Missoula Hospitals Partner for New Inpatient Rehab Center

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Missoula’s two hospitals, Community Medical Center and Providence St. Patrick Hospital are developing a joint venture partnership to both build and operate a new inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Missoula.

I spoke on Thursday with Amy Minton, Program Director of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital currently located within Community Medical Center about the project.

Community and St. Pat's to Team Up for New Rehab Center

“We are so excited about the announcement today of Community Medical Center and Providence St Patrick Hospital announcing their intention to develop a joint venture partnership that will build and operate a new Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital in Missoula as a freestanding facility,” began Minton. “We are so excited to be able to announce that to the community.”

Minton described the current smaller rehab facility now operating in Missoula.

“We currently have our inpatient rehab that is in Community (Medical Center),” she said. “It's a 10-bed hospital. We will be absorbed, if you will, when this takes place, so it will serve all the community, and be a bigger presence, serving, obviously, both hospitals, but then the bigger state of Montana.”

Minton provided more details about the ambitious project.

The New Facility Will Serve Western Montana and the Entire Region

“Our team here at Community (Medical Center) will move over to the new facility, and then Providence (St. Patrick Hospital) will be providing supplemental services and administrative support. We'll also be receiving some administrative support from our parent company, Lifepoint Health.”

Megan Condra, Public Information Officer with Community Medical Center described the plans for the new rehab facility.

“The facility will be probably around 45,000 square feet, and we'll have around 40 beds,” she said. “As far as construction goes, we don't even have a location yet, so we still need to figure out timelines. But we're estimating the hospital will be open to patients probably in late 2026 or early 2027.”

The Rehab Center Hopes to Open in Late 2026 or Early 2027

According to a press release, “The new rehabilitation hospital will provide intensive nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy services for adults recovering from conditions such as stroke, neurological disease, brain or spinal cord injury, and other debilitating illnesses or injuries. Through investment in leading-edge technology, adaptive units, multidisciplinary therapy gymnasiums and more, the partners will be able to provide highly specialized care that meets each patient’s unique needs.”

It will be the first free-standing rehabilitation hospital to be located in Missoula.