MPCA News

Montana Will Soon Have Two New Community Health Centers!

Healthcare leaders in Miles City (Custer County) and Cut Bank (Glacier County) have been notified by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Health Care that they will receive substantial federal grants to start up and develop Community Health Centers (CHCs) in their communities. Miles City is slated to receive $389,500 annually, and Cut Bank, $527,500, annually. This will bring the total number of CHCs in Montana to eleven, with primary care services delivered at 15 clinic sites across the state.

Alan Strange, Ph.D., director of the Montana Primary Care Association, says these announcements are good news to the uninsured and low-income populations of those communities and to anyone who finds it difficult to obtain healthcare. “Since January 1, 2000, over 6,106,000 new federal dollars have flowed into Montana to help residents obtain access to primary care,” says Dr. Strange. “These are ongoing grants that allow medical, dental, and mental health services to be provided on a sliding scale. Patients are billed according to their ability to pay.”

Community Health Centers were developed to help people who experience barriers to care. Most often, this is due to an individual’s poor financial situation, but it can also be due to not having health insurance, or not having enough or the right kind of health insurance, or not speaking English, or not feeling accepted because of race or religion or culture or sexual orientation, or because of the fact that people live in areas of the country where health care providers are scarce. “Over 48,000 Montanans receive their health care at Community Health Centers,” says Dr. Strange, “but there are still many thousands of our residents who are not fortunate enough to live in an area where one is located. We still have a long way to go.”

Meredith Hirsch, a public health nurse at the Custer County Health Department and a member of the board of the health center was excited to hear the news. “This will give me a place to refer people who have health problems but few dollars. Recently,” she said, “a young man came in with a badly abscessed tooth. He couldn’t open his mouth. He would get paid in two weeks, but ended up pulling the tooth himself.” She continued, “We are seeing more people with health problems who work, but don’t make very much money. In the past few months, there has been a run on vouchers for medications from the Salvation Army.”

Dr. Randall J. Rauh, a Miles City physician, agrees. “Having lived here for 22 years,” he says, “we saw the demographics and population needs change. Some communities do not want to look and see that problems exist. We had the courage to do that.” He continued, “The board – everyone – is excited! When we are told that we can spend the money, you will be smelling paint and seeing new carpet all over the place!”

Ann Tribby wrote the Custer County CHC grant application. She credits the assistance she received from other Montana CHCs and the Montana Primary Care Association for their success. “Having that level of expertise available was very helpful,” she said, “the application took many hours to create, but we knew the effort was important to help the people who live here.”

In Cut Bank, the news brought thoughts of a new business, new employment opportunities, and a chance to address local health concerns. Betsy Seglem, chair of the board of the Glacier County CHC and writer of the grant application put it this way, “These funds will go a long way toward improving access, not only to primary care, but to mental health, substance abuse and dental services – all things we really need. The grant will allow choices for healthcare and allow us to focus on prevention education.” While they are awaiting the go-ahead to spend their grant funds, the board has set up a bank account, worked on a job application process, and identified a building that will be renovated and utilized as the clinic site. Betsy has this advice for communities thinking about applying for a CHC grant, “Get as many partners as you can involved from the very beginning, encourage them to think creatively, and take good notes!”

In the past two years, Montana has received grants to develop 6 new CHC clinic sites. This is because communities across the state are taking advantage of a five year presidential initiative put forth by President George W. Bush:

"I strongly support these Community Health Centers because they are compassionate, they are cost-effective, and America needs more of them. And so I've set this goal: We need 1,200 more Community Health Centers over the next five years to make sure government fulfills its commitment to the need."

October 1, 2003 will begin the third year of the initiative. This is an important opportunity for Montana communities and American Indian and Tribal organizations as applications from rural and frontier areas are given priority.

For more information about Community Health Center grant opportunities, call the Montana Primary Care Association, 406-442-2750.

Montana Primary Care Association 1805 Euclid Avenue Helena, MT 59601 Phone: (406) 442-2750 Fax: (406) 449-2460