BOZEMAN, Mont. — The city of Bozeman welcomed its first baby of 2026 on New Year’s Day at Bozeman Deaconess Regional Medical Center.
Parents Dana Zurchin and Chance Collins celebrated the arrival of their daughter, Annie Lark Zurchin, who was born at 11:07 a.m. on January 1st.
Annie weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces and measured just over 21 inches long.
Katy Osterloth, the Women’s and Children’s Nurse Coordinator at the medical center, shared her joy in witnessing such significant moments.
"The first baby of the year is always a hopeful time," Osterloth said. "For years, I mean almost like 25 years, I’ve been sometimes involved in the new year’s baby coverage. One of our physicians and I used to do New Years together a lot, we both signed up purposefully to work New Years. It’s a really fun way to start the year."
Osterloth emphasized the importance of being part of such personal moments.
"It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of somebody’s birth," she said. "It’s a deeply personal moment, and a moment that most women don’t forget. It’s one of the roles in our lives that can have a really deep and meaningful impact and knowing that we can make a difference in that person’s experience is really really key."
The hospital has reported a substantial increase in births, with 144 births in July alone.
Since 2025, Bozeman Deaconess Regional Medical Center has assisted in more than 1,400 births. Those numbers continue to climb from a year in 2024 that saw the hospital exceed 1,300 births for the first time.
The arrival of the first baby of the year marks a promising start for the hospital and the community of Bozeman.