Seattle Children’s Pediatric Cardiology of Montana

What is Seattle Children’s Pediatric Cardiology of Montana?

Seattle Children's Pediatric Cardiology of Montana provides the highest-quality heart care to Montana's children and young adults. Our two clinics are in Great Falls and Bozeman (in collaboration with Bozeman Health). We also offer outreach clinics in Helena and Havre.

Our providers live in Montana and are part of Seattle Children's Heart Center, the most comprehensive pediatric heart care service in the Northwest. This means your child has access to all of Seattle Children's services, from fetal diagnosis to heart surgery to cardiac care for young adults.

We believe that Pediatric Cardiology of Montana and referring community providers are partners in the care of Montana's youth.

Why choose Pediatric Cardiology of Montana?

• Part of a large team — As part of Seattle Children's Heart Center, we provide the most comprehensive pediatric heart care service in the Northwest. This means your child has direct and coordinated access to all of Seattle Children's services, including fetal diagnosis and treatment, heart surgery, cardiac catheterization and interventions, electrophysiology testing and procedures, cardiac MRI, heart failure program, heart care for young adults and more.
• Full spectrum of cardiology care — Our experts provide diagnosis and care for all types of heart problems seen before birth and in babies, children, teens and young adults. We will work closely with you and your child's referring provider to create a treatment plan that meets your child's needs.
• Experience and depth of care — We have the most experienced pediatric cardiology team in Montana. All our heart doctors (cardiologists) are board certified in pediatrics and trained to meet the specific needs of children and teens. Our cardiologists collaborate to bring their individual expertise to the care of our patients. Learn more about our team's experience.
• Clear communication — We work with you and your primary care provider to make a treatment plan for your child's needs. We discuss your children's condition and treatment options in ways you can understand.
• Easy access — We can see most new patients within 7 days. We hold urgent slots for patients who need to be seen right away. For the most complex needs, we can quickly involve providers on the Heart Center team in Seattle. 
• National collaboration — Our cardiologists have experience and connections working with providers from some of the top heart centers in the country. This allows for a smooth transition of care for patients moving to Montana from other parts of the country.
• We offer fetal echocardiograms, a specialized ultrasound that uses sound waves to make pictures of a developing baby's heart. Usually, we do a fetal echocardiogram 18 to 22 weeks into the pregnancy. We offer fetal echocardiogram as early as 14 weeks in some cases.
• Seattle Children's Pediatric Cardiology of Montana is accredited through the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in both transthoracic and fetal echocardiography.

What services does Pediatric Cardiology of Montana provide?

We provide general heart care services and consultation for fetuses, infants, children and young adults. We work with your primary care provider to accurately review signs or symptoms of possible heart conditions, such as:

• Heart murmurs
• Fainting (syncope)
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Irregular heartbeats or rhythms
• Fast heartbeats (tachycardia)
• Shortness of breath

We evaluate and help care for patients with common to complex heart problems. Learn more about the conditions we treat.

We do a variety of tests, as ordered by your primary care provider or one of our cardiologists, to see if your child has possible heart disease, including:

• Echocardiograms (heart ultrasounds), including fetal echocardiograms
• Electrocardiograms (ECGs or EKGs)
• Noninvasive longer-term remote heart monitoring (including 24- to 48-hour Holter monitors, up to 14-day patch monitors and up to 30-day event monitors)
• Evaluation, monitoring and treatment for rhythm disturbances (at our Great Falls location)
• Pacemaker evaluation (at our Great Falls location)

If needed, your child will have access to the complete range of heart services through Seattle Children's Heart Center.

Scheduling an Appointment With Pediatric Cardiology of Montana

• If you would like a referral to Pediatric Cardiology of Montana, talk to your child’s primary care provider. Having a referral will make insurance authorization easier for you, and it will make it easier for us to coordinate with your doctor.
• We will typically call you to schedule your appointment 1 or 2 business days after your primary care provider sends us your referral.
• If you have not heard from us within 2 business days, call our Great Falls, Helena and Havre locations at 406-771-3223 or our Bozeman location at 406-414-4570 to schedule an appointment.

Prepare for Your Visit

• Important things to do before the appointment
• • Learn about Seattle Children’s facility charges (which apply at our Bozeman location but not Great Falls or Helena), your bill and Seattle Children’s financial counseling services and financial assistance program. For a cost estimate, call Seattle Children’s at 206-987-3333.
  • Call your insurance company for coverage questions. Your plan may have a preferred provider list.
  • If your plan requires a referral from your primary care provider, have them fax it to our Great Falls location at 406-452-5262 or Bozeman location at 406-414-4595. Make sure we receive the insurance referral at least 4 days before your visit, or we may need to cancel or reschedule. You can also call Seattle Children’s Insurance Processing Department at 206-987-5757 for help.
  • Get any needed legal papers. Birth or adoptive parents do not need to bring a birth certificate or any other legal papers. If you are a legal guardian, we will need to see the legal papers that say so. If you are the parent but do not have legal custody, we will need to see the legal papers that allow you to make healthcare decisions for your child.
  • Arrange childcare for siblings. The length and nature of your visit may make it difficult for young children to attend. If children attend, we recommend bringing another adult to supervise.
  • If you are coming from out of town and need help finding a place to stay or transportation, let us know — we can help you. 
  • Let us know about cultural beliefs , language or unique needs that may affect your child’s treatment and care. We offer free interpretersfor Deaf and hard-of-hearing, and non-English languages. We should have arranged them when you scheduled.
  • Check for illness. If your child has a new rash, fever or has been exposed to chickenpox in the last 3 weeks, call us as soon as possible at our Great Falls location at 406-771-3223or our Bozeman location at 406-414-4570.
• Paperwork, insurance card and other things to remember the day of the appointment
  • Allow 5 to 10 minutes for parking and check-in. Visits usually take 1.5 to 2 hours.
  • Bring the patient’s insurance card; Social Security number; any needed legal papers (for a legal guardian or a parent who does not have legal custody); a list of medicines your child is taking (include vitamins and herbs); any test results or X-rays that may help with this visit; and play and comfort items for your child, like favorite books, games, toys or music (with headphones). You may also want to bring snacks and a change of clothes.
• Suggested questions to ask your child’s doctor
• How to prepare for care at home

Telemedicine at Seattle Children’s

You may be offered a telehealth (virtual) appointment. Learn more.

Billing Questions

Seattle Children’s bills a facility charge (PDF) for hospital-based clinic visits. Learn more about your bill.

Paying for Care

Learn about paying for care at Pediatric Cardiology of Montana, including insurance coverage, billing and financial assistance.

Refer a Patient

• If you are a provider, fax a New Appointment Request Form (NARF) (PDF) (DOC) to 406-452-5262.
• No pre-referral work-up is required for most conditions. If you have already done testing such as an EKG, Holter monitor or echocardiogram, please fax this information as well as relevant clinic notes and the NARF to 406-452-5262 for Great Falls, Helena and Havre, or fax 406-452-5262 for Bozeman.
• Your patient will be seen as quickly as possible by the provider who is the best match for managing the current problem.
• View our complete Heart Center referral information.