MONTANA PUBLIC HEALTH IN ACTION
Primary Care
Office (PCO)
Public Health and Safety Division
Why the Office of Primary Care Is Important
Access to health care is an unmet need for a large segment of Montana’s population. The
primary mission of the Primary Care Office is to increase access to comprehensive primary and
preventive health care and to improve the health status of underserved and vulnerable populations
in Montana.
The vast majority of Montana counties (79%) are recognized by the federal government (in
whole or in part) as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) or Medically Underserved
Areas or Populations (MUA/P). The basic criteria for HPSA designation is that 3,500 or more
people are served by a single primary care physician. HPSA and MUA/P designations help
qualify sites for 37 or more federal programs that promote access to quality care – such as the
National Health Service Corps program, Medicare Physician Incentive Payments, Rural Health
Clinics, Community Health Center Grants, and tele-health reimbursements.
What Has Been Accomplished
The Montana PCO was established in October of 1990 with 100% federal funding. Since that
time, the PCO has become a major point of contact for Montana opportunities and programs in
the field of primary health care. The PCO coordinates activities with:
o The Montana Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
o The Rural Physician Incentive Program
o The Montana Family Practice Residency Program
o The Montana Income Tax Credit Program
o Indian Health Services
o National Air Guard
o Professional health care associations and other programs in the state
The PCO partnered with the Montana Dental Association and the University of Washington
Center for Health Workforce Studies to survey Montana dentists in order to map the dental
workforce and identify unmet dental needs in the state.
The PCO administers the NHSC Search Program Grant that each year provides opportunities
for approximately 60 students or residents in health care education to serve on interdisciplinary
health care teams in underserved areas.
The PCO serves as the state contact for the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program –
specific to registered and advanced practice nurses who provide full-time clinical care in
underserved areas.
The PCO assists with the J-l Visa Waiver Program whereby government agencies may sponsor
foreign medical graduates to serve three years or longer in underserved areas that have been
unable to recruit U.S. physicians.
In coordination with AHEC, the PCO recruits health care providers through the NHSC
scholarship and loan repayment programs.
Next Steps
The Montana Office of Primary Care will continue to: 1) work with partners to increase access
to primary and preventive health care and to improve the status of underserved and vulnerable
populations; and 2) review and update the shortage designation status of Montana’s
communities to ensure that Montana residents receive quality health care services throughout
the state.
For more information, contact:
PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT AND PREPAREDNESS BUREAU
Primary Care Office
-406-444-3934