Natrona Collective Health Trust

10/16/2026

Today is World Food Day. In Wyoming, 78% of households that qualify for SNAP don’t receive it. For households with someone over 60 or living with a disability, that number climbs to 89%. Meanwhile, food prices in Natrona County have risen 25% since 2020. When families who qualify for help never get it, the cost shows up later in their health. collectivehealthtrust.org/a-safety-net-with-too-many-gaps

10/15/2026

Some of our neighbors carry far more than others. In Natrona County, 1 in 3 single-mother households lives in poverty, 1 in 3 residents 65 and older are still working, and 8,000 Latino residents navigate systems and services, often in a new language. Each of these barriers shows up eventually as a health outcome. Read the second of our three research pages: collectivehealthtrust.org/who-carries-the-most-weight

1 in 3 single-mother households live in poverty, and 27% of the workforce is 65 or older. See who carries the most and why it’s a health issue.

10/13/2026

A family health plan through work costs about as much as a new Toyota Corolla. Every year.

So where does the money go? In the latest Root Causes, Rachel Bouzis, our director of policy and learning, follows it through billing offices, claims clearinghouses and a crowd of middlemen, some owned by the same company as your insurer and your doctor. Health care administration may cost $1 trillion a year, and researchers estimate at least half of it is waste.

And yes, fax machines are involved.

Read the full post at

Family coverage costs nearly $27,000 a year. Up to 30% of medical spending goes to billing and paperwork, and even experts can’t trace where it all ends up.

10/10/2026

Today is World Mental Health Day. Between 2019 and 2024, the share of Natrona County adults reporting frequent mental distress rose from 13% to 18%, a faster climb than in Wyoming or the nation. In a February 2026 statewide survey, 60% of Wyoming moms said they had experienced mental health strain in the past year. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Su***de and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day. collectivehealthtrust.org/our-health

10/09/2026

Early help costs less. Every $1 invested in public health returns a median $14, and after-school and mentoring programs return up to $3 for every $1. Here’s the math: collectivehealthtrust.org/when-crisis-starts-young

10/07/2026

Fair warning: we're much better at grant reports than emergency medicine. After last week's CPR training, though, our staff can hold the line until the paramedics arrive.

10/06/2026

Wyoming ranks last in the nation for adverse childhood experiences, things like a parent in jail, violence at home, or substance use in the house. In Wyoming, 1 in 10 kids has a parent or guardian in jail. These experiences don't stay in childhood. Research links them to more chronic disease, worse mental health, and shorter lives, and the costs land in emergency rooms and Medicaid budgets we all share. This is the first of three pages from our research over the past year. Read the full page: www.collectivehealthtrust.org/when-crisis-starts-young

10/01/2026

Wyoming ranks last in the country on adverse childhood experiences. In Natrona County, a minimum-wage worker would need more than 113 hours a week just to afford rent.

Over the past year, the Natrona Collective Health Trust listened to residents, local partners, and health data to understand what's really shaping health here. Here's what we found.

Childhood adversity, wages that don't cover rent, and a safety net with gaps. See what a year of listening and research found.

09/30/2026

All nine of us stepped away from our desks yesterday for our annual staff retreat. We spent the day learning more about ourselves and each other, then worked through the details of next year's plan. As we finalize our new strategic direction, this was our time to figure out what it looks like in practice.

09/28/2026

The Rotary Club of Casper got the first look.

Today, Beth Worthen, CEO of the Natrona Collective Health Trust, shared what we learned about health in Natrona County during our strategic planning process. Thank you, Rotarians, for the good questions and great conversation.

In a few days, we'll share these findings with the whole community. Sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss it: https://bit.ly/4z8uTq9