HEALTH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH FOR THE CROW PEOPLE
Dedicated
to better health opportunities
Our Staff and Board
The staff and board of Messengers for Health are community members dedicated to serving their families and neighbors.
Alma Knows His Gun-McCormick
Executive Director
Alma is a member of the Apsáalooke (Crow) Indian Tribe and fluently speaks her language. Her compassion for working with cancer stems from her personal experience of losing her daughter to cancer. From 1996-2000 she was the Outreach Coordinator for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded Montana Breast and Cervical Health Program. She first conducted outreach education with Apsáalooke Indian women, feeling a breakthrough about the awareness of the importance of the Pap test and mammograms. Later, she provided culturally sensitive education to all Indian women on the seven reservations and in urban Indian clinics in Montana. Alma’s focus has been on health education with the dream of continuing her work with women and men on the Crow reservation. She has fulfilled that dream by being the Executive Director for the Messengers for Health Program. She is a single mother with two sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren.
Learn more about Alma's recognitions and achievements in the news list.
Lucille Other Medicine, MSW
Program Assistant
Lucille has a Master's degree in Social Work and has extensive experience in the research arena.
She has worked in mental health, law enforcement and education research. At MSU-Bozeman, she worked with the MAP AIRO PROGRAM, helping to write a successful grant for the students working in the labs. Elected as legislator for the Crow Tribe Legislative branch, she traveled to Washington DC and met with energy, health and education department to advocate for the Crow Tribe. She has met with local, state, federal governmental agencies regarding issues and concerns for the Crow Nation.
Christiane Woody
Program Manager
Christiane is a member of the Apsáalooke Nation and a descendent of the Pikuni (Blackfeet) Nation. Christiane is a 3rd generation bobcat! She received her master's degree in Community Health from Montana State University where she first began working with Messengers For Health as a student. She worked primarily with the Healthy Relationships project which aims toward improving healthy relationships among Native youth. She is currently working to adapt the Báa nnilah program (Chronic illness self-management) for other Tribal communities, overseeing the Board of Directors and is also our social media and website specialist.
When she is not working, she loves to bead, travel, and spend time with her family.
Sidney (Chip) Fitzpatrick
Apsáalooke Elders Support Advocate
Sidney is a retired Big Horn County Commissioner serving from 2010 to 2022. In this term he has served as Chair of the Board and numerous committees. Just to name a few; Public Safety, Justice & Resource Energy, Tribal Government relations, Human Resource Development, South Central Juvenile Detention, Montana Coal Board Vice Chairman, National Counties Association Chair for all Tribal relations and Hawaii. He is presently an Executive Board member for Volunteers of America Northern Rockies.
Previous to this term, Sidney served as Big Horn County Under Sheriff, BIA Law Enforcement officer, DARE Resource officer, Fire Arms and Weapons Instructor, Nationwide Tribal and Community Involvement, Crow Tribal Legislator 2006-2010, Tribal Wellness committee, and Hardin Intermediate school Intramural basketball referee and coach for Boys & Girls grade 5 & 6.
Sidney shares his positive attitude, communication and energetic skills to assist others to work hard, set goals and succeed. He is also a mentor, advocate and speaker for the Crow Reservation and surrounding communities.
Sidney is supported by his wife, children and grandchildren. In his spare time, he enjoys his years of sobriety, cultural customs, reading, keeping abreast of nationwide governmental issues and events, cooking, spending time with his family and enjoying his grandchildren’s sports events.
Our Board of Directors
Doris Stewart (Chair), William Falls Down (Vice-Chair) not pictured, Alda Good Luck (Secretary), Pam Garza, and Shaleen Old Coyote
Honorary Elder Board Member
Lois Rides Horse
Open Discussion about the Future of Community Led Health Programs
Messengers For Health had the honor and privilege to work with ComPASS at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a one-day meeting in Billings, MT where community members, leaders, and organizations came together to discuss the future of community led programs and how we can strengthen relationships between communities and funders.
Community Health Justice Fund
We are proud to announce that Messengers For Health was awarded a grant from Genentech through their new Community Health Justice Fund to support our work to improve the health and wellness of the Apsáalooke community. Learn how this initiative is investing in community-led solutions to achieve lasting health and well-being for historically underserved communities.
Strong Partnership leads to 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.
MSU photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzales
Alma appointed to Advisory Panel for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Alma is the only Native American panel member on the "Patient Engagement" Advisory Panel for this national organization.
According to the organization's website:
The Advisory Panel on Patient Engagement "is instrumental in helping the Institute to ensure the highest patient engagement standards and a culture of patient-centeredness in all aspects of our work. helping us refine and prioritize research questions, provide needed scientific and technical expertise, offer input on other issues relevant to our mission, and help us model full and meaningful patient and stakeholder engagement efforts."
HOW ENGAGEMENT HELPS US DO OUR WORK By engagement in research, we mean the involvement of patients, caregivers, clinicians, insurers, and others across the healthcare community in every aspect of the research process.
WHY ENGAGEMENT MATTERS We believe engagement influences research to be more patient centered, useful, and trustworthy, and will ultimately lead to greater use and uptake of research results by the patient and broader healthcare community. In fact, our stakeholders increasingly report that engagement has: • Improved study conduct, including effective recruitment and meeting enrollment targets • Substantial and positive impacts on stakeholders, patients, and communities such as improvements to personal health and healthcare and increased skills and professional opportunities • Improved the relevance of research
Montana Cancer Coalition honors Alma McCormick
2019 Bette Bohlinger Leadership Award
"She is being recognized for her exemplary work in health education and health promotion activities that benefit indigenous and non indigenous communities alike", Said Emily Coyle, co-chair of the MTCC Steering Committee, who nominated McCormick for the award.
Executive Director Receives Award
Alma McCormick is awarded 2017 Local Impact Award by the National Indian Health Board
Alma McCormick, BA
Executive Director adds Bachelor of Arts in Community Health as she graduates from MSU Billings
She also received the Dr. Frank Newman Rural Health Leadership Award from Montana Office of Rural Health & Area Health Education Center at Montana State University.
Executive Director, Alma McCormick
visits Cold Harbor Spring Laboratory
Alma is also a member of Community Partners for Human Genomic Research sponsored by Human Genomic Research Institute through the National Institute for Health.