Talking Health in the 406

What happens when fresh, Montana-grown foods meet hands-on learning? From seasonal fruits and vegetables to local dairy and meats, the Harvest of the Month program is helping people across the state discover new flavors and build healthier habits. With tools like the Charlie Cart bringing interactive food experiences into schools and communities, this collaboration is turning curiosity into excitement. Join our guests from Helena Food Share, Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI), and St. Peter’s Health to hear how it’s all coming together—and why it matters.

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability, and Montana’s rates are higher than the national average. Join guests from the State of Montana Arthritis Program and City of Missoula Parks & Recreation as they highlight efforts in Missoula and across the state to help Montanans better manage arthritis. You’ll also hear an inspiring story from one woman who significantly improved her mobility and daily life through an arthritis management class.

Wildfire smoke can affect schools, sports, and entire communities. In this episode, our guests discuss the PurpleAirs in Schools Project and how schools can receive sensors to monitor local air quality. These sensors serve as a community resource to help guide decisions during smoky conditions. We also share practical tips and resources to keep students, families, and homes safe when air quality is poor.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers—yet too many people put off screening. In this episode, join our guests Tim Fox and Sheylee Stowers as we talk about why screening matters, and how early detection can truly save lives. A simple test could make all the difference for you or someone you love.

Have you ever heard of the legal determinants of health? These are legal tools and supports that help shape people’s health outcomes by addressing legal issues, including housing stability, income, access to services, and where people live. In this episode, we’re joined by Robert Belle from Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) to talk about what the legal determinants of health look like in practice and some useful resources available to support Montanans.

In this episode our guest Jennifer Anderson spotlights Reimagining Rural, a Montana State University Extension program focused on community development and strengthening civic health across rural Montana. The conversation explores how cultivating local leadership, connections, and collaboration helps rural communities thrive. Together, these efforts highlight why rural communities are an essential part of the fabric that makes Montana great.

The holidays are here—time for fun, family, and festive cheer! But a little safety prep goes a long way. In this episode, we’re sharing tips on road safety, fire prevention, decorating smartly, avoiding slips and falls, and keeping your food fresh. So pour the cocoa, deck the halls, and join us for a happy—and safe—holiday season!Talking Health in the 406 is available wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, and subscribe on the platform of your choice.If you have a topic you would like to hear about, or a story to share with us, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Across Montana, libraries are doing a lot more than lending books — they’re connecting communities, improving health, and expanding access to technology for their patrons. The Montana State Library (MSL) is leading the way. Join guests Bobbi deMontigny and Tracy Cook as they share how MSL’s creative programs — from webinars, to blood pressure kits, to online 'trunks' — are redefining what it means to be a library in the 21st century.

Join our guests, Mark Nay and Kayla Morris from the St. Peter’s FUSE (Frequent User Systems Engagement) Program, as they talk about what drives their passion for helping people in the Helena community. From finding housing and food to connecting folks with jobs and healthcare, Mark and Kayla are making a real difference—and changing lives along the way.Talking Health in the 406 is available wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, and subscribe on the platform of your choice.If you have a topic you would like to hear about, or a story to share with us, please contact us at [email protected]. 

The food habits we build in childhood often continue into adulthood, influencing our long-term health outcomes. In this episode, we’re joined by guests from Farm Connect Montana and the Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger (MT-PECH) to explore how Montana’s local food systems—from school lunches to farmers markets—can improve lifelong health. We’ll talk about the power of locally sourced food, the challenges facing Montana’s food systems, and why what we eat truly matters.Talking Health in the 406 is available wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, and subscribe on the platform of your choice.If you have a topic you would like to hear about, or a story to share with us, please contact us at [email protected]. 

August is World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month. In this episode, we explore resources to help families, communities, and health care systems support breastfeeding. Join our four guests as they share insights, practical advice, and thoughtful perspectives on breastfeeding goals, challenges, and support. Talking Health in the 406 is available wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, and subscribe on the platform of your choice.If you have a topic you would like to hear about, or a story to share with us, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Since 1975, Spring Meadow Resources has been a cornerstone of the Helena community—one of Montana’s longest-running disability service agency. Join guests Jean Morgan and Cody Lundin as they reflect on Spring Meadow’s lasting impact, sharing stories of how the organization empowers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to lead healthy, happy, and meaningful lives.

Join guests Dr. Benjamin Ryan, DVM, and Devon Cozart as we discuss Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu. We'll cover how the virus spreads, signs to watch for, and the steps you can take to protect yourself, your flock, and your livestock. Whether you're a backyard chicken keeper, manage a large operation, or have animals, this episode offers practical guidance for staying prepared and informed.Talking Health in the 406 is available wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, and subscribe on the platform of your choice.If you have a topic you would like to hear about, or a story to share with us, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Guest Chris Desborough tells us how his protective gear, undoubtedly saved his life one July afternoon while he was out riding his motorcycle. Chris shares his journey from survivor to first responder and the desire to give back to those who once came to his rescue. We also discuss the importance of highway safety and protecting first responders on the scene of an emergency.Talking Health in the 406 is available wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, and subscribe on the platform of your choice.If you have a topic you would like to hear about, or a story to share with us, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Winter is fading and wildfire season is upon us. Join guests Mary Anderson and Chris Migliaccio as we discuss wildfire smoke, outdoor and indoor air quality, and how they effect our health. We also share tips and resources to help you breathe easier when the air is smoky.

Montana's vibrant arts scene thrives in communities statewide. Discover how art, in all its forms, can boost your well-being. Join us as we speak with Krys Holmes and Monica Grable from the Montana Arts Council about the powerful connection between creativity and health.Talking Health in the 406 is available wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, and subscribe on the platform of your choice.If you have a topic you would like to hear about, or a story to share with us, please contact us at [email protected]. 

"A certificate has never saved anybody, somebody stepping up . . . is what saves people." Join guest Janet Trethewey, EMT and CPR instructor with four decades of experience, as we discuss the difference between Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Heart Attack. Cardiac arrest can strike anyone, at any age. Janet shares insights on preparedness, AED usage, and more.Talking Health in the 406 is available wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, and subscribe on the platform of your choice.If you have a topic you would like to hear about, or a story to share with us, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Join our guests from the United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area (UWLCA) as we discuss how being unhoused impacts individual and community health, how one Montana community is working to help its unhoused population, and the reality and myths around our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

Small-town Montana offers a strong sense of community and invaluable support networks. However, as loved ones age, isolation and miles from specialized care become challenging. Join guest Janet Trethewey as she shares her family's journey as care takers of her aging parents and grandmother on the Hi-Line. 

Guest Melanie Williams shares her personal journey as a caregiver for her mother with dementia and how that experience led her to the impactful work with the Montana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. Additionally, Kyla Rock, Alzheimer's and Dementia Program Manager with DPHHS, joins us to discuss inspiring work taking place and resources that are available here in Montana and nationwide.

Join us for part two of our flu, RSV, and COVID-19 discussion with State of Montana epidemiology experts. This episode takes a deeper dive into what data we track and the story it tell us. Let's stay healthy this fall and winter, Montana. 

 Are you ready for the upcoming flu and RSV season? Join us for a two-part discussion on tips for prevention/treatment of flu, RSV, and COVID-19 and local data from State of Montana communicable disease experts. Let's stay healthy this fall and winter, Montana. 

Join guests Natalie and Faye, teenagers from Deer Lodge, and parent/local ReACT Coalition leader, Amanda Bohrer, as they talk about youth vaping and tobacco use in their community. They want kids to know, "they are not alone, and they do have value, and there are ways to get through it."

Featured guests, siblings, Debbie and Orville Desjarlais, join us to talk about their Native Wellness Life Magazine. Combining their talents in journalism and graphic design, this sibling duo use their magazine to inform native communities on disease prevention, cultural recipes, healthy habits, and more. Listen to this episode to hear how they use their slogan, Culture is Our Cure, to inspire action and conversation. 

Camp MYDA (Montana Youth Diabetes Alliance) offers Montana youth with Type 1 Diabetes a chance to connect with peers, learn valuable skills, and enjoy a fun-filled week. Campers benefit from the support and guidance of medical staff, diabetes educators, and trained counselors. Additionally, the organization may be able to help with the financial burden of Type 1 diabetes for Montana families. 

"Having it (diabetes) when you are a teen is hard, but having it whenever you have it is hard, I don't think there is an age where you have diabetes its somehow not all consuming to your life." Guest Jake Sorich takes us on his diabetes journey and advice from living with type 1 diabetes; learning what it was and being committed to the necessary adjustments. 

In this episode, we continue the conversation with guest Aubrie Carey and hear her story as she navigates mental health challenges after the birth of her son. She opens up about her past trauma of surviving a school shooting, and how that impacted her post-partum journey. Listen in and hear about how the Community Integrated Health Program guided her to the help she needed after giving birth. 

Guest Aubrie Carey talks about her health care journey as she navigates pregnancy in a rural area. She found support through Community Integrated Health (CIH) at the local Jefferson Valley EMS Service, who provided comprehensive health care during her pregnancy and after the birth of her child. This story is about resilience and the power of a supportive community. 

Guest Amy Stiffarm continues her journey from Harlem to Helena, through the path of Salish Kootenai College, the University of Montana, and the University of North Dakota. She has forged a path of unwavering dedication and stands as a trailblazer, weaving traditional knowledge with new practices in milk medicine, cultural safety and sensitivity, and paving the way for the next generation.

 Growing up on the Hi-Line, in Harlem, a small community nestled just north of the Fort Belknap Reservation, guest Amy Stiffarm was shaped by both tradition and loss. Witnessing community members succumb to preventable conditions ignited a passion in early adulthood to learn how to help; a passion that continues to spark hope for change and cultural preservation for future generations. 

 Guest Paige Reddan, Registered Dietician and Nutritionist, understands the desire for a healthy life more intimately than most. Diagnosed with Type I diabetes as an adult after struggling with an eating disorder in her youth, Paige's story is one of resilience and transformation. Today, she shares her experiences to empower others on their own journeys towards health and well-being. 

In this episode, guest Brenda Segna continues her story of foster parenting and adoption in Montana. She shares the challenges she has faced, such as helping her foster children to heal from trauma and adjust to their new home. She also shares the joys of watching her foster children thrive and become part of her family. 

Considering becoming a foster parent or adopting a teenager? Our guest Brenda Segna, a foster parent and adoptive mother of two teenagers, says "you have the opportunity to change the trajectory of their life." Join us as she shares her story of providing a safe and loving home for Montana children.

Join guest Becky Franks as she continues to share how Cancer Support Community Montana and the Montana Cancer Coalition have changed the trajectory of cancer care here at home. Because of these volunteers tireless work, Becky says, "Montana is not the fly or die state, this is the where you can thrive state."

A diagnosis of cancer brings so much fear, so much anxiety, so much unknown, so much loss of control, loss of hope, and a real sense of isolation, particularly in Montana. Join us as guest Becky Franks shares how Cancer Support Community Montana can help those diagnosed with cancer, their caregiver(s) and family, work through these feelings, provide support and choices, here at home.

Guest Jennifer James continues her family's cancer journey. Recounting her daughter's experience of essentially growing up in a hospital and highlighting the challenges it posed for her son, too. The unwavering support surrounding their family played, a pivotal role through their journey.

For "whatever reason, she wanted to be flat on her back, and so we took her into the Emergency Room, after, you know, looking back now, probably shouldn't have waited two days, but it just didn't seem to be the type of accident that would have created any sort of major injury." Join our guest, Jennifer James, as she shares her family's cancer journey of their five-year-old daughter, diagnosed after falling off a sled in their yard.

 "When I started Special Olympics, I started my life," says guest Stacey Johnston-Gleason. Join Stacey as she continues her story about healthy living as a cancer survivor, a person with disability, and a World Class Special Olympian. 

 Our guest Stacey Johnston-Gleason shares the importance of having a healthcare provider who listens and asks the right questions, especially as a person with disability. Asking the right questions led Stacey to finding colorectal cancer early and receiving prompt care. She also shares how she was adopted later in life and her love of Special Olympics. 

Join us as guest Yvette Yarger continues her story, discussing her treatment for an eating disorder as someone in a larger body and how it differs from those treated for anorexia or bulimia. She shares how finding Eagle Mount, swimming and moving her body, literally saved her and finally brought joy being in her own body.  

 At a very early age, guest Yvette Yarger remembers feeling uncomfortable in her own body and feeling as if she physically didn't fit in with the small ranching community in eastern Montana where she grew up. She shares how an eating disorder impacted her physical and mental health, and how she eventually found health, wellbeing, and happiness in her own body.  

It has been one year since we've been promoting the Talking Health in the 406 podcast. We are doing things a little different for this episode; bringing you highlights from each guest. Whether you have listened to all of the episodes, or just a few, we hope this inspires you to listen again and share with friends and family. Enjoy.

"When people think asthma, they don't always think that it's a very big deal. I don't think people necessarily think of it as life-threatening." Rachel Anderson continues her story on how asthma has touched her family and changed it forever. 

Rachel Anderson shares how a family history of asthma surfaces and touches her family. She talks about the fears, challenges, and expenses of managing this chronic condition, often considered insignificant. 

 When you raise a family, work full-time, and have an active life, there isn't always time for exercise. You might find yourself gaining weight and having health issues pop up. A lifestyle change program may be the right answer, be sure to give yourself time to try it out and commit to the idea. Join our guest Cheryl Tillemans as she shares her story of pushing through limitations, putting a little bit of love into herself and her amazing results! 

This isn't a joke, this wasn't a dream. Imagine being in the hospital, experiencing chest pains with no diagnosis, and just waiting. Listen in as Kelly learns the cause of her chest pain, what happens next, and her road to recovery.

Imagine being young, fit, healthy, and waking up one night with chest pains, life goes in a whole new direction. Join us as we celebrate American Heart Month with our guest Kelly Little as she shares her cardiovascular journey.

Did you know volunteering at your local EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and completing EMS training can help your career? Join our last episode with guest Francine Janik as she discusses the benefits and levels of EMS training, and what EMS looks like in Montana today.

From a law enforcement officer receiving a gunshot wound in a shootout to giving lifesaving care as an EMS provider, Francine continues her story, including how important AEDs and hands-only CPR have become in today’s society.Join host, Jennifer Van Syckle, with a new guest as we dive into Montana life and Montana stories.For resources, information, and more discussed in this episode, visit talkinghealthinthe406.mt.gov

No longer just a ride to the hospital, ambulance services in Montana have come a long way, from using the local undertaker to an emergency department room on wheels. Learn more about Montana Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and how their role of care is changing in your community.Join host, Jennifer Van Syckle, with a new guest as we dive into Montana life and Montana stories.For resources, information, and more discussed in this episode, visit talkinghealthinthe406.mt.gov