County and tribal public health departments work diligently and often behind the scenes to protect and improve health. They implement immunization programs, ensure the community has safe food and water, track down the source of disease outbreaks, and lead community efforts to identify and solve their most challenging health problems. Despite the critical role they play, many of Montana’s health departments operate on a shoestring budget and have little time or funding to build more effective programs to meet community needs.

Our commitment to strengthening Montana’s public health system goes back to our very first grant. With that $1.3 million grant, we provided funding to county and Tribal health departments around Montana, and technical support through a partnership with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The grant enabled local health departments around the state to receive governance training and carry out a range of critically needed activities such as community health assessments, strategic planning, and program development.

In 2020 after years of planning with partners around Montana, we launched the Montana Public Health Institute (MTPHI) to build on and expand our support of local public health.