Bridgercare History Timeline

1970 –Title X Family Planning Program was enacted into law.  The Senate passed Title X unanimously, the house voted 298 to 32 to pass the bill, and President Richard Nixon signed it into law.

1972 – Clinic opens above Western Drug as Gallatin Co. Family Planning.

1974 – Dr. Sipple and Dr. Alvord see patients 1 evening a week.

1975 – Moved to 14 S. Willson upstairs.  Name changed to Family Planning of South-Central Montana.

1977 – Title X funding was 75-85% of income.

1981 – Move to 111 S. Tracy.  Add male “VD Screening” to clinic services.

1982 – Became member of the United Way.

1986 (2,722 patients) – HIV Testing and Counseling Site designation.

1987 – Name changed to Bridger Mountain Family Planning, Inc.  First Mother/Daughter workshop.

1988 – Clinic gets first computer!  Holds first Sweet Tooth Ball.

1990 (3,612 patients) – Move to Medical Arts Building at 300 N Willson Ave.

1991 – Appointed STD Screening Site and sent out first Fundraising Letter.

1993 (4,218 patients) – Name changed to Bridger Clinic, Inc. and United Way Funding denied.

1996 – Began billing Third Party Insurance.

1997 (4,721 patients) – CMX, original electronic patient management system, initiated.  Clinic celebrated 25th anniversary.

2000 (5,112 patients) – Clinic began accepting credit cards and had internet access for the first time.

2002 (6,181 patients) – Budget exceed $1M mark.

2004 – Bridger Clinic adopts the patient management system, Ahlers, and starts requesting income verification.

2006 (5,838 patients) – Upgraded phone system.

2010 (5,732 patients) – All federal and state grants = 27% of budget.

2011 (5,398 patients) – Bridger Clinic rebranded to Bridgercare and purchased Electronic Health Records (EHR) hardware.

2012 (5,459 patients) – Bridgercare started using EHR software, NextGen, and discontinued using paper charts.

2014 (5,083 patients) – Board restructure from fundraising to governing; Start offering Colposcopy; ACA Mandate startsAll federal and state grants = 21% of budget. Completed 1st Strategic Planning.

2016 (4,910 patients) – Bridgercare started offering Trans care.

2017 (5,004 patients) – Bridgercare moves from 300 N Willson Ave to new facility at 1288 N 14th Ave.

2018 – Bridgercare hires first GYN in over 10 years, Dr. Melissa Casper, and completed 2nd Strategic Planning.  Stay tuned for exciting, new clinic services!