We are excited to announce that the Eating Disorder Center of Montana (EDCMT) is making the change to become a nonprofit organization. This transition is a significant step for us, and we’re confident it will allow us to better serve our community and continue providing high-quality, compassionate care to those who need it most.
You may be wondering, why are we making this change? We’ve outlined the reasons behind this important decision below. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us—we’re happy to share more.
Why Are We Making This Change?
1. To Continue Providing Value-Based Care
At EDCMT, our primary focus has always been on doing what’s best for our patients, even when that means making financial sacrifices. As a business, we have consistently prioritized providing the best possible care for those struggling with eating disorders over profitability. We believe that the right treatment, not just the most cost-effective, is the most important factor in patient recovery.
This decision has sometimes been a challenge for our bottom line, but we’ve always stood by it because it aligns with our mission: to offer the best care, even if it isn’t always the most financially advantageous decision. By transitioning to a nonprofit, we will have more flexibility to continue providing this value-based care without the constraints of a profit-driven model.
2. To Overcome Financial Barriers to Care
One of the biggest challenges our patients face is the financial barrier to treatment. Whether it’s covering high deductibles, travel costs, or the hidden costs of treatment like taking time off work or school, we know that financial stress can add to the burden of seeking care.
For years, we have worked hard to make treatment affordable, offering subsidized housing for out-of-area patients in Bozeman and partnering with families to help cover out-of-pocket expenses. However, we know we can do more.
By becoming a nonprofit, we will have the opportunity to create a Patient Care Fund to help reduce the financial strain on patients. This fund will support things like travel expenses, housing, and lost wages, helping to alleviate some of the financial burdens that often prevent people from seeking the care they need.
3. To Expand Our Outreach and Educational Work
Education has always been a cornerstone of our mission. We are passionate about raising awareness of eating disorders and working to destigmatize the need for mental health care. We provide hours of educational programming each year to medical providers, students, teachers, therapists, and the broader community, and we’re committed to expanding this outreach.
As a nonprofit, we’ll have more opportunities to increase our educational programs and reach a broader audience, helping to ensure that more people are equipped with the knowledge to recognize, understand, and treat eating disorders. By increasing access to education, we hope to reduce the stigma surrounding eating disorders and mental health and encourage more people to seek the help they need.
4. To Continue Training Exceptional Eating Disorder Professionals
Eating disorders are complex, and providing effective treatment requires a highly skilled team. Unfortunately, many universities don’t offer in-depth training on the specialized treatment methodologies required for eating disorders, leaving a gap in the workforce.
At EDCMT, we’ve made it a priority to invest in the professional development of our team. We regularly enroll our providers in advanced training programs and offer ongoing supervision from outside experts to ensure that our team is always up-to-date on the latest treatment practices. These training programs come at a significant cost, and while they directly benefit our patients, we’ve never charged patients for this important educational investment.
As a nonprofit, we’ll be better positioned to fund these professional development opportunities, ensuring that we continue to have the most highly trained, knowledgeable professionals in the field of eating disorder treatment.
Overall, Why This Change Matters
Becoming a nonprofit is not about changing EDCMT—it’s about ensuring that we can continue offering the highest quality care to our patients, expanding our outreach, and giving back to our community in ways that weren’t possible under our previous business structure. This change will help us strengthen our programs, make care more accessible, and continue to support the training and development of exceptional professionals who will serve Montana for years to come.
We are incredibly excited about this next chapter for EDCMT, and we believe it will allow us to do even more for the patients we care so deeply about. Thank you for being part of this journey with us. If you have any questions about this transition or would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to answer any questions you may have.
