AETC in Montana
Upcoming Trainings in Montana
Montana Activities
RiverStone Health in Billings is one of two Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act, Part C grantees in Montana and is the NW AETC's State Office. The Part C RiverStone Health Clinic in Billings serves 127 patients directly and provides funding for care and treatment of 167 patients in eastern Montana. RiverStone Health also has a contract with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to provide Part B services in eastern Montana as well as HIV Counseling and Testing and Partner Counseling and Referral Services.
Montana Contact
Molly Hale
Riverstone Health
123 S. 27th
Billings, MT 59101
(406) 247-3320
Minority Provider/ Minority-Serving Projects
Tribal BEAR Project
The Northwest AIDS Education and Training Center's Tribal BEAR (Building Effective AIDS Response) Project provides tribal clinics with state-of-the-art HIV/AIDS care and treatment training.
The Tribal BEAR Project operates in Montana and Idaho through the Salish Kootenai College (SKC) of the Flathead, and in Washington State and Oregon through the South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency (SPIPA). The primary purpose of the BEAR Project is to build the capacity of tribal health clinics, IHS and/or regional care facilities to respond to Native persons living with HIV and AIDS, in their communities. The Tribal BEAR program brings together physicians, nurses, traditional healers, pharmacists, case managers, mental health and chemical dependency counselors, dentists and nutritionists to participate in trainings and preceptorships on HIV care and treatment, so that local providers can offer comprehensive health care to American Indians living with HIV/AIDS.
The Tribal BEAR Project also works to link key resources, both on and off the reservation. By building bridges between tribal and non-tribal agencies, American Indians living with HIV/AIDS will have the freedom to make choices that best meet their individual health care needs.
Tribal BEAR Project Contact in Montana
Niki Graham
Salish Kootenai College
Nursing Department
PO BOX 70, 58138 US Hwy 93
Pablo, MT 59855
(406) 275-4920
HIV/AIDS in Montana
As of July 31, 2008, 870 cumulative HIV/AIDS cases have been reported in Montana and 504 people are reported to be currently living with HIV/AIDS in the state. Since 1985, males have accounted for nearly 85% and whites nearly 87% of newly diagnosed cases in Montana. For this time frame, the average age of newly diagnosed individuals was 36.
Since 2000, an average of 20 new HIV diagnoses has occurred each year. Over 51% of Montana's reported newly diagnosed cases have occurred in three counties (Yellowstone, Missoula, and Cascade), which are home to the state's three largest cities (Billings, Missoula, and Great Falls). Through 2008, 14 of Montana's 56 counties had yet to report a single case of HIV/AIDS.
For more information, please contact the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services, Public Health & Safety Division.
