A years-long endeavor by Greater Valley Health Center has finally come to fruition with the opening of its new clinic in south Kalispell.  

The center’s services had been spread out among three buildings — the clinic in one, behavioral health in one and billing in another — but are now in one shared space.  

“Our first priority was to get everybody under the same roof. Then we wanted to allow for an opportunity for some future growth, which is really what we set up here,” said Mary Sterhan, Greater Valley's outgoing chief executive officer. She’s retiring at the end of the year.  

Sitting in her new office that overlooks the renovated reception area, Sterhan had one word to describe the move and the Greater Valley team: proud.  

What began as the Flathead Community Health Center in 2007 has provided family health care, including medical, dental and behavioral health services. The mission is simple, Sterhan said, to provide exceptional patient-centered care regardless of the ability to pay. 

The health center operated under the umbrella of the Flathead City-County Health Department until 2021, when the center became an independent nonprofit, eventually rebranding as Greater Valley Health Center.  

From that point on, a period of exciting advancements began, Sterhan said. 

Greater Valley purchased Sykes Pharmacy, increased its number of therapists from two to 15, purchased a clinic in Evergreen and grew its budget from $5 million to $26 million. 

“We began to just grow after separating from the county, so we rapidly outgrew our space,” Sterhan said. “Pretty soon we had behavioral health down the block. We had issues where we wanted to expand but we just didn’t have the space.”   

Greater Valley served 7,850 patients last year.  

The new facility is 33,000 square feet. The number of exam rooms has increased from 15 to 24 in the new location.  

Greater Valley purchased the building in August 2023. Built 40 years ago, the space was originally a U.S. Forest Service building before being converted into office space and later acquired by Greater Valley. While increased space was the driving factor in the move, the location of the building at 1935 Third Avenue East was also key.  

“We knew we needed to raise the visibility of Greater Valley in the community,” Sterhan said.  

It’s integrated care, Sterhan said, helping create a healthy community with access to health care for those who don’t have insurance or are underserved. The move helps make Greater Valley more of a one-stop-shop for medical, dental and behavioral health care. 

“There’s lots of primary care clinics, but the advantage that we have is really trying to build all those services around the patient and meet them where they’re at and recognize, you know, that sometimes even their medical care isn’t their primary concern,” Sterhan said.  

The project was financed by Glacier Bank. The bank strives to support businesses like Greater Valley, according to Ryan Walsh, a commercial lender and assistant vice president with Glacier Bank. 

“Those who give back, we like to give back ourselves,” Walsh said. “We are excited to work with them and continue this relationship. We’re excited for the new building, and we’re excited to help them continue to get their name out there.”  

Sterhan is looking forward to next year’s launch of a patient navigator program, noting increased difficulty in applying for Medicaid since the passage of the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which includes over $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid over the next decade. Navigators will help patients apply to Medicaid, navigate forms and connect with resources.  

It’s a great thing to have watched the journey from beginning to completion of the new building, Sterhan said. She started with Greater Valley in 2019, overseeing six years of change and growth.  

The medical office at Greater Valley Health Center is open on Mondays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The dental office is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and behavioral health is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

The new clinic space is located at 1935 Third Ave. East in Kalispell. 

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected]. 

    Greater Valley Health Center at 1935 3rd Ave East in Kalispell on Friday, Oct. 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Mary Sterhan, chief executive officer of Greater Valley Health Center, is retiring at the end of 2025. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake)