SHD Reun 312 - Shodair Children's Hospital

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