Montana’s public health services are delivered primarily through contracts with local and tribal public health agencies in every county and reservation in the state as well as to private providers, clinics, hospitals, and other organizations. The Public Health and Safety Division (PHSD) leads the state’s public health efforts and provides state-level coordination of key public health services to local and tribal public health agencies. The PHSD has been working to prevent heart disease and diabetes. Since 2008, over 3,300 people in Montana have participated in the Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Prevention Program (CVDDPP) currently implemented at 15 sites and via telehealth at six remote sites.
The state’s Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and healthcare providers throughout the state have worked to facilitate the exchange of data between EHRs and selected DPHHS databases.
In 2012, the Montana Public Health Laboratory and a number of private medical providers established secure direct data connections to report selected communicable diseases, immunization histories, and laboratory results.
Also in 2012, the Laboratory Services Bureau implemented telehealth capabilities to better detect and identify parasitic disease. At this time, DPHHS is working with two dozen additional providers to further develop the technology.
New proposals for projects released in a report presented to the 2013 Montana Health and Human Services Joint Appropriation Subcommittee on Public Health and Safety, has submitted several grant proposals to the Federal government to help in the state.
One proposal is to “Improve Services for Children with Special Health Needs” (NP-70103). The Funding of $294,912 would help community-based organizations, healthcare providers, educational organizations, and care coordinators navigate the healthcare system and obtain supportive services.
Another proposal “Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Grants” (NP70105) would improve epidemiology and laboratory capacity as well as coordinate and implement healthcare associated infection prevention activities between hospitals and the state health department.
The funding for $633,531 would specifically be used to help laboratories implement new tests, improve health information systems, expand electronic laboratory results reports, and improve the testing and surveillance of food borne illnesses, West Nile Virus, and influenza.
Funding for $220,000 is being requested for the “Regional Emergency Pediatric Services Grant” (NP-70122) to be used for a pediatric illness and injury demonstration project in rural and tribal communities. The DPHHS is partnering with St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings to improve the management and treatment of ill and injured children and to explore innovative strategies such as telemedicine to extend specialized pediatric services into local communities.
Funding of $137,130 is being requested for the “Syndromic Surveillance Grant Program” (NP-70124) to coordinate activities to detect and monitor unusual disease occurrences as early as possible. The goal is to identify and recruit hospitals, and other data sources to provide emergency and urgent care department data in an electronic format to be maintained by CDC and be accessible to Division staff.
Go to www.dphhs.mt.gov/biennialreports/PHSDPresentation2013.pdf to view the report presented to the Joint Appropriation Subcommittee.