Montana Public Health Association

03/12/2024

With my best wishes for your continued success, this note is to inform my colleagues and friends in public health that I will probably not return to Montana until I am beyond helping anyone in any professional capacity. Best wishes to you wonderful representatives of the best work in public health and safety.

11/22/2023

Thank you John Felton for your exemplary leadership in Yellowstone County and your steadfast support of MPHA.

02/28/2023

Former President Jimmy Carter’s decision to start home hospice has many Americans wondering just what that means.

RiverStone Health Hospice Director Roxanne Allen explains that hospice provides people with a comforting choice about how and where they will live their last days.

To reach RiverStone Health Hospice, call 406-651-6500.

02/24/2023

Smokeless to***co products are often promoted as a safer option, but they put you at risk for some of the same health problems as ci******es, plus additional health problems like gum disease, mouth cancer, and heart disease.
Quitting is hard, but there is help. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or text “Start My Quit” to 36072 for free personalized coaching. You can also receive a free Quit Kit from the Gallatin City-County Health Department by coming into our office between 8AM-5PM any day this week and asking for a kit at the front desk.
For any questions or concerns, call the To***co Education Specialist at 406-582-3159. https://www.healthygallatin.org/community-health/to***co/ ***coToday

02/24/2023

Is your child due for a recommended immunization? It's quick and easy to schedule an appointment with RiverStone Health Immunization Clinic. Call 406.247.3382.

02/24/2023

❤Today we are highlighting two cardiac technicians as we continue to celebrate Heart Month!❤

Mary Geer and Dawn Grubb have been caring for hearts for decades. Mary is a noninvasive cardiac stress technician, and Dawn is a cardiology technician. Mary has worked for Benefis for 41 years, and Dawn for 32.

Mary administers stress tests — there are several kinds — including chemical, walking, nuclear, or imaging with an echocardiogram. These tests are a team effort, involving the technician, a nurse, and a physician. Stress tests can be part of a routine, but comprehensive, health exam or a response to something more serious. The number of tests given each day varies, and so do the patients.

Meeting those patients and making their stress tests a little less "stressful" means the world to Mary. "I like being able to provide comfort and kindness when people are scared," she says.

Dawn steps in when a patient needs an electrocardiogram (EKG) or a monitor, such as a Holter monitor, King of Hearts (KOH) monitor, or a Zio patch.

Caring for patients physically and emotionally is also especially important to Dawn. She feels a special sense of pride when patients thank her for her kindness or say something like, "You made this experience so easy!"

Both Mary and Dawn value the team mentality at the Heart and Vascular Institute.

"No two days are quite the same," Dawn says.

Perhaps that is what drives this dynamic duo to provide care from the heart decade after decade.

https://www.benefis.org/services-specialties/heart-vascular/heart-vascular

02/24/2023

Keep your heart pumping for those you love.

02/24/2023

One of the reasons I love public health is through my experiences in the prehospital field. Being an EMT, especially over the past 3 years has meant getting to experience a little bit of everything that public health has to offer.

While many people think of EMS as purely clinicians (and that is a very important aspect!) there is so much more that EMS provides to the field of public health!

Disaster and pandemic response has been a big learning experience for my colleagues and I over the past ~3 years or so and has really made us feel more integrated into the healthcare system as a whole.

First responders are often an initial source of health advice for many people, and though we have limited ability to diagnose or provide recommendations, sometimes all that is needed is a friendly face to bounce ideas off of.

In many areas firefighters and EMTs are the first line of public service response. Fall and can't get up? Worried about your neighbors health? Need a smoke detector installed? Chances are we'll be the first ones to show up when you call!

I also can't overstate the importance of getting to interact with patients in the comfort of their own home. Being able to provide not just a basic clinical assessment but also seeing how a patient's home environment is impacting their health is often key in establishing differential diagnoses and ensuring a high standard of continuing care.

EMT's and other first responders are all around you filling roles (both public health and otherwise) that you may not even notice! And that's so much of why I love public health and EMS!

02/24/2023

Lewis and Clark Public Health wants to extend a gesture of appreciation for the following local businesses and organizations who helped make our strategic planning session a huge success:

- Joe Mitchell State Farm Insurance for sponsoring lunch for over 40 staff!
- Helen's BBQ for serving delicious brisket and pulled pork sandwiches!
- St. Paul's Methodist Church for allowing us to park in your lot!
- Holter Museum of Art for your beautiful and inspiring space!

02/24/2023

Congratulations well deserved

Congratulations to the staff of RiverStone Health Clinics. The National Committee for Quality Assurance has again recognized RiverStone Health Clinics for meeting the high standards to be named a Patient-Centered Medical Home. This quality of care designation applies to our clinics in Billings, Worden, Bridger and Joliet. Additionally, the main clinic in Billings received renewal of its Behavioral Health Integration Distinction. The Patient-Centered Medical Home designation means that our clinics emphasize access to care, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients. RiverStone Health earned the Behavioral Health Distinction because it has the right resources in its primary care clinics to serve patients with behavioral health conditions.

02/20/2023

Each year, about 3,500 American babies die while sleeping. This number of sleep-related deaths has dramatically decreased since the Back to Sleep campaign started in the 1990s. In this column, Kristen Bonner, RN, explains why putting babies to sleep on their backs on a firm, flat surface are key steps to safe sleep. Kristen, director of Health Provision/Public Health Nursing at RiverStone Health, can be reached at 406-247-3337.

https://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/back-sleeping-is-safest-for-your-baby/article_2084bb9c-acb2-11ed-8f2e-13d2de5d2d18.html