|
Montana AHEC Regions
|  | |
|
|
|
|
Welcome to the Fall 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 - MSU Bozeman
|
 |
MT Receives Grant to Build Nursing Workforce
| |
Montana is one of nine states selected to receive a two-year, $300,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help create a more highly educated and diverse nursing workforce.
According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the grants provide funds for nursing coalitions in each state to work with academic institutions and employers to help nurses earn advanced degrees. In particular, states will encourage strong partnerships between community colleges and universities to make it more efficient for nurses to transition to a baccalaureate degree and beyond. The ultimate goals are to improve patient care and help fill faculty and advanced practice nursing positions. In Montana, the goals for the first two years of the grant include improving incentives for nurses who seek additional education and removing barriers so registered nurses with associate degrees can progress toward a bachelor's degree in nursing.
The Montana grant will be made to the Montana Area Health Education Center in the MSU College of Nursing on behalf of the Montana Action Coalition. In addition to Montana, states chosen to receive similar grants are California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Washington.
The funding comes from a new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program, Academic Progression in Nursing, or APIN, which is designed to respond to recommendations from the Institute of Medicine for improving health in the U.S.
"The Montana Action Coalition is thrilled to have been chosen as a recipient of this grant," said Casey Blumenthal, vice president of MHA, An Association of Montana Healthcare Providers. "The goal of the Montana project is to build partnerships among nursing education and practice to help achieve the new national recommendations for nursing education."
According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, about half of nurses in the United States have a bachelor's degree or higher, but the Institute of Medicine recommends that 80 percent of the nursing workforce have bachelor's degrees by the year 2020.
For full article from MSU News Service: Click Here
|
| South Central MT AHEC - Dillon
|
 |
NHSC - Corps Community Day
| |
Nearly 10,000 National Health Service Corps clinicians are treating some 10.4 million people in underserved communities nationwide. On Corps Community Day 2012, we celebrated the important work of the Corps in increasing access to primary care where it's needed most. There are three events taking place in Montana this month in honor of Corps Community Day.
- REACH Camp, GCMC, Philipsburg, 10/11/2012
Philipsburg & Drummond High School students were introduced to healthcare opportunities and to the NHSC scholarship and loan repayment programs available that make it possible to for them to pursue a health care career.
- MT WWAMI 1st Yr Med Students Community Service, 10/12/2012 Objective: to introduce Montana Indian reservation students attending Browning Middle School to healthcare career options and to the NHSC scholarship and loan repayment programs available if they pursue a healthcare career.
- Health Screenings, Butte Food Bank, 10/17/2012
Former NHSC Scholar and current NHSC loan re-payer Serena Brewer, DO and 1st year medical students saw a need for blood pressure and blood sugar screening of the low-income population in Butte, MT. The Food Bank was chosen as a site to connect with a large number of this population. They will also be providing flu vaccinations.
|
| Eastern MT AHEC - Billings
|
|
WWAMI Dinner & Discussion
|
Dr. Roxanne Fahrenwald, surrounded by third and fourth year WWAMI students, met over dinner to discuss the "Residency Application and Interview Process". Dr. Fahrenwald, Program Director of the Montana Family Medicine Residency at RiverStone Health in Billings was able to share her wealth of knowledge from both sides-of-the-fence. This program and dinner was sponsored by the Eastern Montana AHEC and the WWAMI Billings Track Office. The next steps in the process will be to assist the medical students write their "personal statement" and participate in mock interviews.
Pictured: Dr. Fahrewald, Lindsay Capron, Julie Nolte Stewart, Patrick Kane, Talya Lorenz, Brooke Christiaens, Teresa Blaskovich, Steven Clements, Kale Knudson, Bryan Wilson and John Manning.
|
|
Medical Student in Roundup
|
The Eastern Montana AHEC welcomes fourth year medical student Amy Chen from Northwestern University, The Global Health Initiative Center for Global Health at Chicago Lake Shore Medical Associates. Amy is completing a four week rural rotation at Roundup Memorial Hospital with Dr. Mechelle Lewis and at satellite RiverStone Health clinics. The goal of the 4 week rotation is to learn the challenges involved with providing comprehensive care in a rural environment, to explore the disparities uniquely affecting rural patient populations and to learn how to appropriately diagnose, treat and manage illnesses in a primary care setting.
Pictured: Dr. Douglas Carr, Billings Clinic and Northwest University alumni with Amy Chen, MSIV
|
|
PNWU Rotations
|
The Eastern Montana AHEC office coordinates third and fourth year rotations for students from Pacific Northwest University (PNWU) of Health Sciences located in Yakima, WA. Curriculum for third year students includes: Women's Health, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Osteopathic Principles and Practice, Internal Medicine, Surgery and Family Medicine. Fourth year students continue their studies in Emergency Medicine, Neurology and a variety of specialties. These pioneer students work with doctors in Montana and Wyoming to get one-on-one training.
Pictured: third year students Emily Morrison (Helena, MT), Catherine Colpitts (So. Lake Tahoe, CA) Dr. Douglas Carr (Clinical Dean for PNWU students), and Whitney Jolitz (Cincinnati, OH)
|
|
Billings MedCareers Class
|
High school seniors from Billings School District #2 MedCareers class participated in an orientation at RiverStone Health hosted by the Eastern Montana AHEC. During this school semester, the morning class of students will spend time in the RiverStone Health pharmacy learning about the complexity of being a pharmacist and its joys and challenges.
The afternoon class will spend time in the RiverStone Health Dental Clinic learning about dental care and its importance to overall good health. They will observe all the levels of dental care providers.
Pharmacy Shadowing - morning class
Dental Shadowing - afternoon class
|
|
North Central MT AHEC - Fairfield
|
|
Health Fairs
|
The North Central AHEC office participated in the Northern Rockies Medical Center Health Fair in Cut Bank on September 6th. Students also were able to experience the Hands on Health exhibit while at the health fair.
On October 12th, Marias Medical Center in Shelby held their Health Fair from 7am-2pm. NC AHEC facilitated a scavenger hunt open to participants.
|
|
REACH Camps - NC Region
|
The NC AHEC office will be facilitating a REACH camp for 8th graders from Conrad, Heart Butte, and Valier on November 1st. NC AHEC will be scheduling additional Fall REACH dates for Cut Bank and Fort Benton.
|
|
Western MT AHEC - Missoula
|
|
New WWAMI Program Coordinator
|
Emily Epperson has replaced Megan Twohig as the new WWAMI Program Coordinator for St. Patrick Hospital. This position is housed at The University of Montana and works with Community Medical Center, St. Patrick Hospital, and other clinics in the Missoula area to coordinate clerkship and elective rotations for third and fourth year medical students in the WWAMI program. She also works through The Institute of Medicine and Humanities (a partnership between St. Patrick Hospital and The University of Montana) to coordinate continuing medical education opportunities at St. Patrick Hospital, including Journal Club and Friday Medical Conference.
Emily has worked in the health care field since 2007, with a B.S. in Athletic Training and an M.S. in Community Health. When she's not hard at work, she is playing hard, hiking, running, gardening, crafting, reading, or traveling.
You can contact Emily at eepperson@saintpatrick.org or 406.243.4576.
|
|
REACH Camps - NW Region
|
St. Luke Community Healthcare will be hosting a REACH Camp on October 25th in Roan for Ronan and Charlo High Schools.
On November 7th a REACH camp will be hosted by Mineral Community Hospital l in Superior for Superior, St. Regis, and Alberton High Schools.
Kalispell Regional Medical Center will hold a camp on November 13th for Eureka Middle School.
|
|
|
Western MT FM Residency Receives Accreditation
|
 The Western Montana Family Medicine Residency received 2-yr. accreditation from the ACGME (Accrediting Commission on Graduate Medical Education) on Monday, October 15. The Family Medicine Residency will be housed at Missoula Partnership Health Center which received a $5 million HRSA grant to construct a medical clinic and 21,000-square-foot wing. Ten residents will be selected to be part of the 2013 inaugural class - 3 of whom will be placed in Kalispell in years 2 & 3. A total of 30 residents will be in training when the program is fully mature. Primary sponsor of the Western Montana Family Medicine Residency is The University of Montana; a consortium of western Montana organizations will provide additional support and services: Community Medical Center, Providence, Saint Patrick Hospital, Kalispell Regional Healthcare, and Missoula Partnership Health Center.
For more information about Western Montana Family Medicine Residency
Click Here or call 406-258-4424.
|
|
AHEC - The Basics
|
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!! |
|
|
