Photo credit: Andrew Nielsen

Rural Health Connect

Improving the health of rural communities

Kristen Shakespear

Some rural Utahns travel more than an hour to access maternity care, according to a new report

Women in rural Utah may travel an hour or more to access maternal healthcare. This finding comes from a new report titled “Maternal Health in Utah: Risk Factors, Workforce Gaps, and Access to Care.” The report was produced jointly by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

Healthcare professionals’ role in tobacco screening, prevention, and cessation

Tobacco use has negative effects on all parts of our body, even our mouths. New tobacco and nicotine products have made tobacco use one of the major public health concerns.

2024 photo contest winner: Eric Johansen

Rural health photo contest now open!

What do you see when you think of rural health? Do you focus on the blazing sunset, the geese in flight, or are you reminded of that amazing hike you were just able to complete, thanks to the excellent care you receive from your local doctor? What does rural health look like to you? We want to see!

As we celebrate Rural Health Week in Utah from November 16–22, 2025, we want to highlight the beauty of our people and the places we call home, so give us your best shot!

We invite you to register for the 11th annual Utah One Health Symposium!

The Utah One Health Symposium 2025 will be held on Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at the Southern Utah University Hunter Alumni Center in Cedar City. Our theme this year is “Utah One Health: Rural Perspectives." Explore Southern Utah while learning about the area’s unique One Health challenges!



Early-bird registration ends October 15.

Southern Utah Family Medicine Conference

November 7-8, 2025

Ivins, UT

"The Utah Academy of Family Physicians (UAFP) will be hosting the first ever Southern Utah Family Medicine Conference November 7-8, 2025 at the Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah!

Plan to join us for topical family medicine CMEs (up to 12.00 prescribed CMEs available), networking with other Utah primary care clinicians, a chance to golf on Utah's newest world class golf course, and enjoy other family-friendly activities in beautiful Southern Utah!"

New map resources now available

We are excited to announce that our map portal is now presenting five new maps available at your fingertips. This includes:

Primary Care HPSAs in Utah

Mental Health HPSAs in Utah

Dental Health HPSAs in Utah

Loan Repayment Sites

Primary Care Providers by Utah House District

These maps are in addition to our urban and rural definitions map and our success stories map. If these maps are helpful to you or you have feedback please email us at opcrh@utah.gov

Contact us

Photo credit: Heather Ipson

Disclaimer: The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) may occasionally link to outside sources of information. Utah DHHS and state of Utah do not necessarily endorse the provider of the content and are not responsible for any content published on the external site.