MTCC Steering Committee

The MTCC Steering Committee is the governing body of the Montana Cancer Coalition. This group is made up of driven, energetic, and passionate individuals committed to leading the coalition towards the achievement of the priority objectives outlined in the Montana Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan.

2021 MTCC ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD:

Senior Co-Chair: Courtney Buys – Montana Primary Care Association

Courtney is the Health Outcomes Improvement Manager for the Montana Primary Care Association. She provides training, technical assistance, and coaching on quality improvement measures to increase preventable disease screening and management in Montana’s CHCs, primarily through the Quality Data Initiative. Prior to her current role, Courtney spent a year serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Montana Primary Care Association working on the Cover Montana project; increasing awareness, understanding, and utilization of Montana’s affordable health insurance options for low-income Montanans. In her free time, she can be found hiking, doing yoga (badly), or spoiling her two dogs Maxi and Bobo.

Junior Co-Chair: Meadow Nilles – A.W.A.R.E Early Head Start

As a medical social worker, Meadow Nilles has spent 12 years working with cancer survivors in long term care, hospice and oncology units around the state of Montana.   She has worked with cancer survivors of all ages and in all stages of their illness.  At the beginning of 2019, Meadow changed focus and is now the Health, Wellness and Disabilities manager for Aware Early Head Start, working with infants and toddlers to promote an early start to lifelong health.

Meadow has been an active member of the Montana Cancer Coalition since 2015 and has served as the co-chair of the pediatric cancer implementation team since 2016. One of the biggest privileges of her career has been sitting with cancer survivors through all stages of their cancer, and she is thrilled to work with MTCC to improve life for cancer patients across the state of Montana. 

When not working, you will find Meadow road tripping with her husband and 3 kids, baking/decorating cakes and other sweets, or hiding in the Beartooth Mountains.

Immediate Past Co-Chair: Emily Coyle – Montana Association of Healthcare Purchasers

Emily brings exceptional knowledge on cancer care initiatives within the state of Montana as well as a fresh perspective on ways the MTCC can further increase it’s impact on issues surrounding the cancer care spectrum.

MTCC Manager / MT DPHHS Representative: Nikki Campbell – Montana Cancer Control Programs

Provider Advisory Group Liaison: Dr. Jeffrey Rentz – Billings Clinic

Communications Specialist: Nancy Lee – Komen MT/ID

IMPLEMENTATION TEAM LEADERSHIP

Prevention – Sun Safety

  • Co-Chair: Lori Christenson – Gallatin City-County Health Department
  • Co-Chair: Karl Vanderwood – Gallatin City-County Health Department

Prevention – Nutrition and Physical Activity

  • Co-Chair: Donna Bosch – RN Retiree
  • Co-Chair: Cherith Smith – All Nations Health Center

Early Detection

  • Co-Chair: Melissa Baker – Lewis and Clark City-County Health Department
  • Co-Chair: Currently Recruiting

Treatment and Research

  • Co-Chair: Pam Sasser – St. Peter’s Health
  • Co-Chair: Currently Recruiting

Quality of Life and Survivorship

  • Co-Chair: Becky Franks – Cancer Support Community
  • Co-Chair: Elizabeth ‘Bess’ Harris

Pediatric Cancer

  • Co-Chair: Anna Greenberg – Cancer Support Community
  • Co-Chair: Currently Recruiting

 

MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES:

General Membership Representative:

  • CURRENTLY RECRUITING

Survivor Representative:

  • CURRENTLY RECRUITING

American Indian Representative(s):

  • CURRENTLY RECRUITING

American Cancer Society Representative:

  • Kaylee Vandjelovic – ACS Health Systems Manager-Hospitals

Disability Consumer Representative:

  • Stacey Johnston: Special Olympics Montana

Policy and Advocacy Representative:

  • Lois Fitzgerald – American Cancer Society – Cancer Action Network

Montana American Indian Women’s Health Coalition (MAIWHC) Representative(s):

  • MAIWHC President: Alona Jarmin – Mountain Pacific Quality Health Foundation
  • MAIWHC Vice-President: Katelin Conway – Mountain Pacific Quality Health Foundation
  • MAIWHC Secretary: Cherith Smith – All Nations Health Center

Indian Health Service Representative:

  • CURRENTLY RECRUITING