The Richland County Board of Health provides help with assessing needs and prioritizing and dealing with calls from the county on health related issues, assists with policy development and ensures compliance with the state statutes. There are three core functions of public health: Assessment, Assurance and Policy Development. The Board of Health Plays a role in all three functions.

Assessment

In the area of assessment, the analysis and identification of trends in only part of the picture. Resources are finite; therefore, priorities must be established and the county must agree on a plan for improvement. A functional Board of Health can provide input and guidance to the department as it assesses the vast needs of the county and determines a strategic plan for addressing them.

Board of Health meetings are open to the public and are held the second Tuesday of the following months: February, April, June, August, October, and December. The meetings are held in the Community Services Building located at 1201 W. Holly, Suite #1. If you have any other questions please contact Judy LaPan at (406)433-2207 or jlapan@richland.org.

Assurance

Assurance is improved when the Board of Health is strong. The board brings the environmental health and human health sides of public health together. This improves the health of all residents of Richland County.

Policy Development

Policy development will assure continued community support for health issues in our county. Local Boards of Health play a very important role as links with the community as a whole to advocate for the development of local policies and act as liaisons to the state legislators.

Emergency Preparedness

With increased concerns about emergency preparedness, Boards of Health must be well-versed in responding to public health emergencies. The only way to be prepared is to establish and practice systems put in place to deal with health issues. Boards of Health must be prepared to respond to the daily issues in order to respond to the big public health emergencies when they arise.

Boards of Health are established through the state statues (MCA sections 50-2-101 through 50-2-116) and each member has a three year term. The Richland County Board of Health currently has the following six members:

Mark Rehbein, County Commissioner

Don Steppler, County Commissioner

County Commissioner

Ray Trumpower, Fairview

Dr. Idoate, Veternarian

Terry Meldahl, Sidney

Advisory Members include:

Judy LaPan, Administrator

Kelly Logan, Sanitarian

Dr. Karanjai, Health Officer

Mike Webber, County Attorney

Butch Renders, DES Coordinator

Russ Huotari, County Works Director