News

Contact: Lauren Brendel, M.S.

Bozeman, MT [April 11, 2018] – At a ceremonial groundbreaking event earlier today, Bozeman Health announced plans to enhance critical care services, build a three-story patient care tower, and expand neonatal intensive care services at Deaconess Hospital. Together with Bozeman Health Foundation, Bozeman Health also officially launched Caring Forward, a $15 million charitable campaign that will help fund this and other significant investments in the health of Southwest Montana.

In 1986, Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital moved from its location at Lamme Street and North Tracy Avenue to the current location on Highland Boulevard. During the past 30 years, while needed healthcare services have been enhanced through the addition of medical office buildings, physician offices, and expanding the Deaconess Hospital emergency department, the core facility of Deaconess Hospital has not changed. As Bozeman and Southwest Montana have grown, demand for services has grown, and enlarging the Deaconess Hospital footprint is necessary to continue delivering on Bozeman Health's mission of improving community health and quality of life. This $75.5 million investment will commence in 2018 and final phases are planned to be completed in 2020. The new three-story patient care tower, currently designed to be approximately 30,000 square feet, will include a new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on the second floor, with outpatient services residing on the first floor. The tower's third floor will remain as shell space to allow for future expansion.

Deaconess Hospital's current ICU features just eight rooms at only 150 square feet per room, making it challenging for care providers and needed equipment to all be in the room at once. Existing room size also limits the number of family and friends that can be with their loved one at any given time. The new ICU will feature 20 rooms at approximately 300 square feet each—double the size of present-day ICU rooms—making it more comfortable for patients and their families, as well as ensuring critical care teams are able to better provide life-saving care and monitoring services with all the equipment they need in the room.

Today, Deaconess Hospital's special care nursery allows for some intensive care, yet many concerned parents and their sick babies must travel far from home for advanced levels of care. Enhancing neonatal intensive care services (NICU) at Deaconess Hospital for the tiniest patients gives parents the support of having family and friends close by. Neonatal intensive care services will be located in medical office building 4—Bozeman Health's future women's and children's tower—which will undergo significant renovations in phase two of the overall project.

In addition to the ICU and NICU, support services such as sterile processing and materials management will be renovated and expanded to better meet the needs of clinical teams and units. Along with this, a new, expanded main entrance at Deaconess Hospital will help ensure patients and families know where to go, and the size of the cafeteria and conference center will also be increased.

Construction on the patient care tower, new main entrance, and expansion of support services is scheduled to begin in late 2018, and planning for phase two, including enhanced neonatal intensive care and buildout of the women's and children's tower, is underway.

"For more than 100 years, Bozeman Health has always made it a priority to meet the growing healthcare needs of Southwest Montana. Today is yet another example of that commitment. As we embark on this investment into the health of our community, I'm so proud to be part of the Bozeman Health team. We are committed to transforming care to ensure each person has access to the best possible care close to home. Every day I'm excited to come to work to help fulfill our mission, to be inspired by our vision, and to ensure Bozeman Health remains your valued partner in health and wellness," stated John Hill, Bozeman Health president and CEO.

In announcing the launch of Caring Forward John Parkes, campaign co-chair, shared that Bozeman Health has already received contributions and pledges totaling $11.2 million toward its $15 million goal, which includes leadership gifts from Kendeda Fund, the Charles and Peggy Stephenson Family Foundation, Tom Hayes, the Ruth and Vernon Taylor Foundation (MT), and several leading physician groups. Parkes also announced that, beginning today, the first $250,000 in new gifts and pledges received will be matched dollar for dollar by Bozeman-based Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply.

Caring Forward Campaign gifts are supporting four Bozeman Health priorities:

• Enhancing Critical and Intensive care: Building a new ICU and expanding neonatal intensive care focuses on the need for critical care services that supports our growing population of adults and seniors, and allows families with babies in vital need of specialized care to stay close to home.
• Expanding Community Outreach and Access: Serving our community's vulnerable neighbors through mission-driven services and patient financial assistance.
• Funding Innovation and Excellence: Establishing funds to support new equipment and treatments in cancer care and cardiac care.
• Supporting Big Sky Medical Center: Helping accelerate the pace at which new specialties and healthcare services become available in Big Sky.

"We've been overwhelmed by the early generosity shown by our leadership donors for Bozeman Health and the Caring Forward Campaign," said Rich Deming, Chairman of Bozeman Health Foundation's Board of Directors. "Philanthropy has played a vital role in how we've grown in the past, and we're excited to rally our community and new supporters behind us as we take these next big steps forward for local healthcare," he continued.

Montana Governor Steve Bullock joined today's ceremonial groundbreaking and shared, "Whether you're a doctor, donor, CEO, board member or nurse—the dedication of this community to ensuring our fellow hard-working Montanans have access to the healthcare they need is literally saving lives."

Bozeman Health has a 100+ year local heritage of always caring for the poor, the vulnerable, and everyone within Southwest Montana. The dedicated care team at Bozeman Health works every day to fulfill the mission to improve community health and quality of life for residents and visitors seeking care in the region.