Helena Specialty Center Opens March 1
We are excited to announce that the new Helena Specialty Center opens Friday, March 1! This 64,000-square-foot, three-story specialty center will offer outpatient surgeries, cancer treatment with an infusion suite, and clinic space for specialists.
The new center, located at 1645 Vandelay Ave.
“We’re so glad you’re here” was a frequent refrain as members of the community got their first look inside the new Benefis Helena Specialty Center.
Hundreds of people toured the center at a recent open house; the center officially opens on Friday, March 1, after two years of construction.
Every time a Helena-area patient can skip the drive through icy Wolf Creek Canyon for chemotherapy or a surgery patient’s life is simplified by a procedure close to home, the center is fulfilling its purpose.
Benefis Health System in Great Falls has long cared for those living in the Helena area, but this new center upends the old model of requiring patients to travel for healthcare, said Amy Linder, senior director of Provider Practices at Benefis.
“From the beginning, our efforts here have been about expanding offerings to a patient population that has relied on us for decades for advanced specialty care,” Amy said. “Montana is a big state. We’re used to traveling long distances, but when you’re not feeling well, when you’re battling a disease or have limited mobility, traveling can be grueling or even an insurmountable barrier to care.”
The new specialty center is tailored around the needs of Helena providers and patients. High on the list is the need for cancer care. The new center has an infusion suite and access to oncology with a beautiful view across the valley to the Sleeping Giant, a mood lift during what can be a very tough experience.
The center also includes cardiac care, a lab, imaging, and offices and exam rooms for specialists.
For new knees, colonoscopies, and other procedures to keep patients healthy and mobile, the new specialty center has three operating rooms and a procedure room. Orthopedic surgeries such as total joint replacement will be done in the new surgery center, which also will be used for ear, nose, and throat, general surgery, podiatry, and gastroenterology procedures such as scopes and colonoscopies.
The specialty center is not a hospital. There is no emergency room. Stays are capped at 23 hours, and all surgery is outpatient. Patients who need a stay up to 23 hours post-surgery will have recovery rooms with a bathroom, a recliner, and space for a support person.
The new center has a full laboratory available for tests, and the imaging department in the new center incorporates leading-edge technology. Benefis uses the same imaging system in Great Falls, which makes for easier replication of protocols and techniques, resulting in consistent results.
A spirit of mission and innovation will guide Dr. Brad Nieset as he takes his medical skills and leadership abilities to the new Benefis Helena Specialty Center.
As part of our primary care team in Helena, Dr. Nieset will help shape what family medicine looks like in the community. He brings a wealth of experience from his work with the military and with patients in Great Falls.
Dr. Nieset helped redefine how Benefis reached patients and collaborated with other providers during pandemic challenges, and now he’s taking those lessons forward to better serve the Helena Valley.
Lindsay Rucinsky, a family medicine nurse practitioner, said caring for the community is an honor.
“I want to serve my community at the level in which I would hope to have in return,” she said.
Oncologist Dr. Carolyn Aks brings experience in oncology, hematology, and internal medicine. She, like many people, has lost loved ones to cancer, which helps her understand patients and their families.
The center will have providers based in Helena and traveling from Great Falls.
