At its height, St. John’s United in Billings had 186 licensed beds as one of the largest nursing homes in the state. Today, that number is closer to 120. You can find 16 of those 60 lost beds in one of their West End campus' transitional care cottages, once a haven for Montana's golden generation, now shuttered. Seven other entire Treasure State nursing homes have been forced to close in 2022: three in western Montana, and one each in Bozeman, Malta, Red Lodge, and Hardin (Hi-Line Retirement in Malta transitioned from a nursing home to an assisted living facility.) And reduced beds in almost every one of the state's remaining homes is the equivalent to closing another dozen.
