$100,000 Grant Given to Improve American Indian Moms & Babies in Montana

Kassie Runsabove, community health worker at St. Vincent’s hospital in Billings, Montana. (Photo: Business Wire)

Published November 29, 2018

BILLINGS, Mont.  —  The Cigna Foundation announced it will provide a $100,000 grant to the St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation in Billings, Montana to help improve the health outcomes of Native American women and babies through increased access to early prenatal care, drug education and intervention when needed. The grant addresses drug addiction that has reached into Native American communities.

“Addiction is a national crisis, and tribes are experiencing its impact along with the rest of the country. St. Vincent’s is a mission-driven health care facility dedicated to serving the Native American community, and Cigna Foundation is helping us develop a sustainable maternity care delivery model,” said Vicki Birkeland, St. Vincent Healthcare Director of Women’s Services. “This is important work and we look forward to seeing improved health outcomes for the moms and babies we serve.”

Previously, the Cigna Foundation provided grant funding to St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation to support an American Indian Health Disparities Coordinator who serves as a community health worker. St. Vincent’s chose Kassie Runsabove, a Native American, for this role to work as an advocate and cultural liaison, and to be responsible for implementing projects to identify and reduce health disparities.

The new Cigna Foundation grant provides an additional year of funding to help St. Vincent’s further its mission to improve the cultural competency skills of maternal health care providers, and to work with tribal community partners to provide prenatal education on healthy nutrition, stress management, and other healthy lifestyle topics. The St. Vincent’s program is expected to result in measurable outcomes, including:

• Earlier access to prenatal care with the goal of improving birth weights
• Increased participation at prenatal clinics at St. Vincent Healthcare’s Midwifery & Women’s Health Center, the midwifery clinic on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, and at the health care facilities of community partners including Indian Health Services (IHS)
• Decreased numbers of NICU admissions
• Decreased numbers of babies born prematurely
• Increased participation in substance abuse recovery programs

“We are focused on improving health equity and are working with organizations such as St. Vincent’s to eliminate disparities that create barriers to health care,” said Mary Engvall, executive director of the Cigna Foundation. “St. Vincent’s community health worker is integral to effectively coordinating care between the rural reservations and an urban hospital setting in a culturally sensitive manner, while building a safe environment of trust for patients.”