Providence Montana will open the Southgate Health Center in Missoula on Jan. 26, 2026. This mid-town location, convenient for South Missoula and Bitterroot residents, is located at 3017 Paxson Street, the former Bed Bath & Beyond Southgate Mall location.
The Providence Southgate Health Center houses a new urgent care clinic, a primary care clinic accepting new patients, and a Providence Heart Institute general cardiology clinic for established patients.
The $18 million facility and expanded services was designed to help meet the growing population and expand access for the community need in Western Montana.
Laura Shelton, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Providence Montana Medical Group, says, “As a primary care provider, the opening of this new clinic in our community is important for those who have limited access to primary care services. Access to high-quality primary care plays a crucial role in preventing illness, managing chronic diseases, and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations.”
"We saw that the populations in Missoula South and Bitterroot Valley had limited access to care. Providence needed to provide care where patients could go in a centrally located clinic,” says William J. (Bill) Calhoun, Chief Executive of Providence Montana. "We are proud to open this new clinic, which will provide our community with greater access to high-quality care, close to home.”
If patients need urgent same-day care, routine wellness exams the Southgate Health Center can support patients with exceptional medical care. Board-certified providers offer leading-edge treatments and work with patients to find their personalized care plans.
The Western Montana/Missoula and Bitterroot communities have had a shortage of primary care providers to serve patients for many years. As the population increases in these areas, patient access has been limited and patients have had to wait months for appointments or forgo accessing health care altogether. Providers at Providence Primary Care – Southgate can treat patients of all ages, for varying concerns and needs, such as annual wellness or physical exams, diabetes management, and dermatological conditions. When fully staffed, Southgate Primary Clinic will have 7 primary care providers to serve over 12,000 patients.
The urgent care clinic increases access for patients who have an illness or injury but can’t wait for a primary care appointment and do not need to go to the Emergency Room; it provides a middle ground between primary care and emergency departments. Urgent care clinics manage up to 30% of non-urgent cases that would otherwise go to the emergency room. Urgent care reaches vulnerable populations, a critical safety net for those without insurance or regular primary care doctors. At Providence Urgent Care – Southgate highly trained board-certified providers take care of health care needs for minor illnesses or injury such as asthma and allergic reactions, broken bones, testing for COVID-19, flu, mononucleosis, and strep throat.
Relocating the existing cardiology clinic to the Southgate Health Center allows established cardiac patients a more convenient option, centrally located. Cardiac specialists at Providence Heart Institute – Southgate can treat challenges such as atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and hypertension. The Providence Heart Institute provides cardiology consultations and follow-up services right in Southgate, helping patients access the advanced cardiac care that they need. All the services provided at the Heart Institute at Providence St. Patrick Hospital are available to established patients. Patients who would like to see a cardiac specialist need to be referred by a primary care provider.
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