About Missoula Invest Health

Missoula Invest Health brings together health and community development partners to create innovative ways to support health and wellbeing in Missoula neighborhoods.

The city of Missoula is proud to have been chosen to participate in the national Invest Health project sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Reinvestment Fund.

Thank you to the Reinvestment Fund and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the opportunity to produce the Missoula Invest Health video. This video production, by talented local filmmaker Damon Ristau, showcases the vision to build an equitable and inclusive community with people of all backgrounds and conditions. Enjoy our beautiful city and people who make it their home.


Background

In 2016, Missoula was one of 50 mid-size cities selected from across the nation for an opportunity to work with national leaders and peer communities at the forefront of addressing health equity. This national initiative has been sponsored by Reinvestment Fund in partnership and with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and sustained over the years through the education, action, and embracement of our community and community leaders. 

What began as an effort to assist 50 small to mid-size cities around the nation has sustained into localized movements of elevated awareness and action to address the social determinants of health (e.g., housing, safety and resilience, transportation, education and employment, and local food systems and production) in our communities.  Initiatives over the years; data collection and reporting; sharing of best practice resources; and building community engagement and partnerships are all helping to move the needle and elevate action within the community aimed at investing in health in our community.  


4 PART Graphic Invest Health

Resource Links

Missoula Invest Health Proposal

Invest Health One-Pager

Health Equity Framework


Missoula Invest Health-Historical Timeline

2016: National Launch

  • May 2016: Missoula was selected as one of 50 mid-sized U.S. cities for the national Invest Health initiative, receiving a $60,000 planning grant to focus on asthma, obesity, and mental health in its lowest-income neighborhoods: Northside/Westside, River Road, and Franklin to the Fort.

2018–2019: Field Building Phase

  • Nov 2018: Launch of the Field Building initiative to advance equity through the built environment.
  • May 2019: Missoula leaders joined a co-design retreat in Philadelphia to help shape Field Building programming.
  • July 2019: Missoula selected as 1 of 10 cities for a 12-month technical support cohort to advance built environment equity.
  • Oct 2019: City teams met in Baltimore, MD to address community engagement and resident displacement strategies.
  • May 2020: Missoula hosted a Field Building Convening to reflect on progress and shape systems change.

2020: Policy + Engagement Focus

  • Sept 2020: Conducted Displacement Risk Ratio Analysis to assess vulnerability to involuntary displacement.
  • Oct 2020: Hosted Virtual ADU Convening with other cities and national ADU expert Kol Peterson, covering equity, policy, and access to capital for homeowners.

2021: Local Collaboration

  • Fall 2021: The Invest Health collaborative partnered with the Missoula City-County Health Department and University of Montana to assess social and community issues in target neighborhoods.

2022: National Collaboration

  • Mar 2022: Received a $33,000 Collaboration Grant to strengthen DEI efforts. Missoula, along with Savannah, Napa, and Stamford, learned from King County and Bellevue’s DEI programs during a Washington state visit.

2024: Community Engagement & Leadership

  • July 2024: Montana-based Invest Health sectors visited Napa, California to explore intersections between climate, housing, and health.

  • August 2024: Missoula Community Engagement Specialists attended the national "Building Trustworthiness" Convening, focusing on authentic community engagement tools.

  • September 2024:

    • Missoula hosted the "Housing for All Convening," welcoming housing advocates, officials, and nonprofit leaders from 12 U.S. cities.

    • Missoula participated in the City Health Dashboard’s Data Challenge, contributing innovative uses of data to advance community health outcomes.

Ongoing Efforts

Missoula continues to prioritize health equity, neighborhood revitalization, and sustainable community partnerships through policy alignment, local capacity building, and peer learning with other cities.