Missoula hospital earns first-of-its-kind newborn care honor

Missoula, Mont. — Community Medical Center said it became the first hospital in the country to receive a Level III with surgery NICU designation from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Hospital representatives said the recognition also made Community Medical Center the only hospital in Montana with any neonatal designation from the academy.

The hospital said the designation recognized its neonatal care for premature and critically ill newborns. Community Medical Center said it operated 32 NICU rooms and had neonatology providers available around the clock for babies across the region.

Isaiah Ruiz traveled to the facility in Missoula to ask how the designation will affect families across Montana.

Olivia Jagelski, the NICU manager, said the new designation means more care can stay close to home for families in western Montana.

“To be a level three Nikki with surgery means that we can take care of babies down to the edge of viability. So 2324 weeks and beyond. And that if any of those babies need, surgery that we can provide that right here in Missoula without having to ship them out to a larger center in a bigger city,” said Olivia Jagelski.

Community Medical Center also said it used flight teams during bad weather and for long-distance trips to reach smaller hospitals.

“Our Nikki, who takes care of babies right here in Missoula, but also, western Montana and even parts of Idaho. We have a flight team that goes out, nurses that fly out to smaller hospitals and pick up sick babies, bring them back to our hospital so that we can take care of them here, and then send them back to their communities once they're big and strong,” said Olivia Jagelski.

Hospital representatives said the designation gave Montana families access to high-level newborn care throughout the year at the Missoula facility.