Phillips County Hospital located in Malta, MT, is a non-profit corporation that is governed by an elected Board of Trustees that is comprised of residents of Phillips County.
Early History
Between 1870-1900 the area that is now known as Malta was traveled and settled by trappers, cattleman, cowboys and outlaws. The first trading post was established in 1885. The City of Malta was originally a railroad station stop, Siding 54, for the Great Northern Railroad and was later incorporated in 1909.
Malta did not have a physician in town until the young Dr. George W. Clay arrived to set up his practice in 1900. In 1907 Mrs. Mary Robertorye moved to Malta and took maternity patients into her home. A few year later Mrs. Viola Ebaugh opened a small hospital on the north side where she cared for maternity patients, typhoid fever, flu and other cases. She continued to take in patients at her hospital until the 1920’s.
From 1910 to 1944 there were multiple medical community members that established their own hospitals including the Ebaugh Hospital, Munson Hospital, Mabel Tucker Hospital, and Dr. Glenn Johnson’s Hospital that served the residents of Malta. In 1929 Mabel Ostenso took over the Robertorye Hospital.
In the early 1930’s The need for a larger and better equipped hospital was becoming apparent and residents of Malta were beginning to consider how to accomplish this needed service. The John Survant family gave the county the property to use as a hospital and it was to be known as the Mary Survant Memorial Hospital. The Survant Hospital was operated until 1949 when is closed.
In 1944 a group of Malta and Phillips County residents started planning, soliciting funds, and working towards building a community hospital. The Phillips County Hospital Association filed their Articles of Incorporation with the State of Montana. The community of Malta went for two years without a hospital from 1949 when the Survant Hospital closed to when the Malta Hospital opened in 1951. The Malta Hospital was built in 1950 and opened on December 6th, 1951. This new 30-bed hospital included a reception room, hospital rooms, kitchen, laboratory and office spaces. An estimated 650 people from all sections of Phillips County attended the open house for the newly completed Malta Hospital.
In December of 1977 the Malta Hospital Association dissolved into the Phillips County Hospital Association and in June of 1978 5 acres of the PCHA land was deeded to the Evangelical Good Samaritan Society so that a nursing home could be built. That same year the Phillips County Hospital Association established a medical clinic to serve more of their community. In November 1979 the first resident moved into the Good Samaritan Nursing Home.
In the early 1990’s the Phillips County Hospital Association purchased the Phillips County Family Health Clinic and the Phillips County Healthcare Foundation was formed. This foundation was incorporated in 1992 and has been a cornerstone of fundraising to help raise money for needed healthcare equipment and continues to support healthcare today.
In 1999 the Malta Hospital faced possible closure due to needed upgrades to meet modern medical building codes. Seventy miles from the nearest hospital and 200 miles from major medical centers the community of Malta couldn’t afford to let their hospital slip away. In 2001 a citizen task force assembled a multi-million dollar package of state and federal grants to build a new facility. In June of 2004, a significant $4.4 million renovation unified the hospital and clinic under one roof, enhancing patient flow and providing a modern environment for diagnosis, care, and treatment.
Present Day
Today, Phillips County Hospital operates as a 6-bed Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and a provider-based Rural Health Clinic (RHC). It offers a range of services, including emergency care, inpatient and outpatient services, swing bed care, home and community-based services, laboratory and radiology services, physical and occupational therapy, and durable medical equipment and home oxygen services.
With a dedicated team of healthcare professionals, Phillips County Hospital and Family Health Clinic continues its mission to provide quality healthcare to the residents of Phillips County and surrounding areas.
