St. Vincent Healthcare Pursuing Pediatric Affiliation with Utah Organizations

Children and families who travel to St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings will soon have additional access to advanced pediatric care right in the community's medical corridor.

St. Vincent Healthcare, Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital and the University of Utah, both in Salt Lake City, Utah, are partnering for an affiliation in pediatric subspecialty healthcare services, according to Angela Douglas, communications specialist for St. Vincent Healthcare.

All three organizations have a long history of providing quality and excellence in pediatric care and this collaboration offers opportunities for patients and providers including the following:

• Improve the safety and quality of care of provided to patients in Utah and Montana through combined clinical programs.
• Expand training opportunities for students and providers in both Utah and Montana.
• Promote research opportunities in pediatric care that will lead to better outcomes.

The three organizations hope to have a signed agreement in place by January 2016. Although the organizations will remain independent, they will work closely to support local access to high-quality, advanced pediatric care and research.

“This is great news for pediatric healthcare in Montana and Wyoming,” Steve Loveless, CEO of St. Vincent Healthcare, said in a prepared statement. “We are thrilled to discuss an affiliation with Primary Children’s and the University of Utah. We share a focus on high quality care and providing key pediatric services close to home.”

The idea is to leverage the pediatric expertise and skills of Primary Children’s Hospital and their associated physicians so patients with more complex needs can receive their care in Billings. If a child needs a higher level of care that can be provided in Billings, he or she can be transferred directly to Primary Children’s Hospital, a 289-bed hospital in Salt Lake City.

Primary Children’s offers comprehensive pediatric care providers, including general and specialty surgery, orthopedic care, neurosurgery and ophthalmology. There are a number of direct flights each day, and it’s a quick ride from the airport to the hospital. Primary Children’s has a solid family-centered care model to support families who travel to Utah with their loved one.