Montana
Gianforte directs Montana National Guard to begin working with Texas on border security
Gov. Greg Gianforte directed the Montana National Guard to begin coordinating with Texas this week, signaling his intent to aid Gov. Greg Abbott in his efforts along the southern border with Mexico.
“While [President Joe] Biden refuses to do his job and enforce the immigration laws already on the books, the state of Montana will identify meaningful ways to support Gov. Abbott and Texas in their efforts to secure the southern border,” Gianforte said in a statement Tuesday.
The governor’s directive to Major Gen. J. Peter Hronek, the adjutant general for Montana, is in response to the “threat posed to every state by the surge in illegal immigration,” Gianforte’s office said.
As per the directive, National Guard officials will begin sussing out how Montana can assist Texas. That includes a potential support mission manned by volunteers, according to Gianforte’s office.
Abbott requested the assistance from Montana, according to the press release. Gianforte previously told the Inter Lake he was open to sending Guard members to Texas at Abbot’s request.
A spokesperson for the Montana Army National Guard directed all questions regarding the directive to the Governor’s Office.
Gianforte visited the southern border at Eagle Pass, Texas on Feb. 4 alongside 12 other Republican governors in a show of support for Abbott. The three-term Texas governor is at loggerheads with the Biden administration over federal immigration policy.
Abbott has effectively blocked U.S. Border Patrol from an area of the border in Eagle Pass since mid-January, declaring that the illegal crossings constituted an invasion under the Constitution and the state has the right to defend itself. Abbott’s interpretation of the language in the Constitution, though, has drawn criticism from scholars.
The move came after arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico reached an all-time record in December, according to the Associated Press.
Abbott’s campaign along the border thus far includes miles of concertina wire strung by state officials and the seizure of Eagle Pass’ Shelby Park, a spot that U.S. Border Patrol previously used to process immigrants, according to NBC News. The U.S. Supreme Court has since ruled that federal agents are allowed to remove the wire while a related legal dispute works its way through the courts.
Montana has assisted Texas in the past. The state deployed Guard members to the southern border last year to assist Texas’ efforts.
Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.
For many Montanans living in rural communities, accessing specialized healthcare isn’t as simple as booking an appointment. It can mean hours on the road to cities like Great Falls. But a growing outreach effort from health care like Benefis Health System is changing that reality by bringing providers directly to patients.
Brianna Juneau reports – watch the video here:
Providers travel to bring specialty care to Montana communities
Instead of requiring long-distance travel, Benefis doctors and advanced practice providers are hitting the road, delivering care in towns across North Central Montana. The goal: reduce barriers to access and ensure patients receive timely treatment closer to home.
“In this geographic area, sometimes some of the more medically complex children are seen by pediatricians,” said pediatrician Rachel Amthor. “It can be an opportunity to try to reach some children with medical complexity who do live in a rural area.”
That access can be especially impactful for young patients. In some communities, clinics are located near schools, allowing children to attend appointments without missing an entire day of class.
“There’s very much a community atmosphere with the clinic,” Amthor said. “I’ll have some patients walk from school during the day to come to their checkup and then walk back. They don’t have to miss a lot of school because everything is so close.”
But for many adults, particularly those working in agriculture, traveling for care can be a major obstacle.
“They either have to arrange transportation or they don’t drive at all—it’s an ordeal,” said Elizabeth O’Connor, a cardiothoracic nurse practitioner. “Some of our patients travel for a whole day to get here and back, or they have to spend the night. A lot of farmers and ranchers just can’t leave their property for that long.”
By bringing services into rural towns, providers can catch health issues earlier and make critical adjustments before conditions worsen.
“We’re able to make some simple adjustments in their medications that may prevent heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, admissions,” O’Connor said. “Providing access can certainly improve—if not longevity—the quality of their life.”
Benefis’ outreach clinics now serve a wide range of communities, offering specialty care that would otherwise require travel:
Choteau: Cardiology, OBGYN, Podiatry, Pediatrics
Fort Benton: Pediatrics, Cardiology, Podiatry, Dietician/Nutrition services, Diabetes Education, Functional Medicine and Hormone Replacement Therapy
Conrad: Cardiology
Cut Bank: Women’s Health
Havre: Nephrology and Neurology
Rocky Boy: Women’s Health and Nephrology
Shelby: Orthopedics
White Sulphur Springs: Women’s health
Lewistown: Orthopedics and Dermatology
Browning: Nephrology
Many of these services are critical for managing chronic conditions, ranging from heart disease to kidney disorders, where consistent follow-up care can significantly impact outcomes.
For providers like Amthor, the outreach effort is deeply personal.
“I became a pediatrician because I wanted to treat kids in underserved areas,” she said. “I was not expecting to be working in rural Montana, but that has been different and very good.”
As the program continues to grow, Benefis leaders say they hope to expand services even further, reaching more communities and reducing healthcare disparities across the state.
In places where distance has long defined access, these traveling clinics are helping ensure that quality care is no longer out of reach, but right down the road.
-
Tennessee6 minutes agoTennessee Football Lands Top 20 Spot in USA Today’s Post-Spring College Football Rankings | Rocky Top Insider
-
Texas12 minutes ago
What is EPIC City, the controversial planned Muslim community in Texas? | The Jerusalem Post
-
Utah18 minutes agoDino dig continues at Dinosaur Nat’l Monument parking lot | Gephardt Daily
-
Vermont24 minutes agoVermont lawmakers consider suspending new fines for candidates who don’t disclose their finances – VTDigger
-
Virginia30 minutes agoVirginia Tech completes the flip of prized WR Demarcus Brown from Virginia
-
Washington36 minutes agoWashington Nationals vs Milwaukee Brewers 5/3 Game Thread
-
Wisconsin42 minutes agoPAWS Chicago welcomes 25 beagles rescued from controversial Wisconsin research breeder
-
West Virginia48 minutes agoSt. John’s transfer Joson Sanon commits to WVU