Health Care
For
many residents, living in Utah means having a healthy
lifestyle. In fact, Utah ranks as the fifth healthiest state
in the nation by the United Health Foundation (2004). The
study found that Utah leads the nation in low rates of smoking,
cancer, and heart disease.
Utah is also one of the most
affordable states in the U.S. in terms of health care, however
you define 'affordability' and even when you adjust for the
healthier Utah lifestyle and younger population. For example:
- Health expenditures. Utah has the lowest total health
care cost per capita of any state in the U.S. - about 27%
below the national average. (Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
analysis, 2003.)
- Health insurance premiums. Average premium per covered
individual in Utah was the 7th lowest in the nation in 2004.
(Source: Families USA/Lewin study, 2004, as reported.)
Hospitals
Utah has 53 hospitals that
offer quality care. Major medical facilities provide short-term
acute and intensive care, alcohol and chemical dependent and
psychiatric care, long-term care, and rehabilitation and specialty
centers (such as burn and hospice facilities).
The University of Utah's School of Medicine
and the University Hospital make up the
core of the state's public medical complex. The University
of Utah Health Sciences Center (UUHSC)
conducts leading edge research and care in genetics, cancer
treatment, diagnostic imaging, cardiac care, obstetrics
and gynecology, newborn intensive care, and burn treatment.
Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) is a department
of the University of Utah and one of UUHSC's Centers of
Excellence. The only National Cancer Institute-designated
cancer center in the Intermountain West, HCI is also part
of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. With three
floors of laboratories, HCI researchers investigate the
causes of cancer and work to develop new treatments, with
a focus on the genetics of cancer. HCI's outpatient care
is located on the second floor. Floor-to-ceiling windows
and a view of the foothills form the backdrop to the chemotherapy
infusion suite. The first floor houses the Huntsman
Cancer Learning Center, where patients, family
members, and the general public can go to get the most current
information on cancer, its prevention, and its treatments.
The Learning Center is open to the public and free of charge.
HCI's Family Cancer Assessment Clinic advises
people about their individual risk, genetic testing options,
and personalized screening recommendations. Directly adjacent
to the Institute building is the 50-bed Huntsman
Cancer Hospital. With state-of-the-art diagnostic
and treatment equipment as well as therapy and clinical
research areas, it is the only cancer-specialty hospital
in the Intermountain West.
Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health Care
(IHC) has been ranked America's No. 1 integrated health
care system for five of the last six years in a ranking
of nearly 600 health care organizations conducted by the
Verispan research firm. The IHC system includes 21 hospitals.
In 2004, in more than 148,000 visits, IHC hospitals and
clinics directly provided more than $67 million in charitable
assistance to patients unable to pay.
IHC is now building a new medical complex, the Intermountain
Medical Center, in Murray, in the center of the
Salt Lake Valley. The campus will include five specialty
hospitals as well as a medical office building. Construction
on the new campus will be completed in 2007.
IHC's Primary Children's Medical Center
has been recognized as one of the top 10 children's hospitals
in the nation. It is the only American College of Surgeons-verified
Level 1 Trauma Center for Children in its five-state service
area (Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, and Montana). Specialties
include heart, bone marrow, and liver transplants; pediatric
and newborn intensive care; cardiovascular surgery; neurosurgery;
and hematology/oncology. Critically ill children can be
airlifted from throughout the Intermountain region for treatment
at the hospital.
One hundred twenty-five years ago, The Sisters of the Holy
Cross founded a unique hospital in Salt Lake City. Administered
by the sisters until 1994, and built on a legacy of dedication
and care, Salt Lake Regional Medical Center remains one
of the most trusted and respected medical facilities in
Utah. Conveniently located between the city center and the
University of Utah, Salt Lake Regional Medical Center
is a world-class clinical facility offering a wide range
of patient-centered services.
The Intermountain Shriners Hospital for Children
provides specialty orthopedic care and rehabilitation to
children with diseases and disorders of the bones, muscles,
and joints. All care is free to children under 18 years
old. There is no cost to patient or family. Since 1925,
the Intermountain facility has cared for over 25,000 patients
from Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho,
Nevada, and Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico. The hospital features
40 beds, an in-house prosthetics and orthotics lab, the
region's only motion analysis laboratory, a 3,000-square-foot
indoor play and therapy treatment area, and four apartments
for parents and other family members.
The Caring Foundation for Children, founded
by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, has provided free
health or dental benefits to more than 9,000 Utah children
who could not afford coverage otherwise.
All Utah hospitals have taken voluntary measures to cut
their costs and increase their efficiency. Utah's health
care industry is working to eliminate excess capacity, to
adopt managed care and to implement patient care systems
that emphasize prevention. Providing the highest quality
care at the lowest possible cost is the desired result.
Health
Care Impact in Utah |
Utah
was ranked ninth in the U.S. for quality
of health care. (HealthGrade Hospital Quality in
America Study, 2003). The National Policy Research
Council ranked Utah tenth for education, eighth
for Quality of Life, and fifth for Health and Welfare.
(NPRC Press, 2004). Utah ranks as America's fifth
healthiest state and leads the nation in low prevalence
of smoking, and low rate of cancer cases. (Source:
The United Health Group State Health Rankings, 2004
edition.)
According to the Utah Hospitals and Health Systems
Association, hospitals employ more than 33,000 Utahns
and contribute more than $1.4 billion into Utah
communities through employee payrolls
annually. (Source: Hospital Statistics, 2005 edition,
Health Care InfoSource, Inc., and UHA Economic Impact
Study, University of Utah, 2004.)
|
[ back to top ] |
