Trusted Care for Children

At Benefis, we understand that choosing your child’s healthcare provider is an important decision. Each year, we treat nearly 13,000 children from across Montana — we’re the trusted choice of thousands of parents. We offer comprehensive care for newborns to up to age 18, from routine checkups and immunizations to advanced treatment in the hospital.

We recognize that children aren’t simply small adults. Children need gentle, compassionate care from a team that specializes in working with kids. Our experienced pediatric specialists deliver expert care in a child-friendly environment that’s designed to make children and families feel comfortable.

Our pediatric experts provide personalized care focused on a child’s needs at each stage of development and growth. You can count on our expertise, advanced medical technology, and child-centered services to support your child’s health and well-being.

Outpatient Pediatric Primary Care. We partner with you to address your child’s health needs — from well-child checkups and immunizations to treatment of common illnesses and injuries.

Our pediatric primary care team provides comprehensive care to ensure your child’s health at every stage of growth. From preventive vaccines to the treatment of common childhood illnesses such as colds and ear infections to scrapes and broken bones, we offer complete care for children.

Our pediatric primary care team provides:

• Acute illness and minor injury care
• Age-specific immunizations
• Care for chronic illnesses
• Health education
• Infectious disease treatment
• Lab testing services and imaging exams
• Speech, hearing, and vision testing

If your child needs care from a specialist — such as an orthopedic surgeon or an ear, nose, and throat doctor — your primary care team works closely with them to ensure your child gets complete care.

To protect your child’s health, we recommend they see their pediatrician regularly. Your child’s major milestones and routine vaccinations coordinate with the minimum number of recommended visits during each stage of growth.

• In the first year, your infant is seen at birth, 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year old.
• In the second year, your toddler is seen at 15 months, 18 months, and 2 years old.
• In the third year, your toddler is seen at 2.5 years and 3 years old.
• From ages 4 to 18, children should have annual physicals.

Pediatric Care in the Hospital. Your child receives expert care in a family-friendly environment, delivered by a team that specializes in caring for kids.

If your child needs care in the hospital, our experienced team works tirelessly to ensure your child’s health, safety, and comfort during their stay. As the only area hospital with neonatal unit, we provide the most advanced expertise in virtually every area of children's medicine. We use the latest approaches in children’s healthcare to give your child the very best care.

Our pediatricians, pediatric nurses, child development specialists, and other pediatric providers have advanced training working with children and their families. We offer a welcoming, healing environment that’s designed around children’s and families’ needs:

• All rooms are private, with a TV and a game station, and have enough space for parents to spend the night. We provide toys, activities, and the comforts of home to put your child at ease.
• Our family break room has a microwave, coffee machine, refrigerator, and washer and dryer to make it convenient for families who need to spend a lot of time at the hospital.
• Pediatric specialists help minimize the stress of hospitalization and help your child transition to home and school life after an illness.

You can visit your child at any time, and siblings can visit as long as they’re healthy — we make our patients’ health and safety a priority.

Preparing Your Child. If your child needs a medical test or procedure they haven’t had before, it can be frightening. We help you take away some of your child’s worry.

When your child needs medical care beyond a routine checkup at your pediatrician's office — such as a lab test, MRI scan, outpatient surgery, or a procedure in the hospital — there are things you can do to make it easier on your child. Our experienced pediatric care team offers suggestions to make your child feel more comfortable:

• Timing is important. If you tell your child too far in advance before the appointment, it may lengthen the amount of “worry time” for them. Consider this when you decide when to tell them.
• Explain the reason for the visit. Tell them in a simple, truthful manner, using words your child understands.
• Tell your child what will happen. Ask your doctor's office for information about the procedure, so you know how to explain it to your child. You can also ask your doctor to spend a few minutes with your child to prepare them for what to expect.
• Use the five senses when describing the visit. Explain what they’ll see, hear, smell, feel, and taste.
• Be prepared to answer questions. They may want to know how long it takes, whether it hurts, if you can stay with them during the procedure, or if it’s their fault they need the procedure. Some children may think they’re being punished for something they've done wrong.
• Tell your child it’s OK to cry or be afraid. Reassure them you’ll be there. For some procedures, your child can sit or lie on your lap. We’ll help find a position that’s most comfortable for your child.
• Practice relaxation techniques with your child. Teach them techniques such as deep breathing when they feel pain or counting forward or backward to help them relax. It can help your child gain a sense of control.
• Allow your child to bring a favorite comforting toy. Your child’s favorite games or books can distract them during waiting periods.
• Reward your child. Let them push the buttons on the elevator or pick out a small treat in the gift shop. This helps them make positive associations, which is particularly helpful if they have more than one appointment.

Specialty Services for Children. Our pediatric care team works with a variety of specialists to ensure children get complete care.

Your child has access to a wide range of expertise to give them personalized attention, including:

• Assistive devices and supplies, such as orthopedic devices (walking aids, wheelchairs, braces, and other equipment), eyeglasses, and hearing aids
• Specialized services for children and adolescents in need of psychiatric evaluation, counseling, or treatment
• Behavioral health counseling for emotional issues, including substance abuse treatment
• Coordination of care and care planning assistance for chronically ill or disabled children
• Hospice care for children with life-limiting illnesses
• Physical rehabilitation therapy services from physical, speech, and occupational therapists
• Treatment for children with serious illness at home or in a long-term care facility, including assistance and support for parents and caregivers
• Sleep safety best practices and education

Web Resources for Health Information. We offer some suggestions for where you can find children’s health information you can trust.

Center for Parent Information & Resources – For parents of children with disabilities
Children with Diabetes – An online community for people with diabetes and their families
KidsHealth – Easy-to-understand health information about newborn, child, and adolescent health
Safe Kids Cascade County – A community resource to help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries

Phone: (406) 731-8865