Doctors & Staff

Heather Norsby, MS, RN CNS, has joined St. Peter’s Hospital as a Clinical Nurse Educator.  Prior to moving to Helena, she was a member of the faculty in Adult Health for Viterbo University in La Cross, Wis.

Norsby earned her Master of Science in Nursing-Adult Educator from the University of Madison-School of Nursing. 

Cynthia Galaska, RN, has joined St. Peter’s Hospital as a Patient and Medical Staff Quality Specialist.

Prior to joining St. Peter’s, Galaska worked as a Health Care Facility Surveyor for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Galaska earned her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh.  She is a past recipient of the S. Holt Award for Nursing Excellence.

Wil Nieman has been hired as the Executive Administrative Assistant to the VP of Nursing at St. Peter’s Hospital.  Prior to joining St. Peter’s, Nieman was a Contract Specialist for Los Angeles Habilitation House in Long Beach, Calif.  He has also had extensive executive assistant experience with the United States Navy, including responsibilities managing the manning of a major overseas military medical facility.  Nieman earned his Associate Degree in Business Management from Grantham University in Kansas City, Mo.

Orthopaedic Surgeon Kerry Hale Ford, M.D., will be one of 585 new members inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons on March 22, during ceremonies at the Academy’s 2013 Annual Meeting in Chicago, Ill.

St. Peter’s Hospital has recruited a Pulmonary Critical Care Specialist to begin serving the Helena area community this summer.

Christian Butcher, M.D., will move to Helena from Virginia where he is currently working as a critical care hospitalist and assistant professor of medicine. He has also worked since 2004 as a staff pulmonary and critical care physician, medical director, ICU director, and emergency medicine provider.

Nate Olson of Colorado Springs will become the new President & CEO of St. Peter’s Hospital on February 1, announced Patty Nelson, St. Peter’s Hospital Board Chair.  The announcement follows the Board’s search for a new Chief Executive which began this past June.

Obstetrician/Gynecologist Michael Hay, M.D., was recently appointed to St. Peter’s Board of Directors.  He is the fourth physician on the Board and replaces pathologist Maria Braman, M.D., who resigned when she became St. Peter’s Vice President of Medical Affairs. 

Board certified in Obstetrics/Gynecology, Dr. Hay has practiced at Women’s Health Care since 1994.  He earned his Medical Degree at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita and completed his internship and residency at Wesley Hospital which is affiliated with the University of Kansas.

St. Peter’s Medical Group is proud to announce the addition of Richard Buswell, M.D., and Summer Monforte, M.D., specializing in the field of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.   It was Dr. Buswell’s desire to sell his long-time Helena practice to St. Peter’s, and the transition was made October 1. For now, Dr. Buswell and Dr. Monforte’s offices are at the corner of Saddle Drive and Winne Avenue, with the expectation of moving to the St. Peter’s Medical Group Broadway building early in 2013.  

St. Peter’s program specialist Eric Strauss was recently named the hospital’s Director of Quality.

Strauss has been a member of St. Peter’s staff since 2010. He also worked as a project manager for The Marshall Teichert Group in Minnesota for three years and at USC Consulting in Florida another three years.

The Director earned Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in communication studies at the University of Montana-Missoula.

St. Peter’s Medical Staff Officers for 2012-13 were recently elected at the group’s annual meeting.  They will assume their new positions June 1.

Serving as Chief of Staff will be Pediatrician Tom Strizich, M.D., of Partners in Pediatrics. Surgeon John Galt, M.D., of Medical Park Surgery Clinic is Chief of Staff Elect and obstetrician/gynecologist Drew Malany, M.D., of Helena OB/GYN Associates will serve as secretary.