North Valley Hospital (Montana)

North Valley Hospital's history traces back to Whitefish, Montana's first hospital, which opened in 1905.[7] The hospital was owned by Great Northern Railway and Dr. Hugh E. Houston, a Great Northern Railway physician, served as the hospital's first doctor.[8] Its first patients were mostly people injured in railroad accidents.[7] Mr. Peter Gutensohn and Mrs. J.A. Sampson acquired Northern Valley from the railroad in 1912.[7] They operated the hospital until the hospital building was converted into an apartment building in 1923.[7] The town was without a hospital from 1923 until 1936.[9] The building was converted back into a hospital by Mrs. J.A. Earhart.[7]

Dr. Edith Boyd purchased the hospital in 1941 and operated it until 1947.[7] In 1946, the hospital moved locations and was named after Dr. John B. Simons.[9] The hospital was later named North Valley Hospital Auxiliary.[7] Dr. Simons sold his interest in the hospital to a civic board in 1961.[7] North Valley Hospital Auxiliary was renamed Whitefish Memorial Hospital.[7]

A third hospital was planned and broke ground in 1969.[7] That hospital, named North Valley Hospital, opened in July 1974.[9] It was expanded with a 50-bed Extended Care Center in a 1975 renovation, which cost $1.325 million[9] and was funded entirely with bond sales.[10] The hospital was again expanded in 1988.[9] Quorum Health Resources became the hospital's manager in 1990.[7] North Valley Hospital became a member of the Planetree Alliance network of hospitals in 1992.[6] In May 2016, North Valley Hospital became affiliated with the Kalispell Regional Healthcare system.[11]

North Valley Hospital has four core departments: emergency department; Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery; Center for Orthopedics; and The Birth Center.[21] North Valley Hospital's emergency department, laboratories and imaging facilities are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.[21] The laboratory has been certified by College of American Pathologists certified since 1997.[21] The hospital's Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery utilizes the da Vinci Surgical System and other technologies to make surgical operations as minimally invasive as possible.[24][25] Doctors at North Valley Hospital began using the da Vinci Surgical System in 2010.[25] The Center for Orthopedics also utilizes computer-assisted surgery and has orthopedic nurse coordinators to assist in patient care.[26] The Birth Center utilizes obstetricians, certified nurse midwives and family practitioners.[21] In 2016, the center underwent an expansion which added 2,730-square feet of new space and upgrades to existing space.[27] North Valley Hospital has a palliative care practice.[28]

The hospital also offers alternative medicine practices such as acupuncture, massage therapy and water birthing.[29]

North Valley Hospital is a member[6] of the Planetree network of hospitals, which seeks to promote patient-centered care.[30] The network is organized around ten components.[30] Planetree-inspired initiatives at the hospital include a medical library for patients and community members, patient massages, "spiritual care" programs and animal-assisted therapy.[6]

• 2013 Becker's Hospital Review—100 Great Places to Work in Healthcare[31]
• 2013 Best Places to Work in the Flathead Valley/Glacier Park Region—First runner-up[32]
• Woman's Choice Award—America's Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Obstetrics (2013-2014)[33]
• Top 50 Nurse Friendly Hospital (2014)[34]

• Official site
• About Planetree