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Our Sponsors
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Welcome
to the Rural Health Initiative quarterly newsletter! Our hope is to increase
communication while supporting the work of communities and individuals across
Montana. Please let us know if we can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Shalina Mirza
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The Incubator:
Stimulating Wellness throughout Montana
The Rural Health
Initiative's (RHI) newest addition, the Incubator, was launched in October and
is receiving great interest! The Incubator
is a program to help rural communities hatch and grow projects to improve
health and wellness. Communities with an
idea and local support for a new or expanded program can turn to the Incubator for technical assistance and seed funding to
get the program up and running.
Communities across Montana that use this program will gain recognition
for their prevention and wellness programs, and will be motivated to share
their experiences with others. The
Incubator provides a critical resource to stimulate the creation of more
prevention and wellness programs across the state of Montana.
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BCBS of Montana's Foundation for Healthy Montanans Supports RHI Efforts
The
Rural Health Initiative site was launched in September, and is now live for
everyone to view! Please visit the RHI site at: www.montanaruralhealthinitiative.com.
There you can browse programs, events, and view useful links. You can also
become a member and add new programs and events that you are working on.
During
the launch of the website, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana Foundation
for Healthy Montanans invested $100,000 to support the RHI's efforts. This
generous gift will help improve and expand the content of the site, as well as
help fund additional RHI components such as the Incubator.
For more information and to view the press release,
please visit:
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School Fundraising Goes Local:
Gallatin Valley Farm to Schools Fundraiser
Farm to school programming has emerged as an effective way to address both
the food available in the school environment and healthy eating
behaviors. Research conducted by Grow Montana has shown improved
participation in school meals as a result of Farm to School programming; along
with improved student knowledge in identifying certain food groups, and a more
positive outlook toward trying new, healthy food items. Last year, the program
was piloted at two schools by Team Nutrition, and sold over $18,000 of Montana
grown foods! All of the proceeds went to the producers and the schools.
School fundraising activities have been recognized as an important food
access point in the school environment. With Montana being a largely
agricultural state, many and wholesome food products are produced right in our
back yard. Exposing students and their families to locally made healthy
food items through a Made-in-Montana school fundraising project served to 1) benefit
the school organizations through the raising of needed funds, 2) benefit the
Montana food producer by gaining increased exposure for their products and 3)
improve the overall school nutrition environment.
The From Farms to Schools Fundraiser is being offered at
six schools in Bozeman this year including: Morning Star, Gallatin Gateway,
Irving, Whittier, Hawthorne and Longfellow. This fundraiser is perfect
opportunity to snag Made in Montana holiday gifts for friends and family with a
spread of roasted cereals and granola, specialty lentils and barley, fresh
herbed delicacies, huckleberry preserves, syrups and honey, fresh winter
produce, and greeting cards featuring beautiful locally grown produce.
For more information or to get involved, please contact:
Aubree
Durfey
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Sweet Grass Health and Wellness Foundation
Working to Make a Healthy Community in Big Timber
The first annual Big Timber Community Health and Resource
Fair put on by the Sweet Grass Health and Wellness Foundation (SGHWF) was a major
success. Vendors from various organizations set up shop in
the Civic Center, sharing resources and success stories with community
members. This local health and resource fair was just one of the many exciting
events SGHWF has to offer.
The Fourth Annual Raw Deal Fundraising Run, held two weeks later, received
record participation, with 50% more runners participating than last
year! In addition, SGHWF recently sponsored an Electronic
Recycling event, in which they collected over 15,000 pounds of electronics to
be recycled.
SGHWF is sponsoring the Manaia Program in Big Timber this
spring, which is a youth leadership and empowerment program for up to 30 high
school students.
The foundation is also collaborating with the Community
Outdoor Recreation Association to bring new programs to the community.
"We have a lot going on, but are excited about the
momentum we are gaining in our work to promote healthier community life," said
director Cheryl Christman.
To learn more about Sweet Grass Health and Wellness
Foundation, visit
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Save the Date!
Annual Healthcare Forum Conference
The 3rd Annual Montana HealthCare Forum
Conference: Understand the Evolving Landscape of Health Care will be
held in Bozeman, Montana on November 19th and 20th.
The conference is open to all interested parties, and will offer informational,
networking and problem-solving discussions on the changes in health care and possible
innovative solutions for Montana. The timing of which could not be more
fortuitous in lieu of the current health related challenges facing communities
across the country.
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Join Us!
North Central Rural Health Summit
The North Central Rural Health Summit will be held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday, February 26, 2010. Topic of interest at this year's summit will include the impact of health care reform on rural America, Cost Containment Strategies, and Recruitment Strategies for Health Care Professionals.
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Tune In!
RHI Upcoming Webinar Schedule
November
Montana
Safe Routes to School-Encouraging Active Lifestyles
Join us November 17th
at 4:00 PM for the Safe Routes to School Webinar. Safe Routes to School is a
federally funded program that enables community leaders, schools and parents to
improve safety and encourage more children to safely walk and bicycle to
school. In the process, programs are working to reduce traffic congestion and
improve health and the environment, making communities more livable for
everyone. Taylor Lonsdale, Montana's Safe Routes to School Coordinator, will
present an overview of the Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) program and
information on the required application procedure. Tips on filling out the
application for 2010 funding, as well as information on successful projects and
programs in Montana will help viewers understand how your community can benefit
from the SRTS program.
December
The Montana Excellence in Worksite Health
Promotion Awards
On December 8th,
Jill Young will present on behalf of the Montana Worksite Health Promotion
Coalition (MWHPC). The MWHPC is a resource for employers regarding the art and
science of health promotion and wellness at work. The coalition strives to
encourage, recognize, educate and create a standard of excellence for worksite
health promotion programs. Learn the purpose of their Excellence in Worksite
Health Promotion Awards and how an employer can use the criteria as a strategic
plan or vehicle to get recognized for providing a quality worksite wellness
program. Join us to find out how to access the awards on their new website and
complete the application process. There will be time to ask questions about the
awards and learn more about their fifth conference scheduled for April 26 and
27, 2009 in Bozeman.
January
MSU's
Extension Program: Small Steps to Health and Wealth
To ring in a healthy and financially sound New Year,
MSU Extension's Lynn Paul will present Small Steps to Health and Wealth (SSHW),
on January 19th. Small Steps to Health and Wealth™ encourages
participants to make positive behavior changes to simultaneously improve their
health and personal finances. The program was developed by faculty with Rutgers
Cooperative Extension and has been adapted for Montanans by the Montana State
University Extension faculty. Participants who register by January 12th
will receive a SSHW resource workbook, with topics that will be covered by Lynn
the day of the webinar.
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Shalina Mirza, Project Coordinator
MT AHEC & Office of Rural Health
Shalina.mirza@montana.edu
406.994.5310 |
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