SHD Reun 312 - Shodair Children's Hospital
SHD Reun 312 - Shodair Children's Hospital
SHD Reun 312 - Shodair Children's Hospital
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20<br />
History<br />
<strong>Shodair</strong> of<br />
<strong>Shodair</strong> <strong>Children's</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong> began as<br />
a home for orphaned and abandoned children in 1896.<br />
Children were placed on northwest bound “orphan<br />
trains,” with Helena as their final destination. The<br />
Montana <strong>Children's</strong> Home and <strong>Hospital</strong> was organized<br />
to care for those children not adopted along the way.<br />
Our facility's name was changed in 1938 to honor<br />
benefactor Louis W. <strong>Shodair</strong>.<br />
As <strong>Shodair</strong> evolved to meet the needs of Montana's<br />
children, it became the first facility in Montana to treat<br />
children with polio, the first facility with a department<br />
of medical genetics, and the first with a chemical<br />
dependency unit dedicated to adolescents. Today,<br />
<strong>Shodair</strong> offers child and adolescent psychiatric<br />
treatment services, and laboratory and medical genetic<br />
services for people of all ages.<br />
New Hope for Montana's Children<br />
In 1987, children's psychiatric units opened at <strong>Shodair</strong>;<br />
services for adolescents were added in 1992, enabling<br />
the hospital to treat children ages four to seventeen. In<br />
1998, <strong>Shodair</strong> moved to its current larger facility on<br />
Helena's east side, allowing us to serve more children,<br />
many of whom are the victims of emotional, physical,<br />
and sexual abuse. In 2006, <strong>Shodair</strong> addressed the<br />
needs of high-acuity patients by opening a 20-bed<br />
acute unit, making it the only facility in Montana to<br />
offer child and adolescent acute care and residential<br />
treatment under one roof.<br />
Montana's Genetics Program<br />
In 1976, the Montana Regional Genetics and Birth<br />
Defects Program was moved from Boulder River<br />
School and <strong>Hospital</strong>, and was headed by Dr. Phil<br />
Pallister. <strong>Shodair</strong> was now positioned as the only<br />
facility in Montana to offer a genetics department.<br />
Three years later, Dr. John Opitz, renowned for his<br />
work in medical genetics, joined <strong>Shodair</strong> and chaired<br />
the hospital's Department of Medical Genetics. In<br />
1987, the State of Montana began providing funding<br />
to enable <strong>Shodair</strong> to continue helping families in need<br />
of genetic services.<br />
Today, <strong>Shodair</strong>'s Genetics Department is nationally<br />
renowned, and provides comprehensive services that<br />
include genetic counseling, testing, and cancer risk<br />
assessments for residents throughout the state. Three<br />
medical geneticists and four genetic counselors hold<br />
nearly 80 outreach clinics across Montana each year.<br />
Access to over 100 telemedicine sites statewide<br />
provides a gateway to genetic services for families in<br />
need of these services. Additionally, <strong>Shodair</strong> offers<br />
a full range of laboratory services, including pharmacogenetic<br />
testing, as well as testing related to birth<br />
defects, cancer, developmental and neurological<br />
disorders, and blood disorders.<br />
In 2007, <strong>Shodair</strong> <strong>Children's</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong> was awarded the<br />
follow-up contract for newborn screening by the State<br />
of Montana. <strong>Shodair</strong> helps ensure that newborns<br />
receive appropriate initial care for any genetic<br />
problems identified by screening performed on all<br />
Montana infants by their local hospitals, serving as<br />
a valuable resource for primary care providers and<br />
families across the state.<br />
A Commitment to the Future<br />
Last year, <strong>Shodair</strong> provided more than $3 million<br />
dollars in uncompensated care and services to<br />
Montana's families, relying on contributions from<br />
donors. Additionally, <strong>Shodair</strong> is Montana's only<br />
<strong>Children's</strong> Miracle Network hospital, and receives<br />
donors from sponsors throughout the state and<br />
the nation.<br />
For 116 years, <strong>Shodair</strong> <strong>Children's</strong> <strong>Hospital</strong> has<br />
changed with the times and the needs of the families it<br />
serves. While its programs have changed, its<br />
mission of improving the<br />
well-being of the children<br />
in its care has left a lasting<br />
legacy, touching the lives of<br />
generations of Montanans.<br />
<strong>Reun</strong>ion