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John Crawford - Vice ChairJohn Crawford is a retired Army Medic and joined the PHC Board in 2016 for the second time. A patient at PHC, John previously served on our board from 1997-2004.
John is Blackfeet/Dakota and originally came to Missoula from Browning, MT to attend the University of Montana. As a long-term resident of our community, he has witnessed a many changes in our community. John brings an important perspective and focus to our board with respect to Native Americans, military veterans, and people experiencing homelessness. “Partnership has a unique mission and opportunity to bring health care services to populations that would be normally overlooked,” says John, “to bring compassionate, patient-focused care to all is a blessing.” |
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Karen MyersKaren Myers is the Chief Mission Officer at Providence Montana which includes Providence St. Patrick Hospital, Providence Medical Group and Providence St. Joseph Medical center in Polson, MT. She was appointed to the PHC Board in September of 2019.
With 36 years of experience in health care, Karen says this field has always felt like a perfect fit. “There is something powerful about our ability to care for the most complicated ‘machine’ on earth,” she says, “and I am always in awe of how we are able to mend, repair, rebuild, and heal the human body and the human spirit in our work. After spending the first 18 years of her career in Houston, TX, Karen says she made one of the best decisions of her life: to move to Montana, and now resides in the Bitterroot. She is married and is the proud mother of one, a son who lives in New York City. “I love the words of the mission of PHC,” says Karen, “but, more importantly, I am so impressed with how the words are brought to life each day by the employees and are truly lived and embodied. PHC is such an important asset to our community.” |
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David StohmaierDavid Strohmaier is a Missoula county commissioner and was appointed to the PHC Board in 2019. As a county commissioner, David feels that helping ensure the success of PHC is an important piece of ensuring the health and wellbeing of Missoula County residents.
Dave and his wife, Gretchen, have called Missoula County home since 1997. Prior to being elected to the Board of County Commissioners in 2016, Dave worked for 18 years with the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service in a variety of roles, and 13 years in the private sector as a historian specializing in environmental and Native American history. From 2006-2013, Dave represented Ward 1 on the Missoula City Council, where he chaired both the Public Safety and Health Committee and the Parks and Conservation Committee. He holds two masters degrees, has written two books on the subject of fire in the West, and enjoys spending time in the backcountry with his wife, son and daughter. “The mission of PHC is really about caring for one another and providing the best possible service to our friends and neighbors in Missoula and Mineral Counties,” says Dave, “everyone is welcome at PHC!” |
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Mark ThaneMark Thane is a retired teacher, principal and superintendent for Missoula County Public Schools. In total, his career with MCPS spanned 39 years. His community engagement has largely centered around programs and organizations which support youth, including board service with the YMCA, Young Audiences of Western Montana, United Way of Missoula County, the Missoula Education Foundation, and SPARK! Arts Missoula.
During his tenure as Superintendent, Mark was involved with PHC’s Lowell School Health Clinic. He notes his appreciation for this school-based clinic, and the clear connection between educational outcomes and student health & well being. “I have witnessed the need for greater mental health supports in young children in addition to traditional health and wellness support,” says Mark, “access to health care, particularly for those families impacted by poverty, is critically important.” Mark has been married to Mary Hensleigh Thane for thirty-five years and is the proud father of two grown daughters. He has also been a member of the “chain gang” for the University of Montana football team for thirty-two years. |
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Walter HillWalter Hill, Ph.D, is a retired Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Montana and joined the PHC board in February 2014. A patient at PHC, Walter has served as a member of the Missoula City Council, the Seeley Lake Community Council, and numerous other boards and committees.
Walter earned both an M.S. in Physics and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In 1995 he completed his J.D. at the University of Montana School of Law. Walter’s long list of professional achievements includes stints as Director of the Montana Center of Excellence in Biotechnology and Program Director of Biochemistry at the National Science Foundation, along with several awards from the National Institutes of Health. |
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Tom ToddTom has served on our Board of Directors for nearly ten years, volunteered in our dental clinic for 14 years, and has been a PHC patient for nearly 20 years. Reflecting on his experience as a patient, Tom says “I greatly appreciate the caring and professional delivery of services.”
Tom is a self-described “nameless, faceless retired federal bureaucrat” who served first as a patent examiner. He later wrote and negotiated federal legislation and managed operations in settings ranging from a legal office to the entire field operations for the Department of Energy. When asked what drew him to serve on the PHC board, Tom responds plainly: “the mission of PHC.” |
