NMHC Respiratory Services

Respiratory Services

At Northern Montana Health Care, we understand how essential healthy lungs are to your quality of life. Our Respiratory Services Department is dedicated to helping patients of all ages manage respiratory conditions, recover from illness, and maintain long-term lung health.

Priscilla Driscoll

Director of Respiratory Service

(406) 262-1357

Respiratory Therapy

Staffed 24/7 by highly skilled Respiratory Therapists, our department provides diagnostic testing, education, and therapeutic care for both inpatients and outpatients across the Hi-Line region. Our respiratory care team assists patients living with acute and chronic conditions such as:

  • Asthma
  • Bronchiectasis
  • Bronchitis
  • Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD)
  • COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Emphysema
  • Influenza
  • Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)
  • Lung cancer
  • Pneumonia
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
  • Pulmonary hypertension
  • Pulmonary vascular diseases
  • Respiratory distress
  • Respiratory failure
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
  • Restrictive Lung Disease (RLD)
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Sleep-related breathing disorders
  • Tuberculosis (TB)

We also provide critical care support, including the management of mechanical ventilation for patients in our ICU and the management of Bubble CPAP for infants in our hospital nursery.

Our team uses state-of-the-art technology to assess and treat respiratory and sleep-related concerns, including:

  • Pulmonary Function Testing (PFTs): Measures lung capacity and function to help diagnose and monitor lung diseases.
  • Cardiac Stress Testing: Evaluates how your heart responds to physical exertion, often in coordination with other cardiac services.
  • Electroencephalograms (EEGs): Records brain wave activity to help diagnose conditions affecting the nervous system.
  • Respiratory Therapy in Surgical Day Care: Provides assessment, medication delivery, and post-anesthesia respiratory support.
  • Patient Education: Offers guidance on heart and lung disease management, lifestyle changes, and proper use of respiratory medications.
  • Sleep Study Testing: A comprehensive overnight study that monitors breathing patterns, oxygen levels, brain activity, and more to diagnose sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.
    Our respiratory therapists work closely with your provider to interpret results and recommend treatment options that can help you sleep and breathe better.

Hi-Line Sleep Disorders Center

Sleep issues can negatively impact your life! A sleep disorder can affect your overall health and your safety. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, you're not alone. There are millions who suffer from a sleep disorder. Anyone can have an occasional poor night's sleep. However, it's important to talk with your doctor or other healthcare professional if you regularly have trouble getting enough sleep. If any of these symptoms are affecting your quality of sleep and quality of life, let Hi-Line Sleep Disorders Center at Northern Montana Health Care help you!

  • Activities during sleep that are not usual (sleep talking, sleepwalking, sleep eating, bed wetting)
  • Anxiety
  • Change in mood
  • Decreased ability to concentrate and complete tasks
  • Depression
  • Disorientation
  • Drowsy driving
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Falling asleep during the day/frequently taking naps
  • Feeling an urge to move that is not comfortable while trying to sleep: legs or arms may feel crawly or tingly
  • Irregular breathing: snoring, gasping, choking, pausing during breathing
  • Irritability
  • Loss of memory
  • Morning headaches
  • Moving too much during sleep: arm and leg movements or teeth grinding
  • Sleepiness at work or school

Untreated sleep disorders causing a chronic lack of sleep are linked with serious medical complications. These can include heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Sleep disorders can also affect mental health. Ongoing insomnia can raise the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Excessive daytime sleepiness can make it difficult to focus and pay attention. This can impact driving safety, workplace errors, and how well you do in school.

Hi-Line Sleep Disorders Center offers a full range of sleep services to evaluate, diagnose, treat, and help you manage your sleep disorder. We are accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), and our sleep doctor is board-certified in sleep medicine. The sleep lab has two bedrooms, and we perform adult and pediatric sleep studies.

Testing usually involves spending the night at our sleep lab where an experienced sleep technologist monitors and records brain waves, muscle activity, breathing, and heart rhythms while you sleep. You might also be able to take one of our portable sleep monitors home and do your sleep study in the comfort of your own bed. Our board-certified sleep doctor then interprets the study results.

Once a sleep disorder has been diagnosed, you can get the treatment and sleep you need!

Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider today regarding your sleep disorder symptoms. Your doctor or provider will send us the order for a sleep study, and we will contact you and schedule your appointment.

Contact Us

To schedule an appointment, please call us at (406) 262-1357.

We are located at the Northern Montana Hospital, 30 13th St, Havre, MT 59501

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