Rural health network development planning grant program - we'RE walking together (bachawaaxxpakbaaliiluuk) messengers for health, PO box 940, 335 e makawasha avenue, crow agency, MT 59022 501C3…

Messengers For Health, a nonprofit organization serving the Apsaalooke (Crow Indian) community in southeastern Montana, received a $100,000 Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the Rural Healthcare Services Programs (CFDA 93.912). The award, effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, supports the "We're Walking Together" (Bachawaaxxpakbaaliiluuk) initiative, which focuses on assessing community health needs and addressing cancer disparities within an underserved Native American population. The project will develop an integrated rural health care network through a collaborative partnership among Messengers For Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center, an Indian Health Service unit, and a regional health center—75% rural by composition—to establish care coordination infrastructure for cancer screening and treatment services on the Crow Reservation.

The planning grant will address critical health disparities, including significantly higher cancer incidence rates on the Crow Reservation (425.1 per 100,000) compared to surrounding white populations, limited cancer screening capacity, and absence of on-reservation cancer treatment services. Deliverables include a comprehensive needs assessment and the development of a formal collaborative network structure designed to improve access to quality cancer care services, enhance care coordination, and strengthen the rural health care system. The project meets all three legislative aims of the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program and qualifies for two funding preferences based on Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) and Medically Underserved County (MUC) designations.

Rural health network development planning grant program - we'RE walking together (bachawaaxxpakbaaliiluuk) messengers for health, PO box 940, 335 e makawasha avenue, crow agency, MT 59022 501C3 nonprofit organization https://WWW.messengersforhealth.ORG/ service region: the crow reservation in montana and surrounding communities, bighorn county and a portion of yellowstone county we'RE walking together meets all three legislative aims. Focus: care coordination for cancer screening and treatment we'RE walking together qualifies for two funding preferences: qualification 1 (hpsa) and 2 (MUC) buchaawaaxxpbaaleeluuk (we'RE walking together), will assess needs and address cancer disparities in an underserved native american community in a unique partnership among a nonprofit organization, a federally qualified health center, a service unit of the indian health service, and a regional health center. The partnership is 75% rural, meeting the rural designation criteria. The lead organization is messengers for health, an apsáalooke nonprofit organization that has worked in the community for over two decades. Our mission is growing, fostering, and supporting trusted and respected community leaders to improve the health of apsáalooke people using solutions that respect and honor apsáalooke strengths, culture, stories, and language. The population served are apsáalooke (crow indian) community members living on or near the crow reservation (state's largest) in southeastern montana. In montana, american indians DIE 18 years earlier than whites overall. There is limited cancer screening and no cancer treatment on the reservation. The age-adjusted cancer incidence on the crow reservation (425.1/100,000) is greater than among white montanans living in the crow reservation counties (399.9). In montana, cancer screening rates are lower for native americans compared to whites. Community members on the crow reservation face significant challenges in accessing care, including distance to clinics and hospitals, long winters and hazardous road conditions, transportation issues, and limited services. Our goal is to develop a formalized network to improve health outcomes through increased access to quality, integrated, and culturally consonant cancer screening and treatment care by providing coordinated care with the apsáalooke (crow indian) people in and near the crow reservation. Healthcare services are greatly limited on the reservation, and many community members travel long distances to receive general and specialty care. Cancer screening and treatment care coordination between the reservation community and off-reservation health services does not exist, and there is a need for relational, culturally consonant care coordination to change existing disparities. This new network will address all three legislative aims that meet the purpose of this planning grant. We'RE walking together will address these legislative aims via two objectives to achieve our goal over the 12-month planning period. Our first objective is to facilitate collaboration and planning among network members to formalize the network and develop thorough guiding documents. Our second objective is to enhance the capacity of the local rural health system to improve health outcomes for the apsáalooke people around cancer screening and treatment care coordination, access to interventions, and culturally consonant care.?led by the montana healthcare foundation, our network will conduct a cancer care coordination needs assessment. We will develop a strategic plan to carry out the needs assessment findings to ensure sustainability. The focus area came directly from community needs expressed by community members to our nonprofit organization's staff and board of directors. This is how every focus area of our nonprofit is selected. The staff and board are from the community, live in the community, and thus regularly hear firsthand about community needs. Our nonprofit provides cancer screening and treatment services.