend, MT— After 37 years of dedicated service, Kathy Carr has retired from her position at Billings Clinic Broadwater. Her final day was June 19, 2024. Kathy has been a cornerstone of the hospital’s operations. Known for her unwavering commitment to patient care and her ability to adapt to the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, she played an instrumental role in both the laboratory and radiology departments. Kathy’s colleagues and the community have long admired her for her expertise, kindness, and the personal touch she brought to her work. Her retirement marks the end of an era for the clinic, but her legacy of compassion and professionalism will continue to inspire those she worked with and the countless patients she cared for.
“Kathy has been an absolute stalwart here at Broadwater. She was part of a small team that was instrumental in keeping this hospital going when it was faced with being shut down. Her dedication to our patients and this community has been exemplified every day she has been here. She will be greatly missed!”, said Justin Tiffany, Billings Clinic Broadwater CEO.
Kathy Carr started working at Broadwater Health Center on December 27th, 1987, as a full-time Medical Technologist and Limited License Radiology Technician. "Back then, I was driving a 1970-something Volkswagen Rabbit diesel”, she recalls.
Although Kathy grew up on a family farm in Dixon, Nebraska, where both her parents were also raised on farms, her maternal great-grandfather and his brother were originally from Butte, Montana. In the mid-1880s, the two built a raft and launched it from the headwaters of the Missouri River. They floated down to Vermillion, South Dakota where they would become the founding fathers of the small town of Ionia, Nebraska. It was reading her great-grandfather’s journal that sparked Kathy’s desire to come to Montana. She was fortunate to find a job right on the river she grew up on.
Before joining Broadwater Health Center, Kathy worked as a Lab Manager at Saunders County Memorial Hospital. Her children were aged 6 and 7 when she started at Broadwater Health Center, where, at the time, there was a clinic across the alley from the hospital. Townsend had two doctors who worked at the clinic and shared emergency room duties. There were also surgery and OB services. Kathy has always loved healthcare, especially working in small hospitals as a generalist. She worked closely with both patients and providers, learning so much from both. She has cared for multiple generations of families over the years.
Kathy's love for science and math initially led her to consider veterinary medicine, but allergies prevented her from pursuing that path. Instead, she found her passion in laboratory medicine. Reflecting on her career, she said the changes she has seen are numerous.
Kathy said that one of the greatest challenges in healthcare, then and now, is finances. She remembers times when their supplies came COD, meaning the supplier required payment immediately upon delivery. Kathy transitioned from bench tech to Manager in her first year there, eventually taking on roles as Radiology Manager and Infection Control. Despite these responsibilities, she always loved being a bench tech and working closely with patients.
“ I have loved this community and everyone I work with; patients, providers and colleagues: we are like part of a big family,” Kathy said. “Once I started, leaving was never an option.” The people in our community, the lake and the mountains are the reasons I’ve stayed for all these years.”
She and her husband were lucky enough to buy an old farmhouse with a couple of acres and, between their small hobby farm and projects on the old house, they keep busy.
When asked what message she would pass on to those still working at Broadwater Health Center, Kathy said, "Hang in there. It is difficult to work in healthcare right now." To the patients she has served, she would say, "I have totally enjoyed my time with you."
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PhotoCredit: Provided by Kathy Carr
Image 1 Caption: Kathy Carr
Provided by Kathy Carr
Image 2 Caption: Kathy Carr
