Southwest Montana News

The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has announced a restructuring plan aimed at enhancing customer service. This decision follows an organizational health assessment conducted by the agency.

Director Adam Meier collaborated with DPHHS leadership, examined practices in other states, and utilized his experience to pinpoint areas for improvement. The revised structure focuses on improving external relations, customer service, stakeholder engagement, coordination among agencies, resource allocation, professional development opportunities, reducing risk, and optimizing leadership to advance key initiatives.

“At DPHHS we are tasked with great responsibility,” Meier stated. “We deliver services to some of the most vulnerable Montanans on a daily basis and come into contact with people at some of the most critical moments of their lives. We must always continue to improve every day. My overarching goal of the comprehensive agency review was to understand what works well and what doesn’t, and then to create a cohesive and strategic plan that will allow us to better serve Montanans. There is much to be proud of, but also — as with any large organization — there are many things we can improve together.”

Meier emphasized that no positions were eliminated in this process. New roles are being created from existing vacancies or anticipated federal funding sources. The new structure is being communicated to employees, providers, Tribal partners, and legislators.

The implementation of these changes has started and will proceed over several months.