Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services

State health officials say a teenager's death is related to a vaping-associated illness. On Wednesday, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services announced the state’s first identified death linked with the national outbreak of e-cigarette use.

A lawsuit filed Monday alleges a child at a private therapeutic home that was closed this summer amid abuse allegations was also forced to work on employees’ personal property. 

Governor Steve Bullock on Tuesday ordered a temporary stop to sales of flavored e-cigarettes. The emergency rules take effect October 22. 

Bullock is directing the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to enforce a 120-day ban on flavored e-cigarette sales.

Montana healthcare professionals met this week to discuss how to support a person’s physical and mental health in the midst of reduced services.

Aaron Wernham is a family physician and CEO of the Montana Healthcare Foundation.

He says the idea of bringing behavioral health care providers into primary care practices in Montana started about 10 years ago.

What does it look like for a patient or for a healthcare provider on the ground?

It’s been nearly two months since Montana health officials removed 27 children from the Ranch for Kids in Rexford due to allegations of physical and emotional abuse. Ranch for Kids’ license is still suspended, and according to the ranch’s director, a hearing to appeal that decision has not been held.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services held a hearing Thursday on new rules for private residential youth programs. While there was support for the regulations, some of the programs that would fall under the proposed rules said they went too far. 

Montana now has 12 times as many confirmed pertussis cases than at this time last year.

That’s according to the latest state Health Department report showing there are more than 440 reported pertussis – or whooping cough – cases in Montana. That compares to 37 cases at this time last year.

Friday was the deadline for public input on the Montana health department’s draft proposal to add work and community service requirements to the state’s health coverage program for low income adults.

At the end of the month, Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) plans to send the federal government the new outline of the state’s Medicaid expansion program, which covers around 90,000 people.