Despite nationwide interest and a commitment from state legislators who included the VHSP in an appropriations bill during the recently concluded session, this complete, one-stop shop hasn't taken off elsewhere. But we really haven't spent a lot of time marketing it. That's because Billings, his staff and TRW have been busy adding elements to the pavilion. The latest is the virtual assistant, which recently concluded its testing phase and should be in operation this month. Users who click on it are shown a list of viewable topics, and are taken to the topic of choice.
People can dial into a nursing-care kiosk and determine if a nursing home is up to standards.
Deficiencies are noted there, so anyone researching nursing homes can do so from home, rather than driving all over the state. An expansion is in the area of labor and industry. An employer who posts jobs in the pavilion doesn't have to bother with sending them to the state. The same employer can also search for qualified people to fill these jobs, sometimes eliminating the need to post the jobs in the first place. Also enhanced is the national job-search system, which gives Montana residents greater ease and flexibility in finding a job.