Flathead District Judge Heidi Ulbricht, hospitalized with a rare autoimmune disease, has improved to stable condition.

On Thursday afternoon, Kalispell Regional Medical Center spokesman Jim Oliverson shared the happy news that Ulbricht has been improving throughout her stay and has been moved from the intensive care unit to the medical floor.

“We’re real delighted,” Oliverson said. “We love to hear that — ‘stable.’”

During Ulbricht’s absence from the courtroom, her cases are being handled by her fellow district judges as well as retired judges called in by the Montana Supreme Court, according to District Court Administrator Marcy Hall.

“Between the judges that are here and the judges that the Supreme Court has called in, they’re covering it, just awaiting her return to work,” Hall said.

She said Ulbricht has been in touch with the court during her hospital stay.

A prior news release from Ulbricht’s family indicated the judge also had inflammation in her lungs and was being treated with a combination of medications and other “aggressive therapies” to force the disease into remission and reduce inflammation.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at [email protected].