This year, Wisetail Works has chosen Bridgercare as the recipient of its annual grant of a learning management system (LMS).

Bridgercare is one of the largest nonprofit family planning clinics in Montana. Since 1972, it’s worked to further its mission of providing excellent, affordable reproductive and sexual healthcare and education in a safe, supportive, empowering atmosphere.

About 8% of Bridgercare’s budget comes from a federal program, Title X, that’s dedicated solely to promoting positive birth outcomes and healthy families by allowing individuals to decide the number and spacing of their children. Faced with a six-figure funding cut this year, Wisetail Works wanted to support them in a time of need.

Bridgercare anticipates more than 70 people will ultimately use its LMS. Four people plan to run the platform: the executive director, office manager, clinic coordinator, and development coordinator. All four have experience administering digital platforms.

The staff at Bridgercare is excited to see the software reduce redundancies, make it easier to maintain up-to-date information, and encourage greater engagement and staff participation.

From the outset, Bridgercare plans to use its LMS for orientation and streamline the staff’s annual federally-required training—which is currently managed by spreadsheets and through email. The LMS will generally serve as a one-stop shop for documents, curriculum information, volunteer schedules, and communications.

The majority of Bridgercare’s patients are from Gallatin, Madison, Sweetgrass, Meagher, and Park counties. And the nonprofit is becoming more of a health resource for other counties as rural healthcare options shrink. Each year, Bridgercare provides over 11,000 healthcare visits and community education to more than 3,000 people. Bridgercare’s services are provided regardless of ability to pay. Nearly 80% of visits are discounted on a sliding scale, resulting in more than $367,000 in free medical services last year.

Healthcare and Education

Bridgercare’s healthcare specializes in family planning and include early cancer detection for cervical, breast and testicular cancer, annual physicals, long acting reversible contraception, hormonal and non-hormonal contraception, treatment of anxiety and depression, vaccination, preconceptual counseling, menopause therapy, PrEP (preventative treatment for HIV), sexually transmitted infections, reproductive infections, LEEP treatment for cervical cancer, pelvic ultrasound, and primary care conditions like headaches, smoking cessation, and thyroid disorders.

Bridgercare’s education program offers health education programs ranging from puberty workshops for families, teen peer-to-peer education, and health education for professionals in the community on topics ranging from LGBTQ-inclusiveness to reproductive health education for youth. 

Wisetail Works launched in June 2015 as the charitable giving arm of Wisetail. Past Wisetail Works grant recipients include the Montana Code School; Gallatin Valley Land Trust’s bridge project; Montana’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT Montana), which is an umbrella group that coordinates crisis intervention training and development across the state; and Thrive, a Bozeman non-profit whose vision is to ensure all children succeed at home, at school and in life.