Copyright © Utah Department of Health ~ State of Utah ~ All rights reserved.
Updated: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:16:49 MDT
Updated: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:16:49 MDT
Health Status - Executive SummaryHealth Care FinancingNinety percent of Utah's public health budget goes to patient care for Utahns who require assistance paying for their health care. The various health care financing programs are funded largely by federal dollars. The Division of Health Care Financing will be emphasizing improvements in care quality over the next several years.Several initiatives under consideration will improve the communications among providers treating Medicaid patients, including providing financial incentives to adopt electronic medical record systems. While addressing quality improvement and difficult financing issues, the Division is facing the huge challenge of transitioning approximately 18,000 Medicaid recipients who are also on Medicare from their Medicaid pharmacy benefit to the new Medicare prescription drug coverage. Community and Family Health ServicesIn the past five years, adult tobacco use, youth tobacco use, and child exposure to secondhand smoke in the home have decreased substantially. Utah's tobacco use rates remain the lowest in the U.S.Utah's rate of neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida has decreased by 50% over the past ten years, probably due to more women taking folic acid vitamins prior to becoming pregnant. The Division of Community and Family Health Services is currently giving attention to increasing the proportion of pregnant mothers who access prenatal care early in their pregnancies. Utah's rate of early and adequate prenatal care is below the national average. Utah will increase its efforts to reduce obesity rates, particularly in children. Obesity continues to increase in Utah along with the rest of the U.S: almost 55% of Utah adults are obese/overweight, and 1 in 4 children are as well. Health Systems ImprovementUtahns who come in contact with health care systems are protected by public licensing and regulation. Facilities as diverse as nursing homes, hospitals, radiology units, emergency medical responders and child care providers are inspected and licensed by the Division of Health Systems Improvement.In an effort to improve health care safety the Division is charged with the patient safety initiative, begun in 2001 and coordinated with the Utah Hospital Association and HealthInsight. The Division provides staff and support for the Department's Bioterrorism and Disaster Response activities. And, The Division also provides grants and education loans so that rural and under served areas can maintain adequate medical facilities, equipment, and trained personnel to care for our state's medically under served populations. Epidemiology and Laboratory ServicesThe Division of Epidemiology and Laboratory Services watches for cases of infectious disease that could cause an outbreak and for diseases that suggest that a public food or water supply has been contaminated.Utah's public health laboratory is nationally recognized for its scientific rigor and professional expertise. It is one of a handful of public health laboratories in the U.S. that serves a multi-state area. Despite the age and condition of the facility, it is prepared to rapidly identify pathogens for hundreds of diseases, including those that have been identified as terrorism threats. Utah is ahead of the curve in use of advanced computer systems that support disease surveillance and investigation activities. Disease surveillance systems not only watch for infectious diseases such as influenza, food-borne illness, and sexually transmitted diseases, but they also monitor for cases of exposure to environmental hazards and for individuals with symptoms that might have been caused by terrorism. Content updated: October 2005.
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