In Kalispell, Tester Talks Health Care, Fraud Prevention & Infrastructure

Senator Meets with Doctors, Seniors, Young Professionals, and City Officials in the Flathead Today

(Kalispell, Mont.) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester was in Kalispell today to meet with local officials, attend the Older Americans Picnic, and deliver the Keynote Address at the Montana Young Professionals Summit.

“I get my best ideas from Montanans,” Tester said. “Which is why I put in so much windshield time traveling across the state. Because the folks on the ground understand the needs of our communities best and bringing their input back to Washington is what I’m here to do.”

This morning, Dr. Craig Lambrecht gave Tester a tour of the new 190,000 square foot Montana Children’s Center at the Kalispell Regional Healthcare Center. The new pediatric hospital boasts 100 pediatric primary care providers and more than 40 pediatric specialty providers—the largest group of pediatric specialists in the state.

Tester then attended the Agency on Aging’s 40th annual Older Americans Picnic, where he announced his support for the Senior Fraud Prevention Act. According to the Government Accountability Office, scams cost U.S. seniors an estimated $2.9 billion last year. The Senior Fraud Prevention Act would help stop scams that target the elderly by directing the Federal Trade Commission to establish a fraud prevention office, educate seniors about fraud, and maintain reporting systems to help law enforcement find and prosecute scammers.

Following the Picnic, Tester gave the Keynote Address at the Montana Young Professional Summit and took questions from the almost 150 attendees. Montana Young Professionals is a networking group made up of Montanans between the ages of 21-31 focused on career development and community engagement opportunities. The goal is to help these individuals grow and become the next generation of leaders.

Tester finished up his day by hosting a roundtable with the Mayor, City Manager, and Public Works Director of Columbia Falls to discuss the city’s infrastructure needs. Columbia Falls is one of the fastest growing cities in the state, so city officials are seeking federal funding to help improvements to transportation infrastructure across the city.