PCH Responds to Political Slam Ad

Montanans for Tester has run campaign advertisements stating that candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy has a plan that would close rural hospitals across the state. These are third-party ads that were not coordinated with nor endorsed by the hospital/s named in the ad. Montanans for Tester is responsible for the content of its ads.

It is important that our community understands that our hospital is not at immediate threat of closure. Phillips County Hospital and Family Health Clinic remains ready to provide vital healthcare services to the communities we serve.

Our hospital is a 501c3 nonprofit hospital. Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.

Nonprofit hospitals cannot and will not engage in these campaigns. Doing so would jeopardize our nonprofit tax-exempt status that is critical to delivering healthcare services in our rural communities.

We recognize that the statements made in these ads are concerning for members of these communities. There are currently multiple threats to the financial and operational viability of our state’s rural hospitals. Healthcare policy decisions made by our congressional delegation, our state legislature, and the multitude of regulatory bodies have a tremendous impact on the continued operation of our rural hospitals. We urge community members to continue to engage with, ask questions and understand the unique challenges facing their local hospital.