Talking Health in the 406

Since 1975, Spring Meadow Resources has been a cornerstone of the Helena community—one of Montana’s longest-running disability service agency. Join guests Jean Morgan and Cody Lundin as they reflect on Spring Meadow’s lasting impact, sharing stories of how the organization empowers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to lead healthy, happy, and meaningful lives.

Winter is fading and wildfire season is upon us. Join guests Mary Anderson and Chris Migliaccio as we discuss wildfire smoke, outdoor and indoor air quality, and how they effect our health. We also share tips and resources to help you breathe easier when the air is smoky.

Join our guests from the United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area (UWLCA) as we discuss how being unhoused impacts individual and community health, how one Montana community is working to help its unhoused population, and the reality and myths around our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

Small-town Montana offers a strong sense of community and invaluable support networks. However, as loved ones age, isolation and miles from specialized care become challenging. Join guest Janet Trethewey as she shares her family's journey as care takers of her aging parents and grandmother on the Hi-Line. 

Guest Melanie Williams shares her personal journey as a caregiver for her mother with dementia and how that experience led her to the impactful work with the Montana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. Additionally, Kyla Rock, Alzheimer's and Dementia Program Manager with DPHHS, joins us to discuss inspiring work taking place and resources that are available here in Montana and nationwide.

Join us for part two of our flu, RSV, and COVID-19 discussion with State of Montana epidemiology experts. This episode takes a deeper dive into what data we track and the story it tell us. Let's stay healthy this fall and winter, Montana. 

 Are you ready for the upcoming flu and RSV season? Join us for a two-part discussion on tips for prevention/treatment of flu, RSV, and COVID-19 and local data from State of Montana communicable disease experts. Let's stay healthy this fall and winter, Montana. 

Join guests Natalie and Faye, teenagers from Deer Lodge, and parent/local ReACT Coalition leader, Amanda Bohrer, as they talk about youth vaping and tobacco use in their community. They want kids to know, "they are not alone, and they do have value, and there are ways to get through it."

Featured guests, siblings, Debbie and Orville Desjarlais, join us to talk about their Native Wellness Life Magazine. Combining their talents in journalism and graphic design, this sibling duo use their magazine to inform native communities on disease prevention, cultural recipes, healthy habits, and more. Listen to this episode to hear how they use their slogan, Culture is Our Cure, to inspire action and conversation. 

Camp MYDA (Montana Youth Diabetes Alliance) offers Montana youth with Type 1 Diabetes a chance to connect with peers, learn valuable skills, and enjoy a fun-filled week. Campers benefit from the support and guidance of medical staff, diabetes educators, and trained counselors. Additionally, the organization may be able to help with the financial burden of Type 1 diabetes for Montana families. 

"Having it (diabetes) when you are a teen is hard, but having it whenever you have it is hard, I don't think there is an age where you have diabetes its somehow not all consuming to your life." Guest Jake Sorich takes us on his diabetes journey and advice from living with type 1 diabetes; learning what it was and being committed to the necessary adjustments. 

In this episode, we continue the conversation with guest Aubrie Carey and hear her story as she navigates mental health challenges after the birth of her son. She opens up about her past trauma of surviving a school shooting, and how that impacted her post-partum journey. Listen in and hear about how the Community Integrated Health Program guided her to the help she needed after giving birth. 

Guest Aubrie Carey talks about her health care journey as she navigates pregnancy in a rural area. She found support through Community Integrated Health (CIH) at the local Jefferson Valley EMS Service, who provided comprehensive health care during her pregnancy and after the birth of her child. This story is about resilience and the power of a supportive community. 

Guest Amy Stiffarm continues her journey from Harlem to Helena, through the path of Salish Kootenai College, the University of Montana, and the University of North Dakota. She has forged a path of unwavering dedication and stands as a trailblazer, weaving traditional knowledge with new practices in milk medicine, cultural safety and sensitivity, and paving the way for the next generation.

 Growing up on the Hi-Line, in Harlem, a small community nestled just north of the Fort Belknap Reservation, guest Amy Stiffarm was shaped by both tradition and loss. Witnessing community members succumb to preventable conditions ignited a passion in early adulthood to learn how to help; a passion that continues to spark hope for change and cultural preservation for future generations.