KALISPELL - A Missoula child was recently flown to Logan Health in Kalispell as she battled a severe case of the flu.
What made her journey successful was the collective effort of hospitals from Missoula to the Flathead.
Logan Health is doing everything it can to make sure every child in Montana receives the care they need.
“I think all hospitals in the state that take care of pediatric patients are fairly strained right now so it’s kind of a minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour decision. Are we able to take these patients?” Logan Health pediatric physician Dr. Tim Stidham said. “And I think our staff has done a great job of figuring out ways to be flexible and to accommodate and to take care of patients across the state.”
Dr. Stidham says RSV is causing the most severe illness among young children at Logan Health Children’s Hospital, but he says that could change quickly in the coming weeks.
“We may see a situation where RSV starts to come down and then we see flu and COVID take its place or any of the other 20 to 30 different respiratory viruses that can cause the exact same type of illness as RSV come into play, hopefully, that’s not the case but certainly that is a concern moving forward.”
Dr. Stidham says simple measures like washing your hands frequently and staying home if you’re feeling sick can go a long way in stopping the spread of these viruses.
