Department of Public Health and Human Services
Ann Buss
Ann Buss supervises the MOMS program implementation. She has 25+ years experience managing maternal and child health programs and is beginning her 15th year as the Montana Title V Director/Maternal Child Health Section Supervisor. Ann earned her BA in elementary education/psychology; an AA in Early Childhood Education; and a Masters of Public Health Administration.
Amanda Roccabruna Eby
As the Program Specialist for Montana’s Maternal Health Innovation grant, Montana Obstetrics and Maternal Support (MOMS) she oversees program design, implementation and evaluation while managing related contracts and federal reporting. She coordinates the multidisciplinary statewide collaboration of the MOMS Maternal Health Leadership Council, the Montana Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC), the Perinatal Quality Collaborative (PQC) and the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Initiative. Prior to this role, she managed business development and provided communications support at Mountain-Pacific Quality Health. As the Health Innovation Program Officer for Montana Medicaid, she managed Medicaid’s value-based payment programs. As Project Administrator for the Montana Insurance Commissioner, she staffed communications, health policy and consumer education; and she administered the statewide Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program.
Billings Clinic
Dianna Linder
As Director of Grants and Program Development at Billings Clinic, Dianna Linder plays a strategic role in partnering with thought leaders to development exciting new programs by securing external resources. She writes grants and supervises the work of contract grant writers and grant management staff, provides support for others across the organization writing grants of all types, and works with physicians and employees in program planning, budgeting and implementation. Dianna assumed the full full-time position as Director of Grants in 2013, following 12 years of grant writing and sponsored program planning for Billings Clinic as a consultant. Prior to joining Billings Clinic, Dianna was the Dean of Distance Learning at Rocky Mountain College in Billings. Dianna holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and Asian Studies from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver. Dianna is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and serves as the current President of the MT Chapter.
Dr. Clayton H. “Tersh” McCracken III
Dr. Clayton H. “Tersh” McCracken III attended medical school at the University of Washington in Seattle. He joined Billings Clinic in 1992 after completing his internship and residency at the University of Cincinnati. He has served as the Medical Director of the Billings Clinic Family Birth Center and is active with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as well as the Montana Medical Association. Dr. McCracken currently serves as the MOMS Medical Director, ACOG District VIII Chair, and Chair of the Montana Maternal Health Leadership Council. He serves in an advisory role on all MOMS activities and is the primary facilitator for MOMS Project ECHO clinics.
Stephanie Fitch, MHA, MS, LAC
Stephanie attended Montana State University Billings where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychiatric Rehabilitation and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. She completed a master’s in Healthcare Administration with concentration in Human Resource Management through Colorado State University Global in November 2020. Stephanie has been a licensed addiction counselor (LAC) in the state of Montana since 2016 and utilized that license to provide inpatient, outpatient, and utilization review counseling at Rimrock Foundation prior to accepting a position with Billings Clinic in January 2020. Stephanie manages all MOMS Demonstration Project activities including simulation trainings, Project ECHO, certification courses, telehealth services, remote patient monitoring, and perinatal/postpartum substance abuse/mental health programming.
Valerie Lofgren, BS, ACLC
Valerie began her career as a CNA at Roundup Memorial Hospital in 2008. She then moved to Billings and started her journey working with people in recovery at Rimrock Foundation in 2011. Over her 10.5 years with Rimrock, she served in numerous roles with her favorite being her case management work at Michel’s House and Willow Way assisting mothers and their children. She completed her bachelors degree in the Psychology of Addictions through Purdue Global in August of 2020 and transitioned into work as a women’s residential counselor at that time. Valerie joined the Billings Clinic team in December 2021 as the MOMS Regional Engagement Coordinator; she is tasked with expanding the Empaths perinatal substance use program and managing social media and other marketing efforts for the MOMS demonstration project.
Mary Robertson, RN, BSEd, BSN, CHSE
Mary Robertson began her professional career as a teacher and turned to nursing after memorable and powerful birth experiences. She has 35 years of nursing practice in clinical settings, public health, and health care education, including the use of simulation. She has served on multiple state and local professional boards and committees, inclusive of the Montana Hospital Association education committee and the Montana Perinatal association Board of Directors. Her expertise incorporates clinical passion, educational and program development, competency assessment and the integration of simulation-based education into intra-and inter-professional learning. She has developed training for new staff at Billings Clinic and has also trained CNA students, PA students, resident physicians, and pharmacists. Additionally, Ms. Robertson has provided numerous professional presentations at local, state and national levels.
Joe Salyer, CBHPSS
Joseph “Joe” Salyer joined the MOMS Eastern Montana Perinatal Addiction Treatment Health System (EMPATHS) team in November 2020 as the social services care manager. He was born and raised in Billings and feels fortunate to live in the beautiful state of Montana where he routinely participates in hiking, camping, running, watching/playing sports, swimming in the Stillwater and fishing those waters as well with his young sons. Prior to joining the MOMS team, Joe served as a certified behavioral health peer support specialist at Rimrock Foundation where he aided those struggling with substance use and mental health disorders access support services and begin their journeys in recovery. Joe shared: “I am passionate about people, and empowering and inspiring humans to fight to be their best, to attain joy and fulfill their glorious purpose in life. I’ve learned this is possible through humility, compassion, empathy, giving of my time and openness in sharing life experience and lessons hard learned. I strive to seek out gratitude in every simple and complex thing in life and have found it has created a positive shift in my life”.
Kara Gaylord, MHA, RN BSN
Kara is the Director of Ambulatory Women’s and Children’s Services at Billings Clinic. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master’s In Healthcare Administration. She practiced as a pediatric nurse for 18 years and has been involved in the Women’s and Children’s service line leadership at Billings Clinic since 2016. She has overseen the MOMS team since implementation in 2020.
University of Montana
Dr. Annie Glover
Originally from Great Falls, MT, Dr. Annie Glover is a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Montana Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities. In this role, she leads research and evaluation initiatives related to reproductive health and gender-based violence, including the statewide evaluation of the Montana Obstetric and Maternal Support (MOMS) program. Dr. Glover has a PhD from the Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine in Global Health Systems Management and Policy, an MPH and MPA from University of Montana, and a graduate certificate in Native American Studies and BA in German, economics, and political science from Montana State University. Dr. Glover has received her post-doctoral training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases, and she is a Fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Fogarty Global Health Center.
Carly Holman
Carly Holman is a Program Evaluator at the University of Montana Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities. Ms. Holman’s work has included research on early childhood systems, obesity prevention, and healthcare workforce development. Before joining the Center, Ms. Holman worked at the Western Montana Area Health Education Center (AHEC) on projects to enhance access to quality health care, by improving the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals via strategic partnerships with academic programs, communities, and professional organizations. She holds a master’s degree in Community Health and Prevention Sciences from the University of Montana.
Megan Nelson
Megan Nelson is a Research Analyst at the University of Montana Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities. In this role, she supports the statewide evaluation of the Montana Obstetric and Maternal Support (MOMS) program. Nelson has a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Montana. Her experience includes clinical work with children, families, and substance use in pregnancy.
Dr. Sarah Reese
Dr. Sarah Reese is an assistant professor at the University of Montana School of Social Work. Sarah has over a decade of direct social work practice working with individuals and families impacted by poverty, oppression, and mental health and substance use disorders. This experience has informed her research interests – primarily, integrated health intervention to promote health and well-being during the perinatal period, with a particular focus on perinatal substance use disorder.
Dr. Jessica Liddell
Dr. Jessica Liddell (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Montana School of Social Work. Her work focuses on pregnancy and childbirth, reproductive justice, community-engagement, and making healthcare systems more equitable. Her current research explores the use of doulas to improve perinatal health outcomes, especially for rural people, and those experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). Her previous research explored the sexual and reproductive health experiences among Native American women in the Gulf South. Originally from Logan, Utah, Jessica completed her PhD at Tulane University, in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the interdisciplinary City, Culture and Community doctoral program. You can see a complete list of her published work here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/jessica.liddell.2/bibliography/public/
Alexandra Buscaglia
Alex Buscaglia, M.A. is a clinical psychology PhD candidate at the University of Montana. She joined the MOMS Team in January 2021, and is currently working on a HRSA-funded provider survey examining postpartum care and contraception provision in Montana. Alex is originally from Buffalo, NY and obtained her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Western Kentucky University in 2017. Her research interests include intimate partner violence, identity-based harm, reproductive justice, maternal health, and sexual violence prevention on college campuses.
Al Garnsey
Al is an undergrad soon to graduate with a bachelors in Sociology from the University of Montana. Al joined the MOMS team in 2023 as a research assistant completing qualitative coding of various projects. After graduation, she will move to a research associate position where she will participate in coding, qualitative research, and manuscript preparation. She has also been working as RA in the Social Work department this past year analyzing data from abortion fund applications in Montana.
Patrick Boise
Patrick Boise (he/him) is a Research Assistant at the University of Montana Center for Population Health Research (CPHR) and a master’s student at the University of Montana Department of Economics. In this role, he supports healthcare-related research with an emphasis on economic evaluation and impact. He holds undergraduate degrees in Economics and Business Management: Management Information Systems from the University of Montana as well as a certificate in Big Data Analytics. His research interests include interventions that support the improvement in the health and well-being of marginalized communities including women, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) communities.
Emma Piskolich
Emma is a Research Assistant at the University of Montana Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities. In this role, she supports projects by conducting literature searches, data management, and various other tasks to aid the process. She is currently studying at the University of Montana to attain a Bachelors in Social Work and Pre Dance Therapy.
