Community Health Improvement
As a not-for-profit community-governed organization, working with other organizations in the community to address the health care needs is an important part of our mission. Billings Clinic has been involved in meeting the needs of individuals and communities through cooperative efforts with other organizations in Yellowstone County and in our region.
Community Health Collaboration
Since 1994, Billings Clinic, RiverStone Health and St. Vincent Healthcare have been working together, creating and sustaining innovative initiatives that address complex community-wide health issues. Their purpose is work together on disaster preparedness and response; support the region in times of health crisis; and to create sustained change in community health improvement and the population lifestyle issues of unhealthy weight, nutrition and physical activity habits. The following are examples of the past and future successes of the Alliance's efforts:
Alliance Initiatives
Healthy by Design - To help connect organizations in Yellowstone County committed to improving our community's health, Billings Clinic, RiverStone Health, and St. Vincent Healthcare launched a community health coalition called Healthy by Design. Healthy by Design encourages, recognizes, educates and creates a standard of excellence for promoting healthy lifestyles by encouraging active living and healthy choices that shape the future of the community. Learn more at Healthy by Design.
Community Health Needs Assessment - The Alliance sponsors Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) and has a vested interest in the sustainability of the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The CHNA identifies and prioritizes community health needs. By partnering to tackle health issues as a coalition, the community's health will be greater than the sum of individual efforts. Following the initial 2006 assessment, the community health needs assessment is repeated every three years to determine the progress made in improving the community's health and identify any new priorities.
Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) - The purpose of CHIP is to provide a framework for a community that is healthy by design, to intentionally influence the environment in which people live, work, and play so that positive health effects are enhanced and negative health effects are reduced.
Community Crisis Center — The Community Crisis Center (CCC), enhances access to behavioral health care in Billings. Opening in June 2006, the CCC was the first licensed outpatient crisis management program in Montana. The CCC is staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week with a combination of registered nurses, licensed mental health therapists, and mental health technicians. During a stay that must be less than 24 hours, clients are stabilized and assessed to facilitate the development of a crisis management plan.
The CCC has successfully reduced inappropriate utilization of local emergency departments, decreased the number of short-term inpatient hospital admissions, and has been a driving force in reducing the inmate population at the Yellowstone County Detention Facility.
Medication Assistance Program (MAP) - MAP helps patients afford the prescription drugs they need by connecting individuals with available patient assistance programs offering discounted or free prescription medication. MAP assists low income, uninsured or under insured people in getting the medications they need, but can't afford. MAP is available at Billings Clinic, Riverstone Health and St. Vincent Healthcare.
Unified Health Command - The Unified Health Command is in place for Billings Clinic, RiverStone Health and St. Vincent Healthcare to work together to prepare, plan and respond to community crises, natural disasters and public health threats, such as COVID-19.
