What We're Reading:

Room at the Table: A Leader's Guide to Advancing Health Equity and Justice

by Dr. Renée Branch Canady

In late 2024, the MTPHI team started reading Room at the Table: A Leader's Guide to Advancing Health Equity and Justice, authored by Dr. Renée Branch Canady, CEO of the Michigan Public Health Institute. As part of our "book club", our team is also meeting monthly to discuss learnings and reflect on the book's contents. This insightful book is not only prompting us to reflect on our personal experiences and journeys but also guiding us in discovering innovative strategies to advance health equity and justice in our work.

At MTPHI, we hold health equity as a core organizational value, and we are steadfast in our commitment to continuous improvement in this area for all Montanans. Additional information on Room at the Table can be found via the link below. We also welcome you to reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about MTPHI's health equity journey.

2025 Annual Report: Medicaid in Montana

Montana Healthcare Foundation

The Montana Healthcare Foundation recently released three new reports analyzing Montana Medicaid. The reports found that the HELP Act – or “Medicaid expansion” – continues to expand health care access, improve health outcomes, and control health care costs.

New findings from “2025 Medicaid in Montana” show that in addition to the program’s benefits for the health of enrollees and the state’s economy, Medicaid expansion has had a substantial impact on the health care system, particularly in rural areas. Click below to read the full press release and access the three reports.

CDC Public Health Associate Program

Host Site Application Opened February 3, 2025

Join a unique partnership with the CDC by applying to be a PHAP host site! Associates increase host site capacity, deliver public health services, and gain hands-on experience to become the nation’s next generation of public health professionals.

State, tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies, nongovernmental organizations, public health institutes and associations, academic institutions, and community-based organizations are encouraged to apply to host an associate.

PHAP is a CDC-funded, paid training program for early-career public health professionals. Through PHAP, recent college graduates have a unique opportunity to gain broad experience in the day-to-day operations of public health programs. Associates help address workforce needs at host sites across the U.S.



Benefits of being a PHAP host site include:

• Gaining CDC-funded field assignees who are energetic, intelligent, flexible, career-minded individuals with unlimited potential.
• Filling workforce gaps caused by budget cuts and staffing shortages.
• Forming a unique partnership with CDC to train the nation's next generation of public health professionals.

The host site application period opens February 3, 2025 and closes February 28, 2025 - click the link below for additional information:

Questions? Please email phap@cdc.gov 

The Fire Adapted Montana Learning Network is hosting a webinar panel discussion on wildfire smoke in Montana on Friday, February 7th from 10am-noon MT. This 2-hour webinar will provide information on the health risks of wildfire smoke, best practices from communities in Montana currently addressing smoke concerns, and resources for how you can fund and implement wildfire smoke resilience projects in your community.

This webinar is free and open to the public and will be recorded and available online following the event.

If you have any questions about the webinar or need assistance registering, please contact Blake Sexton.