Health initiative quietly making a difference

A group of volunteers and Kalispell hospital employees are working to make the Flathead a healthier place, and have been doing so nearly incognito for years.

The Healthy Living Initiative at Kalispell Regional Healthcare and The Summit is a free or low-cost group of programs meant to promote health and wellness among Northwest Montanans.

Chief among these programs is an outreach to schools in the area.

Brad Salonen, one of the volunteers working with Kalispell Regional Healthcare, local schools and foundations, said the partnership had proven to be a fruitful one.

“The programs through The Summit provide for the education of youth about exercise and nutrition,” he said. “We have three elementary schools and some K-8 schools actively participating. We want as many local schools as we can get.”

Education is a vital component of the Healthy Living initiative, and the members have worked extensively with Evergreen School District to provide classes and resources.

Laurie Barron, superintendent of Evergreen schools, said it was hard to describe the shock of being asked to work with the program.

“We had to sit down and ask, ‘what do you want from us?’” she said. “They said ‘nothing, we just want to help your students.’” They are not charging for any of this. There are no strings attached. It’s kind of unbelievable.”

Funding for the programs comes partially from the Kalispell Regional Healthcare Foundation. Volunteer efforts, however, keep it running.

Salonen told a story of a man who saw local food banks’ “backpack program” foundering. Children who didn’t have food when they went home from school from the weekends, for whatever reason — income is not a factor — were slipped food into their backpacks during the school day to stay nourished.

One man was responsible for delivering the food to more than a dozen school districts, meaning some schools got left in the lurch.

“We had members who were interested in helping out,” Salonen said. “Now all the schools on the list are getting the food for their students. The program went from 250 students getting food to around 400.”

Katy Saisbury, the Healthy LIVING supervisor at The Summit, said the programs have had a direct effect on people’s lives.

“We had a dentist come to a school and give a presentation on oral hygiene and dental health,” she said. “And a nutritional night. To some school districts with less money, these simple, free things can make a world of difference.”

Barron recalled a Crock-Pot educational night at Evergreen that accidentally became a giveaway.

“That’s not something we would have thought to ask for,” she said. “We had several families show up, they gave away recipes and made those recipes. Some families thought they were getting Crock-Pots to take home, so the volunteers went out and bought more so everyone could have one.”

Healthy LIVING is specifically designed for young people and families who want to build good habits to stay healthy before any health diagnosis is made.

A Coaches Clinic which seeks to optimize “safe and effective training for young athletes” will be hosted by Healthy LIVING from 8:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at The Summit. Pre-registration can be made at 751-4500 for $15.

Tagen Vine, president of the Kalispell Regional Healthcare Foundation, said the Healthy Living Initiative is hard to nail down in just one facet. The programs can change as the community needs them.

“We want a healthy community,” he said. “We’re not just a hospital when you get sick or hurt. We have all these resources to improve health and wellness. Maybe a school has it all but that little piece, and we can come in and be the right fit.”

While minimal costs are a reality of the initiative, many programs are free to schools or individuals.

“They are a group of people who want to see a healthier community,” Barron said. “They have provided very positive support to our students and our community.”

For more information visit The Summit’s website or contact Saisbury at 751-4500.