Upcoming Meeting!
Thurs., Aug. 23rd
3:30-5:00 PM
Note Location!
St. Vincent Healthcare
Marillac Board Room - 3rd Floor
Park in Clinic or
North Parking lots!

 

Mental Health Assn. of MT QUILT

We are making a quilt in remembrance of persons lost to suicide. The traveling quilt will be used for conferences and other events. We have six squares as a great beginning but need your help. To honor your special person in this quilt, please call Betty at the MHAM office,
1-800-MHAM

 

Agenda for August 23rd Meeting

Introductions -announcements from those present

Three vacant schools - ideas for use

Identifying current participant links to missing stakeholders (who's not here) as a means for regular updates at BHCC meetings

Task Force Work (Brief Web Site Update, Grants Needing Community Collaboration, Data Task Force, etc.)

Other issues group want to deal with at future meetings

 
Issue #41 - August 13, 2001

P.O. Box 669, Billings, MT 59103-0669    
  
Dental Summit/Sept. 14
Access to dental care for uninsured/underinsured and Medicaid enrollees has become a community crisis as demonstrated by:
  • Head Start has students unable to receive their required dental screenings.
  • Deaconess Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare are experiencing rising numbers of dental related visits to their ER.
  • District 9 Dental Society has had concerns about access to care. There are a growing number of dentists over 50 years of age who would like to reduce their patient load and few new dentists coming to Billings.
  • Yellowstone City-County Health Department is required to offer dental services through the Community Health Center. They have 350 persons needing emergent dental care on the waiting list for the volunteer dental clinics; 176 persons could be seen in 2000.

The issue is of such proportion that these five organizations will co-sponsor a Community Dental Summit on September 14, 2001. It will be held at Deaconess Billings Clinic's Fortin Center.

The identified issues for the summit are:

  • Adjustment of fluoride in Billings water to optimum levels throughout the year.
  • Promotion of a dental residency.
  • Promotion of dentist involvement in Medicaid and addressing the barriers that are experienced by the dentists.
  • Community education regarding good oral health practices and the level of crisis in our community.

Hours have not been finalized, but if you would like to receive more information or an invitation, please call Yellowstone City-County Health Dept. at 247-3200.
Visit the CIP Booth at MT Fair--or Volunteer!
The Billings Community Incentive Program (CIP) is sponsoring a booth at the Montana Fair to distribute health related information (especially drug prevention info). The booth is being staffed mostly with teenagers from the Project HELP group, but we still have some open spots and free tickets to the fair for anyone who agrees to work a few hours. We especially need volunteers between the hours of 9-12 in the evening. Contact Ernie Randolfi at 657-2123 if you would like to help out.

We will also be happy to distribute any prevention information your agency or organization may have. Just drop off materials to my office at the Health and Phys. Ed Building at MSU-Billings.
HRSA CAP Grant Update
Our regional $1 Million application has been recommended for funding by the HRSA Objective Review Committee (ORC)! There were 270 applications reviewed by ORC, with 55 recommended approvals and 55 site visits by CAP staff. There is approximately $40 million for distribution and a decision on final funding will be made the middle of September. The billings site visit was held July 27th with a representative from the CAP office in Washington DC, the HRSA Denver Field Office Project Officer and the Primary Care Office representative from Helena. Approximately 25 community leaders participated in the site visit to demonstrate collaborative support for improved services for residents.

Yellowstone City-County Health Department, Deaconess Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare collaboratively submitted the grant application to the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) for a Community Access Project (CAP) grant. The grant, written by faculty from MSU-Billings, would be used to assess the need for infrastructure change and/or development to address primary care, mental health/substance abuse, dental and pharmacy needs for residents of Yellowstone County and specific sites in Eastern Montana.
Spread the Word--"Lunch & Learn" for Parents Aug. 28th
As most parents help ready their children for returning to school, we usually think of school supplies, clothes and the new experiences our children will have. One of those new experiences may be an introduction to tobacco, alcohol and drugs. parents are children's greatest allies in avoiding drug use. Yet many parents feel ill equipped in this area.

The Billings Healthier Community Coalition wants to help by offering a free hour-long "Lunch and Learn" seminar at the Lincoln Center on August 28, 2001 at noon.

Community prevention specialists will discuss the reality of the drug situation in our community and offer age-appropriate tools for parents to use in talking with children about drugs. The seminar will also include time for parents to share their own successes and challenges with each other.

Kids who learn from their parents or caregivers about the risk of drugs are 36% less likely to smoke marijuana and 50% less likely to use inhalants than kids who don't. Parents are the biggest deterrent to their kids using alcohol and drugs.

This "Lunch & Learn" seminar is offered free of charge with no further obligation. Parents should bring a bag lunch and invest an hour in learning the tools it takes to provide positive anti-tobacco, alcohol, and drug messages to their children that can last a lifetime.  
Welcome New BHCC Officers
For the 2001-2002 Year:
President
St. Vincent Healthcare/Diane Weaver, Community Benefit Coordinator
237-3611		 State Liaison
Deaconess Billings Clinic/Jim Duncan, Foundation President
657-4670
Past President
United Way of Yellowstone County/Carol Burton, Executive Director
252-3839		 Members at Large
Carl Hanson (through 2003), MSU-B
Vice President
Yellowstone City County Health Dept./Debbie Hedrick
247-3377		 Newly Appointed Members at Large
Judy Bryngelson/Head Start, Inc., Exec. Director

Retha Thomas/Big Brothers and Sisters, Exec. Director (through 2004)
Billings Promise Liaison
Dr. Mary Maheras (through 2002)
Did You Know???

Tobacco Use in Montana
High school students who smoke 38%
High school males who use chew 33%
Number of kids (under 18) who become new daily smokers each year 3,000
Kids exposed to secondhand smoke at home 52,000
Number of packs of cigarettes illegally sold to kids in Montana each year $1.5 Million
Adults in Montana who smoke 20%

Deaths in Montana From Smoking
Number of people who die each year in Montana from Smoking 38%
Number of Montana kids now under 18 who will die from smoking if current trends continue 33%

Tobacco Industry Influence
Estimated tobacco industry advertising and marketing expenditures for Montana each year

$17 Million

CHECK IT OUT! 
The United Tobacco Free Coalition's web site at:
www.TobaccoFreeMontana.org
Phone: (406) 657-2927
Spending Money on Treatment Offsets Medical Costs
Evaluation of a pilot treatment program in the state of Washington found a solid medical cost offset resulting from spending money on addiction treatment services, Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly reported July 2.

The study found that the average monthly medical bills of individuals with a permanent disability who received addiction treatment were $774 lower than those disabled residents who needed treatment but didn't receive it.

The Washington Division of Alcohol & Substance Abuse generated more medical savings in the pilot program than promised to state legislators. As a result, lawmakers approved an appropriation of $2.9 million last month for addiction treatment for those receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

"What this says is legislators and policymakers believe that if they don't pay for our services, it's going to cost them more to pay for the consequences elsewhere," said Kenneth D. Stark, director of the Division of Alcohol & Substance Abuse.

He added, "If you want to mitigate expensive, hospital-based care, you need to provide quality addiction treatment, or you will cost-shift to other systems, including criminal justice. Our programs are indeed disease-prevention, health-promotion programs that save Medicaid dollars."
Another Resource--The Alliance for National Renewal--Doing Work Similar to BHCC
"Communities are incubators of innovation and are where our can-do spirit resides. In communities lies hope and new opportunities for citizens to volunteer, celebrate, learn about their responsibilities, and take action together."
   - John W. Gardner
    Founding Chairman/alliance for National Renewal
   
Their Vision: A renewed nation of communities that work for everyone
Their Mission To serve as a catalyst for inspiring diverse people to work collaboratively in revitalizing their communities and society.
Their Principles: Citizens are engaged in community building and civic innovation in communities across America. The Alliance for National Renewal has emerged to spotlight this work of renewal, to support similar efforts in other communities, and to counter the cynicism and alienation some individuals feel in their communities by encouraging them to engage in positive action.
ANR Advocates:
  1. Taking individual responsibility to meet shared community challenges.
  2. Recognizing that diverse voices add vitality to common purpose.
  3. Revitalizing communities through collaborative efforts of the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
  4. Removing the barriers to individual growth and fulfillment.
Associate with the National Civic League--taken from their web site at www.ncl.org.
June BHCC Meeting Discussion:
What was missing at the May Retreat?
Exec. Com. discussion was shared and furthered at the full meeting: "BHCC's focus now is primarily health and human services. We'll need the whole membership (at another retreat) to decide on expansion to a future broadened focus--a data driven vision for Billings with everyone working to achieve that broadened vision. Meanwhile BHCC reps can reach out to other arenas that are targeted as missing from the table so that our BHCC voice is heard and we keep on top of what's happening in other arenas of our community--economic development, schools, etc."
CAP Gets a New Name as It Moves Through the Senate
Last week the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee marked up and passed out of committee S. 1281, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize safety net programs. This legislation includes $125 million for the Healthy Communities Access Program (H-CAP). Ascension Health, Catholic Health East, and Providence Health System have been leading the effort to ensure that this program--zeroed out in the president's budget--is included as part of this legislation. The focus is now on encouraging the House Energy and Commerce Committee to mark up an H-CAP authorization bill. We also need the House and Senate Appropriations committees to include H-CAP funding in the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
August 23, 3:30-5:00 PM
Next Full Meeting of BHCC
St. Vincent Healthcare, 3rd Marillac

Sept. 12, 8:00-10:00 AM
BHCC Exec. Committee Meeting
 St. Vincent Healthcare, 3rd Marillac

Sept. 27, 3:30-5:00 PM
Full Meeting of BHCC

 ~Allied Events~

Aug. 28, Noon
"Lunch and Learn" seminar at the Lincoln Center re: Alcohol/Tob./Drugs

Aug. 29, 4:00-5:00 PM
United Tobacco Free Coalition Mtg.
Deaconess Billings Clinic, Clinic Rm 1

? , 9:30-11:00 AM
Drug Prevention Media Task Force
St. Vincent Healthcare, 3rd Marillac
Call 237-3610

Sept. 13
2001 United Way Day of Caring

Sept. 14, Time to be Determined
Community Dental Summit
Call 247-3200 for more information

Sept. 19-21, Helena
13th Annual Conference on Children & Adolescents & Serious Emotional Disturbances
Call Diane White 406-444-7064

Oct. 10-12, Butte
MT State Conference on Mental Illness
Contact Sandra Mihelish, 406-458-9738

Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2001
Annual Community Care Networking Conference, New Orleans, LA
Confirmed hosts: Community Care Network Demonstration Program, Catholic Health Association of the United States, Coalition for Healthier Cities and Communities, Health Forum, Health Research and Educational Trust, VHA, Inc.
Call Brooke Baron at 312-422-2615
BHCC Website Update
Construction of the BHCC website is underway again. Janna Myers of MSU-Billings Information Technology is now providing website development leadership. All the information gathered for our previous webmaster (who moved) has been transferred and with assistance from MSU-Billings students additional data to be included is being collected and updated.

By the end of August, health care professionals and community members will be contacted to participate in focus groups to test out the site. If you would like to be a part of one of these groups, please contact Deb Peters at 657-2115.

If all goes well, the new website will be presented at the September BHCC meeting!
June BHCC Attendance
Carol Burton/United Way, Mike Burton/YMCA, Michelle Reed, Debbie Hedrick and Molly Bridges/Yellowstone City County Health Dept., Diane Weaver/St. Vincent Healthcare, Jim Duncan/Deaconess Billings Clinic, Judy Bryngelson/Head Start, Stacey James and Jackie Lloyd/InterMountain Planned Parenthood, Laura Harper-Hall/Mental Health Center, Retha Thomas/Big Brothers and Sisters, Bob Tompkins/Tobacco Coalition, Carl Hanson and Ernie Randolfi/MSU-B, Bernie Hedrick/Youth Court Services,...plus at least six others. (I had it but can't find the attendance sheet - sorry!)
Healthy Communities Network
The Coalition for Healthier Cities and Communities announces the formation of the Healthy Communities Network which is essentially an evolution and transformation of the Healthy Community States Network. You can read more about this at www.healthycommunities.org. Diane, on behalf of BHCC, is now on their e-mail distribution list.

Note: Send information for inclusion in this newsletter by the 10th of the month and/or address corrections and additions to: diane.weaver@svh-mt.org or call 237-3611.

THANK YOU ST. VINCENT HEALTHCARE
for providing the funding for the design, writing and production of this newsletter for the past and current year!