Moore to enter 41st year at Phillips County Hospital

On April 26, Dixie Moore will enter her 41st year as a nurse at the Phillips County Hospital in Malta.

Moore (maiden name Dunbar) graduated from Whitewater High School in 1970 and decided to become a nurse, an occupation she always coveted.

"That's what I wanted to be all the way back when I was a little girl," said Moore. "I always wanted to be a nurse."

Moore, who is currently a home health nurse, started at the Phillips County Hospital as an LPN in 1975 working on the floor of the old hospital under Sue Smith, then Director of Nursing. She started her nursing career at the Northern Montana Hospital in Havre after receiving her nursing degree in 1973 in the same city.

"She's been a worker who has fit any job description and been willing to do any level or type of work," said Janice Reichelt, Moore's co-worker for more than 30 years. "She is a wonderful, patient caregiver because it doesn't matter who they are, their social economic situation, anything. She is a wonderful nurse to them."

Moore said that her favorite part of her job is working with people and the hardest part is growing close to the people and then losing them. In the past 40 years, Moore said that nursing has changed from the hand's on approach in the past to where there is more charting and paperwork in healthcare these days.

"That said, there are lots of improvements in healthcare these days," said Moore. "We used to keep our heart attack (patients) in bed for 21 days. Now they are flowing out and home within three to five days. The technology that we have now is incredible. It's a good thing."

Moore has worn many hats in her 40 years as an LPN at the Phillips County Hospital. She has worked in purchasing but at the same time helped in maintenance and housekeeping...no job too big or too small.

"We just did that," said Moore. "If we were short staffed we just went where we were needed. We wore many hats back in those days and if a floor needed to be mopped, we just mopped it."

Moore lost her husband, John Moore, in 1983. The couple had three children – Julie Moore currently of Malta, Mary Smail currently of Alder, Mont., and Scott Moore who passed away last year in May. After the loss of John, Dixie was on her own to raise her three children and maintain a fulltime job. She said she couldn't have done it without the support of her fellow employees.

"If you needed time off, someone would always take a shift for you or switch with you," she said. "Having that support system was and still is a great thing at this hospital."

Moore is now the grandmother to two grandchildren – Nolan, Julie's son, and MaRae, Mary's daughter.

Moore currently works as a home health nurse and travels out into all of Phillips County to take care of patients. She visits with and cares for about seven patients on an average day, spending about one hour with each person. She has been in the position for the past two years and has enjoyed the change of pace.

"Once a patient gets well you move to another one so the job is the never same," said Moore. "We travel to all Phillips County and the patients are very comfortable getting treatment in their own homes."

Moore wouldn't commit to another 40 years working at the Phillips County Hospital, but added that she has no plans to leave the job anytime soon.

"As long as my health is good I hope to work for a few more years at least," she said. "I enjoy my work. I enjoy getting up and coming to work, I really do."