The success of Billings Clinic is tied to vision, mission and culture, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Nick Wolter says.

“Medicine has become a team sport,” Wolter said. “Physicians are very important, as are nurses, pharmacists, rehab personal, respiratory therapists, all providers. Those of us on the physician side who have gone into leadership realize that we do best when we are surrounded by strong people that work to make decisions that put the patient first.”

Leadership for Wolter means forming a team. “In many ways my team has supported me, but in many other ways, they have taught me and helped me learn a new career. Being a part of a team that is very strong is what helps all of us be successful.”   

After receiving his medical degree from the University of Michigan, Wolter began his career at Billings Clinic in 1982, a decision that would result in an incredible future for health care in Montana. His practice of medicine flourished, and his leadership capacity became impossible to ignore.

In 1993, Deaconess Medical Center merged with Billings Clinic as an integrated medical delivery system. Four years later, Wolter was asked to be CEO.

“I’ve never looked back,” Wolter said. “I loved practicing medicine, but in some ways now, I probably have more influence on patient care than I did in individual practice.”

Largely a result of Wolter’s business leadership, Billings Clinic Montana’s largest health care organization comprises a 304-bed inpatient hospital, 11 critical access hospitals throughout Montana and Wyoming, a level II trauma center, and five rural clinics in the region. The clinic is also one of the state’s largest employer, with 4,000 staff including 400 physicians and advanced practitioners offering more than 50 specialties.

In addition to expanding medical services throughout the state and greater region, Wolter also volunteered his medical expertise at free migrant worker clinics in the Billings area.

Within the letter of nomination for Montana Business Hall of Fame, it’s said that Dr. Wolter’s long standing commitment to the health and wellbeing of Montana and the region, along with his unparalleled leadership throughout a time of great change within the landscape of health care, designates him as one of the state’s “most legendary and impressive CEOs.”

“The ways in which he supports his team is matched only by his unique ability to push them to strive for excellence, always with an eye toward what is best for the patient. His encouragement for personal growth among his staff results in leaders who are better as a result of his guidance, and who maintain this growth and success long after their exposure to it.”

In fact, five of his former senior team members are now serving as CEOs of other large health care organizations.

Wolter’s service extends into the community, serving on numerous boards and commissions. He has volunteered in a leadership role with the Yellowstone County United Way, promoted literacy programs for McKinley Elementary, and has been a generous donor toward the development of Billings Clinic’s Cancer Center and many other health related causes.

His professional accolades are exemplified by numerous awards and honors, including Physician Executive of the Year for the entire nation. He is ranked as one of the most influential Americans in health care.

Wolter’s greatest accomplishments and joy, he said, are his his three children and six grandchildren.