Bozeman Health expands pediatric services through Seattle Children’s collaboration

BOZEMAN HEALTH

BOZEMAN – Bozeman Health is proud to announce a collaboration with Seattle Children’s to expand locally available pediatric specialty medicine and behavioral health services in Southwest Montana. This expansion is made possible through a charitable gift to Bozeman Health Foundation of $4 million from local residents Tim and Carmen Sheehy.

This generous donation is the largest gift received in Bozeman Health Foundation’s history and helps fund the following pediatric specialties as part of the Sheehy Center of Pediatric Excellence at Deaconess Hospital:

Bozeman Health’s collaboration with Seattle Children’s will integrate pediatric specialty providers, who will live in the Bozeman area and see patients at Deaconess Hospital, into Seattle Children’s academic community and model of support. This promotes the providers’ ability to advance their skills and competencies, maintain professional satisfaction, and expand their own collaborative networks. The collaboration also creates a care model that promotes the nimble and unencumbered movement of these pediatric specialists across the region, allowing them to serve more communities and see more patients. Additionally, local pediatric specialty care enables our team to take care of more medically complex babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at Deaconess Hospital, built in partnership with St. Peter’s Health.

“The majority of pediatric specialists in the United States are affiliated with academic medical centers and are typically located in large metropolitan areas. Delivering high-quality services to pediatric patients living in rural areas, especially those with specialized health care needs, can be extremely challenging,” shared John Hill, Bozeman Health president and CEO. “We are excited that through this collaboration, Bozeman Health will be able to provide connected, high-quality care while making it easier for families to access the specialized care their children may need.”

While the details of each pediatric specialty area, including scope of care and procedural services, are still being finalized, Bozeman Health and Seattle Children’s are working towards ensuring pediatric patients and families will begin to benefit from these specialty areas as early as fall 2021.

“Seattle Children’s is pleased to collaborate with Bozeman Health. Together, we will be able to provide pediatric specialty care closer to home for families in Southwest Montana and help to reduce the burden of travel for families who have children with complex medical needs,” said Russ Williams, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Seattle Children’s. “Our mission is to help every child live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible. This collaboration supports that lifesaving mission and will help more children and families who need specialty care.”

“We have been able to forge new relationships with generous and visionary people, who are named Tim and Carmen, and with one of our nation’s top children’s hospitals, Seattle Children’s, who has a long history of working with rural communities in Washington, Alaska, and Montana,” shared Dr. Pepper Henyon, Bozeman Health pediatrician. “These new relationships, combined with our engaged and forward-thinking board and leadership, has culminated in an ability to deliver an elevated level of care for, in my opinion, the most important members of our community, our children and adolescents.”

The Sheehy’s generosity is also funding two pediatric medical directorships to help Bozeman Health serve NICU, pediatric, and adolescent patients in unprecedented and compassionate ways. Funding for these specialty programs will cover the combination of compensation for physicians and dedicated pediatric trained staff, essential equipment and technology, and innovation funds under the direction of each medical director to help start and enhance their respective pediatric specialty medicine programs.

Announced in September 2020 was that Bozeman Health will use a portion of the Sheehy’s gift to support the design and creation of an innovative pediatric and adolescent wellness space located at Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital, similar to the holistic healing lobby at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland. We look forward to sharing more information on this future space within the next year.

“This is an investment in the foundation of Southwest Montana, our children. We want pediatric healthcare to become a beacon of excellence in Gallatin County through an unrelenting focus on integrated family health care. Carmen and I hope that in several years Bozeman Health will be regionally and nationally recognized for our pediatric healthcare,” shared Tim Sheehy. “Our ability to provide top level care to the children in our community will help make this valley so much stronger, and we’re tremendously impressed by and grateful to have the Bozeman Health team help make our dream of pediatric excellence come true.”