GREAT FALLS - Great Falls Clinic is expanding its presence in Central Montana with the opening of the new Capital City Specialty Center in Helena, a move clinic leaders say will improve access to specialty care and allow more patients to receive treatment closer to home.
The new clinic, located at 2231 N. Montana Ave., will initially focus on orthopedic care and be led by Dr. Peter Hanson, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who has practiced in the Helena area for more than 20 years.
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Jessie Harris, Director of Clinical Outreach for Great Falls Clinic, said the expansion comes after the organization noticed an increasing number of Helena-area residents traveling to Great Falls for specialty services.
"Over the last year, we've really focused on providing health care to central Montana and noticed a big increase in Helena residents driving to receive their specialized care here in Great Falls," Harris said.
Clinic leaders say bringing orthopedic services to Helena will help reduce travel burdens for patients while expanding healthcare options in the community.
"This is us returning to the Helena community with a larger footprint," Harris said. "We see just nothing but opportunity to continue to provide access for the Helena residents."
In addition to orthopedic services, the clinic plans to offer pulmonology outreach care several days each month and is evaluating opportunities to expand into additional specialties in the future.
"When we think about the goals of our clinics out in central Montana, it's to improve access, keep patients close to home, and just offer all these advanced specialties that we can," Harris said.
The clinic expects to serve a broad range of patients, including student athletes, working adults and seniors seeking orthopedic care.
"We expect to see a mix of everything," Harris said. "Doctor Hanson can see really any ortho needs. Really would love to focus in on the athletes in the community, but we expect to see a whole plethora of patients."
Hanson brings decades of experience to the new practice and already has a well-established patient base in the Helena area.
"Doctor Hanson already has a very robust practice since he's been practicing in the community for over two decades," Harris said. "And so we expect to hopefully retain some of those patients as well as offer new services."
The opening comes during a period of change in Helena's orthopedic landscape. Earlier this year, St. Peter's Health announced plans to integrate Helena Orthopaedic Clinic into its orthopedic service line, bringing several orthopedic surgeons and providers under one practice.
Harris said Great Falls Clinic views its Helena expansion as another option for patients seeking specialty care.
"We believe that patients deserve a choice where they get their health care," she said.
As the new clinic becomes established, Great Falls Clinic leaders say they are actively seeking feedback from residents and healthcare providers about what additional services may be needed in the area.
"It's our goal to find out what Helena needs and we would love to hear from the community and the health care community on what services they need to see in the Helena area," Harris said.
Harris believes the most immediate benefit for patients will be improved access to care.
"I think the biggest thing they will notice is timeliness to getting scheduled and being seen, as well as the ability to stay in their community to receive their care," she said.
Dr. Hanson is expected to begin seeing patients at the new clinic this summer.
