Health Care and Life Sciences
The Gardner Institute employs a senior health care analyst and a team of economists knowledgeable about Utah’s health care policies and economy. We also benefit from a Health Care Advisory Council that guides our research agenda and supports the development of a health care policy practice area. Our research focus areas include, but are not limited to: (1) analyzing state and national health care trends; (2) collaborating with health care experts and community leaders to analyze relevant health care policy; and (3) conducting research and preparing data on Utah’s health care sector.
A Blueprint for Growing Salt Lake City’s Health Care Innovation Economy
Salt Lake City will be a premier health care innovation hub that provides expanded economic opportunity and improved health and well-being for all residents.
A Roadmap for Improving Utah’s Behavioral Health System 2021 End-of-Year Update
The Utah Hospital Association (UHA) released A Roadmap for Improving Utah’s Behavioral Health System in February 2020. The Roadmap was developed in collaboration with UHA’s behavioral health committee and mental health workgroup, comprising members of the mental health community. The purpose of the roadmap is to provide a guide policy makers, UHA, and other stakeholders can use to support legislation, policy decisions, and program development to help ensure every citizen in the state of Utah has access to appropriate behavioral health services and supports.
Curbing the Youth Vaping Pandemic: A Review of How Utah’s Laws and Policies Compare Nationally and to Other States
Vaping, or the use of electronic cigarettes, is a public health issue both nationally and here in the state of Utah. Rates of vaping doubled nationally between 2017 and 2019, and Utah has experienced a significant increase over the past several years as well.
Fact Sheet: Family Caregivers in Utah
A growing body of family caregivers in Utah provide unpaid care to family members or friends with health problems or disabilities. The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide key information about Utah's caregivers, their challenges, and the economic value they provide.
Preparing for the Future: The Potential Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19 on Utah’s Child and Youth Mental Health
Understanding the potential impact of these issues will be important to ensuring a thriving future for Utah’s children.
The Connection between COVID-19 and Type 2 Diabetes: Underscoring the Need for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
Research increasingly shows that individuals with type 2 diabetes face a greater chance of experiencing severe complications from COVID-19.
Fact Sheet: Growth Trends in Utah’s Life Sciences Industry
Utah’s mature life sciences industry continues to experience strong growth relative to nationwide trends, even during recessions. Newly released data show that employment trends the Gardner Institute first identified through 2017 persisted into the pandemic. The number of life sciences jobs in Utah jumped 7.2% in 2020. This is the second highest single-year growth among states with large-scale life sciences activity. As for five-year trends, industry employment gains in Utah tempered slightly from 5.0% per year from 2012 to 2017 to 4.8% per year from 2015 to 2020.
Diversity in Utah: Race, Ethnicity, and Sex Data Book
This report provides data and information to help state and community leaders make progress in their equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. Gov. Spencer Cox’s One Utah Roadmap, the Utah Legislature’s policies to extend opportunity to all, and business and community leaders’ Utah Compact on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion provide three significant examples in the past year of Utah’s commitment. The data and context provided in this report shed light on existing disparities; help people understand the complexities of these measures; and help provide a starting point for evaluating future progress.
Early Childhood Mental Health in Utah
Early childhood mental health services address an important need in Utah. More data and collaboration in this area can help maximize health, opportunity, and public investment outcomes.
Moving Toward Evidence-Based Programs: Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Utah
Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury death in Utah, and opioid-related drug overdoses are a significant contributor to the rise in drug overdose deaths in recent history. In 2018, close to half of all opioid overdose deaths were prescription related, and 47% involved illicit opioids such as heroin. Fortunately, opioid use disorder (OUD) can be treated. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is “a combination of psychosocial therapy and U.S. Food and Drug Administration– approved medication”iii and has positive, evidence-based effects on OUD.