September 2024
9/13: Social Health: The Overlooked Pillar of Health
Emily Balon, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Kalispell, MT
Emily Balon, MD is a third-year family medicine resident at the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana. She earned her MD at the University of Cincinnati after graduating from Wright State University with a BA in Anthropology. Dating back to her undergraduate studies, she has had an interest in human interconnectedness and how it relates to health.
9/20: Overprotected Isn’t Safe
Chris Caldwell, DO
Providence Spine and Pain Center
Missoula, MT
Dr Caldwell has been part of the Montana Spine and Pain Center in Missoula for 17 years. He has long been an advocate for the biopsychosocial model, having studied psychology and pre-med at Wheaton College prior to his medical studies at the founding school of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, MO where he also served as teaching fellow in clinical anatomy. He completed a surgical internship prior to his residency training and board certification in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine & Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, and was awarded Outstanding Resident by the American Osteopathic Association. He left the faculty in the manual medicine department at his alma mater to complete his Anesthesia Pain Medicine fellowship at the University of Iowa under Richard Rosenquist, MD, current Chair of Pain Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
He served as President of the Utah Academy of Pain Medicine during his tenure practicing in Park City, and was selected for the Montana Medical Association's Physician Leadership Program. He has served as the Pain representative to the Neuroscience Leadership Council for Providence St Joseph Health. He is active as a continuing education lecturer to his peers and is on the faculty of the University of Washington and the University of Montana, serving as clinical preceptor to health professions students (medical, PA, pharmacy and PT) and family medicine resident physicians.
As a physician who has treated persistent pain for 20 years, Dr Caldwell has a passion for the patient narrative (and named a daughter Storey because "nothing changes people like the power of narrative"). He is thrilled to have good news in pain treatment (describes himself as "captivated by neuroscience optimism"), but also knows from the trenches how difficult it can be to reach those you are trying to help. He struggles daily with how best to teach "into" each patient's story. Dr Caldwell also has a lifetime goal of one country per birthday, born from his exchange student experience in Belgium. These last two traits are what compelled him to join Lorimer Moseley and David Butler on the inaugural Pain Revolution ride from Melbourne to Adelaide in April 2017.
9/27: Optimizing Care in Adiposity Based Chronic Disease
McKenzie Keeling-Garcia, DO
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Kalispell, MT
Kenzie was born in the northwest and grew up working on her family’s commercial fishing boat in rural Alaska. She fell in love with Montana when she came here for college and always hoped to return one day. She attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University in Washington where she realized she loved too many areas of medicine to choose just one! She is especially interested women’s health, obesity/adiposity based medicine, and acute care. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, snowboarding, wakeboarding, river floating, traveling, and always taking the back roads. After residency she plans to practice full spectrum frontier medicine
October 2024
10/4: Pediatric Research in Rural Communities; Challenges and Rewards
Paul Smith, DO CPG
University of MT
Missoula, MT
Dr. Smith is presently the Director of the Montana Pediatric Clinical Trials Site at the University of Montana and Professor of Research in the School of Public and Community Health Sciences. He was director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and a pediatric pulmonologist at Community Medical Center from 2010 until his retirement from clinical practice in 2022. Prior to that he was the Director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at MetroHealth Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University of Cleveland Ohio. He received his fellowship training in Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital also of Cleveland where he was then an attending physician for 20 years. His main areas of research expertise and publications are in the fields of pediatric pulmonology and air pollution.
10/11: Cardiotoxicity: The case for CardioOncology Rehabilitation Exercise (CORE) Following a Cancer Diagnosis
John Quindry, PhD
University of MT
Missoula, MT
Dr John Quindry (“JQ”) is a professor of Integrative Physiology in the School of Integrative Physiology & Athletic Training at the University of Montana. JQ has training in clinical exercise physiology, a doctorate in biomedical sciences, and postdoctoral training in exercise biochemistry and cardioprotection. His research focus centers on the intersection of exercise, cardiovascular pathology, and free radical biology. Funded research avenues (NIH, DOD, disease foundation, etc.) have included preclinical animal models of heart disease, clinical models, and experimental studies. Most recently JQ has refocused his human research facilities to the Cardiopulmonary & Cancer Rehabilitation Lab. JQ is well published with more than 100 publications in journals that index on Pubmed, ~30 reviews and book chapters, and several editions of a highly adopted textbook on Exercise Physiology (McGraw Hill).
10/18: Overprotected or Resilient?
Chris Caldwell, DO
Providence Spine and Pain Center
Missoula, MT
Dr Caldwell has been part of the Montana Spine and Pain Center in Missoula for 17 years. He has long been an advocate for the biopsychosocial model, having studied psychology and pre-med at Wheaton College prior to his medical studies at the founding school of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, MO where he also served as teaching fellow in clinical anatomy. He completed a surgical internship prior to his residency training and board certification in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine & Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, and was awarded Outstanding Resident by the American Osteopathic Association. He left the faculty in the manual medicine department at his alma mater to complete his Anesthesia Pain Medicine fellowship at the University of Iowa under Richard Rosenquist, MD, current Chair of Pain Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
He served as President of the Utah Academy of Pain Medicine during his tenure practicing in Park City, and was selected for the Montana Medical Association's Physician Leadership Program. He has served as the Pain representative to the Neuroscience Leadership Council for Providence St Joseph Health. He is active as a continuing education lecturer to his peers and is on the faculty of the University of Washington and the University of Montana, serving as clinical preceptor to health professions students (medical, PA, pharmacy and PT) and family medicine resident physicians.
As a physician who has treated persistent pain for 20 years, Dr Caldwell has a passion for the patient narrative (and named a daughter Storey because "nothing changes people like the power of narrative"). He is thrilled to have good news in pain treatment (describes himself as "captivated by neuroscience optimism"), but also knows from the trenches how difficult it can be to reach those you are trying to help. He struggles daily with how best to teach "into" each patient's story. Dr Caldwell also has a lifetime goal of one country per birthday, born from his exchange student experience in Belgium. These last two traits are what compelled him to join Lorimer Moseley and David Butler on the inaugural Pain Revolution ride from Melbourne to Adelaide in April 2017.
10/25: Syphilis: Montana Epidemiology, Challenges, and Lessons Learned
Kristi Aklestad, RN
Public Health and Human Services, MT Human Rights Network
Helena, MT
Kristi Aklestad is the section supervisor of the Montana STD, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis section at the Department of Public Health and Human Services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Carroll College, as well as a master’s degree in public health nursing from the University of North Dakota. Kristi has been a public health nurse for just over twenty-years. She loves to spend time with her family, read, hike, and garden when she isn’t working.
November 2024
11/1: Perioperative Medication Mangement
Michael Miller, PharmD
Bryndin Mckenzie, PharmD
St Patrick Hospital
Missoula, MT
Bryndin is currently a first-year pharmacy resident at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. He graduated pharmacy school from Idaho State University in 2024. His career interest lies in pursuing a second-year residency in oncology or emergency medicine.
Michael is a first-year pharmacy resident at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. He graduated pharmacy school from University of Montana, Skaggs School of Pharmacy. He is currently exploring his interests as a hospital pharmacist.
11/8: Creating Partnerships with Communities to Support Indigenous Health and Well-Being
Donald K. Warne, MD MPH
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Baltimore, Maryland
Donald Warne, MD, MPH, joined the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health as Co-Director on September 1, 2022. He is an acclaimed physician, one of the world’s preeminent scholars in Indigenous health, health education, policy and equity as well as a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Dr. Warne will also serve as Johns Hopkins University’s new Provost Fellow for Indigenous Health Policy.
Warne comes from a long line of traditional healers and medicine men, and is a celebrated researcher of chronic health inequities. He is also an educational leader who created the first Indigenous health-focused Master of Public Health and PhD programs in the U.S. or Canada at the North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota, respectively. Warne previously served at the University of North Dakota as professor of Family and Community Medicine and associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as director of the Indians Into Medicine and Public Health programs at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Warne’s career is informed by rich work and life experiences. He served the Pima Indian population in Arizona as a primary care physician and later worked as a staff clinician with the NIH. He has also served as Health Policy Research director for the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, executive director of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, and faculty member at the Indian Legal Program of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
Warne has received many awards recognizing his research accomplishments, educational leadership, and service work, including the American Public Health Association’s Helen Rodríguez-Trías Award for Social Justice and the Explorer’s Club 50 People Changing the World. Warne received a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University, Doctor of Medicine degree from Stanford University’s School of Medicine, and a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
11/15: Harm Reduction: Evidence-Based Care for Socially and Medically Marginalized Populations
Lindsay Benes, PhD RN
Montana State University
Missoula MT Campus
Dr. Benes is an associate professor with MSU's College of Nursing and also works as an RN at Open Aid Alliance, a harm reduction organization in Missoula. In her academic role with the University, Dr. Benes' research focuses on innovative care services for people with housing instability and substance use. She is fortunate to be engaged in two National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded projects that investigate system-level strategies to make care more accessible to this population. In her clinical role at Open Aid Alliance (OAA), Dr. Benes offers nursing care to people using the syringe service program (SSP), but mainly she learns from the immense wisdom of OAA's staff and clients.
11/22: Renal and Hepatic Dose Adjustments for Medications
Jason Shooshtari, PharmD
Harrison Braidt, PharmD
St Patrick Hospital
Missoula, MT
Jason Shooshtari is currently a first-year pharmacy resident at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. He graduated from the University of Montana Skaggs School of Pharmacy in 2024. He is currently exploring his interests in inpatient pharmacy and is considering pursuing a second-year residency in cardiology or psychiatric pharmacy.
Harrison Braidt is currently a first-year pharmacy resident at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy in 2024. He is currently exploring his interests in inpatient pharmacy and is considering pursuing a second-year residency in a pharmacy specialty.
11/29: HOLIDAY, NO PRESENTATION
December 2024
12/6: Climate Distress & Mental Health: Coping for Practitioners and Patients Alike
Sarah Aronson, MFA LCSW
Missoula, MT
Sarah Aronson, LCSW maintains a climate-aware psychotherapy practice in Missoula as a member of the Climate Psychology Alliance-North America. She has spent two decades working in community-based, inpatient, and outpatient mental health settings, beginning with a methamphetamine detox center in Northwest Washington. Her initial clinical training was in child and adolescent mental health, with a focus on eating disorders. For the past seven years, she has dedicated much of her professional development to understanding climate change and its impact on our psychology, relationships, and behavior. She holds certificates in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and Narrative Therapy. Sarah is also a host & producer for Montana Public Radio, home to her most recent project: Grounding: Conversations on Mental Health & Mother Earth.
12/13: Maternal Mental Health – Where Do I Even Start
Conner Rogan, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Missoula
Connor Rogan, MD is a 3rd year resident in the Kalispell Track at the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana. He attended the University of Washington School of medicine, participating in the Targeted Rural and Underserved Track. Originally from Kodiak, Alaska, he plans to return to his hometown to practice full spectrum family medicine in a rural and critical access setting
12/20: HOLIDAY-NO PRESENTATION
12/27: HOLIDAY-NO PRESENTATION
January 2025
1/3: HOLIDAY--NO PRESENTATION
1/10: Caring for Indigenous Montanans
Grace Behrens, MPH
Stephanie Iron Shooter
MT State University
Bozeman, MT
Grace graduated from Carroll College with a Bachelor’s in Public Health and Sociology and holds a Master of Public Health – Health Systems, Management, and Policy from the Colorado School of Public Health. Grace oversees the health equity related work at the Montana Office of Rural Health and Area Health Education Center Program Office. For the past decade, she has collaborated with rural individuals and communities to address the issues that are most important to them. Her goal is to reimagine the way our health and public health systems function to improve health for all Montanans.
Stephanie is a member of the Sicangu Oyate from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in Rosebud South Dakota and of the Aaniiih Anin from the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana. Stephanie has over 20 years of experience working with Tribes in the great state of Montana. Her career and life's work have been focused on collaborating with Montana Tribes to address health disparities through the utilization of our cultural strengths. Stephanie's innate cultural value systems allow her to focus on building positive progressive relationships for the common good of all Montanans.
1/17: Congenital Syphilis in Montana
Kristi Aklestad, RN
Public Health and Human Services, MT Human Rights Network
Helena, MT
The number of babies born with syphilis in Montana has increased at an alarming rate. Women can experience illness and pass syphilis to their babies during pregnancy. Miscarriage, stillbirth, severe lifelong medical issues, and even newborn death can result from syphilis infection during pregnancy. Timely testing and treatment of pregnant women is critical to preventing congenital syphilis, but nearly half the women who had a baby with syphilis did not get prenatal care. More robust and innovative syphilis testing and treatment can reduce the number of babies born with syphilis and improve health during pregnancy. This presentation will discuss congenital syphilis in Montana and what health care professionals can do to help.
Kristi Aklestad is the section supervisor of the Montana STD, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis section at the Department of Public Health and Human Services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Carroll College, as well as a master’s degree in public health nursing from the University of North Dakota. Kristi has been a public health nurse for just over twenty-years. She loves to spend time with her family, read, hike, and garden when she isn’t working.
1/24: Peer Support as a Form of Integrated Healthcare
Megan Bailey, PhD, LCSW, LMFT, LMSW, LAC
Clinical Services, Development, and Consultation
406 Integrated Health
Megan Bailey, LCSW, DBH, is a dedicated behavioral health professional with over fifteen years of experience in high-acuity behavioral health settings across Western Montana and Indian Country. A proud Assiniboine Sioux tribal member and veteran of the Montana Army National Guard, Megan brings a deep commitment to serving diverse and underserved communities through culturally responsive, trauma-informed care.
Holding a Doctorate in Behavioral Health with an emphasis on integration, Megan specializes in bridging medical and behavioral health services to improve access and outcomes for individuals with complex needs. She also holds a Master’s in Clinical Social Work and a Bachelor’s in Psychology, providing her with a strong foundation in evidence-based mental health treatment and program development.
Beyond her clinical practice, Megan is a respected leader and advocate in the field. She actively serves on multiple boards and committees, including the Montana Board of Behavioral Health, the Montana Chapter of the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselors, and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Montana Ethics Committee. Her work focuses on shaping policy, promoting ethical standards, and advancing integrated behavioral health solutions at both state and tribal levels.
A dedicated single mother, Megan’s passion for advocacy, service, and community engagement is deeply personal. She remains committed to empowering individuals, strengthening behavioral health systems, and fostering resilience in the communities she serves.
1/31: Positive Psychology and Eudaimonia for Greater Happiness and Health
John Sommers-Flanagan, PhD
University of MT
Missoula, MT
John Sommers-Flanagan is a professor of counseling at the University of Montana, a clinical psychologist, and author or coauthor of over 100 publications, including nine books and many professional training videos. His books, co-written with his wife Rita, include Clinical Interviewing, Tough Kids, Cool Counseling, and Suicide Assessment and Treatment Planning: A Strengths-Based Approach. He has published articles or commentaries in the New England Journal of Medicine, American Psychologist, Professional Psychology, and the Journal of Counseling and Development. In 2018, he produced a three-part, 7.5-hour suicide assessment and treatment training video for mental health professionals with Psychotherapy.net. John’s current work primarily involves promoting an evidence-informed strengths-based learning model designed to grow student and teacher strengths, skills, resources, and virtues, rather than growing more mental disorders (which we have enough of). In his wild and precious spare time, John loves to run (slowly), dance (poorly), laugh (loudly) and produce home-made family music videos. You can learn more about John and Rita’s latest venture, the Montana Happiness Project, at https://montanahappinessproject.com/
February 2025
2/7: Assessment & Review of Periprocedural Pain Control Options for IUD Placement
Ilana Buffenstein, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Missoula, MT
Ilana Buffenstein was born in Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, and attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa for both undergrad and medical school, where she was, at various points, an English/Film studies major, a radio DJ, and a medical student. She was drawn to FMRWM because of the opportunity to learn in an unopposed family medicine program and is currently finishing up her 3rd year of residency. Her interests in medicine include reproductive health, pediatrics, psychiatry, and care of refugee and indigenous patients.
2/14: Breaking Barriers: Addressing Sexual Health, Intimacy, and Stigma in Disability Care
Leanne Beers, PhD
Summit Independent Living
http://www.summitilc.org
Missoula, MT
Dr. Leanne Beers holds a Ph.D. in Social and Behavioral Sciences/Human Services, specializing in disability and human sexuality. She has also earned her Master's Degree in Public Relations and Health Communications. Leanne was born with a neuromuscular condition and relies on a power wheelchair for mobility. As a mother of two children, one of whom also has a neuromuscular disorder, Leanne is dedicated to advocating for equality and human rights.
With over two decades of experience, Leanne has been actively supporting individuals with disabilities, using her strong leadership skills to educate others about the importance of recognition and acceptance. Currently residing in Missoula, MT, she has contributed her expertise to various nonprofit Boards of Trustees and Community Advisory Boards (CAB) focused on disability research.
Leanne prides herself on being a consummate professional, an unwavering advocate, and a skilled group facilitator. She leads programs addressing topics such as self-esteem, safety awareness for women, barriers and disparities for women with disabilities to access health services, sex education, prevention of violence against people with disabilities, non-violent communication, disability awareness, sexuality, and fostering healthy relationships.
Beyond her professional commitments, Leanne finds joy in spending quality time with her family, appreciating and savoring all the natural beauty Montana offers.
2/21: OMT For All
Emily Young, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Missoula, MT
Emily Young is a PGY-3 at the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana. She attended the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Her interest in OMT came from working as a DONA birth doula during medical school, a role in which she provided manual therapy. In order to continue to use her hands to treat patients as a doctor, she knew she needed to train in OMT. When she graduates, she will move to Farmington, ME, to staff their ED and will also work with the Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency in Augusta, ME, providing care in the inpatient and labor and delivery settings. She is excited to keep her scope of practice broad!
2/28: How a Weight-Neutral Approach Can Address Health Inequity & Improve Overall Health Outcomes
Ashley McClammy, FNP-C
Riverstone Health
Billings, MT
Ashley has a Master of Science in Nursing from Frontier Nursing University, a BSN from Montana State University, and BA from University of Washington. Ashley is committed to transforming healthcare by recognizing individuals' lived experiences and collaborating with patients to empower them in their health journeys. Her healthcare philosophy centers on health equity, trauma-informed care and weight-neutral practices. While passionate about all areas of family practice, she has a particular focus on women's health.
March 2025
3/7: Topic: Gun Safety/Suicide
Lauren Bolton, MPH
Kelly Irons, MD
Anaconda Deer Lodge County, MT
3/14: Topic-TBA
Neha Malhotra, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Missoula, MT
3/21: Topic-Infectious Disease
Claude Tonnerre, MD
Providence St Patrick Hospital
Missoula, MT
3/28: Concussion and TBI
Brian Loyd, PT, PhD
University of MT
Missoula, MT
April 2025
4/4: Topic-TBA
Nick Booker, DO
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Missoula, MT
4/11: Topic-TBA
Kathy Mangan, MS
Red Willow Learning Center
Missoula, MT
4/18: Topic-TBA
Julie Eggleton, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Western MT
Missoula, MT
4/25: Topic-Doulas
Jessica Liddell, PhD
University of MT
Missoula, MT
May 2025
TBD