Collaboration to protect health and promote quality of life through prevention and control of disease, injury,and disability. BRFSS provides state-specific population based health data of adults. - The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (MT DPHHS) is committed to reducing morbidity and premature mortality associated with chronic health conditions, preventable injuries, and current and emerging health threats. Over the past three decades, programs throughout the MT DPHHS have successfully implemented evidence-based public health actions to improve and protect the health of all Montanans. These actions have been aided by conducting ongoing health-related behavioral surveillance through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which the MT DPHHS has administered since 1984. The MT DPHHS seeks to continue collecting timely and high-quality health-related behavioral surveillance data through the BRFSS for the purpose of evaluating and informing public health actions that improve health statuses and outcomes among all Montanans. By continuing to collect surveillance data through the BRFSS, the MT DPHHS will implement the following three strategies: (1) collect BRFSS data and develop surveillance plan (2) build community partnerships (3) conduct outreach and education. The first strategy will be achieved by continuing to collect the targeted annual sample size of 6,000 respondents, continuing the oversample of Montana’s American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population, using modernized processes and innovative sampling strategies, adapting the sampling strata to provide more specific and representative sub-state level data, and continuing to add optional modules and state-added questions that provide data specific to the public health needs of Montana. Additionally, surveillance activities will be achieved by continuing to collaborate with the MT BRFSS working group and continuing to make annual Montana BRFSS data available through reports, presentations, data use agreements, and the online query tool, Community Health Insights in the 406. To address strategy two, MT DPHHS will also grow, develop, and expand strategic relationships with communities underrepresented in BRFSS data by collaborating with and improving relationships with two selected underrepresented communities from our jurisdiction. Additionally, MT BRFSS team will continue to partner with the State Health Improvement Plan and State Health Assessment coordinator and working group to provide relevant BRFSS data to inform statewide initiatives to improve the health of our communities. The third strategy will be achieved by conducting outreach activities and engaging with various stakeholders and selected underrepresented communities. Engagement will be facilitated through different forums including onsite visits, annual meetings to promote BRFSS data strategies, utility, access, and availability. The cooperative agreement between the CDC and the MT DPHHS will support the purpose and related objectives of the BRFSS project by providing the financial and technical assistance necessary for the collection of high quality and timely BRFSS data. Technical assistance will include restructuring the sampling strata to increase the precision of estimates in sub-state level geographies and among MT's underrepresented communities to ensure the timely collection and production of cleaned and weighted BRFSS data. To conclude, since 1984, MT DPHHS has demonstrated the capacity to provide leadership and collaborate effectively with federal, state, and local partners in BRFSS related program planning, training, technical assistance, fiscal management, and data utilization. The MT DPHHS will continue these impactful collaborative efforts and strive to enhance the dissemination of the data for development and implementation of public health actions and policies throughout the state.
