With the closest full-service children’s hospital 550 miles away, specialty pediatric care in Billings is vital to providing care to the youngest patients in our region and state.
Alongside that importance is an ever-growing need, as more and more children and their families seek out these specialty services. Many of these children require intricate, complicated care from a team of physicians covering a range of different specialties, and being able to get that care close to home plays a key role in their treatment.
The Billings Clinic Foundation has embarked on an ambitious, multi-faceted initiative to expand services and support for the region’s most medically complex children and their families. This $4 million transformative effort will enhance the Pediatric Specialty Clinic’s treatment and family areas, along with expanding the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
An integral part of this effort is the 2018 Billings Clinic Classic, kicking off with women’s golf on August 17 and culminating with a street party scheduled for Aug. 25. Since 1983, the Classic has been the premier fundraising event for Billings Clinic, raising millions of dollars over the years to support the advancement of healthcare excellence while giving the community an opportunity to celebrate and support an important cause.
“We are thrilled to have Pediatric Specialty Medicine as the beneficiary of this year’s Classic cause,” says Dr. Michell Pierson, Billings Clinic Pediatrics Department Chair. “The money raised will be directly used to enhance health care for our most precious patients – our kids.”
This year’s Classic concert and street party feature Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jewel, an award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist who released one of the best-selling debut albums of all time.
Billings Clinic has been providing specialtypediatric services for more than 40 years, and today supports the region’s largest and most comprehensive array of child-specific specialty services. The pediatric department recently initiated a Pediatric Complex Care program to evaluate and coordinate medical services for children with chronic medical conditions.
The extensive pediatric initiative also includes the addition of a new Pediatric Infusion Center and advancing the pediatric telehealth program to ensure families can stay closer to home while communicating with physicians and other staff via video conferencing.
In the past year, chronically ill children from across Montana and the region made more than 10,600 visits to Billings Clinic specialty physicians. More than half of these children came from outside of Yellowstone County, and the need for these services only continues to grow.
For years, the Billings Clinic Foundation has provided funds to help families with costs – things like travel, transportation and utility bills – that can often stack up while their children are receiving care. Funds raised through the initiative will also go toward the building of the Billings Clinic Pediatric Endowments to advance care innovation and this much-needed patient assistance, supporting families during some of the most trying times in their lives.
“We are so grateful for the generosity of so many who see the value of investing in high-quality programs and services for children who need specialized healthcare,” says Pierson. “Everyone benefits when a child can reach their full potential, and that is what we are committed to do at Billings Clinic.”
For more information on the Pediatric Specialty Care Initiative and the Billings Clinic Classic, visit www.billingsclinic.com/classic. To learn more about Pediatrics and specialtycare at Billings Clinic, visit www.billingsclinic.com/kids.
