Fifteen community health centers in Montana are getting $6.7 million in federal stimulus grants to upgrade equipment and facilities.

The grants are part of a third round of funding for the nation's community health centers and bring to $11 million the total Montana clinics will get from the government.

RiverStone Health in Billings has been awarded $952,000 to buy digital X-ray technology for its dental clinic and to double its number of dental chairs.

The Montana Migrant Council in Billings will receive $433,855 to update its computer system.

"This is a big deal," said RiverStone spokeswoman Barbara Schneeman.

Community health centers in Montana are getting $6.7 million in federal stimulus money for capital improvements. They are: Ashland Community Health Center, Ashland: $293,820. Bullhook Community Health Center, Havre: $332,110. Butte-Silver Bow Community Health Center, Butte, Dillon Sheridan: $784,170. Central Montana Community Health Center, Lewistown: $251,610. Community Health Care Center, Great Falls: $438,020. n Community Health Partners, Livingston, Belgrade, Bozeman: $559,295. Cooperative Health Center, Helena, Lincoln: $469,345. Custer County Community Health Center, Miles City: $268,657. Flathead Community Health Center, Kalispell: $241,438. Glacier Community Health Center, Cut Bank: $336,625. n Lincoln County Community Health Center, Libby, Eureka, Troy: $435,220. Partnership Health Care Center, Missoula: $571,545. Montana Migrant Council, Billings: $433,855. Sweet Medical Center, Chinook, Harlem: $333,300. Riverstone Health, Billings, Bridger, Joliet, Warden: $951,680.

Increasing the number of dental chairs from five to 10 will expand the number of patients who can be seen at RiverStone's dental clinic, which offers services on a sliding-fee scale.

"At last count we were turning away about 30 people a day," said Nancy Taylor, vice president of clinical and education services for RiverStone. "We hope to increase (services) by about 30 percent."

The clinic's two dentists rack up some 500 patient visits a month, Taylor said. A third dentist is set to begin seeing patients in August.

RiverStone will probably move some administrative staff into a rented trailer to make room for the new dental chairs, Taylor said. The changes won't take effect until next spring.

The new X-ray equipment will replace a system that was donated 10 years ago.

"Everyone's going digital," Taylor said. "The digital machines focus radiation much more."

RiverStone will be able to electronically transmit digital images to local specialists for analysis, and digital X-rays can be more easily integrated into electronic patient records, Taylor said.

Stimulus money will also help the Montana Migrant Council operate in the digital age, said research and development coordinator Claudia Stephens.

"Our computer system is almost obsolete, so this money comes at the most opportune time for us," Stephens said.

Upgrades will improve security and serve as a first step toward adopting electronic health records. In addition, migrant council workers will be able to electronically transmit data from the field, Stephens said.

The Montana Migrant Council serves 6,000 seasonal farm workers a year.

Altogether, Montana's 15 community health centers provide primary care to 84,000 people, or about 10 percent of the state's population.

Nationwide, community health centers serve 17 million patients, 40 percent of whom do not have health insurance.

Earlier this year, $338 million in stimulus money was awarded to those clinics for operating costs, including $3 million to Montana sites.

Also this year, another $155 million was awarded in grants to establish 126 new community health center across the country, including $1.3 million to the Flathead Community Health Center in Kalispell.

Contact Diane Cochran at dcochran@billingsgazette.com or 657-1287.