Big Step for Missoula Nursing Jobs With $101 Million Donation

A very generous donation and partnership between Montana State University and Community Medical Center will make it a lot easier for Western Montana residents to get jobs in the field of nursing.

News breaking this week that Community Medical Center has signed a letter of intent with MSU to locate the first dedicated nursing education building in Missoula on CMC's campus southwest of the existing hospital.

The new, 20,000-square-foot building will be sited on hospital land just off Fort Missoula Road.

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The Missoula announcement is part of a broader, statewide effort

In August of 2021, Mark and Robyn Jones announced a $101 million philanthropic investment to help MSU build more nursing facilities across the state. The idea was to update to state-of-the-art facilities at five locations for MSU's nursing program across the state, replacing older, leased facilities. Those locations included Missoula, Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls, and Kalispell.

The Jones live in Whitefish and are founders of Goosehead Insurance, which has over 1800 offices across the U.S. In addition to the training of more nurses to meet a projected statewide shortage in 2030, the couple has supported the creation of more professorships at MSU, the establishment of a scholarship fund, and the creation of Montana's only certified nurse-midwifery program.

For CMC the donation fits

“Community Medical Center is all about making communities healthier – there are many ways to accomplish this and partnering with MSU’s nursing college will improve the health and wellness of our community today and well into the future,” said, Bob Gomes, CEO of Community Medical Center.

For MSU, the donation represents a chance to continue the education of nurses through statewide partnerships.

“Montana State University’s Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing relies on our trusted partners across the state like Community Medical Center to help fulfill our mission of providing important clinical training for our nursing students. We are extremely grateful to Community Medical Center for their generous donation and continued partnership.” -MSU President Waded Cruzado.

The donation from CMC will go before the Montana Board of Regents for approval at an upcoming meeting.