Access to Health Care | MT Health Care Resources | National Health Care Resources
General Health Care Resources for Montanans
Access to Health Care Settings for People with Disabilities
Montana Mammography Directory: PDF, Word
Access Board Federal agency committed to accessible design.
Access Board’s ADA Disability Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) Education Course, produced by American Institute of Architects and the Access Board. On-line course focuses on ADAAG supplements covering public sector facilities.
Americans with Disabilities Act: Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and FacilitiesDetectable Warnings: Synthesis of U.S. and International Practice (pdf file)
Access Group, Inc. specializes in changing and removing negative attitudinal barriers in interactions with people with disabilities. A unique learning system and training program delivered by persons with disabilities changes behaviors and provides results either through in-person training sessions or do-it-yourself activities. Access Group publishes Ramping Up for Profit$, a book designed to help business owners tap into the market of people with disabilities.
Active Living Research Sponsored by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and based at San Diego State University, this project works to find creative approaches for re-integrating physical activity into American life. Rather than addressing obesity as an individual health problem, this new, transdisciplinary field of active living focuses on how the built environment — including neighborhoods, transportation systems, buildings, parks and open space — can promote more active lives.
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved Addresses issues of health care access and quality by enhancing support for clinicians who serve underserved populations; providing access to information relevant to clinical practice; providing opportunities for clinicians to interact and communicate with colleagues; promoting research to increase understanding of underserved practice; and increasing opportunities for relevant education and training on providing health care to underserved populations.
Breast Health Access for Women with Disabilities Nationally recognized model in leadership and collaboration for increasing health services and accessibility for women with disabilities. BHAWD has developed several educational publications and tools that address increasing access to quality and appropriate breast-screening services for women with disabilities.
Center for Disability Issues in the Health Professions Western University of Health Sciences website offers products, courses and services, online resources, and news and announcements for health professions education, and to improve access for people with disabilities to health, health education and health care services. Resources include Aging with a Disability information and other tools for decreasing health care barriers.
The Pathway™ Series: Breast Care CD-ROM A training series from Western University of Health Sciences about providing preventative health care services for disabled women.
Center for Research on Women with Disabilities promotes, develops, and disseminates information to improve the health and expand the life choices of women with disabilities.
Center for Universal Design National research, information, and technical assistance center evaluates, develops, and promotes universal design in housing, public and commercial facilities, and related products.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Disability Health Team: Offers Guidelines for Improving Access to Health Care Facilities and Providers; Guidelines for Improving Access to Recreation and Fitness Facilities; Guidelines for Improving Access to Health Communication Venues; and Guidelines for Improving Access to Health Conferences and Informational Meetings.
Disability Sensitivity Training Free online course helps business leaders, employees and others learn how to interact comfortably with people who are disabled. The course is a joint effort by the Georgia Governor’s Council for Developmental Disabilities and the Georgia Disability Advocate Consulting Group, Inc., a private firm that conducts seminars for businesses.
Distance and Modes of Transportation to Personal Physician/Health Care Provider: 2005 Montana Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Results Montana Disability and Health Update, November 2008
Financing Health Care for Women with Disabilities This RAND Corporation paper describes the major financial issues affecting access to health care for women with disabilities and presents recommended strategies to address those issues.
Health Resources & Services Administration, Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities – Cultural Competence Web Site. One-stop shop for health care providers wishing to learn about HRSA’s progress in improving culturally competent health care. User-friendly site highlights approximately 40 HRSA-supported projects on cross-cultural health care and profiles HRSA-funded activities and programs in areas such as assessment, culture and language, specific diseases, health professions, research, special populations, technical assistance, training, and Web-based learning.
Office of Minority Health. Improves and protects the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities.
Inclusive Fitness Coalition Led by the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability and the American College of Sports Medicine, this group of elected leaders, health and fitness professionals, researchers, and other advocates will address policy, environmental, and societal issues associated with the lack of access to physical activity among people with disabilities.
MammaCare Breast Self-examination Program for Women who are Blind or Visually Impaired Commercial site features a patented, tactually accurate model with a ribbon “necklace” to keep the model correctly positioned during training. Raised markers guide the woman while examining the model. The model contains small lumps that are virtually impossible to detect without training. The system includes an audiocassette and a descriptive video that teach proficient BSE through a series of carefully designed exercises, conducted first on the model and then on the woman herself. The kit also contains a large print booklet and Braille instructions.
National Association of Community Health Centers
National Institutes of Health — National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities
North Carolina Office on Disability and Health Publishes:
- Removing Barriers to Health Care: A Guide for Health Professionals,
- Tips and Strategies to Promote Accessible Communication,
- Removing Barriers to Health Clubs and Fitness Facilities: A Guide for Accommodating All Members, Including People with Disabilities and Older Adults
- Providers’ Guide to Care of Women with Physical Disabilities and Chronic Health Conditions
Reaching Out to Customers with Disabilities Free web course explains how the ADA applies to businesses in ten short lessons.
Understanding Intellectual Disabilities and Health Developed as a collaboration between the Down’s Syndrome Association and the University of London, this site provides up-to-date information for busy health practitioners and students about the health needs of people with intellectual disabilities.
United States Department of Education:
ADA Technical Assistance Centers/Disability & Business Technical Assistance Centers. The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has established ten regional centers which provide information, training, and technical assistance to employers, people with disabilities, and other entities with responsibilities under the ADA. The centers act as a “one-stop” central, comprehensive resource on ADA issues in employment, public services, public accommodations, and communications.
ADA Basic Building Blocks, On-line, self-paced course introduces and explores the legal requirements and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Course is free, but there is a $50 fee if the student wants to earn one continuing education credit upon satisfactory completion.
At Your Service: Welcoming Customers with Disabilities Free, self-paced, on-line course designed to increase understanding of the needs and experiences of people with disabilities. Presents ways to adjust general customer service standards to meet the needs of customers with disabilities and how to develop basic etiquette for interacting with customers who have disabilities. Describes relevant ADA and Section 508 statutes.
Meeting the Challenge, Inc.: Rocky Mountain ADA Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center
The Vital Signs poster for doctors’ offices or emergency rooms displays 24 signs related to health and medicine.Service Animals Welcome is an informational poster on the use of service animals in public facilities. The two-sided poster comes in two sizes (9 ½ x 16” and 12”x 20”) and is appropriate for posting in any public place.
United States Department of Justice:
ADA Home Page The U.S. Dept. of Justice enforces the ADA requirements in three areas — Title I: Employment practices by units of State and local government”; Title II: Programs, services and activities of State and local government; and Title III: Public accommodations and commercial facilities (private businesses and non-profit service providers. The Department provides technical assistance to businesses, state and local governments, and individuals with responsibilities and rights under the law.
Communicating with People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings 4-page brochureProject Civic Access U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division: First Steps for Cities and Counties Toward Solving Common ADA Problems.Service Animals brochure
Universal Design Alliance is a non-profit corporation committed to creating awareness and expanding the knowledge of universal design for all ages, sizes, and abilities to designers, builders, and consumers through educational programs, services, and resources. Members include design professionals, students, businesses, and consumers who want to share and learn about universal design.
Universal Design and Visitability: from Accessibility to Zoning PDF file available for free down load through the support of The National Endowment for the Arts Universal Design Leadership Initiative; The Ohio State University’s Knowlton School of Architecture, John Glenn School of Public Affairs, Kirwin Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity; and the Ohio Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator’s Office.
General Montana Health Care Resources
2011-2012 Montana Mammography Directory (pdf file)
Arthritis Foundation
Improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of arthritis and related diseases, Montana Office (PowerPoint Presentation)
Association of Montana Health Care Providers
Montana Informed Patient provides Montana’s health care consumers with information, resources and tools for making informed health care decisions.
Montana Academy of Family Physicians
Montana Association of Naturopathic Physicians
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services:
Montana Public Health and Human Safety Division
Big Sky Rx – Medicare Prescription Assistance Montana state program to help pay drug-coverage premiums for eligible Montanans enrolled in a prescription drug plan under Medicare Part D. The program was created by the 2005 Legislature and is funded with tobacco tax revenue. To be eligible for the program, you must be a Montana resident, be a Medicare recipient, and have a family income of 200 percent or less of the federal poverty level.Medicaid Services Bureau
Healthy Montana Kids (Free or low-cost health coverage for children and teenagers up to age 19)Information for Medicaid ClientsMontana Medicaid Provider Web PortalTeam Care (a component of the PASSPORT to Health Program)
Montana Office of Rural Health Web site has HealthInfo resource page.
Montana Public Health Association
Primary Care Association of Montana
National Health Care Resources
American Medical Association. Provides information that will help patients lead healthy lives and become active participants in their health care, from finding a doctor or hospital to nutritional and fitness articles, to content about specific medical diseases and conditions. This section also contains News From the AMA and information about upcoming meetings and events.
American Public Health Association.
Arthritis & Heart Disease, What you should know (pdf file)“Arthritis is Unacceptable” flyer (pdf file)
Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Clearinghouse for the Community Living Exchange Collaborative provides information and training and technical assistance to state and territorial recipients of Systems Change Grants for Community Living.Hospital Compare Tool allows consumers to compare the quality of care provided by local hospitals for adult patients with certain medical conditions. Hospital Compare was created by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and organizations representing hospitals, doctors, employers, accrediting organizations, other Federal agencies and the public.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information on health and fitness for individuals with disabilities.
Community Health Resources Web-Based Searchable Database helps community health partners, coalitions and activists navigate CDC’s web-based resources for planning, implementing and evaluating community-level health interventions related to a variety of chronic disease, injury and violence prevention, environmental health, and other important community health topics.
Community Health Status Indicators is a partnership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine, the Health Resources Services Administration, the Public Health Foundation, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Association of Local Boards of Health, and Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. The site includes county health status profiles for the 3,141 U.S. counties (excluding territories) Profiles include data on access and utilization of healthcare services, birth and death measures, Healthy People 2010 targets and U.S. birth and death rates, vulnerable populations, risk-factors for premature deaths, communicable diseases and environmental health.
Coordinated School Health Model A coordinated school health program (CSHP) model has eight interactive components (1) Health Education; (2) Physical Education; (3) Health Services; (4) Nutrition Services; (5) Counseling and Psychological Services; (6) Healthy School Environments; (7) Health Promotion for Staff; and (8) Family/Community Involvement.
Partnership on the Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) Project is designed to: 1) Increase awareness of factors—health care access and quality, health-promoting behaviors, socio-economic factors, and the physical environment—that contribute to the health of communities; 2) Foster engagement among public and private decision makers to improve community health; 3) Develop incentives to encourage coordination across sectors for community health improvement, and 4) Create innovative approaches to sharing the results of community health improvement efforts.
Promoting Health Equity: A CDC Resource to Help Communities Address Social Determinants of Health (pdf file) is a workbook for community-based organizations seeking to affect the social determinants of health through community-based participatory approaches and nontraditional partnerships.
Family Doctor American Academy of Family Physicians has developed a web site designed to provide health information to the whole family, including teens.
HealthCare.gov Implemented July 2010, this is a new consumer website that provides access to a wealth of information, including:
- The new consumer rights and benefits unthe the 2010 Affordable Care Act,
- A timeline of when programs under the new law will come online (between now & 2014), and
- An insurance finder that makes it easy to find private & public health insurance options that work for you.
Healthfinder Service Provides health library on prevention & wellness, diseases & conditions, and alternative medicine, plus medical dictionaries, an encyclopedia, journals, and more; publishes articles on special health topics organized by age from kids to seniors, by race and ethnicity, for men and women, and for parents, caregivers, health professionals, and others; provides information about doctors, dentists, public clinics, hospitals, long term care, nursing homes, health insurance, prescriptions, health fraud, Medicare, Medicaid, and medical privacy; and offers carefully selected health information web sites from government agencies, clearinghouses, nonprofits, and universities.
Health Grades Medicare data on medical services by state.
Inland Empire Health Plan Online Resource Center Highlights disability initiatives and accessibility issues related to health care. The HEALTH section comprises disability initiatives, organized according to the principal tenets of Healthy Living, Education & outreach, Access to care, Leading the way, Training our team and providers, and Health care with heart. ADA & Beyond focuses on breaking down barriers to ensure access to care for people with diverse disabilities.
MedlinePlus More “user-friendly” than the National Library of Medicine’s Medline database — MedlinePlus offers less-technical information on medical conditions. Search results provide links to additional resources.
Medline Plus, General Disabilities Resources from the National Library of Medicine.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health
National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
National Institute of Nursing Research.
National Organization on Rare Disorders Has more than 25 patient assistance programs for specific medications.
NeedyMeds.com Provides information about patient assistance programs and other programs designed to help those who can’t afford their medicines.
Nicotine Anonymous Non-Profit 12-Step Fellowship of men and women helping each other live nicotine-free lives.
Online Guide to Quitting includes tobacco cessation resources, expert advice and support, referrals to local resources, tools for individuals and professionals, and more.
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Provides the Directory of Prescription Drug Patient Assistance Programs. These programs provide prescription medicines free of charge to physicians whose patients might not otherwise have access to necessary medicines. Under the entry for each program is information about how to make a request for assistance, what prescription medicines are covered, and basic eligibility criteria. Also see http://www.helpingpatients.org
Public Health and Prevention A collaboration between the American Public Health Association and WebMD Medscape, this site is intended to bring valuable resources and information to new audiences. Please note you will need to register before accessing the site.
Recovery Connection A guide to Addiction, Heart Disease and Stroke.
RxAssist Patient Assistance Program Center provides a comprehensive database of pharmaceutical manufacturers’ patient assistance programs.
RxHope Lists resources for consumers, advocates and health care providers who want to access federal, state and charitable agencies.
Tobacco Information and Prevention Source at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Together Rx Access Free prescription savings program for eligible individuals and families who lack prescription drug coverage and are not eligible for Medicare. Most cardholders save 25-40% on brand name and generic drugs.