Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/17/2019 --Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital and the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City have expanded their partnership with St. Vincent Healthcare to bring an expert team of pediatric surgeons to the Billings, Montana, hospital.
Providing internationally-recognized clinicians in pediatric surgery at the St. Vincent children's "hospital within a hospital" will help improve patient outcomes through innovative techniques and rigorous research initiatives — and keep patients closer to home.
"This expanded partnership with St. Vincent will help alleviate travel burdens for Montana families and improve access to needed specialty pediatric surgeries to the children of Billings and the surrounding area," said Primary Children's Hospital administrator, Dustin Lipson. "Providing care as close to home as possible is critical to our mission and our guiding philosophy of keeping 'The Child First and Always' in all that we do."
Montana is part of Primary Children's Hospital's 400,000-square mile service area, which is one of the largest geographic service areas of any children's hospital in the nation. Primary Children's provides care for families in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Montana and Alaska.
"We are thrilled to join forces with Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital and the University of Utah's School of Medicine," said Michael Skehan, chief operating officer of St. Vincent Healthcare. "In an effort to exceed expectations for quality healthcare for our patients and community, we believe that offering pediatric surgery to some of our most vulnerable patients is one way we fulfill our mission."
Primary Children's Hospital has partnered with St. Vincent Healthcare to offer advanced pediatric care to children and families in Billings since 2016. The new Primary Children's surgical services team at St. Vincent will provide additional services including neonatal surgery, and treats pediatric surgical problems including congenital anomalies, vascular access, gallbladder disease, reflux disease, chest wall deformities, appendicitis, inguinal hernias, umbilical hernias, tumors, and gastrotomy tubes.
A group of 10 Primary Children's surgeons will rotate practicing in Billings to give patients continuous access to specialty pediatric surgical services, including neonatal surgery. Each surgeon will spend up to two weeks in Billings, where they will consult with patients and remain on call 24 hours a day.
Telemedicine, already provided at St. Vincent, will connect surgeons to the varied expertise of the Primary Children's team when needed.
Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital is the only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center in the Intermountain West and provides care for children with the most complex injury and illness, including those who require heart, liver, kidney and bone marrow transplants. Primary Children's is part of Intermountain Healthcare, a nationally-recognized not-for-profit healthcare system based in Utah, and serves as the pediatric specialty teaching hospital for the University of Utah School of Medicine, combining research, training and excellent care to provide the best health care for children. Primary Children's has continued to expand its regional services via telemedicine and by opening clinics in Montana, Idaho, Alaska, Wyoming, and throughout Utah, including Dixie Regional Hospital and Layton Hospital.
St. Vincent Healthcare has served the people of Montana, Wyoming and the western Dakotas for more than 115 years. In addition to 11 primary care clinics in and around the Billings area, St. Vincent Healthcare offers dozens of progressive specialty services and a 201-bed hospital. St. Vincent even has a special "hospital within a hospital" just for children, St. Vincent Children's Healthcare. St. Vincent Healthcare has more than 1,700 associates and more than 500 physicians and advanced care professionals. St. Vincent is part of SCL Health, a nonprofit faith-based health system with 12 hospitals in Colorado and Montana. Together, St. Vincent Healthcare, St. James Healthcare in Butte, and Holy Rosary Healthcare in Miles City, represent SCL Health Montana.
Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital and the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City are expanding their partnership with St. Vincent Healthcare to bring an expert team of pediatric surgeons to the Billings, Montana, hospital.
