Montana

Montana's Public Health System

Montana provides public health services through local and state public health agencies, 7 tribal health organizations and Indian Health Services, and privately funded organizations. The state has 52 local health departments within its 56 counties, of which 7 serve the major population centers. Local health departments employ approximately 600 people. These local departments may or may not have local boards of health. They work closely with the State Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), which employs about 150 full-time equivalent employees. At least 4 counties with no health departments either contract with adjoining counties for public health services or make other arrangements to have coverage.

Most local health departments in Montana serve areas with populations of fewer than 10,000 people. Geographic distances, weather, terrain, and limited staff in small agencies carrying out multiple roles and functions, create significant challenges in delivering public health services and coordinating workforce development activities.

Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services

Activities

In Montana, NWCPHP works actively with public health colleagues to design and implement specific training activities, assist in the development of a statewide workforce development strategy and support efforts to build greater capacity for public health education and training. Examples include: Montana Summer Institute

Collaborating with the Montana Public Health Training Institute (MPHTI) to develop a public health training needs assessment, to determine the current workforce development needs facing public health professionals in Montana.
Montana initiated an extension of the NWCPHP Hot Topics in Preparedness sessions by hosting a telephone call directly after each Hot Topic with interested Montana parties to continue the topic with a Montana focus.
MPHTI publishes a bimonthly e-newsletter, which is sent to all public health nurses, sanitarians, emergency preparedness contacts, and State public health program employees.
Assisting MPHTI in planning the annual Montana Public Health Summer Institute. NWCPHP faculty partner with public health experts from Montana as co-instructors for courses covering topics such as program evaluation, applied epidemiology, environmental health, leadership and management, and public health law and policy.
Montana DPHHS and NWCPHP collaborated to design an assessment tool, analyze survey data and procedure, and produce a statewide report: "Training Assessment of the Public Health Workforce on Bioterrorism and Emergency Readiness Competencies." This report presents findings of a survey of 866 state, county, and tribal public health workers.
Funding from NWCPHPs HRSA grant has assisted Montana in offering a broad range of public health and emergency preparedness training across the state.

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Navigation RNSC Alaska Idaho Montana NPAIHB Oregon Washington Wyoming	Info Montana Montana's Public Health System Montana provides public health services through local and state public health agencies, 7 tribal health organizations and Indian Health Services, and privately funded organizations. The state has 52 local health departments within its 56 counties, of which 7 serve the major population centers. Local health departments employ approximately 600 people. These local departments may or may not have local boards of health. They work closely with the State Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), which employs about 150 full-time equivalent employees. At least 4 counties with no health departments either contract with adjoining counties for public health services or make other arrangements to have coverage. Most local health departments in Montana serve areas with populations of fewer than 10,000 people. Geographic distances, weather, terrain, and limited staff in small agencies carrying out multiple roles and functions, create significant challenges in delivering public health services and coordinating workforce development activities. Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services Activities In Montana, NWCPHP works actively with public health colleagues to design and implement specific training activities, assist in the development of a statewide workforce development strategy and support efforts to build greater capacity for public health education and training. Examples include: Collaborating with the Montana Public Health Training Institute (MPHTI) to develop a public health training needs assessment, to determine the current workforce development needs facing public health professionals in Montana. Montana initiated an extension of the NWCPHP Hot Topics in Preparedness sessions by hosting a telephone call directly after each Hot Topic with interested Montana parties to continue the topic with a Montana focus. MPHTI publishes a bimonthly e-newsletter, which is sent to all public health nurses, sanitarians, emergency preparedness contacts, and State public health program employees. Assisting MPHTI in planning the annual Montana Public Health Summer Institute. NWCPHP faculty partner with public health experts from Montana as co-instructors for courses covering topics such as program evaluation, applied epidemiology, environmental health, leadership and management, and public health law and policy. Montana DPHHS and NWCPHP collaborated to design an assessment tool, analyze survey data and procedure, and produce a statewide report: "Training Assessment of the Public Health Workforce on Bioterrorism and Emergency Readiness Competencies." This report presents findings of a survey of 866 state, county, and tribal public health workers. Funding from NWCPHPs HRSA grant has assisted Montana in offering a broad range of public health and emergency preparedness training across the state.

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Montana

Montana's Public Health System

Activities