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Senate committee hears bill to create confidential ‘safe haven’ care program for Montana health professionals
Summary
Sen. Wendy McCamey told the Senate Business and Labor Committee that Senate Bill 497 would create a confidential program to let licensed health professionals receive early behavioral-health care without automatic licensure reporting.
Sen. Wendy McCamey (sponsor) told the Senate Business and Labor Committee that Senate Bill 497 would create a confidential pathway for licensed health-care professionals to get early behavioral-health counseling without automatically triggering licensure reporting obligations.
The bill’s sponsor said the measure “addresses the confidentiality, which clearly matters,” and proponents — including the Montana Medical Association and Montana Nurses Association — said removing reporting barriers could increase early help seeking and reduce burnout, errors and turnover in rural Montana.
Supporters framed the bill as a workforce and patient-safety measure. Jean Branscomb, CEO of the Montana Medical Association, told the committee that a 02/2024 Montana Medical Association survey found that…
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