Aaron Bolton

Author's posts

After health care attacks, tech giants will help small hospitals with cyber defenses

As small and rural hospitals struggle against cyber attacks, a federally brokered deal will allow them to access free and discounted cybersecurity services. Experts say it may not be enough.

Requests for sterilization after ‘Dobbs’ decision wasn’t just a temporary trend

New research indicates the uptick in requests for sterilization following the Dobbs decision on abortion was not a temporary trend. Nationally, numbers of tubal ligations and vasectomies are up.

Montana State Officials Seek More Control Over Judicial Involuntary Commitments

Health department officials are asking legislators to change criminal commitment laws amid a bottleneck at the Montana State Hospital.

Millions of people may soon be disenrolled from Medicaid despite still being eligible

States can once again begin removing people from their Medicaid rolls. It’s estimated that about 15 million people could lose their coverage in the coming months, including many who remain eligible.

Clinics offering abortions face a rise in threats, violence and legal battles

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, medical providers are encountering more legal and political battles — and escalating threats from the anti-abortion movement.

Information Blackout Shrouds New Reports of Deaths, Injuries, and Abuse at Montana State Hospital

Patient injuries, abuse, and neglect have continued at the Montana State Hospital since the state-run psychiatric facility lost its federal certification due to preventable patient deaths. But state officials won’t release details, citing laws making those reports confidential.

Homelessness Among Older People Is on the Rise, Driven by Inflation and the Housing Crunch

In Montana and across the nation, homeless shelters are reporting that people older than 60 are a growing proportion of their populations.

Sports Programs in States in Northern Climes Face a New Opponent: Scorching Septembers

Montana and many other states in the northern U.S. have not updated their policies to keep young athletes safe from heatstroke amid rising temperatures.

Montana’s Blackfeet Tribe to Use Dogs to Sniff Out Disease and Contaminants

The Blackfeet Nation is experimenting with a new way to detect chronic wasting disease in animals used by tribal members for food and cultural practices.

Tribal leaders sound the alarm after fentanyl overdoses spike at Blackfeet Nation

After 17 overdoses — including four deaths — this spring, Indigenous leaders in Montana and surrounding states look for ways to stop the fentanyl crisis and provide more treatment and care.