The name "Utah" comes from the American Indian Ute tribe and means "people of the mountains." A series of mountains, including the Wasatch Range, runs north and south throught the middle of the state, and the Uintah Mountains, extend east and west throught the northeast portion. Some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the United States are found in Utah and the state is home to four national parks: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyon Lands, and Zion. Utah covers 82,144 square miles, with a 2008 estimated population of 2,736,424 people – 298,219 living in rural Utah (USDA-ERS). Salt Lake City, the largest city and the capital, is located in the northern region of the state. The state’s other large cities include West Valley City and Provo. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 93.2% of the state’s population is white, 2.0% is Asian, 1.3% is American Indian & Alaska Native, and 11.6% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
There are 40 hospitals in Utah, 18 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 9 hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (April, 2009). There are 18 Rural Health Clinics in Utah (CMS, 2009), and 11 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 29 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2007). Most Utahns have some form of health insurance coverage, although 15.1% of its residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Utahns in 2007 was $29,831 although rural per-capita income lagged at $25,001. 2007 estimates indicate a poverty rate of 13.3% exists in rural Utah, compared to a 9.3% level in urban areas of the state. Data from 2000 finds that 15.6% of the rural population has not completed high school, while only 11.8% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Utah is at 3.8%, while in urban Utah it is at 3.4% (USDA-ERS, 2008).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts
USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Association for Utah Community Health (AUCH)
State/regional organization
Supports and represents its member organizations and works to increase access to health care for medically underserved populations in Utah.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Utah
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region (NN/LM-MCR)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health professionals, librarians and members of the public in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.
Proyecto/Project IDEAS
State/regional organization
Strives to improve HIV prevention services for Latino/Hispanic populations living in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming. Focuses on adapting and tailoring CDC-approved interventions that are culturally, linguistically and educationally appropriate. This is a capacity building assistance program for community-based organizations and state and local health departments.
Regence Foundation
Nonprofit/Foundation
Committed to building healthier communities, transforming health care and supporting end-of-life issues.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Helps rural communities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming to improve community infrastructure.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Utah
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development Utah State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Utah Center for Multicultural Health
State government
Helps all racial and ethnic minorities in Utah achieve optimal health through accessible and high-quality programs and policies.
Utah Community Action Partnership Association (UCAPA)
State/regional organization
Works with and on behalf of Utah's nine local community action agencies to address the causes and effects of poverty in Utah. The model of community action brings together low-income individuals with public and private sector partners to identify local priorities and strategies for achieving measurable improvements in lives and communities.
Utah Department of Health
State government
Protects the public's health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death; assuring access to affordable, quality health care; and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Utah Department of Human Services (DHS)
State government
Mission is to keep children, adults, and families safe from harm in safe supportive communities, to promote stable living arrangements for children, to maximize consumer independence and self-sufficiency, to see that the consumer quality of life is improved, maintain the public's trust, and provide quality service.
Utah Department of Human Services: Adult Protective Services
State government
Assists vulnerable and elder adults in need of protection to prevent or discontinue abuse, neglect, or exploitation until that condition no longer requires intervention.
Utah Department of Human Services: Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD)
State government
Promotes opportunities and provides supports for persons with disabilities to lead self-determined lives.
Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS)
State government
Provides employment and support services for customers to improve their economic opportunities.
Utah Division of Housing and Community Development
State government
Provides information, resources and programs that support affordable housing and community development.
Utah Division of Mental Health
State government
The agency responsible for ensuring that substance abuse and mental health prevention and treatment services are available statewide. The Division also acts as a resource by providing general information, research, and statistics to the public regarding substances of abuse and mental health services.
Utah Health Care Workforce Program
State government
Assists Utah rural and underserved communities in dealing with primary health care needs relating to recruiting health professionals, planning, technical assistance and a workforce financial assistance program that provides education loan repayment assistance to health care professionals who locate or practice in underserved areas of Utah.
Utah Health Policy Project
State/regional organization
A resource for the public, community leaders, businesses, health care providers and policy makers interested in strengthening the health care system while working to develop visionary and systemic solutions to the crisis of the uninsured and under-insured.
Utah Hemophilia Foundation
State/regional organization
Serves people with bleeding disorders through education, outreach, advocacy and networking, empowering them to lead healthier and more self-sufficient lives.
Utah Hospital and Health Systems Association (UHA)
State/regional organization
Represents member hospitals and healthcare systems in the State of Utah. Serves as an advocate in legislative healthcare issues for its members, as well as a valuable resource for information.
Utah Hospitals & Health Systems Association (UHA)
State/regional organization
Represents member hospitals and healthcare systems in the State of Utah. UHA serves as an advocate in legislative healthcare issues for its members, as well as a valuable resource for information
Utah Housing Corporation (UHC)
State/regional organization
A self supporting public corporation that raises funding to assist in the creation of affordable housing opportunities for lower-income Utah households.
Utah Medical Education Council (UMEC)
State government
The mission of the Council is to assure that Utah has an adequate, well-trained clinical healthcare workforce to meet the needs of the citizens of the state and the region.
Utah Methamphetamine Joint Task Force
State/regional organization
A task force and website that addresses the methamphetamine problem in Utah through prevention, treatment, law enforcement, public health, and public awareness.
Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
State government
Collects and disseminates information, provides technical assistance, coordinates rural health interests statewide, and supports efforts to improve recruitment and retention of health professionals.
Utah Office of Rural Development
State government
Dedicated to facilitating business growth and economic vitality in Utah's rural communities.
Utah Rural Health Association (RHAU)
State/regional organization
The Rural Health Association of Utah provides a unified voice to promote and enhance the quality of rural health through leadership, advocacy, coalition building, education, and to affect policy and legislation.
Utah State Office of Education: Special Education Services
State government
Providing support to empower students with disabilities ages 3-21.
Utah State Office of Rehabilitation (USOR)
State government
Assists individuals with disabilities to prepare for and obtain employment and increase their independence.
Tools
AgrAbility of Utah
Web site
AgrAbility of Utah is part of a national program administered through the United States Department of Agriculture, focused on promoting independence for members of the agricultural community who have disabilities resulting from injury, illness, aging, or other causes.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Utah
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Indicator Based Information System for Public Health
Web site
Provides information on the health status of Utahans, the state of the health care system, and Utah public health activities.
MedlinePlus Go Local
Web site
Offers information about health services in local geographic areas, including hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, support groups, health screening providers and many others.
MyHealthCare in Utah
Web site
Designed to help consumers make informed decisions about their medical care. Includes hospital comparison reports evaluating charges, quality and patient safety. All acute care hospitals, including those in rural sections, are represented in the reports, where applicable.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Utah
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
State Profiles- Utah: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
Utah QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Utah Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Utah Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Utah KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Utah State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Challenges In Utah’s Health Care
Sponsoring organization: Utah Department of Health
Includes 16 summary indicators highlighting selected health care issues in Utah. The summary indicators are organized into three sections: (1) quality and patient safety, (2) access, and (3) cost of health care.
Date: 06 / 2007
Demographic and Economic Profile: Utah
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 01 / 2009
Education: A Regional Overview
Author(s): By Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Explores education characteristics in the western states and examines how it impacts rural development.
Date: 2008
Employment, Income and Poverty: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines and compares employment and income in western states with both rural and urban data.
Date: 2008
Health and Longevity: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines health and longevity for states in the western region.
Date: 2008
Improving Affordability, Expanding Coverage: Opinions About Health Care Reform In Utah
Author(s): Brittne M. Nelson
Sponsoring organization: AARP
Results of a survey commissioned to understand Utahns' perception about their health, their concerns about the future of health care.
Date: 02 / 2009
Land Use and Resources: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines land use and resources in the western states.
Date: 2008
Small Business Profile: Utah
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2008
State of Utah: Population Brief
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Baseline information for the advancement of rural development that examines population changes and characteristics within Utah.
Date: 2008
State Profiles - Utah: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
The Changing West: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Provides baseline data for identifying population changes in the western states for use in advancing rural development.
Date: 2008
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Journals
Utah - Rural Report
Newsletter which provides a unified voice to promote and enhance the quality of rural health through leadership, advocacy, coalition building, education, and to affect policy and legislation. Includes news from the Utah Office of Primary Care & Rural Health.
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