A Healthier Montana Network

A Healthier Montana relies on a network of collaborators aligning their efforts to create positive change. This network consists of the Public Health System Improvement Task Force, the State Health Improvement Coalition, four communities of practice, and ad hoc action-oriented workgroups. Details on these groups and recent meeting materials can be found below and in the A Healthier Montana orientation brochure.  Contact Anna Bradley for archived meeting materials from before 2019.

The Public Health System Improvement Task Force (PHSITF) is made up of members appointed by the Director of the Department of Public Health and Human Services. The purpose of the Public Health System Improvement Task Force is to:

  • Serve as the core of the State Health Improvement Coalition ensuring the completion of annual reviews and the five-year updates of the State Health Assessment and State Health Improvement Plan;
  • Monitor, advise on, and assess progress towards the implementation of public health system improvement goals and activities found in the 2019-2023 Montana Public Health System Improvement Plan;
  • Provide policy development recommendations to state and local agencies regarding public health system improvement issues;
  • Advocate for statewide public health system improvement efforts; and
  • Serve as the advisory board to the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant and the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant.

The State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) Design Team is overseeing the development of the updated State Health Improvement Plan. They are meeting monthly from September 2023 to February 2024 to provide guidance on the design and implementation framework of the new plan.

March 2024: Summary of community engagement and SHIP Design Team processes

SHIP Design Team Orientation and Project Reference

September 14, 2023 from 1 to 2:30 PM

 

October 12, 2023 from 1:30 to 3 PM

 

November 9, 2023 from 1 to 2:30 PM

 

December 14, 2023 from 1 to 2:30 PM

 

January 11, 2024 from 1 to 2:30 PM

 

February 8, 2024 from 1 to 2:30 PM

The State Health Assessment (SHA) Design Team is overseeing the development of the updated State Health Assessment. They are meeting monthly from August 2022 to January 2023 to provide guidance on the design of the report, as well as the interpretation and analysis of data.

March 2024: Summary of community engagement and SHA Design Team processes

SHA Design Team Orientation and Project Reference

August 10, 2022 from 1 to 2:30 PM via Zoom

September 14, 2022 from 1 to 2:30 PM via Zoom

 October 12, 2022 from 1 to 2:30 PM via Zoom

November 9, 2022 from 1 to 2:30 PM via Zoom

 December 14, 2022 from 1 to 2:30 PM via Zoom

January 11, 2023 from 1 to 2:30 PM via Zoom

  • This was the last of the initial 6-month series of planned meetings and was only a 30-minute call. 

  • January PowerPoint slides

Meeting minutes

Date Agenda Minutes
September 30, 2020 09/30/2020 09/30/2020
June 3, 2020 06/03/2020 06/03/2020
March 4, 2020 03/04/2020 03/04/2020
December 11, 2019 12/11/2019 12/11/2019
September 13, 2019 09/13/2019 09/13/2019
June 11, 2019 06/11/2019 06/11/2019

 

Data shared during meetings

See additional data related to opioids use and mental health and create customized reports with MT-IBIS. For help with MT-IBIS, contact the Office of Epidemiology and Scientific Support (OESS). You can also access all recent data reports on multiple topics from OESS. 

Meeting materials

Date Agenda Minutes
September 10, 2020 09/10/2020 09/10/2020
May 29, 2020 05/29/2020 05/29/2020
February 27, 2020 02/27/2020 02/27/2020
December 2, 2019 12/02/2019 12/02/2019
September 6, 2019 09/06/2019 09/06/2019
May 31, 2019 05/31/2019 05/31/2019

Data shared during meetings

 

You can also access  all recent data reports on multiple topics from OESS or visit the  Data & Statistics page maintained by the  Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Bureau to explore recent chronic disease surveillance reports by topic.

Meeting materials

Date Agenda Minutes
September 24, 2020 09/24/2020 09/24/2020
June 9, 2020 06/09/2020 06/09/2020
January 8, 2020 01/08/2020 01/08/2020
September 10, 2019 09/10/2019 09/10/2019
May 21, 2019 05/21/2019 05/21/2019

Data shared during the meetings

You can develop customized reports about some of the motor vehicle crash metrics using  MT-IBIS. For help with MT-IBIS,  contact the Office of Epidemiology and Scientific Support (OESS). 

You can also access  all recent data reports on multiple topics from OESS or visit the  Motor Vehicle and Seat Belt Safety from the Injury Prevention Program to learn more.

Meeting materials

Date Agenda Minutes
September 14, 2020 09/14/2020 09/14/2020
May 22, 2020 05/22/2020 05/22/2020
February 6, 2020 02/06/2020 02/06/2020
September 24, 2019 09/24/2019 09/24/2019
June 7, 2019 06/07/2019 06/07/2019

Data shared during meetings

See additional data related to maternal and child health and create customized reports with  MT-IBIS. For help with MT-IBIS,  contact the Office of Epidemiology and Scientific Support (OESS). You can also access  all recent data reports on multiple topics from OESS. 

Statewide ACEs Resource (active)

Focus area: Adverse Childhood Experiences
Partners from organizations including University of Montana, Montana State University, Mountain Pacific Quality Health, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, Office of Public Instruction, Helena College, Billings Clinic, Elevate Montana, and Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services are working together to develop an online resource about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and trauma-informed approaches in Montana. This website will focus on providing Montana-specific information and will be hosted by the University of Montana Center for Children, Families, and Workforce Development.

Obesity Prevention Programming (active)

Focus area: Chronic Disease Prevention and Self Management

A group of partners from the Montana Public Health & Safety Division, Montana State University, the Flathead Community Health Center, Mountain Pacific Quality Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Urban Indian Health Institute have come together to produce a brand new tool designed to help Montanans combat unhealthy lifestyles. The Obesity Prevention StoryMap will be an innovative, web-based tool containing information on the dangers of chronic obesity, as well as tools which the public can use to fight it. Incorporating GIS technology to provide visual aids for information purposes and locale based references for assistance, the Obesity Prevention StoryMap will be one of the first of its kind nationwide, and can serve as a template to provide health services and information to the citizens of Montana across a variety of subjects.

Impaired Driving Vulnerability Index (active)

Focus area: Motor Vehicle Crashes
A group of stakeholders from University of Montana School of Public and Community Health Sciences, MT DPHHS Public Health and Safety Division, Billings Area Indian Health Service, Rocky Mountain Tribal Epidemiology Center, and MT Dept of Transportation Highway Safety Section are working together to investigate the possibility of identifying areas of Montana at highest risk for participating in risky driving behaviors, specifically impaired driving. A vulnerability index for impaired driving would include information about how many crashes related to impaired driving occur, but would also include information about risk and protective factors for engaging in impaired driving. If possible, this tool could be used for targeted assistance to local communities. This project began in January 2021 and is ongoing.

Connecting Rural Hospitals to Resources (inactive)

Focus area: Chronic Disease Prevention and Self Management
A group of stakeholders participating in the Chronic Disease Prevention Community of Practice provided support to a learning series hosted by Montana Hospital Association for critical access hospitals with the goal of increasing awareness of public health resources available in their communities.

Local and Tribal Health Department Engagement in Motor Vehicle Crash Prevention (inactive)

​​​​​​​Focus area: Motor Vehicle Crashes
A group of partners from MT DPHHS Public Health and Safety Division, Office of Public Instruction, Rocky Mountain Tribal Epidemiology Center, MT Dept of Transportation Highway Safety Section, and local health departments, including Custer and Missoula Counties, collaborated on developing a half-day meeting to support needs and interests of Montana communities on motor vehicle crashes. The in-person meeting planned for May 2020 was pushed back to August 24, 2020 and held virtually to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions.

Car Seat Safety Messaging (inactive)

Focus area: Motor Vehicle Crashes
Partners from MT DPHHS Public Health and Safety Division, Safe Kids Montana, local Buckle Up programs, MT Dept of Transportation Highway Safety Section, and Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies work together on seasonal car seat safety messaging distributed by Health in the 406 and to Public Health and Safety Division partner newsletters, including groups that distribute information to a variety of health care professionals.