March 14, 2024
Officials at St. Peter’s Health announced today that construction has begun on a new, dedicated nephrology and dialysis wing at the Regional Medical Center. Slated for completion in early 2025, the new wing will be located on the west side of the hospital near the Emergency Room and will include ten, state-of-the-art outpatient hemodialysis stations and equipment for patients suffering from end-stage kidney failure. In addition, there will be two large home therapy rooms tailored to facilitate patient education and support for those who wish to dialyze at home.
According to St. Peter’s Health Chief Nursing Officer, Kari Koehler, MSN, RN, the $5 million project funded by private donors underscores the success of the already nationally-recognized nephrology program.
“For over fifty years, our dialysis unit has served this community garnering various accolades for its high quality, compassionate care,” said Koehler. “If you had to define gold standard healthcare – from excellence in patient satisfaction ratings to innovative treatments and successful outcomes – our local dialysis program checks all the boxes.”
Led by St. Peter’s Nephrologist and the unit’s Medical Director Dr. Robert LaClair, St. Peter’s is the only hospital-based dialysis program in Montana to offer specialized treatment plans that allow patients to receive care in the comfort of their home while waiting for an organ transplant. St. Peter’s also leads the nation with more than 40% of its patients managing their dialysis at home, compared to the national average of about 13%.
LaClair says providing the option of at-home hemodialysis and peritoneal treatments to patients saves money and time, especially for those living in rural communities who would have to drive to Helena multiple times a week, or even daily, for care.
“When you have no choice but to be on dialysis, the least we can do is help make it fit better into your lifestyle,” said LaClair. “People can continue to live the life they had before treatments – chasing kids from one sport to another, working full time, traveling – while still working towards our ultimate goal, a transplant.”
While there can be significant barriers that prevent people from getting a kidney transplant, a successful transplant means patients no longer need dialysis.
“We pride ourselves in leading Montana in kidney transplants per capita, helping to facilitate five to eight per year,” says St. Peter’s Manager of the Dialysis Unit Alice Luehr, RN. “I’m beyond proud of our team’s commitment to providing the very best for our patients, including doing everything in our power to make a transplant come to fruition so people can go on living their lives free from dialysis. This bright, new space is one more way we demonstrate that promise. ”
Project construction is being managed by long-time partner Dick Anderson Construction with designs curated by Slate Architecture.