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.
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.
A Roadmap for Improving Utah’s Behavioral Health System, 2020
Utah is in the midst of a behavioral health crisis. High suicide rates, untreated anxiety and depression, serious mental illness, and high rates of opioid use disorder and other drug-related deaths are all signs of the need for accessible, affordable, and comprehensive behavioral health services.
Utah’s Mental Health System
Our country is in the midst of a mental health crisis. Increasing suicide rates, untreated anxiety and depression among our youth, traumatic brain injuries, and serious mental illness are all signs of the need for accessible, affordable, and comprehensive mental health services. Utah is not exempt from this crisis. Utah has a high rate of adults with mental illness, but a shortage of mental health providers.
2019 Rural Health Convening (Intermountain Healthcare Convening Proceedings Report)
On June 24–25, 2019, Intermountain Healthcare hosted the 2019 Rural Health Convening in Midway, Utah. The convening brought together leaders from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and rural healthcare providers from the Mountain West.
Staying Ahead of the Curve: Utah’s Future Health Care Needs
Utah is known as a low-cost, healthy state, but the factors that help us maintain our position as one of the healthiest states in the country are changing. Rising health care expenditures, a growing senior population, and a changing demographic profile will impact Utah's future health care needs. This report provides data and information on Utah’s changing demographic profile and evolving demands for health care.
Social Determinants of Health: A National Perspective
The majority of a person's health is impacted by factors outside of the health care system: genetics, social, environmental, and behavioral. Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes (HealthyPeople.gov).
The Root of the Issue: Utah’s Social Determinants of Health Symposium Proceedings
On August 17, 2018, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Hatch Center for Civility & Solutions jointly hosted the annual Kem C. Gardner Policy Symposium “The Root of the Issue: Utah’s Social Determinants of Health.” The symposium focused on strategies and innovations for addressing social determinants of health, which are the conditions in which people are born, live, work, and play that affect their health risks and outcomes.
Social Determinants of Health: Data Points
What are social determinants of health? The majority of a person's health is impacted by factors outside of the health care system: genetics, social, environmental, and behavioral. Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. (HealthyPeople.gov)
Economic Impacts of Utah’s Life Sciences Industry
The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and BioUtah, the trade association for life sciences companies in the state, commissioned the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute to analyze the role of the life sciences industry in Utah’s economy.
Fact Sheet: The Economic Contribution of Utah’s Life Science Industry
Utah’s life science industry comprises a diverse spectrum of economic activity, from research and development to manufacturing, providing goods, services, and technologies that advance personal health.