CHPBS Success!special issue featuring heart & lung research | spring 2016 | www.health.umt.edu

health.professions@umontana.edu | (406) 243-4621 | 32 Campus Drive Skaggs Building 340 Missoula, MT 59812

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Another academic year has passed and we’ve successfully graduated robust classes in each of our academic disciplines. The Skaggs School of Pharmacy hooded 64 Doctor of Pharmacy students and four students with PhDs in toxicology, medicinal chemistry, and neuroscience. These students will go on to complete PGY1 residencies, work in clinical or community pharmacy settings, or receive further training with post-doctoral fellowships. The School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science graduated 36 students in our Doctor of Physical Therapy program. 100% of our students in these programs pass their licensing exams on a first attempt, and all have secured employment in hospitals or private practices at the time of graduation. We conferred the DPT degree to an additional 103 in our online transitional bridge to DPT curriculum between fall and spring with 30 more completing the program this summer. A record setting 24 students completed the Certificate or Master of Public Health program this spring, with twelve students walking at graduation. The working professionals who study in this program will continue to help safeguard the public’s health utilizing the skills they have learned in a variety of settings. Finally, 55 baccalaureate and 29 masters level social work students finished their degrees this spring. Our new colleagues have accepted positions working in nonprofits, schools, and clinical settings to improve the quality of life for local and rural communities in Montana.

In July, the first class of residents graduate from the Family Medical Residency Program of Western Montana. Of these 10 residents, over half are committed to positions in Montana, helping to solve our rural physician shortage. Within the College, we are excited to sponsor this program in cooperation with our hospital and physician partners, as well as serve as the academic home to the WWAMI Missoula track, where we place 3rd and 4th year UW medical students in their clerkships while on their way to becoming physicians. Over the past year, the College assumed the continuing medical education for clinicians in the region and is the home to University of Montana Health & Medicine initiative. As we

consider new programs and the expansion of others, know that CHPBS is the established center of health education and biomedical research in the region.

We hope our new alumni will join us with hearts that beat and lungs that breathe UM for years to come. Appropriately, this issue of our college newsletter, CHPBS Success, features the important research and service work that our faculty, staff, students, and alumni conduct to advance our understanding and treatment of heart and lung disease. According to the Center for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States (CDC.gov, 2015). Lung and bronchial cancer remains the leading cancer killer (American Lung Association, 2016; American Cancer Society, 2016) and chronic lower respiratory diseases are the third leading cause of death in the US (CDC.gov, 2016). Furthermore, according to the World Health Organization (2014), “Ischaemic heart disease, stroke, lower respiratory infections and chronic obstructive lung disease have remained the top major killers during the past decade.” Considering this, I am proud that my colleagues are behind some of the most cutting edge research associated with these maladies.

In the content that follows, you’ll hear about the work we’re doing to implement asthma education programs, to create exercise programs that mitigate the effects of peripheral artery disease, to develop culturally sensitive interventions for indigenous populations exposed to residential wood smoke, to manage medication therapies for patients with chronic heart failure with the International Heart Institute, to understand motivations of smokers adverse to quitting to stop smoking, to investigate progressive lung diseases caused by exposure to and inhalation of hazardous particles, and to heal broken hearts filled with grief after the death of a loved one. My own research interests lie within the area of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation with particular attention to exercise attention to exercise programs for patients with advanced heart failure, including those with mechanical devices that prolong and improve quality of life.

A note from the Dean:

Our hearts beat and lungs breathe UM.

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In this issue: 2 4 6 7

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A note from the Dean Heart & lung researchers

Asthma camps & clinics Montana Pain Initiative Conference

Vince Colucci recognized at Charter Day Montana PACE Lab

Healthcare growth in Montana UMHM

University of Gondar Collaborations Gift Options

CHPBS Success is published by the College of Health Professions & Biomedical Sciences of the University of Montana

Reed Humphrey, Dean Mark Schleicher, Director of Development

Skaggs School of Pharmacy Howard Beall, Associate Dean Department of Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Liz Putnam, Chair Department of Pharmacy Practice

Mike Rivey, Chair School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science Anita Santasier, Chair School of Public & Community Health Sciences Tony Ward, Chair School of Social Work Jim Caringi, Chair Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana Ned Vasquez, Director Western Montana Area Health Education Center Barry Kenfield, Director

Edited & designed by: Jen Geist, Executive Assistant to the Dean & Coordinator of CHPBS Communications Front cover photo: Shane Sangrey

As you read on, think about those closest to you that may be affected by heart or lung disease. Our goal in the College of Health Professions & Biomedical Sciences is to train the next generation of health practitioners and researchers who will investigate, prevent, and treat these diseases. Each gift to the CHPBS helps move these efforts forward. Please keep in touch with feedback on this newsletter and let us know where we should focus our next efforts.

Best regards,

Reed Humphrey, PhDDean & Professor

Thanks for reading on and learning more about the work in our College. To help us continue that work, and make your tax-deductible gift, please visit www.supportum.org or click the DONATE NOW button below. Or you can drop a check in the mail made out to University of Montana Foundation. On the subject line please write CHPBS Innovation Fund or your specific school or program (e.g. New Directions, scholarships) and drop it in the mail to the University of Montana Foundation, P.O. Box 7159, Missoula, MT 59807. For a complete listing of funds or to discuss your giving options, contact Mark Schleicher, our Director of Development at mark.schleicher@umontana.edu  or 406-243-4222.

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Donate Now to Impact Healthcare Research, Education, & Practice within the CHPBS

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Kendra Procacci, PharmD & Rory Johnson, PharmD Faculty, Department of Pharmacy Practice

In partnership with the Montana Asthma Control Program, we’ve set up pharmacist managed asthma clinics in various pharmacy settings. Our fundamental goal for this program is to improve the quality of life for asthma patients through education and medication management with specific aims increasing the use of controller medications, decreasing reliance on rescue medications, and decreasing asthma related ER/Urgent Care visits and hospitalizations. Participants in the program receive assessments from pharmacists, educational materials to better manage their asthma and free peak flow meters and spacers to optimize medication delivery. Since beginning the project, we’ve provided asthma education

and care to over 250 patients and our analysis indicates increased controller medication adherence reduces healthcare costs, that is, we’ve kept our patient participants out of the ER for asthma!

Ryan Mays, PhD, MPH Faculty, School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences

I direct the Montana Peripheral Artery & Cardiac Exercise (MT-PACE) lab. As an exercise physiologist with a strong interest in public health, my research focuses on developing community based exercise programs to improve the efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and other heart disease patients. My current NIH funded clinical trial tests the hypothesis that PAD patients randomized into a walking

exercise program in the community setting that incorporates training, monitoring, and coaching will improve walking ability compared with those patients who receive the standard of care (exercise advice). Initial results signal benefits to improve PAD patients’ ability to walk longer before having to stop due to severe leg pain (classic symptom of PAD) and also may improve their ability to walk long periods of time before an initial onset of pain. These promising findings effect not only quality of life, but also the ability to function in the respective communities.

Andrij Holian, PhD Faculty & Director, Center for Environmental Health Sciences

The primary focus of research in my laboratory is understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of lung injury from a variety of agents. The goals of our studies are to develop strategies to identify subjects at greatest risk of developing lung injury, develop new methods/pharmacologic tools to prevent or halt the progress of lung inflammation, and evaluate the risk of human disease from environmentally and occupationally-derived toxic agents. Our active research

programs investigate lung injury caused by toxic nanomaterials, crystalline silica, asbestos, methamphetamine, and biomass smoke. Vital to our research is access to state-of-the-art technology provided in the inhalation and Pulmonary Physiology Core facility that I co-direct.

Mary Ann Sontag-Bowman, PhD Faculty, School of Social Work

As a Social Worker whose research and clinical practice focuses on end-of-life care and grief, I hear about broken hearts regularly. I have worked as a hospice social worker/

bereavement coordinator, developing & implementing a bereavement program at a regional pediatric hospital, providing crisis social work services to pediatric patients and their families, and have been part of a team that developed a successful pediatric palliative care service. I believe that information about grief is essential so that everyone and especially those who are grieving will better understand their experiences and know they are normal (and not going crazy!) Though you may be experiencing heart ache after the loss of a loved one, with grief comes hope!

Vince Colucci, PharmD, BCPS (AQ-Cardiology), CPP Faculty, Department of Pharmacy Practice

My research interests and clinical practice fall primarily within the area of cardiology. I co-manage the anticoagulation clinic at St. Patrick Hospital working to optimize warfarin dosages and outpatient treatment with heparins for a patient load of over 1,100. I also hold a clinical faculty appointment at the International Heart Institute where I

serve on multidisciplinary cardiology teams providing optimal care for congestive/chronic heart failure patients, patients in the atrial fibrillation clinic, and Men’s Heart Health clinic. Students rotating with me during their Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences get an up-close look at various clinical trials such as our recent NIH sponsored trial, “Bridging anticoagulation in patients who require temporary interruption of warfarin therapy for an elective invasive procedure or surgery (BRIDGE)” and Alere Diagnostics sponsored trial, “BIRCH: investigating patient related factors affecting Alere INRatio® (POC instrument) values measured in the anticoagulation clinic.”

We keep going: Our contributions to understand

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Forrest Jessop, PhD Alumus, Toxicology Graduate Program

I recently completed my PhD in the Toxicology Graduate Program. My dissertation research focused on progressive lung diseases that include fibrosis (scarring), which can occur when hazardous particles are inhaled. There are currently no cures for progressive lung diseases caused by exposure to particles. By understanding mechanisms at the cellular level within lung macrophages through which particle exposure causes persistent inflammation and fibrosis, we may be able to develop better therapeutic strategies to stop the progression of lung disease and possibly reverse scarring. I will be continuing my research career as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the NIH’s National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease Rocky Mountain Labs in Hamilton, MT.

Kari Harris, PhD Faculty, School of Public & Community Health Sciences

My research focuses on understanding and changing health behaviors. Over my career I have been particularly interested in increasing smoking cessation among college students, people in underserved communities, and smokers who are not interested in quitting. For example, one of my

most recent publications appearing in the spring issue of in Health Education Research explored recruiting smokers with low motivation to quit to participate in a smoking study. Teaching in the public health program gives me plenty of opportunities to share my research with students, such as in this video introduction I use in my online courses. 

Annie Belcourt, PhD, Curtis Noonan, PhD, & Tony Ward, PhD Faculty, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and School of Public & Community Health Sciences

Our collaborative research projects funded by the NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences focuses on improving indoor air quality and health in households that use wood for heat. One study is a community engagement project evaluating the respiratory and cardiovascular health of elders in two Native American communities. We are evaluating the combination of community-level interventions to improve Native American elders’ access to good quality, dry wood for heating and a household-level intervention to emphasize best-burn practices. The second study takes place in rural and Native American communities in Montana, Alaska and New Mexico. The three-arm randomized trial is designed to test the efficacy of an educational intervention for improving indoor air quality in wood-burning homes and reducing the incidence of acute lower respiratory tract infection among children under five years of age.

Reed Humphrey, PhD Dean, College of Health Professions & Biomedical Sciences

Before accepting the role as Dean of the College, my research and creative scholarship career focused on exercise and cardiovascular disease, particularly for those with chronic heart failure.  More specifically, my expertise emphasized the study of the exercise physiology, assessment and training for patients with a left ventricular assist device to help remediate severe heart failure; my most recent publication in this area

was 2015.  More recently, my attention has been directed to the widespread pervasive impact of physical inactivity on the social and economic burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases, including a paper currently in press. I have tried to remain true to my academic roots despite my administrative position. My teaching and research career has taken me through academic and clinical centers in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan and Virginia.

Marcy McNamara Ballman, PhD Alumna, Toxicology Graduate Program

I completed by PhD in the Toxicology Graduate Program working with Curtis Noonan and Tony Ward evaluating exposures of asthmatic children living in homes with wood stoves. Now, I work as a Program Manager for the American Lung Association of Montana in charge administering and implementing their recently funded program, “Enhancing Care for Children with Asthma.” Similar to the Pharmacy Managed Asthma Clinics already in practice, this nationally successful program provides asthma care training, assistance, and materials for providers in family practice clinics across

the state. Additionally, I work expanding community outreach and education regarding asthma across Montana. If you are interested in collaborating for an upcoming respiratory or lung health event, please feel free to contact me at marcy.ballman@lung.org.

Learn more about our cardiovascular and respiratory research and service by visiting www.health.umt.edu.

and treat heart and lung diseases.

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Kendra Procacci and Rory Johnson, faculty in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, lead our asthma related research and service projects in the College of Health Professions & Biomedical Sciences. Their partnership with the DPHHS funded Montana Asthma Control Program sets up

Pharmacy Managed Asthma Clinics (PMACs) at several sites to help individuals with asthma better manage their disease symptoms. In addition to ongoing asthma care provided at the State Health Center, PureView Health Center, Partnership Health Center Pharmacy, Florence Pharmacy and Community Medical Center, six rural sites received mini-grant support to develop PMACs at Bitterroot

Drug in Hamilton, Family Pharmacy and Valley Drug & Variety in Stevensville, 5th Avenue Pharmacy & Gifts in Glasgow, Barrett Hospital in Dillon, and Comprehensive Pharmacy Services in Warm Springs.

Patients testify to improved quality of life upon receiving services through these PMACs. In a letter to Rory last December, a patient reports, “As the Thanksgiving holiday passed and I surveyed all I have to be thankful about, near the top of the list was/is the healthcare I got from you – it has changed my life: No asthma since July, no albuterol since

August, 2x ‘wind’ during hard exertion… Thanks to your

expertise and patient explanations, this old coot has been turned into a new man.”

Of course, the best way to reduce costs and symptoms associated with asthma is to educate patients from a young age. As such, each summer in conjunction with the Helena YMCA, Kendra leads Camp Huff N Puff. This week long camp gives over 50 pediatric asthma patients the necessary skills to manage their asthma while experiencing outdoor summer activities under the supervision of MDs, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and nurses. Campers enjoy running, fishing, swimming, canoeing, archery, a ropes course, arts & crafts, campfires, and other activities just like kids at traditional summer camps. Serving also as a training site for our pharmacy students and PGY1 residents to serve as camp counselors, learning experiences from camp are presented at national meetings and students report an increase in desire to specialize their practice. Last year, a pharmacy resident reported, “I have learned about myself as a professional through med checks and peak flow monitoring; I really enjoyed working with the kids and making sure that they understand their own medications. I also got to help with asthma education and the incheck dials to correct technique. Pediatrics and/or asthma are fields of pharmacy practice that I may really enjoy getting more involved in as my career progresses.”

Children from all over the state attend the camp, and Kendra often receives notes like this one, “The asthma road has been a tough one for us all!   [Our son] is the only one in our entire family with asthma and he definitely feels singled

out a lot of the time, whether it be for using his inhalers, missing school for doctor appointments

or just not being able to keep up stamina while he plays.  He also had a very rough

winter when he got influenza which developed into respiratory distress and progressed to edging on failure...ICU and then transferred to Billings.  So, I

think that him being able to create bonds and friendships with other children fighting the same battle would be positive for him on multiple levels.  I also think he gets sick of me preaching on him and hovering over him (I'm an ER nurse) so some independence would be a relief! I look forward to receiving more info from you and getting him signed up! I'm glad your son is the same age and knows the ropes...it will help me seal the deal for him :) I look forward to talking to you soon.” We are happy to report that this camper had a blast last year! Cost to attend is minimal, but regular fundraisers led by our APhA-ASP student group such as the gASPing for Air 5k, bake sales and Skaggs Building Garage Sale make scholarships available for campers who otherwise could not participate without financial assistance. Please consider supporting Camp Huff N Puff this summer, which runs July 10-15. Your gift of just $100 provides a scholarship for one of our over 50 campers.

Learn more about Camp Huff N Puff by contacting Kendra at kendra.procacci@mso.umt.edu.

Educating asthma patients at camps and clinics.

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The Western Montana AHEC and the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine will jointly host the 7th Biannual Montana Pain Initiative live CME conference “Pain Is Inevitable; Suffering is Optional: An Ethical Approach to Managing Pain” on June 10-11, 2016, at the UM campus. Please join us for this event featuring presentations from faculty & residents from the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana. A limited number of spots remain for this event; to register, please visit www.wmtahec.org or call 406-243-2772.

For over 17 years, Vince Colucci has served the University of Montana and our community on local, regional and national levels. For his efforts, Vince was nominated and awarded the 2016 George M. Dennison Presidential Faculty Award for Distinguished Accomplishment on February 18 during UM’s Charter Day celebration, which recognizes distinguished faculty who have brought excellence, merit, and distinction to the University of Montana. With accolades from physicians at the International Heart Institute, Emeritus Dean Forbes, and the Dennisons themselves, Vince shined among a competitive pool of nominees for this award.

Vince plays a vital role in the health of our community. He’s intricately involved in the training of pharmacy students, conducts clinical trials, manages the anticoagulation clinic (with a patient load of over 1,100), and works with heart failure patients at the International Heart Institute. Vince is responsible in part for the development of the URx pharmacy benefit plan used by all State of Montana employees, creating the Montana Infection Disease Network & Advisory Council, and leading the Montana Bioterrorism Training Project, which developed education programs for healthcare professionals across the state regarding emergency preparedness, Incident Command Structure, and triaging for mass-casualty incidents.

The Dennisons write in their letter of support, “We became acquainted with Dr. Colucci because of [a family member’s] heart condition which requires regular use of Coumadin (Warfarin) under Dr. Colucci's expert care. Regulation of the drug use demands expert knowledge and continuous monitoring. Moreover, the responsible heath care giver must know and understand all the factors that influence the effect of the drug, which can result in death for the patient if not well managed. Dr. Colucci exemplifies the knowledgeable, caring, and trustworthy health care professional. He not only knows the medical issues as an expert, he also understands the patient and inspires patient assurance. His standing among the health care professionals with whom he works and with his students lends luster to the University, the Hospital, the Institute, and the Clinic.”

Western Montana AHEC co-hosts 7th Biannual Montana Pain Initiative Conference, FMRWM faculty present.

Vince Colucci receives George M. Dennison Presidential Faculty Award for Distinguished Accomplishment.

Featured FMRWM speakers: John Miller, Marc Mentel, Jen Robohm, Kerry Haney & Dan McCarthy

Dr. Ryan Mays, Research Assistant Professor in the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science, arrived at UM in the fall of 2013 with an adjunct clinical appointment at the International Heart Institute of Montana. His NIH-National Heart, Lungs, & Blood Institute sponsored career development award (K01) that develops community walking exercise programs for PAD patients described above is just one of the many projects in the Montana Peripheral Arty & Cardiac Exercise (PACE) Lab.

Along with Co-PI Dr. Ryan Mizner, also in the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science, a second trial funded by the NIH National Institutes of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) seeks to evaluate the efficacy of devices called ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) on walking and functional ability as well as quality of life in PAD patients. The AFO are lightweight, lower-limb attached devices that have improved other patient populations ability to walk (those with previous stroke). Acting much like a spring to assist calf muscle function when a patient walks, this study tests the hypothesis that patients will be able to extend their walking sessions both with and without the AFO following 12 weeks of using the devices at their home and community. To date, there have been no trials evaluating AFO in PAD. This potential is groundbreaking and could develop into a new way to treat PAD patients in clinical settings.

A third study proposal in review with the NIH NHLBI collaborates with physicians, pharmacologists, and dieticians at International Heart Institute with aims to evaluate the role of early cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients with reduced ejection fraction heart failure. Current practice dictates a 6-week delay following hospital discharge prior to initiating reimbursed CR for these patients. However, a key metric driving current medical systems are all-cause and heart failure-specific rehospitalization rates 30 days post-discharge. Early rehab in patients released from the hospital (who are discharged as stable) may provide an opportunity of supervision and monitoring from exercise staff in CR, thus potentially reducing the need for rehospitalization if events occur (rapid response to treat the patient appropriately). Additionally, exercise long-term is known to be efficacious, thus, evaluation of rehospitalization rates as well as other outcomes (exercise performance, biomarkers, quality of life) up to 6 months from the initial hospital discharge will take place. Vitamin D3 has also shown benefit in patients with heart failure; as such, the study will employ the combination of exercise and pharmacological therapy to optimize their medical therapy profile.

Growing demand for healthcare means that Montana is going to need 40 percent more healthcare workers in a decade than it has now. That’s according to University of Montana Economist Bryce Ward. He says that just to meet the projected growth in demand, the state will need 7,000 more healthcare workers by 2025. "But at the same time we have a bunch of older healthcare workers that are likely to start leaving the system. So, not only are we going to need new, more people than we have currently, we’re going to have to have to replace a bunch of people that we already have.” Replacing retiring healthcare professionals will mean Montana will need to fill an additional 9,000 positions in the next decade. That adds up to a total of 16,000 additional healthcare workers that the state will need.

Ward spoke Tuesday at the release of the annual Montana economic outlook report put out by UM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. He says there are three things driving the growth in demand for healthcare in Montana. "So we have the insurance expansions under the Affordable Care Act, we have the aging of the population, and then we have healthcare innovation. Those are the things you’re going to look at to try to understand what’s going to happen in healthcare as we go forward.” The first one, insurance expansions under the Affordable Care Act, means that now that Americans are legally required to have healthcare, and Montana has expanded Medicaid, a lot more Montanans will have health insurance. And people who have insurance tend to use it, generating more healthcare demand.

When Ward talks about healthcare innovation, he means that as new treatments become available, they’ll draw more people in to get healthcare for conditions they’re struggling with now. "The bigger trend is that Montana is getting older. This is the Baby Boom moving through the aging, life cycle process. So, almost a quarter of Montanans within 15 years will be over age 65. Not surprisingly, the older you are, the more healthcare you are likely to consume.” A lot more older Montanans, using a lot more healthcare, adds up to some serious economic impact.

"In the next 15 years we’re going to add $2.3 billion to Montana’s health care, just from aging people. That’s a 31 percent increase over where it was a few years ago. Just from aging."Ward says that most of that economic boost will probably end up in the three Montana cities where the majority of healthcare jobs and services are already clustered: Billings, Great Falls and Missoula. But, he says, he’s also seeing potential for substantial growth in what are now smaller healthcare markets, including Bozeman.

article reprinted with permission, courtesy of Montana Public Radio, originally published January 27, 2016 by Eric Whitney

Montana PACE Lab works to improve quality of life for cardiac rehabilitation patients.

Montana primed for growth in healthcare spending, jobs.

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UM provides more health career programs than any other campus in the state, and now the University has launched a new UM Health & Medicine initiative to promote this fact and foster new advances in health education and research. Announced during the President’s mid-year address this spring, the initiative creates a portal for students to learn more about how to prepare for and pursue health education and careers at the University of Montana. “We already offer incredibly robust programming in health and medicine areas, which lead to high-paying jobs in some of the hottest career fields,” President Royce Engstrom said in his address. “UMHM will give us the structure to emphasize, strengthen and grow these programs for the benefit of Montana and the region.”

Indeed, the mission and vision of UMHM is to: • recruit students into health professions and create new degree programs to meet

employment demands.• strengthen relationships with partners committed to regional graduate medical

education.• boost collaboration of UM’s instructional, research and clinical expertise in health care.• facilitate robust research focused on improving health outcomes across Montana.

A recent report from UM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research suggests Montana will need 40 percent more health care workers in the next decade. This translates to an additional 7,000 workers by 2025 to care for Montana’s growing and aging population. This is compelling news to Reed Humphrey, the UMHM initiative leader and dean of UM’s College of Health Professions & Biomedical Sciences. Forecasts such as this mean that UM must become even more engaged in preparing health care professionals. “There is an ever-widening gap between the health needs of Montanans and our ability to supply a workforce to meet those needs,” Humphrey said. “It struck me when I arrived on this campus years ago that we have a lot of really strong programs but lacked a common identity or entry point, mostly because programs grew up in different colleges on the campus. That made it difficult to understand how to navigate a career path in health professions. We needed to fix that, and UMHM is designed to do exactly that.”

He said the initiative will provide a framework for UM’s health and medicine programs, which are widespread across campus and includes UM’s two-year Missoula College. UMHM will provide a common entry point, or portal, for students interested in health careers. He also wants the organization to generate and support a “community of learners” among its students – a group that will synergize and enhance the learning process at UM. “Next fall when students arrive, we’ll meet with those who have declared an interest in health and medicine as a career objective, and we’ll design experiences for them on campus so they can make intelligent choices about their curriculum and career options,” he said. “And this isn’t just for prospective

students – we plan to reach out to our existing student body to inform them about these opportunities.”

Roberta Evans is another designer of the initiative and dean of UM’s Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences, where “human sciences” refer to a portfolio of physical and mental health programs that constitute nearly half the college. She said the UMHM effort is transdisciplinary and will train professionals in the teamwork required by people now working in hospitals to treat the whole person. “Currently, the many great academic health opportunities across UM appear like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle,” Evans said. “This program will bring the pieces together, clarify the options available and also showcase our extraordinary successes. So I think this will unify our messaging, and the opportunities are going to just explode.” According to Evans UMHM will inform students about all the practical experiences, clinics, centers and research opportunities available to them.

UMHM will also reach out to grow and strengthen partnerships with area hospitals, local nonprofits and national funding agencies. Hospitals in Missoula and Kalispell already have thrown their support behind the effort, which will allow the University, hospitals and clinics to engage collaboratively to improve the provision of interprofessional health care and research. “As a leading health care provider in western Montana, we are thrilled to see the University of Montana establish the Health & Medicine initiative to build the workforce foundation that will ultimately benefit patients in our region,” said Jeff Fee, regional chief executive for Providence Health & Services, Montana.

Humphrey said UM graduates in health and medicine programs on campus essentially boast 100 percent placement rates. “If students aren’t employed at graduation or upon licensure, it’s largely because they choose not to be employed at graduation,” he said. “Frankly, if you are a student interested in going into medicine or a health professions career and you are considering where in Montana or even the region you want to study, there is no better place than UM, given the range of academic opportunities but as importantly, on-campus experiences and training.”Learn more about UMHM online at www.umt.edu/umhm.

article adapted & reprinted with permission from UM News, originally published February 4, 2016 by Cary Shimek

UMHM: A portal for students to learn how to study health & medicine at the University of Montana.

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Ethiopia’s new Public Health “Army,” the building of 300 new hospitals, and tripling the education budget were among the exciting developments shared by Dr. Abebaw Gebeyehu Worku during his visit to University of Montana in April of 2016.

Dr. Abebaw is the Director of the Institute of Public Health at the University of Gondar and UM’s most recent visiting scholar from Ethiopia.  Hundreds of faculty, students, and community members benefited from Dr. Abebaw’s twelve days in Montana. During his visit to UM, Dr. Abebaw met a number of UM staff, faculty, and administrators. He also gave presentations, participated in a panel discussion, and strengthened the partnership between the University of Montana and the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. Events included presentations and discussions on opportunities for collaboration between UM and University of Gondar, frameworks for maximizing effective university-community partnerships, community-based physical therapy and rehabilitation services for mothers and children in rural Ethiopia, and an overview of population-level health indicators, heath care delivery practices, and public health in rural Ethiopia.

Remembering the College in your will or living trust can provide powerful support for years to come.

It is Easy to Do Just a few sentences in your will or living trust is all that is needed to make a gift from your estate. Your gift can be made for a specific dollar amount, for a percentage of your estate, or for all or a portion of what is left after you have made gifts to your family. You can also make a gift from your estate by designating the College as the beneficiary of financial accounts such as IRAs, bank accounts or life insurance policies.

It is important that you designate your gift to the University of Montana Foundation, rather than to the College or UM directly. The Foundation was created to receive, invest, and distribute funds for the benefit of the University.You Can Direct How Your Gift Will Be Used

Your gift can provide unrestricted support for the College. Unrestricted gifts are especially valuable since they can support the College’s areas of highest need. You can also choose to restrict your gift to a particular program or purpose, such as faculty support or scholarships. We can work with you and your advisors to draft gift language to ensure your gift can be used as you intend.Creating a Lasting Legacy

Your gift can create a fund bearing your name or the name of a loved one. The fund you create can be a spendable fund or an endowment. Spendable funds are normally used in their entirety within a short time frame. Endowed funds provide support every year in perpetuity. Note that endowed funds require a minimum funding amount. Let Us Know

If you have provided for the College in your will or living trust, please let us know. We would like to thank you for your generosity and ensure your gift can be used as you intend. To learn more about including a gift to UM in your will or living trust please contact Mark Schleicher at mark.schleicher@umontana.edu or 406-243-4222.

The University of Montana Foundation provides information about the benefits of planned gifts and does not provide any legal, financial or tax advice. We encourage you to talk with your advisors who are familiar with your specific situation to determine the benefits to you.

University of Montana meets University of Gondar: Partnering with colleagues in Ethiopia to improve public health.

Dr. Joey Banks Dr. Abebaw Worku, Dr. Jenn Bell, Linnea Stanhope, and Dr. Kari Harris served on an expert panel discussion on obstetric fistula at a showing of the film“A Walk to Beautiful,” which tells the stories of rural women who make their way to treatment for this life-shattering complication of childbirth.

Interested in another option to support CHPBS? Consider including a gift to the College in your Will or Living Trust.

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