The ongoing modernization of the North Tower on Benefis Health System’s East Campus will change access to the hospital for some visitors.
The renovation project will close the North Tower lobby on Monday, Nov. 10, which means the best access will be via the South Tower (Entrance 2) for Surgery Reception and Waiting, Laboratory, and North Tower patient rooms.
The Emergency Department access will remain the same. Access to the Native American Welcoming Center will be through the external door near the center.
The North Tower entrance is expected to be closed until June 2026. The entire project is slated to wrap up in May 2027.
The project began with refacing the North Tower to replace the historic, but crumbling façade and upgrade windows. That work is ongoing, but already, visitors will notice a significant change.
The North Tower opened in 1965 as Montana Deaconess Hospital, built for a cost of $4.3 million. When it opened, hospital leaders heralded “an intensive care unit said to be the only one of its kind” with 24-hour monitoring of vital signs with electrical devices and round-the-clock nursing. Previously, patients had to hire a private duty nurse at extra expense to have that level of care. Another innovation was the “crash cart,” now a standard for rapid responses. Some criticized the project as “too lavish” with its modern décor and equipment, but the hospital was built for nearly 30% less per patient bed than the average at the time.
The North Tower is older than the first vaccines for mumps and rubella (1966-1967); the identification of Lyme disease (1975); the first insulin pumps for diabetes (1979); and the commercial use of CT and MRI scanners (1971, 1980).
Even as Benefis has expanded, the historic section has remained important for patient care but requires modernization to remain viable.
Benefis will post more information on Facebook and Instagram, as well as at Benefis.org/ConstructionUpdates.
By Kristen Inbody, Benefis Health System: November 5, 2025 – Great Falls, Mt
Author: Staff
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