Fort Belknap Service Unit
Mission and Vision
Mission: to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level.
Vision: a health system that embraces traditional knowledge and practices to foster thriving communities for seven generations.
Addresses
Little River Health Center/Fort Belknap Hospital
669 Agency Main Street
Harlem, Montana 59526
Eagle Child Health Center
453 Pine Grove Road
Hays, Montana 59527
Services Offered - Administrated by the Indian Health Service
- Emergency Medical Services/EMT Ambulance Services
- 24-Hour Critical Access Emergency Department
- Critical Access Hospital with 6-Bed Inpatient Unit
- Outpatient Ambulatory Care - Family Practice/Primary Care
- Purchased Referred Care
- Purchased Referred Care Transportation Services
- Dental Services
- Medical Laboratory
- Optometry Services
- Pharmacy
- Radiology/X-ray Services
- Mammography
- On-site Outpatient Tele-health Specialty Clinics
- Nursing Case Management
Little River Health Center/Fort Belknap Hospital
Location: Harlem, MT
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Schedule an Appointment: (406) 353-3101
Main Phone: (406) 353-3100
Fax: (406) 353-3227
Emergency Department provides emergency medical care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Medical Emergency/Ambulance call 911
Main Phone: (406) 353-3222
Eagle Child Health Center
Location: Hays, MT
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Schedule an Appointment: (406) 673-3777
Main Phone: (406) 673-3777
Fax: (406) 673-3835
Pharmacy
Little River Health Center/Fort Belknap Hospital
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Automated Pharmacy Refill Phone Line: (406) 353-3105
Eagle Child Health Center
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Automated Pharmacy Refill Phone Line: (406) 673-3250
Compliance Hotline: (406) 353-3187
Services Offered - Administrated by the Tribal Health Department
- Aaniiih Nakoda Integrated Behavioral Health/Chemical Dependency Treatment Program
- Community Health Representative (CHR) Program
- Diabetes Program
- Family Planning Program
- Health Education Program
- Nutrition Program
- Personal Care Attendant Program
- Public/Community Health Nursing Program
- Sanitation/Environmental Program
- Women, Infant and Children Nutrition Program
- Health Promotion Disease Prevention
Fort Belknap Tribal Health Department
Phone: (406) 353-3250
Fort Belknap Service Unit
The Fort Belknap Service Unit is accredited by The Joint Commission as a Critical Access Hospital and Patient Centered Medical Home along with laboratory accreditation. The Fort Belknap Service Unit provides services at the Little River Health Center/Fort Belknap Hospital located in Harlem, Montana and the Eagle Child Health Center in Hays, Montana. The Little River Health Center/Fort Belknap Hospital with emergency department and ambulatory clinics offers comprehensive medical inpatient and outpatient ambulatory care. Patients who require advanced levels of care are referred or transported to regional hospitals. The Emergency Department provides 24-hour emergency care, seven days a week. The Fort Belknap Service Unit averages 73,340 visits per year. Our healthcare system integrates Indian Health Service and Tribal Health programs. In collaboration with the Fort Belknap Tribal Health Department, the Fort Belknap Service Unit provides comprehensive health care for the Aaniiih (Gros Ventre), Nakoda (Assiniboine), and eligible American Indian and Alaska Native patients on and near the Fort Belknap Reservation.
Housing
Government housing is within walking distance of the Little River Health Center/Fort Belknap Hospital. There are one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom houses located near the Little River Health Center/Fort Belknap Hospital as well as apartment complexes. Employees are responsible for rent and utilities. Some employees elect to rent or buy homes in the nearby communities of Harlem, Chinook, Havre, and Malta.
Community Information
Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is homeland to the Gros Ventre (Aaniiih) and Assiniboine (Nakoda) Tribes. The Gros Ventre call themselves the White Clay People or Aaniiih. The Assiniboine refer to themselves as “Nakoda” meaning the generous ones. Assiniboine (from the Chippewa word meaning “one who cooks by use of stone”) is a Sioux Tribe. Of the 8,650 enrolled members, 5,780 live on or near the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. There are three major communities located within the boundaries of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation: Fort Belknap Agency, Hays, and Lodgepole. The city of Harlem, Montana, and town of Dodson, Montana are located outside the boundaries of the reservation.
Fort Belknap Indian Reservation encompasses an area consisting of 675,147 acres, which extends approximately 28 miles east to west and 35 miles north to south. The reservation is located forty miles south of the Canadian border and twenty miles north of the Missouri River, which is the route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is the fourth largest Indian reservation in Montana.
The area offers activities for all seasons from fishing, hiking, hunting, river rafting and all winter sports. Cultural events include pow wows throughout the year, county fairs and rodeos in the summer, and high school extra-curricular events which have large community support. Besides the many activities and sights to take part in and see near the service unit, a short three-hour drive will take you to Glacier National Park and a six-hour drive to Yellowstone National Park. “Big City” amenities and entertainment can be found with a drive to Billings or Great Falls, two of the largest cities in Montana.
Visitors to the Fort Belknap Reservation can take guided tours of the Snake Butte Area, Tribal buffalo herd, and ancient teepee rings. Visitors are also welcome to independently tour the reservation sites, visiting the “old round hall” at Lodge Pole which is a Montana Historical Landmark, the beautiful Mission Canyon, Chief Joseph Battleground Monument, St. Paul’s Mission Church, Natural Bridge State Monument, C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge or the Fort Belknap Gift Shop featuring handcrafted Native American arts and crafts.
Fort Belknap’s Tribal College, Aaniiih Nakoda College offers multiple career and technical certificate programs as well as Associate and Bachelor programs, including an Associate of Science degree in Nursing, preparing students for Registered Nurse (RN) licensure.
Transportation
US Highway 2 runs east to west across Montana and all communities along the highway are collectively called “The Hi Line.” Route 66 runs north and south through the reservation. Most people use privately owned vehicles to travel on the reservation and to surrounding towns and cities. Airports can be found in Havre, Great Falls and Billings, with Great Falls and Billings offering international commercial flights. Amtrak runs east to west across the Hi Line and can be boarded in the nearby towns of Havre and Malta.
