MISSOULA, MT, August 24, 2026 — As western Montana grows, the need for fast, advanced cardiac care is becoming increasingly urgent. Providence St. Patrick Hospital is grateful to announce a generous grant of nearly $1.2 million from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to help create a state-of-the-art hybrid operating suite within Providence Heart Institute.
The investment comes at a critical time. Demand for complex cardiac procedures continues to be on the rise, creating access challenges for patients facing life-threatening heart conditions. The new hybrid operating suite will bring advanced surgical and catheter-based capabilities together in one highly specialized space, allowing care teams to perform complex procedures more efficiently and respond more quickly when every minute matters.
“This hybrid suite will dramatically speed up emergency response times in situations when each second counts,” said Walter Panzirer, Trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “The Helmsley Charitable Trust is excited to help Providence St. Patrick Hospital provide rapid advanced cardiac treatment to patients across western Montana.”
Located steps from cardiac ICU beds and specialized recovery teams, the hybrid suite will reduce the need to transport critically ill patients between floors for emergent surgical intervention. This integrated environment is designed to improve safety, strengthen workflow, expand procedural capacity, and help ensure patients can receive complex, lifesaving treatment close to home.
“We are deeply grateful to the Helmsley Charitable Trust for investing in the health of Montana families in such a meaningful way,” said Stephanie Goble, chief philanthropy officer for Providence Montana Health Foundation. “This gift will help us move with urgency to meet a growing need, ensure we continue to say yes to referred patients from partnering hospitals and expand advanced cardiac care. This inspirational investment gives more rural patients the chance to receive lifesaving treatment close to home, surrounded by the people and communities they love.”
The hybrid operating suite is part of a broader two-phase expansion of the heart institute. Once complete, the project will help St. Pat’s serve an additional 1,000 patients annually, decompress the ICU and Emergency Department and strengthen the hospital’s No Diversion Program, which supports reliable transfers for emergent patients from rural and critical access hospitals.
“Thanks to the generosity of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, St. Pat’s is better equipped to respond to urgent cardiac needs today while building a stronger future for heart care across western Montana. This gift reflects a shared commitment to bringing high-quality, timely and compassionate care closer to home for the patients and families who need it most.” Providence Montana Chief Executive, Krissy Petersen
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About Providence Montana
Providence has a long tradition of caring for Montana residents since the Sisters of Providence arrived in 1864. Providence Montana is one of Montana’s largest health networks including Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson, over forty statewide clinics and 3,000 employees. St. Patrick Hospital is Western Montana’s regional state-of-the-art medical care center, operating the area’s only Level II Trauma Center and centers of excellence for cardiac and stroke programs. St. Pat’s provides general acute inpatient services, surgical specialties such as cardiac and orthopedics, cancer treatment, and neurosciences services. St. Joseph Medical Center is a Critical Access Hospital.
