Issues

UHA tracks and contributes to major issues affecting hospitals and the health of Utahns. Each topic area features news, policy updates, and stories from the field.

Leading the West in Trauma & Grief Support

Leading the West in Trauma & Grief Support

The Big Picture Children who experience trauma or the death of a loved one often carry that pain into every part of life — at home, in school, and in relationships. While grief is a natural response, without the right support it can increase the risk of long-term...

Medicaid in Utah: Beyond the Headlines

Medicaid in Utah: Beyond the Headlines

The Big Picture Medicaid is in the news a lot right now. But beyond the headlines, it helps to understand what Medicaid actually is, who it serves, and why changes to federal funding matter here in Utah. Medicaid is not the same thing as Medicare. Medicare is run by...

The Fish That Could Change Heart Disease

The Fish That Could Change Heart Disease

The Big Picture Heart disease remains one of the biggest health threats, in part because the human heart has a hard limit: once heart muscle is damaged, it does not naturally regenerate in a meaningful way. After a heart attack, cells die, scarring forms, and patients...

U of U Health Expands Care Across the Mountain West

U of U Health Expands Care Across the Mountain West

Why it matters: University of Utah Health is bringing specialty care to communities that don't always have easy access through new facilities, telehealth programs, and home-based care. The big picture: U of U Health is in a major growth phase, with new sites and...

Hope in Bloom: Roy High Students Bring Daffodils and Encouragement to Cancer Patients

The Big Picture On the first day of spring, a simple flower is helping deliver something many cancer patients need as much as medicine: hope. At Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan...

Match Day at the University of Utah: A New Chapter for Future Doctors

The Big Picture Match Day is a major milestone for medical students nationwide, revealing where they will complete residency training and take the next step from medical...

National Poison Prevention Week: Help Is Here When the Unexpected Happens

The Big Picture National Poison Prevention Week is a yearly reminder that poisonings are a real, preventable problem. It is also a chance to make sure every Utah citizen...

Utah Legislative Wrap-Up: Reduced Cuts Today, Quality-Based Funding Tomorrow

The Big Picture As lawmakers pushed for broad budget cuts, Medicaid and hospital funding quickly became a focal point. Hospital leaders say the final outcome was better than...

Modern Care, Close To Home: Inside The Jordan Valley Cancer Center

The Big Picture Jordan Valley Cancer Center is a newer, full-service facility built to deliver high-quality cancer care close to home, supported by an experienced clinical...

Utah’s Only Female Cardiothoracic Surgeon Gives A Message Of Hope To Women In The Medical Field

The Big Picture Dr. Andrea Steely is helping redefine what leadership looks like in cardiac surgery, pairing world-class expertise in aortic disease with a commitment to...

Why U of U Health Is Making Its $21.6M Dementia Study Data Public

The big idea: When major research findings are shared openly, discoveries happen faster and reach farther than any single lab could achieve alone. What's happening:...

How Rural Hospitals Deliver Expert Maternity Care

The big picture: Twenty-six Intermountain Health hospitals earned high-performing maternity care recognition from U.S. News and World Report, including many serving rural...

New Report Highlights Substance Use as Leading Factor in Utah Maternal Deaths

The big picture: A new report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and Utah DHHS reveals that substance use disorder is one of the top contributing factors in maternal...

System-Wide Safety: How Intermountain Earned 14 A-Grades

Why it matters: Intermountain Health just earned recognition as one of the nation's safest health systems, with 14 hospitals receiving an "A" grade in the 2025 Leapfrog...

New Care Model Keeps Postpartum Women with Hypertension from Falling Through the Cracks

Why it matters: Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy aren't just a nine-month issue. They're early warning signs for long-term cardiovascular risk. But too many women...

Legislative Update: Final Week Ahead

Why it matters: With just a week left in Utah's 2026 legislative session, hospitals face significant funding challenges and operational policy changes that will shape care...

The Future of Transplant Medicine Is Here

Why it matters: New preservation technology is rewriting what's possible in organ transplantation, expanding options for patients across the region. The big picture: For...

Utah Cardiac Recovery Symposium Brings Global Experts Together to Rethink Heart Failure

Why it matters: For decades, heart failure has been treated as progressive and permanent. The Utah Cardiac Recovery Symposium challenges that assumption, and it's working....

Nation’s Largest Pediatric Telestroke Network Launches in Utah

Why it matters: When a child has a stroke, every second counts, but stroke symptoms in kids look different than in adults, leading to delayed treatment and worse outcomes....

Strong Turnout at UHA Legislative Reception

Thank you to the legislators and hospital leaders who joined us last night to connect and discuss critical healthcare issues as the legislative session enters its final...

U of U Health AirMed Perinatal Team Earns National Excellence Award

Why it matters: University of Utah Health's AirMed Perinatal Team received the Pediatric and Neonatal Transport Award of Excellence from the Association of Air Medical...

Francis Week 4 Legislature Update

Utah's legislative session is halfway done. After the holiday break, lawmakers return to finalize the budget and vote on key health care bills. Budget cuts are coming Every...

26 Intermountain Hospitals Earn National Recognition for Maternity Care

Why it matters: U.S. News & World Report named 26 Intermountain Health hospitals high performing for maternity care, more than any other health system in the country....

New Care Model Aims to Close Gaps in Maternal Hypertension Care

Why it matters: Hypertensive disorders affect up to 1 in 5 pregnancies, and for many women, high blood pressure doesn't end after delivery. Without proper follow-up, it...

Intermountain Health Named One of Nation’s Safest Health Systems

Why it matters: The Leapfrog Group's 2025 Hospital Safety Grades recognized Intermountain Health as one of the safest health systems in the country, with 14 hospitals...

Intermountain Health first Utah transplant program to perform 500+ organ transplants in one year

The big picture: Intermountain Health's Transplant Program performed 515 organ transplants in 2025—the most ever completed by a Utah transplant program in a single year. Why...

UHA Legislative Update: Week 3

The bottom line: As Utah lawmakers move into Week 3 of the 45-day legislative session, budget cuts, particularly to Medicaid, are dominating conversations at the Capitol,...

Medicare and Medicaid Explainer

Medicaid, Medicare. They sound a lot alike, but they're actually two very different programs. And knowing the difference really matters, especially in Utah. Here's a simple...