Montana AHEC Regions |
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Greetings!
Welcome to the Fall 2011 issue of Rural Health Delivery, an update on the programs and activities of the Montana AHEC (Area Health Education Center) system and the Montana Office of Rural Health. Together, these organizations are working to address the healthcare workforce needs of the state and improve the health of all Montanans. Your support, interest, and involvement in this work is greatly appreciated! |
| Program Office Update - MSU Bozeman
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 | Montana Rural Health Initiative's Incubator Program
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The mission of the Montana Rural Health Initiative (RHI) is to engage partners to share ideas and expertise and support communities in improving health. One way this is accomplished is by strengthening local efforts through the Incubator Program, which is designed to hatch and grow health and wellness initiatives in rural Montana. The Incubator provides mini-grants and technical assistance in four focus areas: community gardens/youth nutrition, trails/walking, health fairs, and worksite wellness. In a very successful third round, over $11,000 was distributed to fifteen different programs across the state including:
- Healthy Tribal Community Days - Crow Agency, Big Horn County
- Big Horn County Fitness Olympics - Hardin, Big Horn County
- Gardening with Kids - Kalispell, Flathead County
- Parkhaven Retirement Community Organic Gardens - Manhattan, Gallatin County
- Cut Bank Walking and Rolling to Better Fitness - Cut Bank, Glacier County
- Open Gym - Havre, Hill County
- Small Steps to Health and Wealth - Ronan, Lake County
- Ready, Set, Move! Fall Fitness Fair - Superior, Mineral County
- Eden Gardens - Conrad, Pondera County
- Bitterroot Baby Bags - Hamilton, Ravalli County
- Community Garden - Stevensville, Ravalli County
- Sanders County Backpack Program - Thompson Falls, Sanders County
- CSFI Garden and Orchard - Noxon, Sanders County
- Trails to Good Health - Shelby, Toole County
- Valley County Youth Community Garden - Glasgow, Valley County
For information on the next round of applications or to be added to our listserv, please email julia.middleton@montana.edu
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| South Central MT AHEC Update - Dillon
| | Montana HOSA | |
It has been a busy summer and fall for Montana HOSA!
National Leadership Conference
Eleven students and six advisors from Great Falls High School, CM Russell High School, and Bozeman High School attended the HOSA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California June 21-25th. Each of the 11 Montana students qualified to attend the National Conference by placing in the top of their competitive events at the state level. At the National level, over 6,500 people attended the conference in Anaheim and 4,200 students competed in the 57 competitive events. To be recognized as a "finalist" in each event, students had to place in the top 10 at the national level. Three Montana HOSA students achieved this great honor and they are as follows:
Leslie Bellwood - CMR High School - Sports Medicine - 6th place
Jessie Hardin - CMR High School - Prepared Speaking - 6th place
Briar Voy - Great Falls High School - Dental Spelling - 10th place
Congratulations to these Montana HOSA students for achieving such great success at the National level!
Washington Leadership Academy
National HOSA offers a unique leadership development opportunity for State HOSA Officers from around the country called the Washington Leadership Academy. Four of our Montana State Officers were able to attend this conference. They worked all summer to find sponsorships from local businesses and healthcare industry partners to help fund their expenses. This conference is a gathering of state leaders to build awareness for HOSA, provide networking opportunities with other state HOSA leaders, and equip state officers with the skills necessary to better lead and advocate for HOSA in their home state. The conference provides the opportunity to experience leadership training, see historic Washington D.C. and spend a day on Capitol Hill meeting with Congressional Representatives.
Fall Leadership Conference
Our State Officers are busy planning this year's Fall Leadership Conference which will take place Monday, October 24th in Helena at the Montana Learning Center. This conference is designed for all chapter officers so we will have about 65 students and advisors take part in this one-day conference. The State Officers will be leading workshops for their peers on topics such as leadership, membership, program of work, fundraising, and competitive events. Additionally, the State HOSA Advisor will be leading a workshop for all the advisors to cover logistics for the year, new updates, and provide an opportunity for the advisors to network. The importance of leadership skills and running for a state officer position will also be covered.
Membership
 Montana HOSA is continually growing and expanding. We are excited to welcome two new chapters, so far, this year in Noxon and Belgrade. These two new chapters are in addition to 10 others at Augusta, CMR, Great Falls, Sentinel, Flathead, Billings Career Center, Helena High, Ronan, Columbia Falls, and Bozeman. At the National Leadership Conference in June, Montana was recognized on stage as one of the top 5 states in the country for membership growth with 58%! We haven't seen our membership numbers yet for this fall, but we hope to pass 300 HOSA members state-wide for 2011-2012. As the demand for healthcare workers continues to grow, so will Montana HOSA!
For more information on HOSA please contact Bergen Morehouse, State HOSA Advisor, at 406.683.2790 or bergen@mtha.org
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| Montana AHEC's Dental Grant | |
Recently Montana AHEC was sub-awarded a grant from the MT Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) to expand upon our current education and recruitment programs and services. This new funding means that Montana AHEC will now be even more valuable in our healthcare workforce efforts, as we will be able to expand our reach from primary care and allied health disciplines, to the oral health industry. The grant has been split into two equally important and interdependent portions that will strengthen Montana's oral health industry as a whole.
 One portion of the grant stayed at the Montana AHEC office in Bozeman to expand educational programs and promote oral health professions. The Bozeman office now has the additional funds needed to increase oral health education to K-12 students. It is estimated these new educational programs will reach more than 4000 grade school and 1400 high school students within 3 years. By expanding these key educational and outreach programs, the Montana AHEC will be increasing awareness and spiking interest in future dentist, dental hygienists and dental assistants.
The other portion of the grant was assigned to the South Central Montana AHEC office, based in Dillon, to increase access to quality oral healthcare providers throughout Montana. The current healthcare recruitment and retention programs will be expanded to include oral health students and professionals. Increasing the number of professionals interested in rural Montana practices, by building stronger relationships with dental schools and dental hygiene and assistant programs in the mid-west and western states, will be key. Additionally, expansion of the rural rotation opportunities will allow for more oral health students to be exposed to a rural practice and lifestyle. The grant funds will allow more active recruitment of in-practice dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants from across the United States to fill the escalating gaps in Montana's workforce. The recruitment programs will focus on, but are not limited to, rural placements - making us valuable to the entire state and oral health industry. Through these expanded recruitment services, we will be able to promote any Montana oral health openings, encourage oral health professionals to look for Montana employment opportunities, offer candidates first-hand knowledge in regards to the advantages Big Sky Country has to offer, attend several oral health program career and recruitment fairs across the US, and promote the Rural Recruitment and Retention Network (3R Net).
All in all, this grant and the combination of both offices' education, recruitment and retention programs, will allow AHEC to connect students to oral healthcare careers, professionals to communities, and communities to brighter smiles.
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| Dental & Allied Health Recruitment | |
 | | Shay Van Worth |
South Central Montana AHEC has added two new members to their recruitment team. Shay Van Worth was hired to create the new dental recruitment program after receipt of a grant for this purpose. Shay has been very busy making industry contacts and has connected with numerous oral health professionals and also presented at the recent Montana Dental Association Meeting. The first goal is to inform Montana's dental providers and administrators about the mission and services offered. Shay is also busy at work on a dental pathways brochure and educational tools geared towards getting K-12th graders interested in the oral healthcare field.
 | | Beth Ann Martin |
Recruitment efforts are going strong state-wide, with special efforts for the Montana Connections partners. Beth Ann Martin is the new Allied Health Recruiter. She has been establishing contacts with college healthcare professions thoughout the nation, with successful enrollments of candidates on 3RNet. She is also getting geared up for the up-and-coming fall career fair season where she will be educating job seekers about the benefits of working and living in Montana, as well as the many allied health opportunities available throughout the state.
If you have any questions regarding 3RNet or need assistance with Dental Recruitment, please contact Shay Van Worth, 406-683-2790 ext 105, shay@mtha.org
For questions regarding 3RNet or assistance with Allied Health Recruitment, please contact Beth Ann Martin, 406-683-2790 ext 103, bethann@mtha.org
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| Eastern MT AHEC Update - Billings
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Mongolian Medical Student Experiences
Montana's Healthcare System |
During the first two weeks in August, Eastern Montana AHEC, the Montana Family Medicine Residency at RiverStone Health and Billings Clinic were graced by Mongolian medical student Tuvshin Bayasgalan. Tuvshin, a student from Health Sciences University of Mongolia was part of a group of healthcare professionals from Mongolia and Montana who worked with people in the Darhad Valley in rural Mongolia. His participation with Montana State University BioRegions brought him to Montana to spend two weeks in Bozeman and two weeks in Billings. During this time he was able to experience our healthcare system and compare our system to the healthcare system in Mongolia.
Eastern Montana AHEC enjoyed getting to know Tuvshin and learning more about his country which looks very similar to Montana.
For more information about Tuvshin and his Montana visit please see the Billings Gazette article.
Mongolian medical student takes note of differences in healthcare systems
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South Korean Students Come to Billings to
Train to Be Medical Interpreters |
The Eastern Montana AHEC worked with Montana State University Billings, RiverStone Health Clinic, Billings Clinic, The Children's Clinic, and Frontier Cancer Center to bring 11 South Korean Hallym University students to Billings. The purpose of the partnership was to aid these students as they learned English and how to be a medical interpreter. The skills they learned will help as they return to South Korea and work with doctors and patients. Students learned about the importance of both the nonverbal and verbal communication in diagnosing and treating patients.
For more information about the "learning the lingo" please see the attached Billings Gazette article.
South Korean University study medical English through MSUB program |
| North Central MT AHEC Update - Fairfield
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| North Central AHEC Office Updates |
NC AHEC has launched their website: http://www.ncmtahec.org/
Take a look and check in regularly as events and health news articles will be updated on a frequent basis.
Attention students! Be our friend on facebook and stay updated on AHEC programs like MedStart and REACH going on across the state.
Plans are in the works for a 4th MedStart summer camp in Great Falls!!! Stay tuned for more information in the next newsletter.
NC AHEC will be bringing "Citizen Solider" to the North Central region in March. The conference will be held at the Benefis Health System in Great Falls. "Citizen Solider" is a conference for health care professionals to learn more about the needs of our returning soldiers while obtaining CEU's. This program is brought to us by our Western AHEC office.
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| Events This Fall |
The NC AHEC is planning for a busy Fall. The NC AHEC office will be facilitating a REACH for 8th graders from Ft. Benton, Geraldine, and Highwood on Oct. 27th. NC AHEC will be scheduling additional Fall REACH dates for Cut Bank, Conrad, and Havre.
On Oct. 14th, Marias Medical Center will hold their Health Fair from 7am-2pm. NC AHEC will be facilitating a scavenger hunt open to all students 4th - 12th grades as a fun, interactive way for students to participate in the health fair and learn about the extensive career opportunities in health care.
Health fairs in Big Sandy, Geraldine, and Fort Benton will take place on October 25th, 26th, and 27th, respectively. The NC AHEC will also hold scavenger hunts for students at all three fairs. |
| Western MT AHEC Update - Missoula
| | Distance-Learning Course in Medical Coding |
The WMT-AHEC is partnering with Missoula's Lifelong Learning Center to offer a distance-learning program in outpatient medical coding, beginning in January 2012. Prior to beginning this partnership, the AHEC did a statewide survey that found that 70% of responding healthcare institutions reported a reoccurring staffing need for medical coders. It is the hope of our AHEC that this distance-learning course will provide opportunities for rural Montanans to become Certified Professional Coders and fill a statewide workforce need.
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| Citizen Soldier Conference in Billings |
 After a very successful debut in Missoula this past June, Citizen Soldier: The Invisible Wounds of War is headed to Billings for a repeat performance on October 28. We are very excited to be partnering with the Eastern MT AHEC to bring this important program to the Eastern part of our state. The conference addresses the mental health and other related issues experienced by Montana's veterans and their families. The brochure and registration is available at http://wmtahec.org
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| Partnering with the American Cancer Society |
Western MT AHEC partners with the American Cancer Society and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. This month the Western MT AHEC entered a partnership with ACS and ACS CAN to continue the work of the Montana Pain Initiative (MTPI). MTPI began in 2005 as a result of Senate Joint Resolution 28 passed by the Montana Legislature and was staffed by ACS. At that time the diverse 39 member Montana Pain and Symptom Management Task Force (MPSMTF )worked for two years to conduct a convenience sample survey of 329 citizens and review guidelines from prominent pain management organizations. As a result, the MPSMTF released a White Paper with 10 recommendations. A major recommendation was to launch the Montana Pain Initiative (MTPI) by developing a strategic plan and governance structure, in order to engage the public, identify leadership, and improve public policy and practice improvement regarding pain management. Since 2007, MTPI has created a robust statewide network of providers, policy makers, and pain advocates who are poised to respond to new opportunities. The signature event of MTPI is its annual pain management conference that targets primary care providers. |
| 5th Annual Montana Pain Initiative Conference |
This year, the 5th Annual Montana Pain Initiative Conference "Front Line Pain Management: Neuroplastic Transformation, Interdisciplinary Care, Safe Prescribing" will be held in Bozeman on October 21-22. The 2011 event will provide practitioners with methods for integrating neuroplasticity, manual therapy, interdisciplinary approaches and safe prescribing into clinical settings. These approaches will not only change practice, but will help people in pain dramatically improve their own ability to manage their lives. A six-module workbook with resources and patient handouts is included in the $165 conference fee. Montana's Prescription Drug Registry, was signed into law after the 2011 Legislative session. How this tool can assist providers with safe opioid prescribing will be discussed.
The Western MT AHEC is pleased to be a co-sponsor of this important continuing education activity. CE credits have been approved for physicians, nurses, medical assistants and social workers. Application for physical therapy and occupational therapy credits is in process.
Registration is now available at www.mtpain.org . For more information contact Kaye Norris, PhD, Assistant Director, Western MT AHEC, 406-243-6246, kaye.norris@umontana.edu . |
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Anna Buckner
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 Anna, a Dillon, MT native, is a recent graduate of UM's School of Public and Community Health Science's MPH program. She also has a background in Economics with an MA degree received from UM in 2009.Working at the Western MT AHEC has provided her with the perfect opportunity to combine her interests in public health and economics. She feels that working on projects that relate to workforce development for the health professions will be beneficial for both the economy and public health. Along with these workforce development and planning activities, Anna will be focusing most of her time on the new Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana and other special projects as they arise. |
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Kaye Norris, PhD
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 Dr. Kaye Norris received her Ph.D. in
experimental psychology from the
University of Montana in 1995. Since July
2007, she has been the Program Director
of the Montana Pain Initiative (MTPI), a
joint project of the American Cancer
Society and American Cancer Society
Cancer Action Network. Part of Kaye's
responsibilities as WMT AHEC Assistant
Director will be to continue directing MTPI programming. She will additionally focus on healthcare workforce development, grant writing, the rural mental health program, and staff oversight. Previously Kaye served as an evaluation consultant for the Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care, as well as the Community-State Partnership, and the Rallying Points Program, all of which were national programs funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Between 1997 and 2004 she was the Director of Research for Life's End Institute: Missoula Demonstration Project where she managed numerous community research projects, all of which assessed various aspects of the end of life. She provided technical assistance to end-of-life research projects nation-wide. She also taught program evaluation courses at Walla Walla College, published peer reviewed journal articles, and co-authored "The Dying Process: A Guide For Caregivers" published by the American Hospice Foundation. |
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AHEC - The Basics
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The Montana AHEC mission is to improve the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals, with an emphasis on primary care, through community/academic educational partnerships, in order to increase access to quality healthcare. We work to connect students to healthcare careers, professionals to communities, and communities to better health. To fulfill our mission, we focus on these key areas:1) Programs and resources for K-12 students and teachers to generate interest in healthcare professions 2) Placement and support of health profession students in rural rotations throughout the state 3) Recruitment and retention of qualified healthcare professionals to Montana
4) Continuing Education programs for practicing healthcare professionals
Montana has 4 regional AHEC offices - Eastern, located in Billings- South Central, located in Dillon - Western, located in Missoula - and the North Central, located in Fairfield. |
Please contact us with your comments, ideas, questions or projects you'd like to see highlighted in future issues of this e-newsletter.
Thank you for the work you do every day to improve the healthcare industry and the health of all Montanans!!
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