Kalispell Regional Healthcare: History, Services, and Logan Health Rebrand

Kalispell Regional Healthcare was the name of the nonprofit health system serving northwestern Montana from its headquarters in Kalispell, Montana, for decades before officially rebranding as Logan Health in May 2021. The flagship hospital of the system, formerly known as Kalispell Regional Medical Center, is now Logan Health Medical Center, a 192-bed acute care regional referral center located on Buffalo Hill in Kalispell. The health system serves a 20-county service area covering nearly 50,000 square miles and a population of approximately 700,000 people across the Flathead Valley and surrounding regions of Montana.

History and Rebrand to Logan Health

Kalispell Regional Healthcare traces its origins to 1910 when the Sisters of Mercy opened Kalispell General Hospital, the third formal healthcare institution in the Flathead Valley following facilities established in 1888 and 1896.

The Sisters of Mercy owned and operated Kalispell General Hospital until 1973, when ownership transferred to the community and the institution was renamed Kalispell Regional Hospital. The hospital relocated to its current location on Buffalo Hill in 1976. Over the following decades the system expanded steadily, adding neurology in 1979, the Flathead Valley’s first ICU in 1981, the first MRI in the state of Montana in 1987, cardiac catheterization and dialysis services in 1988, inpatient rehabilitation in 1989, and cardiac surgery in 2001.

The name Kalispell Regional Medical Center was adopted in 1997. By 2020, the health system had grown to encompass more than 40 hospitals, clinics, and facilities under its umbrella, many of which bore independent names with no visible connection to the parent organization. In December 2020, then-President and CEO Dr. Craig Lambrecht announced the decision to rebrand the entire system as Logan Health, a name inspired by Logan Pass in Glacier National Park, the highest point along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The rebrand officially launched in May 2021, with new signage, branding, and naming conventions rolled out across all system locations.

Logan Health Medical Center Overview

Logan Health Medical Center, the former Kalispell Regional Medical Center, is a 192-bed non-profit acute care regional referral center accredited by DNV and affiliated with the University of Montana as the region’s only university-level academic medical center.

Clinical Services and Specialty Programs

Logan Health Medical Center, formerly Kalispell Regional Medical Center, offers a full spectrum of specialty services across cardiovascular care, oncology, neuroscience and spine, orthopedics, women’s health, surgical care, pediatrics, and behavioral health.

Cardiovascular Care

The cardiovascular program at the former Kalispell Regional Medical Center operates a full cardiac catheterization lab, electrophysiology services, and open-heart surgery. The hospital added heart catheterization services in 1988 and cardiac surgery in 2001. The system is also recognized by CMS as an approved facility for carotid artery stenting procedures, assigned provider number 1417945627. Cardiac rehabilitation services support post-procedural recovery for heart patients across the Flathead Valley.

Cancer Program

The Logan Health cancer program, including Logan Health Radiation Oncology, holds accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer as a comprehensive cancer program. Radiation oncology was first established at the Kalispell campus in 1987. The Cancer Center can be reached at (406) 752-1790 for appointments and consultations.

Neuroscience and Spine

The neuroscience and spine program is one of the health system’s marquee service lines. Neurology was added to the hospital’s services in 1979. The Logan Health Neurological Center provides treatment for a broad range of neurological conditions and complex spine disorders. The program serves patients from across the 20-county service area who require neurological specialty care unavailable at smaller regional hospitals.

Orthopedics

The orthopedics program employs fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons covering joint replacement, sports medicine, trauma, and spine orthopedics. The hospital offers a wide range of orthopedic services including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted procedures. Orthopedic care supports the active outdoor lifestyle of the Flathead Valley’s residents and the significant population of seasonal visitors to Glacier National Park and surrounding recreation areas.

Pediatrics and Montana Children’s

Attached to the main medical center is Logan Health Children’s, formerly Montana Children’s Hospital, which provides care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 21. The hospital operates a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Neonatology services were added to the Kalispell campus in 2008. The Logan Health Kid Kare pediatric outpatient program can be reached at (406) 751-5313.

Behavioral Health

Logan Health Behavioral Health, formerly operating as Pathways Treatment Center and the Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Treatment Center first established in 1993, provides inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services. The behavioral health program can be reached at (406) 756-3950.

Emergency and Trauma

The hospital operates an emergency department with a helipad for medevac transport. The emergency and trauma program is designated as an ACS Level III Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons. The A.L.E.R.T. helicopter ambulance service, one of the first rural rotor-wing air ambulance programs in the country, flew its first patient in 1975 and has been integral to the system’s regional trauma response ever since.

Accreditations and Affiliations

Logan Health Medical Center, formerly Kalispell Regional Medical Center, holds DNV hospital accreditation, ACS Commission on Cancer accreditation, CARF accreditation for rehabilitation, and an academic affiliation with the University of Montana.

The hospital is the region’s only university-level academic medical center, affiliated with the University of Montana to support graduate medical education, research, and clinical training programs. The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities accreditation covers the hospital’s inpatient rehabilitation program, first established in 1989. According to DNV Healthcare, its hospital accreditation program uses ISO 9001 quality management standards integrated with CMS Conditions of Participation, providing a distinct framework from the Joint Commission model used by many comparable institutions.

The system also merged with Billings Clinic in a partnership that expanded its reach further across Montana, reinforcing its role as a major academic and referral institution for the state.

System Locations and Network

The Logan Health system, formerly Kalispell Regional Healthcare, operates more than 40 hospitals, clinics, and facilities across Flathead Valley and extending to Hi-Line communities in northern Montana.

Key locations within the former Kalispell Regional Healthcare network include Logan Health Medical Center (main Kalispell campus), Logan Health Whitefish (formerly North Valley Hospital), Logan Health Children’s, Brendan House extended care facility, the Digestive Health Center, Logan Health Sleep Center, and the fitness and rehabilitation center formerly known as The Summit Community Center for Health Promotion and Fitness, opened in 1996. Rural facilities in communities such as Eureka, Shelby (formerly Marias Medical Center), and other Hi-Line towns form the extended network.

For context on other regional referral hospitals serving Montana and surrounding states, see the profiles for Froedtert Hospital Milwaukee and Hurley Medical Center.

Patient Information

Logan Health Medical Center, the successor to Kalispell Regional Medical Center and Kalispell Regional Healthcare, operates 24 hours a day and offers patient portal access, online bill pay, financial assistance programs, and price transparency tools through its website at logan.org.

Patients can reach hospital administration at (406) 752-5111, billing at (406) 756-4408, and admitting at (406) 752-1719. A patient and family advisory council guides patient experience improvements at the Kalispell campus. Financial assistance programs are available for eligible patients, and price transparency information is published at logan.org in compliance with CMS requirements.