Our History
History of Bozeman Health
Caring for Southwest Montana
Our nonprofit locally governed health system, Bozeman Health, has been committed to providing caring professional medical services for more than a century.
What began as a 20-bed hospital with one doctor is now an integrated health care delivery system with two hospitals, two neighborhood care centers, more than 40 provider clinics, and b2 Care—our retail health division with b2 VirtualCare, b2 MicroCare, and b2 UrgentCare.
Across the health system, and as Gallatin County’s largest private employer, we have 140 licensed beds, with more than 2,800 employees, 900 nurses, 160 employed physicians, and 120 advanced practice clinicians.
History of Bozeman Health
Caring for Southwest Montana
Our nonprofit locally governed health system, Bozeman Health, has been committed to providing caring professional medical services for more than a century.
What began as a 20-bed hospital with one doctor is now an integrated health care delivery system with two hospitals, two neighborhood care centers, more than 40 provider clinics, and b2 Care—our retail health division with b2 VirtualCare, b2 MicroCare, and b2 UrgentCare.
Across the health system, and as Gallatin County’s largest private employer, we have 140 licensed beds, with more than 2,800 employees, 900 nurses, 160 employed physicians, and 120 advanced practice clinicians.
Bozeman Health
Centralized healthcare began in the Gallatin Valley with Dr. Henry Foster, who built a dedicated medical facility, the Bozeman Sanitarium, in 1897 on the corner of Lamme and North Tracy avenues. After Dr. Foster died, the Bozeman Sanitarium was sold to Dr. J.F. Blair in 1902, and he renamed it the Blair Sanitarium.
Leadership of the Deaconesses
On August 3, 1911, articles of incorporation of the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital were filed in the office of the County Clerk of Gallatin County. Dr. J.F. Blair and his wife Elizabeth P. Blair, executed a warranty deed conveying the property known as the Bozeman Sanitarium to the Trustees of the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital on February 1, 1912.
The Hospital was placed in the hands of the Deaconesses of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The deaconesses were women who dedicated their lives to service, caring for patients, cleaning the hospital, and typically receiving a small stipend plus room and board.
Superintendents
For the first three years, Deaconesses Leech, Bjorkland, Amanda Olson, and Pratt were in charge as Superintendents and from 1914 to at least 1926 Miss Edith R. Ackerman was the hospital superintendent. Under Miss Ackerman’s leadership, and for the next fifteen years, the hospital served 9,500 people – a number greater than the entire population of Bozeman, at the time.
Also during her tenure, by 1920, additional hospital facilities were needed, and in spite of pressing financial problems at the time, a majority of the 15,864 residents of Gallatin County and the Methodist Church supported building a new hospital. The 50-bed hospital cost $125,000 to complete. The old sanitarium was renovated to house the Deaconess nurses.
Montana State College
(Photo credit: Montana State University website)Additionally, the hospital conducted, under the direction of Miss H. Grace Linfield, a training school which graduated nurses. From 1922 to at least 1926, this was affiliated with the State College.
(This would be Montana State University, known in the 1920s as Montana State College.)
Rapid Growth and Innovation
In 1944, a west wing was added to the hospital to serve as the nurses’ dormitory. A few years later, the addition was converted to patient services, and the capacity of the hospital was increased to 104 beds (patients shared rooms and had longer hospital stays than is the norm today). In 1955, a full-time radiologist was hired and a modern x-ray department opened.
In 1956, the governing board and management at Bozeman Deaconess recognized that growth would come to the Bozeman area, and purchased 500 acres in the Hillcrest area on Highland Blvd. The need for a retirement community became obvious in the 1960s, and a portion of the site became Hillcrest Retirement Community. In 1957, the downtown hospital opened a newly equipped physical therapy department; two years later, a modern laboratory was established.
Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, now Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center
The 86-bed Bozeman Deaconess Hospital opened in 1986 with 60 physicians. The “new” Bozeman Deaconess was built on 90 acres, leaving 400 acres free for future use or sale. In response to requests for office space by area physicians, Highland Park 1 opened in early 1990 and Highland Park 2 was fully occupied by July 1992. Highland Park 3 opened in 1998 to house office space and the Cancer Center and Outpatient Services. Highland Park 4 was completed in 2005 and Highland Park 5 opened in 2016.
Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center
In 2015, with Bozeman Deaconess Health Services adding more care sites in Southwest Montana, Bozeman Health was formed as the parent company to Bozeman Deaconess Regional Medical Center. In that year, Bozeman Health rebranded to Bozeman Health, opened Belgrade Clinic, and Big Sky Medical Center.
In 2020, while still heavily in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Bozeman Health continued to expand services on the Deaconess Regional Medical Center campus. We opened Southwest Montana’s first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and a new Family Birth Center, and added two neonatologists to the Deaconess Hospital care team. A new three-story patient care tower, with a new 20 bed critical care unit, encompassing intensive care and progressive care rooms was also added to Deaconess Hospital, providing enhanced critical care services to the community.
Today, Gallatin County is home to nearly 115,000 people who, along with visitors, seek and receive top-notch medical care at a Bozeman Health care site in Southwest Montana. We’re grateful to our community for allowing us the opportunity to care for you and grow with you.
Contact Us For More Information
To schedule or cancel an appointment, contact your provider or clinic directly.
For help with your prescription, call your primary care provider or call Highland Park Pharmacy at 406-414-1030.
For questions about your bill, contact Patient Financial Services at 406-414-1720.
For medical records, call 406-414-1055.
Bozeman Health cannot provide medical advice through the website.
Our Locations
Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center
