Legislative forum focuses on child health

POLSON — Last Thursday morning the Big Sky Bistro was packed with a larger breakfast crowd than usual, as approximately 30 people gathered to discuss important public health issues at the Legislative Community Forum, an annual event co-sponsored by the Lake County Health Department and the Alliance for a Healthy Montana. The group included local health officials, elected representatives and concerned citizens who met to outline health issues that merit consideration in the upcoming legislative session of state government.

Opening remarks were made by Lake County public health director, Emily Colomeda, who was one of the event’s coordinators.

It was Colomeda’s fourth year organizing the forum, which she says, “happens every year before the legislative session so that people can voice the health issues facing the community at the local level.”

The agenda for this year’s forum was primarily focused on children’s health issues.

“Every issue that impacts us trickles down and affects children,” Colomeda explained. “It’s all about the children.”

The breakfast featured a lineup of guest speakers who addressed specific issues related to their profession.

First to speak was Caroline McDonald, coordinator for the Best Beginnings Children’s Partnership early education program.

McDonald was followed by CSKT tribal health medical director LeeAnna Marquez, who provided an update on childhood immunizations.

Maternal child health was discussed by Diane Ward, a family support specialist from Lake County Public Health, while Ward’s colleague, Diana Schwab spoke on the danger of texting and driving.

Last to step up to the microphone was Dennis Johnson, Lake County health youth advocacy coordinator, who stressed the importance of anti-tobacco education for kids.

Following the conclusion of the morning’s speeches, several people in attendance weighed in on the discussion, and also brought some other issues to light.

Judy Gobert of the CSKT tribal social services department mentioned some harrowing facts about the prevalence of suicide in the area. According to Gobert, Montana is the state with the highest suicide rate in the nation. Of all the counties in the state, Lake County has the seventh highest incidence of suicide, she added.

“Suicide is preventable,” Gobert emphasized. “It’s a loss to communities, it’s a loss to families, it’s a loss to the state of Montana.”

Wade Nash, Polson’s chief of police, rose to voice his concern regarding drug use among local youth. Nash said that the area has been without a local drug task force since 2005, when funding for the program was eliminated.

“These drugs are what affect our children every day,” Nash said.

“We’re not doing anything as a community to fight drugs anymore… it’s a huge issue,” said Nash, adding that his department is exploring ways to reinstate the task force program.

While the day’s testimony made it apparent that much work needs to be done to improve community health, it’s reassuring to know that the discussion did not fall on deaf ears, as legislators Dan Salomon and Greg Hertz were in attendance.

Hertz said that he recognized that tremendous value of the forum’s focal health initiatives, but explained the harsh reality of the fiscal limitations facing the legislature. As such, Hertz said that he looks to fund programs that maximize their benefit to the community by asking himself, “how many people does this (funding) affect?”

Salomon, too, acknowledged the gravity of the task at hand.

“These are not new issues. But they are still issues we need to deal with,” said Salomon.