Bullhook holding brown bag educational series

Bullhook Community Health Center is starting a Brown Bag Lunch & Learn series once a month, with the first this Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. at the health center.

"The Brown Bag Lunch & Learn series where we are encouraging people to bring their lunch, come to Bullhook and learn for an hour," Bullhook Community Health Center Behavioral Health Manager Deidre Reiter said. "Our providers are going to be presenting on various topics, whether that be medical, behavioral health or dental."

Reiter added this is the first year Bullhook has done something like this and if it goes well, after this finishes in April, Bullhook will design another series from feedback given by the community and the local providers on what the needs are.

"We just encourage community members to attend, come with questions and it would be awesome for students to come too and learn," Reiter said.

The series is free and open to the public and does not include a limited number of attendees who would like to come, though community members are asked to bring their own lunch.

The first one, is about Human Papilloma Virus: Understanding HPV and Preventing Cervical Cancer taught by Bullhook Physician Assistant Michaela Whitmore.

Tuesday, Nov. 26, Havre Police Department Tri-Agency Task Force Team Leader C.J. Reichelt will speak about drug use and abuse in Hill County. 

Thursday, Dec. 19, Licensed Accidiction Counselor Libbi Pritchard-Sleath will touch on understanding the addicted brain.

Ringing in 2020, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Suzanne Lockwood will talk about SDMI: Understanding Severe Disabling Mental Illness Thursday, Jan. 23.

Thursday, February 27, Licensed Clinical Social Worker Lindsey Reichelt and and Family Behavioral Health Specialist Jake Strissel will speak on child safety - How to talk to children.

Following that, Thursday, March 20 diabetes and hypertension will be touched on by Family Nurse Practitioner Patricia Alderson and Bullhook Pharmacist Cindy Brandon.

The last presentation will be  Thursday, April 23, with an oral health care overview taught by Bullhook dental hygienists Brandi McNamara and Danielle Martin.

"(This is) to provide the community with education on these various topics, bring people in and bring people together, and discuss what they're seeing and what their questions are," Reiter said. "A lot of times people don't know, or they know the question but don't know who to ask.