Individual participants are asked to use their place at the Coalition table to provide access to their organization's decision-makers.

We define ourselves as a network that serves as a clearing-house, conveyor, sounding-board for county organizations that are interested in fostering and improving outcomes based on prevention. We may also deal with intervention topics but to a lesser degree. As conveyors we serve in a matchmaking role weaving ideas/efforts together. As a group, the Coalition doesn't necessarily work on specific projects, but individual members may take on specific tasks or be a part of taskforces that concentrate on task accomplishment (from '97 action plan).

Concurrently in January 1994, the Billings Health Planning Coalition was originated with some of the same partners as founding members:

• Saint Vincent Hospital and Health Center (now St. Vincent Healthcare)
• Deaconess Medical Center (now Deaconess Billings Clinic)
• Montana State Uuniversity-Bozeman College of Nursing
• Yellowstone City/County Health Department

During the first year (with Lynn Mattison/St. Vincent as facilitator) relationships were established, trust was built, information was shared, and the following definition of the "Healthy Community" was adopted.

In May 1995, the Billings Health Planning Coalition began focusing its efforts on the 1994 Community Needs Assessment and the highest identified community need in the Physical Care area--"financial assistance with prescriptions"--as the first collaborative project. Additional stakeholders were invited to monthly meetings that verified the community perception, designed the Medication Assistance Program (MAP), and put it into place at the Deering Clinic. In April 1996 MAP started providing low-cost or free medications to patients who could not otherwise afford to fill their prescriptions. MAP continues to be a vital program meeting the needs of over 400 people a month in our community.

By 1997 the Coalition was broadening its focus to act as an oversight Coalition sharing information and assigning work to task forces that the coalition helped to form. These working task forces concentrate on specific areas bringing back reports of progress to the monthly full Coalition meeting. Examples include:

• Establishing a Community Report Card (which later became the United Way's Community Indicators Report) which tracks key health indicators to establish trends and measure impact of newly created programs. The first (1998) Community Indicator's Report was completed and printed with a $1,500 grant from the MT Office of Rural Health.
  
• The Medication Assistance Program (MAP) Operating Council--partners St. Vincent Healthcare, Yellowstone City County Health Department, Billings Deaconess Clinic, St. Vincent DePaul, Family Services and a representative of BHCC meeting monthly for program oversight and implementation of improvements to meet greater needs.
  
• CODES (Crash Outcome Data Evaluation Study) Task Force--originating data on traffic accidents from hospital and highway patrol reports to assist in solving local problems--working in conjunction with the Highway Traffic Safety Committee.
  
• At the same time the Coalition was advocating tobacco use and teen pregnancy prevention programs (Postponing Sexual Involvement and Baby Think It Over programs for the schools).
  
• The first of what have become yearly spring "Revisiting Purpose and Goal Identification" retreats took place in 1997.
  
• During the spring Planning Retreat the Coalition put in place an action plan which included a name change. The Coalition would go from the Billings Healthy Planning Coalition to the Billings Healthy Community Coalition. The name was changed to reflect the expanded focus of work the Coalition has been involved in and correlation to the Montana Healthy Communities Coalition state-wide network.
  
• A broadened leadership structure that encourages the growth of ownership in and responsibility for BHCC work was established. An Executive Committee made up of representatives from four of the stakeholder larger organizations (St. Vincent Healthcare, Yellowstone City County Health Department, United Way and Deaconess Billings Clinic) along with an additional member at large was put in place with a different agency agreeing to take a rotating lead responsibility for BHCC each year (facilitation and record-keeping/newsletters). New leadership would be selected at the yearly spring planning workshop and take office the next month.

During the 1998-99 officer term the Coalition continued to define itself approving an action plan which included a name change.  The Coalition would go from the Billings Health Planning Coalition to the Billings Healthy Community Coalition.  The name was changed to reflect the broadened focus of work the Coalition had been involved in and correlation to the Montana Healthy Communities Coalition state-wide network.

1998-1999 highlighted outcomes included (Debbie Hedrick/Yellowstone City County Health Department is President):

• The Medication Assistance Program (MAP) helped 1,566 patients in its first year of operation; the patients received 3,442 free or low cost prescriptions.  Donated medications amounted to $167,936 to this program.  $5,000 was secured for MAP from Community Development Block Grant funds.
  
• BHCC members advocated the early pilot project participation of Montana in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – which came to pass.

• BHCC won a $10,000 one-year grant written by St. Vincent from SmithKline Beecham which benefited ten families.  The grant was matched by community partners Saint Vincent Hospital and Health Center, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health Services corp., Deaconess Billings Clinic Foundation, United Way of Yellowstone County, Family Support Network, and Family Tree.
  
• Postponing Sexual Involvement and Baby Think It Over curriculums (advocated by BHCC) were approved for use in School District #2 and their prevention-focused activities began in classrooms.
  
• $20,651 worth of procedures occurred through the Dental Program for the Homeless.
  

• A federally funded Community Incentive Program (CIP)– Substance Abuse Prevention contract was won by Montana to be administered by the DPHHS Addictive and Mental Disorders Division.  The three-year contract brings $9 million to Montana to support community alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention efforts over a 3-year period.  BHCC members appeared before School District #2 committees to advocate a change in school policy surrounding surveys that would allow Billings to apply for these potential drug prevention grant monies.  The District changed its policy.
   

• A Kids Helping Kids mentoring program was put in place matching Skyview and Bench School students as a demonstration program that became the start of today’s very successful Big Brothers and Sisters  “Big and Little Program.”

The 1999-2000 highlights included (Jim Duncan/Deaconess Billings Clinic was President):

• The CIP grant application submitted on behalf of BHCC by MSU-Billings staff won $850,500 for Billings for prevention programs naming the United Way as the pass-through agent.  Over 20 local programs received assistance.
  
• A SmithKline Beecham grant submitted on behalf of the BHCC by St. Vincent Healthcare won $50,000 for the Family Tree for mentoring of at risk families with young children.
  
• Many BHCC organizations helped the Billings Alliance for Youth – Billings’ Promise reach their goal of touching the lives of 6,706 youth with five fundamental resources by 2000 – their goal of reaching 2000 far exceeded!
  
• Increased community collaboration and awareness of the BHCC occurred (especially around the visits of General McCarthy/Drug Czar and Milton Creagh which built momentum around youth drug issues).

• United Way published the 1999 Community Indicators Report.
  
• The Sisters of Charity Health Services Corporation Mission Fund donated $15,000 for indigent Dental Program. The Homeless Dental Program volunteers were recognized at ceremonies for the Golden Rule Award.

The2000-2001 highlighted accomplishments of the Coalition include (Carol Burton/United Way was President):

• The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth gave a $7,000 Grant to BHCC to assist with costs of developing a more professional look for BHCC for use on newsletter, stationery and web site and for paying for newsletter writing and printing.  The mailing list was expanded and regular newsletters are published.
• MSU-B won a $200,664 grant for Tobacco Coalition work.  85 people trained to teach Tobacco Awareness Program – a teen voluntary tobacco cessation – in schools.

• In July 2000 Project HELP (a CIP grant-funded program) had a week-long camp teaching students how to be school-based peer health educators.  Other Drug Prevention Planning Committee efforts continues with work in three major task force areas– policy, media and enforcement.
  
• In September of 2000, the Yellowstone City County Health Department and MSU-Billings won a $165,980 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Grant for Billings.  The grant is a planning and partnership development grant to strengthen existing community-based processes aimed at alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) prevention, violence prevention and mental health promotion among youth by implementing the Communities That Care mobilization model.

• In calendar 2000, thanks to the increased funding from St. Vincent Healthcare, United Way and a Community Development Block Grant, MAP clinic hours were expanded, a part-time clerical worker was added and numerous additional patients (3,202) were helped with free or low cost medications (6,197 prescriptions) through the Medication Assistance Program.  Since start-up in 1996 through December 2000, MAP has secured over $675,000 in donated prescription medications from pharmaceutical firms and provided them for a low cost co-payment ($2-$5) charge to patients during 10,189 visits.
  
• Baby Think It Over is going well thanks to the Billings Soroptimists who purchased 93 infant simulators for School District 2.  The organization also donated 12 of the realistic-looking “infants” to Laurel High School and 25 to the high schools in Big Horn County.
  
• BHCC members advocated for the passage of Constitutional Amendment 35 to dedicate at least 40% of the expected $800-900 Million national tobacco settlement coming to Montana over the next 25 years into a trust fund – which was accomplished. 

2001-2002 most recent accomplishments include (Diane Weaver/St. Vincent was President):

• Thanks to BHCC programs on “Hunger in Billings,”  “Drug Treatment Options for Youth,” and “Collaboration in Grant-Writing” increased awareness is helping to address issues.

• The SAMHSA grant helped establish this BHCC Web Site which includes current happenings, Community Indicator and other survey data, a community resource directory, historical information about BHCC and newsletter archives and much more!

• The BHCC led the way through a year of meetings and planning to the successful award of a $1 Million Community Access Project grant submitted by MSU-B staff on behalf of a new collaboration between Yellowstone City-County Health Department, St. Vincent Healthcare and Deaconess Billings Clinic.   This grant will fund infrastructure and planning to improve access to health care for the un- and under-insured.
  
• A very successful Dental Summit attended by many BHCC members identified issues and is working on solutions.
  
• School District #2 is provided with a brochure from BHCC for all students that identifies resources in times of need or crisis.  

Last Updated 11/27/01 by Diane J. Weaver