by Nathan Boddy
Janet Woodburn, CEO at Sapphire Community Health in Hamilton, says that she is proud that her organization was able to serve the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, without shutting its doors.
“It’s a demonstration of our commitment,” she says of the award recently given to Sapphire by the Montana Public Health Association (MPHA). “Other organizations closed down, and with good reason. They needed to protect themselves and their staff from Covid. Our staff chose not to. They were willing to stay shoulder to shoulder with Public Health, and Bitterroot Health, to have a role in the valley.”
The recognition of Sapphire’s efforts came in the form of the President’s Award, which MPHA describes as “honor(ing) an individual, group, or organization whose work has made a significant statewide impact in public health.” For 2021, MPHA acknowledged that those efforts were widespread, something that Janet Woodburn sees reason for here in the valley.
“This is the first time in the last eight years that we’ve all worked together,” she says, adding that the collaborative efforts grew into a network. “There’s a role that Sapphire plays, there’s a role that Public Health plays, there’s a role that Bitterroot Health plays. Together we can provide what’s needed in the valley.”
The MPHA was formed in 1918 and was one of the first states to affiliate with the American Public Health Association in 1919. The MPHA works to influence public health policy and collaborate with others for the advancement of public health practices throughout Montana. It may seem fitting, therefore, that so much of the success of the entities in the Bitterroot can be attributed to group efforts that meant everything from sharing supplies to sharing expertise. Says Woodburn, “It was a real community partnership. I’m truly proud of all of us, how well we’ve worked together, how we all filled in where we needed to fill in. Any one of us alone could not have done it.”