Public Health

Representatives from Yellowstone County, Billings and Laurel signed a memorandum of understanding last month to establish a Local Governing Authority made up of council and commission members from each of the three communities.

Montana broke multiple daily temperature records this summer, according to the National Weather Service, with many parts of the state seeing more days over 90 and 100 degrees every year due to climate change.

The pandemic laid bare the gaps and disparities in the U.S. public health system, and often resulted in blowback against local officials trying to slow the coronavirus’s spread. But one positive outcome, in part fueled by a boost in federal dollars, is that health workers have started adapting lessons they learned from their COVID-19 response to other aspects of their work.

As of Sunday, Montana is one of only seven states left without a reported case of monkeypox. Public health officials suspect it’s only a matter of time before that changes.

A year of negotiations led to Gallatin County, Bozeman and Belgrade signing onto an interlocal agreement that will oversee public health services.

A year after a new Montana law stripped local health boards of their rulemaking authority, confusion and power struggles are creating a patchwork oversight system that may change how public health is administered long after the pandemic is over.

Earlier this month Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte announced the state had ordered 650,000 rapid COVID-19 tests. Those test kits are now rolling in, and counties like Missoula are starting to announce distribution locations and times.

The COVID-19 mmicron variant is forcing changes to contract tracing in the state. It's also amplifying staff shortages at hospitals.

For the first time, Little Shell members will have guaranteed access to health services — and see their culture reflected in the offerings.