After 41 years, St. Patrick Hospital will soon be back in the baby business.

On Tuesday, Providence St. Patrick Hospital CEO Jeff Fee announced a new collaboration with the Western Montana Clinic (WMC) Obstetrics and Gynecology physicians.

"We announced last year that we were getting back into the women and children's health area, but it was unclear who our clinical partners would be," Fee said. "After months of planning, preparation and discussion, Western Montana Clinic and St. Pat's are proud to announce the formation of a new unit that will be completed in June of this year and we'll be delivering babies in August."

Fee said the new unit will be housed in the Broadway Building.

"The actual unit will be located on the second floor between the Broadway Building and the hospital," he said. "The Western Montana Clinic Obstetricians, specifically Dr. Mark Garnaas will be the director of the new unit, and we just hired a new regional director of Women's and Children's who will be starting next month."

Services will include inpatient obstetrical and newborn care, an expanded inpatient and outpatient pediatric program, and outpatient obstetrical/gynecological care.

For the last 41 years, Missoula Community Medical Center has been the sole provider of obstetrics and neonatal care.

That will change in August, when the first baby will arrive at St. Patrick Hospital since 1974.

 

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