Hungry Horse News | Greater Valley Health has services to navigate new Medicaid rules

With a thriving clinic in Hungry Horse, Kalispell and Evergreen, they never turn away a patient based on their ability to pay, Naumann said.

The Medicaid work requirement is a “big challenge of the horizon,” Naumann said in an interview Friday, noting that Greater Valley Health is a predominant resource in the valley for helping folks navigate the changes in Medicaid requirements.

All a person has to do is set up an appointment, which is easily done on Greater Valley’s website, as the agency does case management as well as regular health care.

For his part, Naumann, 44, is still getting to know the proverbial lay of the land. He grew up in Utah, but most recently was the System Director of Primary Care at Union Health in Terre Haute, Indiana and prior to that did his schooling and other work in the healthcare field as a flatlander.

It’s good to be back in the mountains, he noted.

Naumann holds a Master of Health Administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mary Sterhan, who served as Greater Valley’s CEO since 2019, announced her retirement this past fall.

“I am honored to be the CEO of Greater Valley Health Center and to use my experience to serve the people of the Flathead Valley,” Naumann said.

Over the past few years, Greater Valley Health Center has achieved significant progress, including splitting from Flathead County to become an independent entity, acquiring Sykes Pharmacies (including one in Columbia Falls), adding school-based services in Kalispell and Evergreen, purchasing the Evergreen Clinic and making it the first primary care clinic in Evergreen, expanding the budget from $5 million to $26 million, and more than doubling the staff. They also added a mobile support clinic. Most notably, Greater Valley opened a new, modern, and comfortable facility that combines medical, dental, behavioral health, and care management services all under one roof at 1935 Third Street West in Kalispell.

“Mary did an incredible job, and we are excited for Adam to lead us in this next phase of Greater Valley,” said Bob Lopp, chair of the Greater Valley Board of Directors. “What stood out about Adam is his dedication to serving rural populations and championing programs that address barriers to care, including mobile health outreach, community health worker integration, specialty service outreach, and partnerships to address housing, transportation, and food insecurity. He’s going to be a great asset to our team and our community.”

Greater Valley Health Center has provided patient-centered, integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care for all ages in the Flathead Valley since 2007. Greater Valley offers sliding fee discounts based on family size and income, and does not deny services due to inability to pay. Greater Valley serves over 10,000 people each year.

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