Our View: Hill County has a chance to improve its health

Hill County has many health problems. People here tend to drink more alcohol, eat more unhealthy foods, smoke more and exercise less than the rest of Montana and the rest of the country.

The groups drafting the county’s Health Improvement Plan conducted a survey that came to these conclusions, but people here can’t be surprised by the results.

Add these lifestyle problems to the fact that in this rural area it is often harder to access health care than in more urban areas. People have a hard time getting to health care facilities, and the area has a hard time attracting doctors and other providers.

But there are bright signs in the health care picture in the area.

For a rural area, we have an excellent community hospital. Northern Montana Hospital CEO Dave Henry calls his facility a “tweener,” in between the large facilities of Billings and Great Falls and the smaller facilities in other small communities in the state.

The area is lucky to have Bullhook Clinic, which is building a great facility in downtown Havre to serve underserved people in the community.

Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation has a clinic that, despite recent problems, provides many services to people in the southern part of the county.

Under Obamacare, the county health department is joining with the hospital and the clinic to hold a forum to choose the three problems to focus on.

The forum will be held Thursday, Aug. 29, to decide just what course of action the health care community can undertake.

While there are many problems, there aso are many opportunities. There are lots of dedicated health care professionals who are willing to offer their services to the effort.

A massive education program to help people know of health lifestyle choices and to make them aware of the health services that are available would be helpful.

And, speaking of Obamacare, one step the state of Montana could take would be to take part in the Medicaid expansion program. Under the proposal, thousands of families would be eligible for health services they can’t afford now. That would make a big improvement in the county’s health-care picture.

The next few weeks will be an important time for people who would like to see Hill County’s health picture improved.

We wish participants well in this very important effort.