Northern Montana baby shower connects families with local support resources

Northern Montana Health Care turned its third annual Community Baby Shower into a one-stop stop for expectant parents and young families at Havre’s Holiday Village Mall on April 24, pairing raffles and free gifts with something many rural families struggle to find: a clear path to help.

The free event brought together local, regional and statewide providers so parents could ask questions, learn what exists in the community, and leave with names and next steps. Shelbee Fritchman, RN, primarily organized the shower, and NMHC staff members Destiny Shelstad, RN, Lydia Zilkoski, LCPC, and Jessica Abbott, CMA were on hand to explain services and connect visitors to the right programs.

For families in northern Montana, that kind of navigation matters. Havre’s population was estimated at 9,204 in 2024, and 8.1% of residents under age 65 lacked health insurance in the 2020-2024 period. Montana’s low birth weight rate reached 77.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023, and March of Dimes reported 1,066 preterm births in the state in 2024, a preterm birth rate of 9.4%. Against that backdrop, an event that makes support visible can close real gaps before and after delivery.

The event also showed how broad the needs of new parents can be. NMHC promoted its upgraded patient portal, MyHealth, with Patty Nault and Patsy Divish, RN, helping families understand how to use patient texts, appointment scheduling, appointment information and provider messaging. Judy Solomon, who retired after 43 years at NMHC, attended to recruit volunteers and volunteens for the hospital.

Several outside partners extended the event beyond routine maternity information. Rocky Boy Health Services was represented by Sandra Friede, RN, and Sunny Whiteman-Grant, CNM, who discussed services available through Rocky Boy. Stephany Perry and Candace Mestes came from Great Falls to explain Benchmark Human Services’ Montana Milestones program, which helps diagnose developmental delays or disabilities and supports children in reaching milestones.

Attendees said the outreach made a difference. Grant Leakey said his family learned about services they had not previously been aware of and would probably use some of them, calling the event “very handy.” Julia Hicks, who attended with Allen, 5, and Donovan, 1, said it was “really nice” and said she was likely to use some of the information provided. Katie Kimberling said many people do not know about some of the services represented at the baby shower, and Shelstad said, “We really want everybody to know all the resources available.”

By the end of the afternoon, the baby shower looked less like a social stop and more like a rural access point, linking parents to care, technology, counseling, pediatric support and community contacts in a single place.