BIG SKY — We all know Big Sky is a beautiful place to visit — in fact, it was named Expedia's top trending travel destination for 2026 — but living there can come with some challenges.
"It's tough to make a go here, you have to really want to live here," said Big Sky Chamber of Commerce Vice President, Megan Porter.
Tuesday morning, the Big Sky Wellness District hosted an event called "Ballots & Breakfast" to discuss the creation of a hospital and wellness district in Big Sky.
"Because the people that make this place run — the people that work, ski, and hustle," explained one of the speakers at the event. "Deserve to be part of its future too."
According to the Big Sky Wellness District website, on the May 5 mail-in ballot, voters will have the opportunity to consider the creation of a hospital and wellness district in the community.
The website describes it as a "public district created by voters" and funded by existing property tax money to address the community's increasing demand for care.
WATCH: Big Sky voters to decide on proposed hospital and wellness district to address growing healthcare needs
"Ski towns can be very hard to live in," said one local named Alisa Scott, who has lived in Big Sky since 2013. "There are higher rates of drinking, drug abuse, and depression, so with our tax dollars being used for wellness, it would make a huge improvement."
According to Wellness in Action (WIA) — a mental and behavioral health provider in Big Sky — 21 percent of the community's residents feel isolated every day.
Additionally, 50 percent of residents feel that alcohol has had a negative impact on their lives.
"Substance use is deeply woven into our culture," explained the director of programs at WIA, Kiernan Volden. "We all know the work hard play hard culture, but the impact of that is real."
Volden said at the event Tuesday morning that creating a wellness and hospital district here in Big Sky would improve access to mental health services.
According to Porter, establishing a hospital and wellness district in Big Sky would also expand access to physical care and social wellness.
"This is a way to make sure we can continue to grow and continue it mindfully," said Porter.
Big Sky is a community made up of two counties, Madison County and Gallatin County.
According to the press release, Madison County Big Sky homeowners already contribute significant funding to an existing hospital district — the Madison Valley Medical Center in Ennis, which is a two-hour drive away.
With the passage of Senate Bill 260 last year, Madison County Big Sky voters can withdraw from the district in Ennis while establishing this new hospital and wellness district locally, in Big Sky.
This means one hundred percent of the hospital district funding from Madison County residents' tax dollars would remain within Big Sky.
"As Big Sky continues to grow, we need systems that grow with it," said another speaker at the event.
According to the Big Sky Wellness District website, residents will see different questions on their ballots, depending on whether they live in Madison or Gallatin County.
Gallatin County Big Sky voters will consider the creation of a Big Sky hospital and wellness district and vote to elect its board of trustees.
Madison County Big Sky residents will vote on withdrawing from its current hospital district in Ennis while establishing a new hospital district locally.
For more information, visit their website.
