Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, self-pay, Financial assistance for those who qualify

A state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has been designed for babies requiring comprehensive care, monitoring and intensive medical attention. Two board-certified neonatologists and pediatricians, supported by a highly qualified staff, tend to these tiny newborns round-the-clock.

Director: Nadine Seger, MD

Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Self-pay, Financial assistance to those who qualify

The St. Vincent Healthcare Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has been caring for our tiniest patients since 1972. Pronounced “nick-you”, and sometimes referred to as a newborn intensive care unit or intensive care nursery (ICN) this unit specializes in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. We offer the only Level III NICU in this region, combining medical expertise, the best technologies and compassionate care from professionals committed to patients and their families. At St. Vincent Healthcare, our NICU provides comprehensive, intensive and progressive care for premature infants and critically ill newborns with respiratory distress, infections, birth defects and special developmental needs. Services include: Comprehensive care for all newborns, of any gestational age or birth weight, consultative services of pediatric subspecialists, pediatric surgery consultative services, advanced imagining including CT, MRI, and echocardiography, and ventilators, oxygen, IV therapy, cardiac monitoring, and respiratory monitoring.

Director: Allie Rentz

When children experience conditions that are life threatening, our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit is there to help. We founded Montana’s first PICU staffed 24/7 by board certified Pediatric Intensivists. That means that no matter the time of day or night, we always have a critical care specialist ready to help your child. Our dedicated PICU staff also utilize electronic records and telemedicine to advise pediatricians throughout the region on the best course of treatment for children in need of critical care.

Menard Barruga, MD
Kenneth Gheen, MD
Curtis Pickert, MD
Nandishore Raghuram, MD
Richard Salerno, MD

Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Self-pay, Financial assistance for those who qualify

Provides specialized care for premature and other special needs infants.

Unit Manager: Paula Walker 406-731-8701

The Level III NICU at Community Medical Center is recognized throughout the region for its excellent approach to top-quality care. But more important, it’s touched the lives of thousands of families in Montana and Idaho since it opened in 1976. Parents regularly thank the NICU staff and physicians for the exemplary care given to their infants and also for the special attention given to their families.

A 22-bed unit, the NICU is run by a group of medical experts working as a team, providing a full range of care for infants born sick or premature. The unit is staffed with three neonatologists, a neonatal nurse practitioner and a veteran nursing staff, the majority of whom are specially certified in Neonatal Intensive Care. Other parts of the team are specially trained dietitians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists neonatal therapists, and a variety of pediatric subspecialty physicians including Pediatric Ophthalmology, Pediatric Surgery, and Pediatric Cardiology.

The NICU provides advanced technological care including conventional and oscillatory ventilation, nitric oxide therapy, and therapeutic hypothermia. Community is a member of the Vermont-Oxford Network, an international database for neonates with birth weights of less than 1,500 grams. The hospital often shares its morbidity and mortality statistics, as they are exceptional at both the state and national levels.

Kara Arvin, MD, Bonnie Stephens, MD, Loreen Pettit, MD

Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Financial assistance available to those who qualify

Hospitalists are physicians specially trained in caring for patients while they are in the hospital. Hospitalists are medical physicians who specialize in the care of hospitalized patients. KRMC’s hospitalists are on-site at the hospital seven days a week, 24 hours a day to provide patients with ongoing and immediate care. They work as partners with physicians to ensure the highest standard of care during patients' hospital stay. The KRMC hospitalists are board certified in internal medicine or family practice. They possess extensive expertise in the best treatment practices, care coordination and options for post-discharge care. And because hospitalists are located in the hospital, they can spend more time with their patients, improving communication and care.

Dr. Austine Simos, Cardiologist
Dr. Alan Rice, Endocrinology
Dr. Thomas Flass, Gastroenterology
Dr. Dan Lustig, Gastroenterology
Dr. Courtney Lyle, Hematology/Oncology
Dr. Carrie Neuhardt, Hematology/Oncology
Dr. Brandi Skiles, Hematology/Oncology
Dr. Marcus Wheeler, Neurology
Dr. Kelly Schmidt, Neurosurgery
Dr. Mark Kaneta, Director, NICU
Dr. Margaret Sanchell, Director, PICU
Dr. Daniel Korb, Psychiatry
Dr. Michael (Todd) Rutherford, Psychiatry
Dr. Gavin Falk, Surgery
Dr. Rachel Fisherkeller, Surgery
Dr. Federico Seifarth, Surgery

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU, at Montana Children's provides care to newborns and infants with conditions requiring advanced medical treatment.

They are a level III NICU with a full-time board certified neonatologist on staff and available 24 hours a day. They, along with the registered nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, speech therapists, dieticians and physical therapists, are trained and highly skilled in caring for acutely ill babies. These professionals, as well as lactation specialists and social workers, are committed to providing the highest quality of services including expert medical, developmental and emotional care in a family-centered environment.

Montana Children's is also equipped to transport sick newborns from outlying facilities and bring them to Kalispell for care. The specially trained OB/NICU transport team is available to transport by helicopter, airplane and ambulance any time of the day or night. Just one phone call activates the team, allowing the referring doctor to focus on taking care of the patient.

KRMC is also equipped to transport sick newborns from outlying facilities and bring them to Kalispell for care. The specially trained OB/NICU transport team is available to transport by helicopter, airplane and ambulance any time of the day or night. Just one phone call activates the team, allowing the referring doctor to focus on taking care of the patient.

Fellowship: Brown University
Certification: Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and Development-Behavioral Pediatrics

Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, Lung Disease-Premature Infants, Pediatric Lung Disease, Pulmonary Hypertension

Board Certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Pulmonary

19-bed NICU is available for newborns requiring comprehensive care, monitoring and intensive medical attention. Level III NICU. The babies in our NICU could be born as early as 25 gestational weeks or could be full-term and need pediatric specialty care in ophthalmology, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, or pulmonology.

Director: Nadine Seger