The University of Montana has landed an $8 million grant to try to solve challenging health care problems in the state.

This week, the Utah-based ALSAM Foundation announced that the organization will be gifting the money to benefit the University of Montana Foundation and the L.S. Skaggs Institute for Health Innovation. The money will allow UM to “engage a variety of stakeholders who are committed to improving health outcomes of Montanans” as well as “construction of a community-facing high-tech space” to house the institute’s programs,” according to UM.

The institute is led by Dr. Erica Woodahl and Dr. Hayley Blackburn, both UM professors in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy, who focus on addressing health disparities in Montana through an interdisciplinary approach.

The institute is known as SIHI to those on campus who prefer fewer than 11 syllables for their place of work.

“Through this investment in SIHI, we can develop programs and infrastructure to address health equity for rural and tribal Montana communities,” Woodahl said. “Through access to research, education and clinical services, SIHI’s pharmacy faculty and other partners within the College of Health can help fill the gaps in some of Montana’s medically underserved areas.”

Woodahl said it will probably be two or three years before the new community space is built on campus, and there are many details to be worked out.

However, she said, it will allow SIHI to offer expanded services in chronic disease management, host presentations and allow students in various health professions to learn from each other, among other things.

Blackburn said SIHI can be a national leader by providing a blueprint for pharmacists to expand their traditional roles in an effort to reduce health disparities.

“Approximately half of the patients enrolled in our remote disease management program are from Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas,” said Lonnie Murphy, a pharmacist within SIHI. “We are grateful that we will be able to grow our program to help fill the primary care gaps in Montana.”

The ALSAM Foundation was founded by L.S. Skaggs and his wife Aline W. Skaggs. The organization has made previous contributions to UM, and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy is named for the couple’s generosity.