BOZEMAN — Construction noise is replacing the usual emergency room sounds at Bozeman Health as the hospital system begins work on a major expansion aimed at meeting the needs of a rapidly growing community.
Hospital leaders say the project is part of a long-term master development plan designed to increase capacity and prepare the facility for future growth.
“This is a really thoughtful expansion — it’s something that we are really trying to be intentional about meeting the needs of the community,” said Matt Miller, Bozeman Health’s philanthropy officer.
Bozeman Health officials estimate patient demand could increase between 40% and 50% over the next decade.
WATCH: Bozeman Health plans record expansion to meet growing demand
“We are estimating anywhere between a 40 and 50 percent growth in volume, so what that means is we’re adding exactly that amount of capacity so we can meet the needs of ten years from now,” said Kallie Kujawa, the hospital’s chief operating officer.
Kujawa said when she first started working at Bozeman Health 19 years ago as a nurse, the hospital had just 86 beds. Under the new master development plan, that number could grow to about 170 beds.
Plans include adding floors to the hospital tower, remodeling the hospital’s 1980s-era cafeteria, and doubling the size of the emergency department.
But the first phase of construction focuses on a more immediate issue: parking.
Hospital officials say they are adding more than 100 parking spaces near the front of the facility and several hundred additional spaces in the back.
“So we are adding over 100 parking spaces out front here and a couple hundred outback,” Kujawa said.
The parking expansion is already underway, and several people coming and going from the hospital told MTN News that finding a place to park can already be difficult.
“It’s very critical that when you come to a hospital, you are able to find a place to park and get in quickly for whatever the reason might be — whether it’s an appointment or an emergency,” Miller said.
Hospital leaders say the emergency department was originally designed with future growth in mind. The new plan would double the ER’s size by building a second space next to the current one that mirrors its layout.
With the emergency department seeing as many as 300 patients in a single weekend, officials say expanding the facility is necessary.
“The current design of the ER allows us to double the size of it without disrupting operations,” Kujawa said.
Hospital leaders did not provide a total cost estimate for the project but said it will represent a historic investment for the organization.
“We know that it will be the largest investment in Bozeman Health's history,” Kujawa said.
Miller said Bozeman Health plans to continue operating as a nonprofit community hospital serving Madison, Gallatin, and Park counties.
“We are charging in the bottom 50% of fees that we can for care here to make sure we are accessible to the community,” Miller said.
Kujawa said the goal of the expansion is to support both patients and the hospital’s medical staff as the region grows.
“We want to continue to build a facility where our incredible clinicians can showcase the high-quality care that they deliver every day and night,” she said.
For more information on their upcoming gala:https://bozemanhealth.org/join-bozeman-health-foundation-for-a-wild-west-gala/
