Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) announced today that the full balance of November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be made available to households, with funds expected on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards as soon as Saturday, Nov.15. This action follows updated guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to states following the end of the federal government shutdown. DPHHS issued partial SNAP benefits to households’ EBT cards on S...
As Montana approaches the colder months and the start of another respiratory illness season, the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) urges all Montanans to take preventative measures to defend against COVID-19, influenza (flu), pneumococcal pneumonia, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). State health officials advise all Montanans to protect themselves and their families by prioritizing immunizations, practicing strong hygiene, staying home when sick, and seeking prompt testing and treatment. Laboratory-confirmed cases of i...
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has opened a 60-day period within which the public may comment on its planned 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). “Implementing community engagement and cost sharing requirements for Medicaid Expansion enrollees is a top priority of Governor Gianforte’s administration,” DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton said. “DPHHS is committed to securing federal approval of our waiver as soon as possible, and I encourage all Montana...
State and local public health officials remind Montanans to be aware of rabies exposure risks as summer approaches. The potential for encounters between humans and wild animals increases during the spring and summer months as Montanans spend increased time engaging in outdoor activities. Rabies is a fatal but preventable disease. The rabies virus is carried in the saliva of infected warm-blooded mammals and is usually transmitted to people and other animals through a bite. Post-exposure prophylaxis, a series of injections administered after...
Spring in Montana is a popular time to forage for morel mushrooms, a type of mushroom that is often considered a delicacy by restaurants and the public. However, morels can cause human illness if the proper identification, storage, and preparation steps are not taken. An outbreak of gastrointestinal (GI) illness occurred in Montana in the spring of 2023, when 51 people got sick after eating raw or only partially cooked morels at a restaurant. Three hospitalizations and two deaths were...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton today announced one-time incentive payments and targeted, historic wage increases to recruit and retain employees at Montana’s state-run healthcare facilities. The new effort is designed to reduce reliance on contracted clinical staff and demonstrates DPHHS’s continued, strong commitment to reforming and investing in the facilities that serve Montana’s most vulnerable patients. Dir. Brereton announced the Hiring Incentive Program for direct patient care positions a...
As Montana gears up to enter another respiratory illness season, the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) encourages Montanans to take precautions to help protect against severe symptoms from COVID-19, influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. The number of people ill due to respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia, and RSV, is currently low across most of the United States but has increased in recent weeks. Montana has already begun seeing...
State and local health officials are reporting the first West Nile Virus (WNV) detection of the year in mosquitoes sampled from Blaine County. No humans or horses have tested positive for WNV yet this season. Infected mosquitoes can transmit WNV when they bite, and the increased risk of WNV transmission to humans and horses is expected to continue through October – or as long as mosquitoes are active in the state. While no human cases of WNV were reported in 2022, in previous seasons Montana has reported over 50 human cases in a single s...
State and local public health officials are reminding Montanans to be aware of the risk of exposure to rabies as summer approaches. The risk for potential encounters between humans and wild animals increases during spring and summer because of the time spent hiking and engaging in other outdoor activities. On June 13, 2023, DPHHS received the first report of a rabid animal this year. A striped skunk in Powder River County tested positive for rabies. In 2022, 13 animals submitted for rabies...
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) honored Montana Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel from White Sulphur Springs, Great Falls, Whitehall, Bozeman, Miles City, and Anaconda during an awards ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda Wednesday, May 24. The event included an address by Lt. Governor Kristen Juras to representatives from the Meagher County Volunteer Ambulance, Montana Medical Transport of Helena and Great Falls, Jefferson Valley EMS, Gallatin County Dispatch,...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials are reporting a recent increase in the number of cases of chickenpox reported in school-aged children. And, at least half of these infections were acquired from an adult family member with shingles. Chickenpox, or varicella, can be a serious illness and is easily preventable with vaccination. “The best way to protect yourself and your child from chickenpox is vaccination,” says Jessica Lopeman, a registered nurse and epidemiologist with DPHHS. In 2022, there were 23 reported cas...
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) will begin conducting Medicaid and Healthy Montana Kids (HMK) eligibility redeterminations on April 1 for the first time in three years. Federal requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of annual redeterminations, in order to keep every individual enrolled in Medicaid covered throughout the pandemic. However, last December’s federal omnibus spending bill directed states to resume evaluating the eligibility of Medicaid enrollees on April 1. Beginning in April a...
Krista Glaus, RN, has been named a recipient of a School Health Mini-Grant Award from the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). She has received $1,000, which will contribute to staff CPR and first aid training in the Whitehall School District. Glaus provides nursing services to the Whitehall School District, where she works with students and their families to ensure students' health and well-being. She is among a select number of school nurses awarded grants by the DPHHS...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials are reporting substantial influenza (flu) activity during the first three months of this current flu season, from September through December 2022, that has far exceeded the prior five-year averages. Since the week of September 25 through December 31, 2022, there have been 408 influenza-associated hospitalizations reported to DPHHS, well above the five-year seasonal average of 88 hospitalizations for that same time frame. The five-year seasonal average for hospitalizations for an...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials are urging Montanans to be aware of the importance of appropriate antibiotic use during U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week Nov. 18-24, 2022. This is an annual observance that provides participating organizations in the state’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program an opportunity to raise awareness about antibiotic use to combat the threat of antibiotic resistance. DPHHS officials state that while antibiotics are a common treatment for numerous bacterial infections, they are not always t...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials said today that increased benefits are now available to families through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as WIC. “We want to ensure that WIC recipients and those who are eligible, but not yet enrolled for the program, are aware that benefits increased in October,” said Kevin Moore, acting WIC Director for DPHHS. “This is great news because we know that with increases in food prices, times are tough for many famil...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials report that nearly one in three Montanans aged 65 and older have reported falling at least once in the last 12 months. “Falling is not a normal part of aging, but knowing a person’s risk factors can reduce the chance of an unintentional fall.” DPHHS Falls Prevention Program Manager Melissa Dale said. “As a person ages, they are at an increased risk for falling and sustaining an injury.” National Falls Prevention Week is September 18-24. Dale notes that almost half (48%) of the fa...
State and local public health officials are reporting the season’s first West Nile virus (WNV) detections in positive mosquito samples in Dawson and Lewis and Clark counties. The first horse infected with WNV this season was also confirmed earlier this week in Lewis and Clark County. To date, no human cases of WNV have been identified this season. Increased risk of WNV infection in humans and horses is expected to continue through at least October. The detection of WNV in mosquitoes and horses is an early warning that Montanans are at an i...
Governor Greg Gianforte and Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton announced an $18 million investment to fund 31 child care innovation grants across the state. “For too long, Montana’s working families faced a shortage of child care providers, putting them between a rock and a hard place,” Gov. Gianforte said. “To increase access to sustainable, quality child care and address this longstanding problem, we’re investing in quality providers who operate in child care deserts throughout our state.” R...
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has launched a new program to help persons with behavioral health conditions successfully quit tobacco products. “Many individuals with behavioral health conditions want to stop smoking but may face extra challenges in successfully quitting,” DPHHS Director Adam Meier said. “Through the new Behavioral Health Program, participants will have access to specially trained coaches and additional coaching calls to help them overcome these challenges.” DPHHS officials say, in Montana, tobacco...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Adam Meier is encouraging child care providers to apply for Child Care Stabilization funds during the final application period July 1 – 31, 2022. The online application will go live on July 1 at childcare.mt.gov. DPHHS estimates there are about 350 child care providers still eligible to apply for this funding. “We encourage Montana eligible child care providers, who haven’t done so, to apply for stabilization funds in July,” Meier said. “Since this funding was first offered i...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and the Montana Department of Justice, in conjunction with local law enforcement, have identified an alarming number of fatal overdoses across the state in the last two weeks. In the period from May 22 to June 1, there have been at least 8 fatal overdoses, likely due to opioids. These fatalities occurred in Cascade, Custer, Gallatin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, and Yellowstone counties and involved individuals aged 24 to 60 years old. “These tragic events serve as another reminder of the d...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Adam Meier announced that Montanans eligible for food and cash assistance can now make purchases online through Walmart.com as part of a federal nationwide initiative to increase access. “We are excited to be able to offer this convenient method of shopping to Montana families,” Meier said. “While Walmart is our initial launch, we will work on expanding this program with additional online retailers in the future.” Thousands of households receive benefits through the Supplem...
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Adam Meier issued an advisory today to clarify the current status of, and Montanans’ rights and obligations, under the Parental Notification of Abortion Act of 2011. Montana Code books reflect that House Bill 391 (2013) repealed portions of this law. However, the Montana Code doesn’t account for court decisions, and these provisions are in fact current law. The Parental Notification of Abortion Act, which was approved by more than 70%...
Governor Greg Gianforte and Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Adam Meier announced today that Montana No Kid Hungry (NKH) has awarded a total of $150,980 through grants to 11 local organizations across the state to support food access and nutrition projects. “Strengthening the local food system will help improve access to healthy and local food, support Montana’s farmers and producers, and provide a boost to the economy,” Governor Gianforte said. Montana No Kid Hungry is a public-private partnership between DPHHS...
