Distinctly Montana Magazine

When my husband and I moved to Montana, we never expected to become small-animal farmers. He loves to fly fish, and I love plastic and reconstructive surgery. So when a job opened up in Great Falls, it was a perfect opportunity to get back to our small-town roots. We appreciate that we live near the river and close to the hospital. I perform all aspects of plastic surgery from breast augmentation to facial reconstruction, and love being a part of this wonderful community... that gives me animals? My home has become a small zoo. We started with two bottle goats, then the neigh- bor's chickens decided they liked our coop better, the people up the street dropped off a few peacocks, we mail-ordered 16 guinea fowl, and to top it off one of my patients gave me a "mini" pig. Charlie started out at 9 pounds and is now 150 pounds of personality. He has his own bed in the house, comes when called, only took an afternoon to potty train, and when the dogs chase him he goes wee wee wee all the way home. His Instagram followers like to watch him behave like a, well, pig, eating beer and cake. Charlie does not do well on diets. He's also fat blind—literally his chubby cheeks have puffed up over his eyes. When not tending to small animals of little use, we like to hike, camp, and pad- dleboard. I take an annual trip to Kenya to support a girls school, and am working on transitioning from classical piano to the ukulele. Outstanding scenery and a spirit of adventure brought these healthcare providers to Montana. Now they practice world-class medicine at Benefis Health System and make the most of living in Great Falls. We'd like you to get to know them. Our Purpose is Your Health Benefis.org "Being a part of the ever-growing Plastics and Dermatology team at Benefis, I enjoy the challenges of plastic surgery and the fact that each patient and every surgery is unique. I love being able to help patients recover from facial trauma and providing reconstruction after breast cancer surgery, as well as rolling back the years on patients' faces and figures." Dr. Emilia Ploplys Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon "Benefis has afforded me the privilege to serve the Central Montana commu- nity by providing an outstanding facility to provide care in cardiac, vascular, and thoracic surgery. I love having the opportunity to improve patients' lives by helping to alter the course of car- diovascular illness. It's truly remarkable that such complex surgical procedures can help my patient return to a full and active agricultural lifestyle." Dr. Steven C. Bailey Cardiac, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgeon You might think I'm a recent transplant to Montana, as I arrived with the autumn winds of 2016, but I'd say I've had a Montana set of mind for the majority of my life. As a child, my family enjoyed Flathead Lake, during my college years I skied in the Montana winterscape, and as an adult I was drawn back to hunt and fish in its majestic backwoods. Although I didn't accept my first employment offer in the Treasure State, the desire to become a Montanan has been permanently etched in my mind. For several generations, my family has been involved in agriculture as dairy farmers and grain producers, as well as beef and hay producers. My fondest childhood memories always involve a collage of cows, tractors, old barns, and time spent in the great outdoors. Montana has been a wonderful opportunity to mix my passions for medicine and agriculture. At least half of my patient interactions involve a shared love of the land, the bond I feel with them is strengthened by it. My wife grew up on a dairy farm in Kansas, and tolerates my itch for farming by helping build the small herd we have. I often hear that neighbors love seeing the dairy cows grazing in my fields as they drive to work.

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