Roosevelt County Health Department Brings Care Closer To Home
For Roosevelt County Health Department staff, a community vaccine clinic is about more than providing immunizations. It is also a chance to greet familiar faces, meet new neighbors and help residents find care close to home.
That community connection was part of the annual Oct. 8 immunization clinic at the Roosevelt County Building in Culbertson, where the department provided flu, RSV, COVID-19 and pneumonia vaccines. Morning and afternoon sessions, held from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m., gave residents two opportunities to attend.
“We enjoy getting out of the office and seeing the new faces around the county and seeing familiar ones as well,” Roosevelt County staff members agreed.
In a county where communities are spread across many miles, bringing services into local gathering places can make preventive care easier to reach. The department’s October clinic schedule includes stops in Wolf Point, Froid, Poplar and Brockton, giving residents opportunities to receive immunizations in their own communities or nearby.
The upcoming respiratory immunization clinics are scheduled as follows:
• Oct. 21, Bainville/Froid: At the Froid Community Center, 10 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m.
• Oct. 22, Poplar/Brockton: Clinics at both Poplar and Brockton schools, 10 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m.
By offering clinics in conference rooms, community centers and schools, health department staff are bringing services into places residents already know. Those local stops also give staff an opportunity to maintain the personal connections they value throughout the county.
Montana’s Care Van Program supports that outreach by helping bring low-cost or no-cost preventive health services, immunizations and health screenings to rural, frontier and underserved communities.
“The care van has been a great addition to our county and has helped a lot of individuals in the area receive the care they need without having to worry about the cost,” a Roosevelt County Health employee said.
The program is operated by the Caring Foundation of Montana and administered as an in-kind gift by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana. Funding comes from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana, Governor’s Cup race registrations and public donations.
Health insurance is not required to use the Care Van, although participants who have coverage are asked to provide their insurance information.
For the Roosevelt County Health Department, the clinics bring together preventive care and the everyday connections that make serving a small community meaningful. Each stop offers another opportunity to see a familiar face, welcome someone new and help neighbors care for their health.
