Category Archives: Health

Air Force team visits Malmstrom to begin missileer cancer study

Earlier this month, a team from the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine visited Malmstrom Air Force Base to begin designing their study of cancer related to missile operations. In February, Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, approved a comprehensive study design by the school to conduct a formal assessment related to specific cancer concerns raise

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Narcan available locally to fight overdoses; public education events planned

Health and safety officials have been warning about increasing drug overdoses in recent years, with a significant spike in January. As of Feb. 21, there had been 154 opioid overdoses so far this year statewide and of those 11 were fatal, according to Colin Campbell, the public health emergency preparedness and community planner at the Cascade City-County Health Department. In

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Chronic wasting disease detected in Great Falls mule deer buck

Wildlife health staff with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks recently detected chronic wasting disease in a mule deer buck found dead within the city limits of Great Falls in January. The adult buck was observed acting abnormally by a property owner, who later found the dead deer inside a building on the property. Biologists collected samples from the deer, and

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GFPS hosting community forum on youth wellness Feb. 2

The Great Falls Public Schools district is hosting a community form on youth wellness at 6 p.m. Feb. 2 at the University of Providence conference center. The forum will include an overview of the issues currently facing youth in the community. The event will also have a panel of stakeholders who will share data and discuss what is currently being

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Lawmakers looking at options to address Montana’s healthcare worker shortage

By Keely Larson | KHN-UM Legislative News Service Jenna Eisenhart spent nearly six years as a licensed therapist in Colorado before deciding to move to a place with a greater need for her services. She researched rural states facing a shortage of behavioral health providers and accepted a job as a lead clinical primary therapist at Shodair Children’s Hospital in Helena,

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DoD drops COVID vaccine requirement; most airmen already vaccinated

Earlier in January, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rescinded the August 2021 memo mandating that all members of the U.S. military under DoD authority be vaccinated against COVID-19 and the November 2021 memo on vaccination requirements for the National Guard and Reserves. The change was established by the National Defense Authorization Act for the current fiscal year. As of mid-January, the

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Montana agencies warning of increased opioid overdoses; Narcan available at CCHD

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Montana Department of Justice, in conjunction with local law enforcement, have identified a sharp increase in fatal overdoses across the state over the last two weeks. From Jan. 11-23, a total of 28 non-fatal and eight fatal overdoses, likely due to opioids, have occurred in 13 different counties affecting individuals

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Alluvion completes purchase of former Roosevelt school

Alluvion Health closed on the purchase of the former Roosevelt School on Jan. 20. In April 2022, the Great Falls Public Schools board voted to accept an $899,000 offer on the vacant building at 2501 2nd Ave. N. The initial closing deadline had been October, but Alluvion requested an extension, which the GFPS board set for Feb. 1. Brian Patrick,

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FWP suspects bird flu in local geese; three grizzlies around state

Avian influenza was detected in Montana last spring and is continuing to affect domestic and wild birds, according to Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. A number of dead geese have been spotted in the Missouri River in and around Great Falls and they’re suspected to have died from the disease, according to FWP. “Cold weather is helping to preserve the

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CCHD reviewing options for smoke shelter regulation enforcement

After settling a lawsuit and investigating a complaint related to smoking and the Montana Clean Indoor Air Act, the Cascade County health board is reviewing their own regulations pertaining to smoking shelters and enforcement. The Montana Legislature amended the Montana Clean Indoor Air Act in 2005 related to smoking. The law prohibits the use of tobacco products in all public

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