Missoula Earns #1 Ranking for Specific Kind of Healthcare

Missoula has been in healthcare news lately because of some shining accolades and recent developments.

• St. Patrick's Hospital was named the best facility in the state by U.S. News and World Report and will open a health center in the former Bed Bath and Beyond location near Southgate Mall.
• KPAX also reports that Shriner's Children's Spokane has opened an outreach clinic in Missoula.
• The University of Montana has launched an Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program, which is the first in the state's history in terms of a program offered at a public institution.

Now, a study looking at the best places to live for people with disabilities has Missoula ranked highly again.

"More than one in four U.S. adults live with a disability, so it's extremely important for cities to prioritize becoming a safe, welcoming and affordable place for this demographic," said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub Analyst. The WalletHub study for 2024 ranked over 180 cities to determine the best places in the country for people with disabilities when it comes to economics, quality of life, and health care.

It's encouraging to see then, given the proportion of adults living with a disability, that Missoula ranked #1 for healthcare in this WalletHub study.

The healthcare category was broken down into multiple metrics that looked at costs like doctor visits and health insurance premiums, access to healthcare workers like family medicine physicians, occupational therapists, and home health aides & personal care aids, and WalletHub rankings of "Doctors" and "Nurses." Additionally, the hospitals per capita and hospital quality were considered along with the share of the population that's uninsured.

Billings was also considered in the study.

Of the 180+ cities, Billings's healthcare was also in the top 20 with a #16 ranking, putting it in the top 8% in the country. It also performed better than Missoula when it came to the economy.

On a personal note: as someone with family and friends who are disabled I want to thank Missoula's healthcare community for the care they provide to their patients. Having access to quality healthcare makes such a difference in so many people's lives.