Logan Health - Shelby Expands Pediatric Services
Accessing pediatric care for families in the Shelby area has just gotten easier. The critical access hospital is now partnering with a statewide network of pediatric specialists through Montana Pediatrics to provide families with pediatric-specific evening and weekend urgent care via telemedicine.
The hospital offers numerous services to support the health and care of the community, but when it comes to pediatric care, Logan Health - Shelby, much like other rural hospitals across the state and nation, doesn’t staff a pediatric specialist.
“Children are not just smaller versions of adults and instead require a different kind of care,” said Vicki Newmiller, CEO of Logan Health - Shelby. “Living in a rural community offers incredible opportunities for raising children, however, we know that often means having a limited ability to access specialized care. With this partnership, we’re aiming to not only give families access to pediatric-specific care but care that comes at a substantially lower cost than an ER visit.”
Now, any parent or guardian of a child under the age of 21 can connect with a Montana-based pediatric specialist from any phone, tablet, or computer that can access the internet. With the use of each device’s microphone and camera, Montana Pediatrics providers are able to effectively provide care by seeing and hearing the child along with understanding the guardian’s concerns.
“Telemedicine is definitely not a new thing,” said April Malan, Director of Operations for Montana Pediatrics, “but the reality now is most telemedicine visits are outsourced to providers located in other states. Our providers are actual pediatric specialists who work at clinics and hospitals across our state every day. They know the capabilities of our communities, know the best ways to care for our kids, and know each other,” Malan added.
After every visit, the Montana Pediatrics provider communicates with the child’s primary care provider to ensure everyone is kept up-to-date about the child and that any follow-up care is routed through the family’s local provider.
To learn more about pediatric after-hours care, or access a provider, visit logan.org/shelby.