Events & Announcements

Dear PHC Dental Patients,

We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things at PHC have changed, our commitment to your safety remains a top priority.
 
We actively follow infection control recommendations and updates made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). As a result, you may notice some changes when it is time for your next dental appointment:

• We have wait lists for appointments. We are re-opening services slowly and based on most urgent needs.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for physical distancing. This might mean that you are offered fewer options when we call to schedule your appointment.
• If you call us for an urgent visit, you may be offered a tele-dental appointment. This way a dentist can triage your issue before deciding if you should come to the clinic in person. See the back of this letter for more detail.
• Once you are scheduled, we will call you before your appointment to ask some screening questions. You will be asked these same questions when you arrive, and again a few days after you are seen.
• We will ask you to clean your hands with sanitizer when you enter the building. Hand sanitizer will be available to you in many areas throughout your visit.
• We are requiring all of our patients and visitors to wear face coverings upon entering the building.
• We are asking you not to bring anyone with you to your appointment unless it’s absolutely necessary.
• Our waiting rooms no longer offer magazines and children’s toys.
• If you have email, we will offer to email you your intake forms and paperwork rather than having you fill them out on paper. We’re using software called IntakeQ that is secure and HIPAA compliant.

 
Feel free to call us to learn more about our wait lists, tele-dental & urgent dental options, or to discuss the safety measures we have in place. We appreciate your patience and look forward to seeing you again soon!
 

​
Frequently Asked Questions
 
How does PHC define a dental urgency?
To be seen in-person at our clinic, you must have one or more of these conditions:

• Severe toothache or pain (not just a twinge)
• Swelling of your gums, face or neck
• Bleeding in your mouth that does not stop
• Infection or a substantial risk of infection
• Trauma (such as a broken tooth)

 
If I have an emergency should I still just walk in in the morning?
No, we’re asking you to call before you come in so that we can screen you and offer a tele-dental visit first.
Missoula: (406) 258-4185 | Seeley Lake: (406) 677-2277 | Superior: (406) 822-4278
 
What is “tele-dental”?
Tele-dental is a term we use to define dental care that is delivered in a virtual setting. Patients can stay at home and meet with their provider over the phone or by video without needing to come in to the clinic. Telecommunications + Dental = Tele-Dental
 
What if I miss the call from my provider for my tele-dental appointment?
Your provider will try to reach you more than once. Please do not call back if you see that you missed their call. If you miss their first call, they will try you again. If you miss all of their calls, you will need to call us to re-schedule your appointment.
 
What if I need to cancel my tele-dental appointment?
Tele-dental visits, particularly video visits, require a lot of coordination to set up. We ask that you try to keep your appointment whenever possible. If you decide that you need to cancel or re-schedule, please let us know immediately. Re-scheduling a tele-dental visit is more time consuming and complex than re-scheduling an in-person appointment.
 
How should I prepare for my tele-dental appointment?
You can get the most out of your appointment by following these simple steps:

• At least 10 minutes before your appointment, make sure you have a quiet & private space to take the call
• Have a list of your current medications along with dosages and strengths
• Write down any questions or concerns that you want to discuss with your provider
• Test the audio & video functions on your device to make sure they are switched on and turned up
• During the phone or video call, be sure to speak loudly and clearly and look into the camera

 
What if I need to be examined?
If your provider decides that there is a reason to conduct a physical examination, an in-person visit can be scheduled. This does not mean that you can’t continue with your tele-dental visit as planned.
 
Will my tele-dental visit be recorded?
No. We do not record these visits, nor do we give patients permission to make their own recordings of tele-dental appointments. If your provider feels it would be helpful to take photos of certain conditions during your video appointment, they will ask for your permission.
 
How much will a tele-dental appointment cost?
Your insurance will be billed just as though you were seeing your provider in person. Our normal billing process and sliding fee scale discounts will apply. We encourage you to contact your insurance company to ask about your plan and coverage for telehealth. If you want to check on your sliding fee scale, or update your income information, call us and we’d be happy to help.

​Did you know we have a Clothing Closet for those in need?  Simply swing by our location at 323 W. Alder St. during regular operating hours and head to the second floor.  All clothing is given away at no cost and there are no forms to fill out.  We hope you find clothes that work for you!  

**Notice:  All of our clothes and other items are donated from the generous people of Missoula to be given away at no cost.  We do not charge for our clothing and we do not keep records of clothing given away.  Since we have limited amounts of clothing available we cannot support anyone selling the clothing or other items.  If anyone is found to be selling items acquired from the PHC Clothing Closet, they will unfortunately lose access to the Clothing Closet.  

Donations:

Items we take for donation:  Drop off at Partnership Health Center Alder St building, 2nd floor.
 
Men’s*, women’s, and children’s clothing.  (New born on up)

• Pants, slacks, shorts, capris, leggings, and sweat pants
• Shirts, T-shirts, blouses
• Socks
• Bras
• Shoes
• Jackets and sweat shirts

*Men’s clothing is especially needed.  We have more men come in and fewer men’s clothing donations.
 
Seasonal:

• Coats
• Gloves
• Boots
• Scarves
• Hats

 
Toiletries:  Toiletries from hotels/motels welcome

• Toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Hand/body lotion
• Deodorant
• Tampons and pads
• Diapers

 
Miscellaneous items:

• Backpacks
• Purses
• Emergency ponchos
• Emergency blankets
• Hand/foot warmers

 
We serve anyone who walks in.  Everything we are donated is given away for free.
 
Tax document available on request.

Today marks 10 years since we expanded into our main facility:  The Creamery Building at 401 Railroad St. West.  For over thirty years, PHC has grown and changed to fulfill our mission of promoting optimal health and wellbeing for all, through comprehensive, patient-focused, accessible and equitable care. Today, we pause to celebrate the special day a decade ago when the hard work and dedication of so many resulted in the opening of our largest location. Under the leadership of former Executive Director Kim Mansch, a visionary move was made to develop what would later become 30,000 extra square feet of facility space. This stunning, state-of-the-art facility is now home to the only place in town serving your medical, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy needs all in one location.  With the Creamery and 9 other service locations, PHC now provides care to over 16,000 patients annually. 

“This is such an amazing place, - the physical setting and our incredibly warm, respectful staff members.  Kim’s involvement was critical to our current success.  This space reflects our deeply held belief that everyone deserves access to the highest quality of health care – those with no resources, those with many resources, and everyone in between – which is why we recently received 4 awards for Quality Improvement and dramatically improved Access to Services from the Health Resources and Services Administration” says Laurie Francis, Executive Director of PHC.
 
To learn more about our variety of high-quality healthcare services all available in one location, please come see us in the beautiful Creamery Building just east of the Orange Street underpass. 
 
To everyone who has contributed to making our work possible, including our expansion into the Creamery Building:  Thank you.

Please join us in our Weinberg Conference Room to donate blood!  Event details below.  

Check out our poster below announcing our Logo Redesign Contest and click this link to download an entry form.  Submissions can be sent to halversone@phc.missoula.mt.us.  Thanks for participating! 

Open Enrollment is November 1 through December 15th.  Our staff can help you with every step of the process!
 
We are here to help anyone in the community with questions about how to sign up for health insurance if you have not already done so.  Certified Application Counselors (CACs) can help you get started, weigh your options, or work with you one-on-one through the entire process.
 
If you need help, call 406-258-4450 or come to PHC’s Creamery Clinic at 401 Railroad St. W. to meet with a CAC.
 
Good news!  You do not need to be a current PHC patient to get help from one of our Certified Application Counselors. 
 
Here’s what you need to get signed up!

1. Your Photo Identification
2. An email account – don’t have one?  No problem!  We’ll help you set one up.
3. Proof of income – Tax returns from last year for everyone in your household.
4. Social Security Number and Date of Birth for all family members who are getting coverage.
5. Market Place Account – If you already have one, please bring your login information.  If you don’t have one, no problem!  We’ll help you get signed up.

 
Other Missoula Area Resources:
 
MT Migrant Council
9801 Valley Grove Dr
Lolo, MT 59847
406-273-4633
 
Providence St Patrick Hospital
500 W Broadway
Missoula, MT 59802
406-327-3337
 
Not in the Missoula Area? 
Visit covermt.org to find a Certified Application Counselor near you.
 
Ready to Apply?
 
If you’re all set to sign up, you can visit healthcare.gov and work through the sign-up process any time before December 15th.  If you have questions or want help on any part of the process, please call us at 406-258-4450 or come to our main clinic at 401 Railroad Street W. to speak directly with a Certified Application Counselor!