Montana AHEC Regions |
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Greetings!
Welcome to the Winter 2012 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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Montana Rural Health Initiative's Incubator Mini Grant Program
 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. Last year over $11,000 was distributed to fifteen different programs across the state. The program will happen again this year. Applications will be released on February 13th and due no later than April 2nd.
For information on the next round of applications or to be added to our listserv, please email julia.middleton@montana.edu or visit the RHI website at www.mtrhi.org |
| South Central MT AHEC Update - Dillon
| | Montana Connections Newsletter | |
"Connect to Success!" the first quarterly newsletter for Montana Connections members will be distributed this month. The newsletter will include useful recruitment and retention articles, as well as updates on our recruitment efforts for members.
Montana Connections is the referral-based program that was rolled out at the beginning of 2011 to CAH CEO's by South Central Montana AHEC. As recruitment specialists we work with candidates and facilities state-wide to find the perfect fit for all parties involved. We work with the entire healthcare spectrum - from physicians to pharmacists to dental hygienists and everything in between!
New Members: We would like to welcome Barrett Hospital & HealthCare in Dillon and St. Luke Community Hospital in Ronan to Montana Connections!
For more information on Montana Connections - please contact Lisa at Lisa@mtha.org or Beth Ann at bethann@mtha.org.
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MedStart Update
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2012 MedStart applications are now available online - visit www.mtahec.org to download. All applications must be postmarked by March 16, 2012 to be considered. Please help to spread the word to current sophomores and juniors.
There will be 4 camps for the Summer 2012:
- Billings - MSU-B Campus: June 24th-29th, 2012
- Missoula - U of M Campus: June 24th-29th, 2012
- Bozeman - MSU Campus: June 24th-30th, 2012
- Great Falls - University of Great Fallls Campus: July 8th-13th, 2012
MedStart Summer Camp is an AHEC funded program designed to encourage junior and senior high school students to pursue their interest in a variety of healthcare careers. AHEC focuses on accepting students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, low-income families, rural areas, minorities, or will be first in their family to attend college. The aim of MedStart is to provide students who may not otherwise have the opportunity a chance to further explore healthcare careers, learn about college life, and realize it is possible to pursue higher education. Students often think of healthcare as including only "doctors and nurses" and MedStart tries to break down that stereotype by educating students on the large variety of high skill, high paid, high demand careers available in the healthcare industry. MedStart is completely free of charge to the students.
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| Eastern MT AHEC Update - Billings
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Jane Harper
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 Jane Harper is the newest member to the Eastern Montana AHEC. Jane came to us from the Yellowstone County Office of Public Assistance and was the Eligibility Assistant Supervisor and Assistant to the County Director. As the EMTAHEC administrative assistant she will have a variety of responsibilities including working with all the healthcare students. Jane has 3 children and five DARLING grandchildren. We are thrilled to have Jane on board!
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Mock Interviews |
In preparation for the upcoming residency program interviews, 3rd year medical students came together to practice their skills and work out the interview jitters. The students came dressed for the real thing, in suits and ties they already looked like doctors! Doctors Jay Erickson, Zach Meyers, Paul Grmoljez, Ruchi Fitzgerald, and Roger Williams lent their expertise in facilitating the interviews and giving students helpful feedback.
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Citizen Soldier |
The Eastern Montana AHEC partnered with the Western Montana AHEC to provide a Citizen Soldier conference in Billings. Over a hundred healthcare professionals took part in the one-day workshop. The speakers, from all over the country, were phenomenal and were able to lend their expertise. Many attendees were able to receive CME credits for this unique and important seminar. Participants learned about veteran specific issues and care; topics included post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the impact on individuals and their families.
For any questions concerning Citizen Soldier, contact Anna Buckner at anna.buckner@mso.umt.edu
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Upcoming K-12 events
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REACH (Research and Explore Awesome Careers in Healthcare) camps:
- Hardin on January 25th - open to all Big Horn County 9th-12th graders
- Lewistown on February 15th - open to all Judith Basin, Fergus and Petroleum County 9th -12th graders
- Columbus on March 28th - open to all Stillwater County 9th -12th graders
- Baker on April 25th - open to Carter and Fallon County students in conjunction with the health fair
Also, come check out our health career photo booth at Chicks In Science on Saturday, March 3rd in the Alterowitz Gym at MSU-Billings.
For any questions concering K-12 events, contact Cass Staton at cass.sta@riverstonehealth.org or 406-247-3277 |
| North Central MT AHEC Update - Fairfield
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The Invisible Wounds of War: Emerging Mental Health Needs of Returning Service Men and Women |
In war there are no unwounded soldiers. -José Narosky
For the first time in history, 90% of soldiers survive their injuries. As of September 2009, mental health problems were the second most common health problem among the soldiers who have returned home from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF).
While VA facilities do have specialists trained in post-traumatic stress disorder, only 45% of the over one million returning OEF/OIF veterans who are eligible for VA services have sought care from the VA. The remaining veterans constitute a silent majority who are not getting treatment from VA specialists. In Montana, this group is even larger-only 25% of veterans access VA services. Since 38% of veterans live in rural areas, access to VA care is also subject to geographic barriers. The civilian healthcare workforce must come together to provide the appropriate care and counsel for veterans with mental health conditions. There should be no wrong door to which veterans and their families can come for help.
In an effort to improve the care that Montana's veterans receive outside of the VA, the North Central and Western Montana Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) are presenting a continuing education opportunity to educate the civilian healthcare workforce about the clinical and functional issues surrounding veterans' mental health. This conference, entitled Citizen Soldier: The Invisible Wounds of War is designed to share practical information about the needs and concerns of service members, veterans and military families and about the military culture from which they come. Topics include PTSD, TBI, Military Sexual Trauma and their impact of on individuals and their families.
This educational offering will be offered on March 9 at Benefis Health Systems in Great Falls. The content has been approved for 6.0 continuing education contact hours for nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, professional counselors, physicians and speech language pathologists. Registration fees for the Citizen Soldier Program are $75 for early registration (prior to Feb. 9, 2012) and $100 thereafter.
For more information, check out www.ncmtahec.org and to register, go to: https://www.regonline.com/citizensoldier
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| Western MT AHEC Update - Missoula
| | Western MT AHEC brings Providence St. Patrick Hospital's Friday Medical Conference to Rural Hospitals |
Friday Medical Conference (FMC) is "Grand Rounds" held every Friday morning at Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who attend FMC are eligible for continuing education credit.
Beginning in October 2011, through a partnership with WMT-AHEC, FMC began broadcasting to rural hospitals in the region using the technology Vidyo. Through this broadcast, those who attend remotely are also eligible for continuing education credit. Currently, four institutions have signed up and are able to participate regularly. They are Community Medical Center in Missoula, North Valley Hospital in Whitefish, Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribal Health in Polson, and St. Joseph Hospital in Polson. WMT-AHEC is also working with Granite County Medical Center in Philipsburg, Powell County Medical Center in Deer Lodge, Community Hospital of Anaconda, St. Luke Hospital in Ronan, Mineral Community Hospital in Superior and St. John's Lutheran Hospital in Libby to organize their participation.
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| Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana Update |
At the end of September, the Montana University System Board of Regents formally approved The University of Montana to sponsor the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana (FMRWM). With this sponsorship, the residency can move toward accreditation, a necessary step before the program can begin.
 The FMRWM submitted its application for accreditation to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME ) in October 2011. A site visit has been scheduled with the accrediting agency in mid-February 2012. Following this site visit, the accreditation decision should occur in late spring of 2012. Assuming accreditation, the program can prepare to be in the national residency match and welcome 10 new residents to Western Montana in July of 2013.
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Martha Robertson, K-12 Coordinator
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 Originally from Seattle, Martha Robertson has lived on all 4 corners of the lower U.S., and many places in between. She attended Marquette University where she obtained her BA in Secondary English Education. After graduation, she worked as a chef, a zookeeper, a commercial property manager and a high school English Teacher. Prior to her employment with Western AHEC, she worked for 5 years as Family Outreach Specialist for the Family Resource Center at Russell Elementary in Missoula. A passion for assisting individuals and families in connecting with basic daily needs is what inspires her to help develop means of access to health education and healthcare service. Her favorite job is mom of two children, ages 13 and 17. She and her husband have lived in Missoula for 12 years. |
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Marni Ammons, StudentMAX Coordinator
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Marni Ammons is the StudentMAX Coordinator, working out of the Western AHEC office. Marni has worked as a Registered Nurse in Missoula and Western Montana since 1984 with a few years spent out of state. Clinical workplaces have included Intensive Care, Cardiovascular Diagnostics Lab, Flight, Cardiac Step Down, Cardiac Research, Critical Access and Rural Health, and Emergency Nursing. Along with completing her nurse's training, Manitoba/1978, Marni graduated from University of Montana in 1988 with a Bachelor Degree in Health and Human Performance/Athletic Training.
After 33 years of hands on nursing Marni has an intimate understanding of what "clinical" means in Montana! This experience is now being applied to assist student nurses, along with students of other medical related fields (Physical Therapy, Medical Students, Licensed Practical Nurses and others,) to have the optimum opportunity to gain clinical experience in differing settings in Western Montana. Schools of nursing have offered to assist with evaluating this process along with some of the Western Montana hospitals in "Educational Partners and Clinical Partners." The goal is to streamline all the steps needed for students, instructors and clinical partners in coordinating what experiences are needed prior to health care related students graduating from their respective programs.
Marni lives in Missoula with her husband, Bruce, and 3 dogs. Her passions include being a river rat, jogger (having slowed down from runner...) and riding her horse, Nutmeg, when she has the time. |
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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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