GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Montana's population is aging rapidly, and a new facility in Great Falls aims to help residents navigate those years with better health and independence.
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Benefis Health System is opening the Goodnow Healthy Aging Center, a 15,000-square-foot outpatient clinic designed to take a proactive approach to senior health care. State estimates project that by 2030, a quarter of Montana's population will be 65 or older, placing the state among the six oldest in the nation.
John Goodnow, CEO of Benefis Health System, said the center is built around one of the most common concerns among older adults.
"If you talk to elderly people, one of the greatest fears is that they're going to end up in a nursing home or even in assisted living. And the best way to prevent that is to stay healthy, keep your mobility so you can remain independent," Goodnow said.
The center features offices for patients to visit with geriatricians, an indoor/outdoor physical therapy space, pharmacy consultation, space for specialists and an innovative meal program aimed at improving nutrition.
Kaci Husted, senior vice president at Benefis Health System, said the pharmacy component addresses a common challenge for aging patients.
"A lot of folks, as they age, end up being on multiple different prescription medications, and it's not always necessarily the best thing or the right answer for them," Husted said. "So having that resource in the building will be a great option for folks as well to have medications reviewed to partner with the providers in the building to see what the best answer for any given patient might be."
The nutrition program is anchored by an on-site dietitian and a meal service offering take-and-bake meals and meal kits.
"We'll have a dietitian based in this building who can help with kind of training and adaptations to diet based on different needs a person might have. There will also be a meal service in the building where you can buy, take and bake meals or even meal kits," Husted said.
Husted says the building also offers an education space.
"We're very much looking forward to hosting different types of education sessions in here, as well as maybe partnering with some community groups to offer some different types of education that we maybe, haven't done in the past," said Husted.
Beyond the medical services, the center was intentionally designed to feel welcoming rather than clinical.
"It feels more like a living room or an inviting space, kind of like a lodge feel rather than your typical clinic," Husted said.
Goodnow echoed that sentiment after seeing the finished space.
"I tell you, when you walk in here to this central area, it knocked my socks off the first time I saw it," Goodnow said.
Funding for the center was supported largely by Benefis Foundation donors, who contributed more than $2.5 million toward its construction. Goodnow said the center represents a shift in how health care can be delivered.
"Most health systems are really focused on what's called sick care, taking care of people once they're already ill or broken and trying to fix them. This is a little different because this is trying to avoid you ever getting to that point," Goodnow said.
The center held an open house and ribbon cutting on Tuesday, and Benefis employees received tours earlier in the day. It opens to the general public on Oct. 5.
