BLAIR & FERTALY: Montana Primary Care Office Needs Assessment
Project Description:
The Montana Primary Care Office (PCO), a part of the Montana Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS), works to increase and maintain access to primary and preventative health care across the state in order to improve the health outcomes of underserved and vulnerable populations.
The Rural Institute is working with the PCO to conduct a 5-year needs assessment that will assess the primary care needs of Montanas vulnerable groups including the aging population, veterans, and the uninsured. The Primary Care Office Needs Assessment project also examines the health care workforce in Montana and the degree to which health professional shortage area (HPSA) scores align with poor health outcomes. Finally, given the dramatic changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to health care systems across the globe, the 2020 PCO needs assessment will consider how these changes have impacted the delivery and utilization of Montanas healthcare system.
The Rural Institute will draw on its capacity in geography and novel research design to engage stakeholders across the state to create recommendations for how to better support Montanas primary health care workforce and better meet the needs of its vulnerable populations.
Keyword(s):
Primary Care, Geographic Disparity, Needs Assessment, Evaluation
Core Function(s):
Performing Research or Evaluation
Area of Emphasis
Health-Related Activities, Employment-Related Activities
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Legislators/Policy Makers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Geographic Areas
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Mulit-County, State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
