We offer primary care services which include the ability to set up a preventative care schedule that is customized to you. Preventative services include screenings for cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, and many others. We can diagnose and treat a variety of acute and chronic health conditions across the lifespan. Primary care allows for comprehensive health management from a single provider who knows and understands you best. The following link lists the various suggested preventive health screenings by age and gender:

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We are able to perform your child's annual "well child" visits and sports physicals. We are able to treat your child's acute and chronic conditions and place referrals as necessary to specialty care. For information on the recommended wellness visit frequency for children, please visit the following site: READ MORE

We know that you can't always plan for the unexpected visit to your healthcare provider for acute conditions such as Urinary Tract Infections (UTI), sore throat, cold, and flu. We do offer treatment for these conditions and often can fit you in within 48 hours. The following site offers educational information on the most common acute illnesses that can occur and whether antibiotics are indicated for them.

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Here at Serenity Health, we are able to provide and manage any referrals necessary for you and your family. A referral, in the most basic sense, is a written order from your primary care provider to see a specialist for a specific medical service. Formal referrals are required by most health insurance companies to ensure that patients are being matched with the correct provider for the condition to be treated. While this may seem to some like an extra, unnecessary step, failure to obtain the necessary referral before seeing a specialist can result in coverage not being applied to a visit or service, and costs being passed on directly to the patient.

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The referral process is complex, requiring actions from a variety of entities. Because of this, it’s helpful to understand the considerations and steps that take place after your provider has decided that you would benefit from the expertise of a specialist. Even if you are one of the fortunate ones who has an insurance plan that does not require authorization for specialty care, many specialists will not accept a consultation without access to your records. These include visit notes, lab and x-ray results. In general, the longer you have had a problem and the more in-depth the workup is, then the longer it can take to collect the data the specialist requires. This is important because you want your appointment with a specialist to be as productive as possible and not repeat tests that have already been done. It is not uncommon for a specialist to review the case and ask for further tests to be done prior to the consultation. Unfortunately, these very tests may require authorization from your insurer before performing. 

Here at Serenity, we are able to collect your specimens for lab testing. This may be in the form of saliva, urine, blood, or stool. We are able to send your labs to a variety of locations per your request including Bitterroot Health Lab here at the Hamilton-based hospital, Access Medical, LabCorp and Quest. Labs are collected by appointment only and only for Serenity Health patients. Labs are billed to your insurance by the lab performing the tests and special self-pay discount pricing may be available for qualified individuals through Quest or LabCorp. There are also several local entities that can perform your lab draw services at discounted fees. Community Medical Center out of Missoula, MT offers many lab based services without the order of your healthcare provider, though it is highly recommended you share all of your results with them for safe, efficient, continuity of care. Their brochure as follows: READ MORE

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Serenity Health is actively engaging with CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) to obtain approval on the provision of in-office lab services such as flu swabs, urinalysis for UTI management, strep throat swabbing, etc. CMS regulates all laboratory testing (except research) performed on humans in the U.S. through the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). CLIA establishes quality standards for all laboratory testing to ensure accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of patient results regardless of where the test was performed. A laboratory is defined as any facility which performs laboratory testing on specimens derived from humans for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment of disease, or impairment of, or assessment of health. Once the approval is cleared and equipment obtained, we will update you on which in-office lab services are available to you. We anticipate availability by January 1, 2023.

Katie Herczeg is a board-certified family nurse practitioner and thus does not have advanced certifications in behavioral, psychiatric, or mental health services. However, family nurse practitioners (FNP) are known for their holistic approach to wellness. In addition to caring for a patient's physical health, there is much to be said for the positive impact of psycho-social and mental health care by FNPs. As primary care providers, family nurse practitioners can be part of screening, diagnosing, and helping to create management plans that holistically approach a patient’s mental health.

As the initial point of contact for many people, family nurse practitioners may be the first health care providers to recognize mental health needs in their patients. FNPs can diagnose and treat common mental illnesses, provide preventative mental health care, screen for disorders, and collaborate with other providers on the best care plan for each patient. We offer referrals to therapists and psychiatric trained providers. 

Additionally, Katie Herczeg is an emotionally focused therapy (EFT) INFORMED practitioner that pursues continuing education in both mental health management as well as EFT. She utilizes the principles of EFT in her holistic and interactive approach with patients and their families.

For more information about EFT please click the following: READ MORE

At Serenity Health, we have experience in assessing for a variety of sleep disorders. A comprehensive history of sleep patterns, medical history, and symptoms are assessed along with a physical exam to determine what issues may be affecting your sleep quality. We are able to order testing that helps in the development of an accurate diagnosis of conditions such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy. We can complete your annual sleep assessments required to maintain insurance payments for your CPAP supplies.