HEALTH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH FOR THE CROW PEOPLE
Our Partners
Messengers for Health allows our partners the opportunity to be aware of each other's unique cultural backgrounds in order to develop a relationship of understanding, acceptance, and trust.
Cancer Support Community Montana
Messengers for Health has become a resource center through Cancer Support Community Montana (CSCMT). Resource centers are often located in smaller or rural communities, CSCMT Resource Centers help facilitate referral arrangements, resource navigation and additional support in order to ensure no one goes through the challenges of cancer alone.
Together we will provide additional much-needed psychosocial support services to all who are impacted by cancer on the Crow Reservation. Such programs, which are provided by CSCMT, include professionally led support groups and individual counseling, educational workshops for nutrition and cooking, healthy lifestyle classes, travel assistance for care, help with navigation of resources, a wig program, and so much more, all at no charge. As a CSCMT resource center, Messengers for Health will provide information on CSCMT resources and one-on-one patient navigation services that will link cancer patients with resources.
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Health Facilities
Messengers for Health works in coordination with local facilities including OneHealth and Indian Health Services (IHS) to ensure high quality health care to Crow people.
A primary goal is to increase understanding and respect between providers and community members and ultimately to more open and effective communication between providers and patients and improved health of the Crow people. As community members become more educated about their health, they feel more empowered and comfortable about scheduling appointments and speaking with medical professionals.
Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council
The Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council (RMTLC) is dedicated to improving health, economic development and education for tribes and their members through a variety of programs, policy recommendations, and tribal leader meetings.
RMTLC provides support to Messengers for Health to allow us to provide the Báa nnilah health promotion program in the Crow community.
Colleges and Universities
The administrative Office for Messengers for Health is located at Little Big Horn College. This location allows easy community access as well as serving as an educational resource for students right on their campus.
Montana State University's impactful relationship with Messengers began in 1996 with a dialogue between members of the Apsáalooke Nation and a Montana State University faculty member who was invested in health equity.
They jointly developed Messengers for Health to study the effectiveness of utilizing community women to deliver education and encourage Crow women to receive cancer screenings.
Pictured on the right are faculty members Sarah Allen, Suzanne Held, Vanessa Simonds and Mark Schure who currently work with Messengers for Health.
(MSU photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzales)
Strong Partnership brings National Recognition
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Health Equity Award
Alma McCormick, executive director of Messengers for Health, and Suzanne Held, MSU community health professor have been recognized nationally for their work to promote health equity and social justice through the Messengers for Health program. They received the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity Presented by Community-Campus Partnerships for Health. This award recognizes and celebrates individuals who have successfully changed systems and policies that help reduce health disparities and move the nation toward health equity. Full article...