Rural Institute program evaluation services are growing.
Current Evaluation Programs
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Improving behavioral health resources access for Montana’s children
The Rural Institute provides evaluation support to (MAPP-Net). Support includes ongoing needs assessment, project outcome evaluation, and quality-improvement evaluation. The MAPP-Net project is a partnership with the Billings Clinic and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly
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Evaluating Montana’s maternal supports
The Rural Institute is the research and evaluation partner for the program. The MOMS program:
- Aims to improve maternal health outcomes, including the prevention and reduction of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity
- Establishes a state-focused Maternal Health Task Force
- Improves state-level data surveillance
- Promotes and executes innovation in maternal health service delivery
Contact: Annie Glover
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Providing Actionable Insight into Improving Access to Early Education
Montana was awarded a 2019 Preschool Development Birth through Five grant from the Administration for Children and Families to conduct early childhood systems work in the state. The Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities Evaluation Team will lead several program evaluation activities, following the Montana Bright Future Birth to Five Program Performance Evaluation Plan. The evaluation focuses on assessing the program strategies used to expand and improve Montana's early childhood system. The goal of the evaluation is to provide actionable insights into the effectiveness of certain activities in expanding access to early childhood education, enhancing family engagement, supporting the early childhood workforce, and utilizing data for continuous quality improvement and policy decisions. The planned evaluation will focus on learning if the strategies implemented have achieved their intended outcomes, with particular attention to expanding access to early childhood services and improving the qualifications and stability of the workforce.
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly
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Establishing a Robust Maternal Mortality Review Committee
The RIIC technical assistance and consultative support will assist the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services with establishing a robust Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC). 老虎机攻略 RIIC serves as the fiscal agent for Montana's Alliance for Innovation in Maternal (AIM) Health Program, and the data administrator for the MPQC. They lead Montana's CDC Levels of Care Assessment Tool (LOCATe) implementation to assess maternal and newborn levels of care and conducts ongoing needs assessments for the MOMS program and Title V Block Grant. 老虎机攻略 RIIC employs epidemiologists with specific training in maternal and child health (MCH) as well as experienced facilitators who have backgrounds in perinatal substance use and narrative MCH medicine that will ensure that MMRC meetings are organized, respectful, and productive. 老虎机攻略 RIIC's involvement in MMRP Program will help to ensure alignment between maternal mortality review and AIM, PQC, LOCATe, MOMS, Title V, and other maternal health initiatives in Montana.
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly
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Improving Perinatal Health
This project aims to increase efforts to improve perinatal health through the implementation of five of AIM's Primary Patient Safety Bundles. It also works to increase QI initiatives that prioritize health disparities by overlaying the AIM Patient Safety Supporting Bundle Reduction of Peripartum Racial and Ethnic Disparities on each of the AIM Primary Bundles. It will increase support provided to facilities located on or near Montana's seven Indian Reservations, facilities who serve a disproportionately high percentage of AI/AN patients, and facilities located in rural and remote communities facing resource challenges that may otherwise prevent participation in QI initiatives.
Contact: Carly Holman
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Reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity
The purpose of this project is to reduce maternal deaths and severe maternal morbidity by engaging provider organizations, state-based public health systems, consumer groups, and other stakeholders within a national partnership to assist state-based teams in implementing evidence-based maternal safety bundles in hospital settings. The Rural Institute is responsible for convening a multidisciplinary team, completing a readiness survey, developing a data strategy with partners and assembling the organizational collaborative framework. The state team will develop and execute a work plan to implement one or more of the Alliance on Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) maternal safety bundles within state birth facilities utilizing the tools provided by AIM, and those developed within this state or partnering states. The Rural Institute provides technical support, data management, measurement, and evaluation services in this project to support the implementation of the AIM Obstetric Hemorrhage and Hypertension in Pregnancy Safety Bundles, in partnership with the Montana Perinatal Quality Collaborative. for emergency births.
Contact: Megan Nelson
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The (MOMS) program research team is studying transport and referral during obstetric emergency events. Medical providers will be asked to describe their referral and transport processes, challenges faced during referral and transport, and how the staff is impacted by the vicarious trauma of an obstetric emergency. This information will be shared with key stakeholders to discuss how to improve communication and the coordination of care during an obstetric emergency.
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly
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Addressing maternal and newborn exposure to alcohol and drugs
Rates of congenital syphilis (CS) in both the U.S. and Montana have risen sharply. American Indian women in Montana are disproportionately impacted. Increased rates of CS are syndemically linked to other risk factors for pregnant people in Montana, including substance use, lack of housing, poverty, stigma, lack of prenatal care, and insufficient support systems. A community-level, systems-focused needs assessment will serve to document how multiple factors are intertwined to impact pregnant people's access to syphilis testing and treatment in high-risk communities. This project will conduct a community-level assessment of barriers and pathways to CS prevention in the greater Billings, MT area (Yellowstone, Rosebud, and Big Horn counties). Findings will support DPHHS and other community partners in the development of practical responses to increased rates of CS. Responses may include targeted interventions, policy changes, or establishing collaboration among partners.
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly
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Enhancing Access to Mental Health Services
This project consists of a program evaluation of Montana's Section 1115(a) Medicaid waiver, titled the "Healing and Ending Addiction through Recovery and Treatment" Demonstration, or "HEART." This evaluation project will assess the institutions for mental disease (IMD) portion of the HEART demonstration, with additional waiver components added to the evaluation project as Montana receives approval from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). The goal of the HEART demonstration is for the state to enhance access to mental health services, opioid use disorder, and other substance use disorder services and to provide a comprehensive continuum of behavioral health services and treatment to Medicaid beneficiaries with SUD. The evaluation will assess the effectiveness of this demonstration project in meeting its population health goals.
Contact: Patrick Boise
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Promoting the Health and Well-Being of Mothers, Children, and Their Families
The Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant (MCHBG) is a federal program that supports promoting and improving the health and well-being of mothers, children (including children with special health care needs), and their families. In Montana, Title V Maternal and Child Health programs are administered by the Family and Community Health Bureau (FCHB) at the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). As part of the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant, states are required to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment identifying MCH priorities every 5 years. The needs assessment includes collecting information from families about their own experiences and needs. The 老虎机攻略 Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities is conducting the Title V Needs Assessment.
Contact: Carly Holman
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Evaluating the Idaho School Readiness program
Idaho State University and the were awarded the (PDG B-5) renewal grant. The Rural Institute will develop and administer the Program Performance and Evaluation Plan. Evaluation areas include monitoring the services delivered, coordination across service partners, and the overall effectiveness of each focus area.
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly -
Evaluating the Community Health Worker Program
Partnership Health Center, All Nations Health Center, and the Missoula City-County Public Health Department are working together to improve health equity and support community resiliency.
The three-year Community Health Worker (CHW) Program will connect marginalized groups (low-income families, people experiencing homelessness, people with an increased risk of COVID-19, and the Indigenous population) with health and social support services in Missoula.
The Rural Institute will evaluate the program. The evaluation will include input from program managers, community health workers, and community residents. Data will be collected through interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. The evaluation will be used to understand CHW program outcomes, make recommendations for improvement, and improve access to services among marginalized groups.
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly
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Evaluating early intervention services
The supports families who have children under the age of 3 with developmental delays or disabilities. The Rural Institute has been funded to gather feedback on the program’s delivery of early intervention services to infants and toddlers and their families. The Rural Institute will:
- Streamline the Part C outcome survey sent to Montana families
- Analyze data collected from the survey
- Help the Part C program identify areas for improvement
Contact:
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Improving agency capacity to implement multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS)
Facilitate periodic agency capacity assessments and action planning to improve MTSS implementation as part of Montana's statewide personnel development grant initiative.
Contact:
Past Evaluation Programs
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Investigating the needs of Montana’s DIS workforce
2021 - 2022The Rural Institute Evaluation Team will conduct a needs assessment to describe the current disease intervention specialist (DIS) workforce in Montana and identify training needs.
The needs assessment will be conducted through interviews and surveys with 59 county and tribal public health departments. The survey will assess DIS workforce needs such as the number of positions, number of vacancies, and training needs.
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly
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Evaluating HIV services and supports in Montana
2021 - 2022
The purpose of the HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) needs assessment is to understand the HIV/HCV testing, prevention, and treatment needs of people living in Montana. Specifically, information from this assessment will be used to:
- Understand the landscape of HIV/HCV care in Montana
- Identify barriers to accessing and maintaining HIV and HCV prevention, testing and treatment services
- Improve the HIV and HCV care continuum in Montana
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly
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A family-centered app to improve collaborative healthcare decision making
2018 - 2020
The Rural Institute partnered with and several funders to develop the Montana Pediatric Medical Passport, or MP2. MP2 is a cloud-based app that facilitates communication at critical health-need moments, such as emergency room visits, to improve care coordination for children with disabilities. MP2 uses telemedicine to bring healthcare providers and families together to make medical decisions.
The MP2 team surveyed over 300 families and 250 healthcare providers across Montana to gather insight about app features and functions. The information was incorporated into an app prototype.
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Identified the need for home visits for pregnant women & families with children 5 and under
2019 - 2020
The Rural Institute completed a one-year state contract to assess the Montana Healthy Families (MHF) Home Visiting Program which supports voluntary home visiting services for at-risk pregnant women and parents with young children.
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly
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Assessed Montana’s maternal & child health population needs, & the capacity to meet those needs
2019 – 2020
The Rural Institute was awarded a one-year state contract to assess the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant Program. Title V MCH Block Grant is a federal program that provides support for improving the health and well-being of mothers, children (including children with special health care needs), and their families.
In Montana, Title V Maternal and Child Health programs are managed by the state’s Department of Public Health and Human Services. The need assessment:
- Reviewed the health needs of Montana’s mothers, children, and families
- Examined statewide capacity to address these needs and identified priorities for the coming 5 years
- Provided a benchmark for states to assess their progress during the previous 5 years
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly
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Assessed the need for and access to primary healthcare services across the state
2020 – 2021
The purpose of the Montana Primary Care Needs Assessment was to better understand the performance and challenges of the primary health care system in Montana.
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 to improve the health outcomes of underserved and vulnerable populations. The Rural Institute worked with the PCO to conduct a 5-year needs assessment. The assessment evaluated the primary care needs of Montana’s vulnerable groups including the aging population, veterans, and the uninsured. The needs assessment also examined the health care workforce in Montana.
Contact: Kaitlin Fertaly