DHHS Office of Health Equity

02/01/2023

Do you have a passion for health equity and want to become part of an amazing team? The DHHS Office of Health Equity is seeking qualified candidates for its Health Equity Epidemiology Manager opening!

This full-time position will be responsible for leading the Data, Research, and Evaluation (DARE) team. Click the link to learn more details!

The State of Utah currently employs more than 22,000 Utahans throughout 30 different state agencies. Employment opportunities span the entire state from the red rocks in Southern Utah to the mountain ranges in the north and everywhere in between. From great employee benefits to work/life balance,...

01/30/2023

The Embrace Project Study, a community-based participatory research study, completed in October 2022, has published its sustainability plan! This plan includes all efforts that were done to sustain elements of the project study, and the continued implementation of sustainability activities throughout the coming months. This was a multi-organization collaborative effort between the OHE, the University of Utah Health’s Wellness Bus, public health and healthcare researchers from the University of Utah, community-based organizations and community health workers, and the overall communities themselves. Click to view the plan:https://healthequity.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/FINAL-January-2023-Embrace-Sustainability-Plan.pdf

01/05/2023

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Health Equity (OHE) is conducting Health Equity Data Analyses (HEDA) focused on COVID-19 to inform policy changes. As part of these efforts, the OHE is working on a series of profiles to identify and address COVID-19 health disparities in the state of Utah.

As part of this series, the OHE has released the COVID-19 refugee profile. The DHHS Office of Refugee Health/TB Control Program in collaboration with the OHE worked on this report. Data and visualizations in this report provide an opportunity to understand the scenario of COVID-19 among refugee populations in Utah. View the report by clicking the link.https://healthequity.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/COVID-19-Disparities-Refugee-Profile.pdf

12/30/2022

The DHHS Office of Health Equity was able to visit two contracted partners in the past month:

Best of Africa Cultural Group has continued to be an essential source of COVID-19 information for their community, including making sure accurate updates are created and received in their community members’ languages. Their organization continues to grow as they seek to collaborate in different research opportunities, and have even contributed to 911 dispatcher protocol adjustment through integration of interpreters in the emergency response.

The Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake (UICSL) continues to be an accessible center for the community to receive COVID-19 vaccines and tests, and has plans to become a full-service clinic. UICSL community health workers take time to be present with native community members when providing services, and host a monthly “Elder’s Corner” to provide a space for elders to gather and not only learn about COVID-19, but also be able to spend time together as a community.

12/16/2022

As of December 14, 166 Utahns were hospitalized for COVID-19, which marks a 33.9% increased compared to the previous 30 days. Hospitalizations have been steadily increasing since October. As the winter season and holidays approach, stay current on vaccinations, including newly available booster doses, in order to protect yourself and others.

11/10/2022

As of November 3, about 257,000 Utahns are up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, or 7.9% of the state population. Almost 72% of all Utahns have received at least 1 dose, and 63.5% have completed their primary series. As the winter season and holidays approach, stay current on vaccinations, including newly available booster doses, in order to protect yourself and others.

10/27/2022

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services Office of Health Equity is conducting Health Equity Data Analyses (HEDA) focused on COVID-19 to inform policy changes. As part of these efforts, the OHE is working on a series of profiles to identify and address COVID-19 health disparities in the state of Utah.

As part of the first release, the OHE has released the base report, race/ethnicity profile, and the tribal affiliation profile. The base report serves as a guide to explain the background, team, methodology, and COVID-19 indicators used to identify COVID-19 health disparities. The race/ethnicity, and tribal affiliation profiles help to identify COVID-19 disparities among the racial-ethnic minority communities. The tribal affiliation profile, authored by the Office of American Indian and Alaska Native Health & Family Services, intends to give an opportunity to understand COVID-19 scenarios among the tribally affiliated population in Utah. View each profile by visiting our website linked below.

https://healthequity.utah.gov/data-and-reports/

10/27/2022

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services Office of Health Equity is conducting Health Equity Data Analyses (HEDA) focused on COVID-19 to inform policy changes. As part of these efforts, the OHE is working on a series of profiles to identify and address COVID-19 health disparities in the state of Utah.

As part of the first release, the OHE has released the base report, race/ethnicity profile, and the tribal affiliation profile. The base report serves as a guide to explain the background, team, methodology, and COVID-19 indicators used to identify COVID-19 health disparities. The race/ethnicity, and tribal affiliation profiles help to identify COVID-19 disparities among the racial-ethnic minority communities. The tribal affiliation profile, authored by the Office of American Indian and Alaska Native Health & Family Services, intends to give an opportunity to understand COVID-19 scenarios among the tribally affiliated population in Utah. View each profile by visiting our website linked below.

https://healthequity.utah.gov/data-and-reports/

09/16/2022

The CDC has endorsed an updated version of the COVID-19 booster which adds protection from newer strains of the virus. The updated boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech are approved for people ages 12 years and older, and from Moderna for people ages 18 years and older. In Utah, 48% of fully vaccinated residents have received a booster dose. Continue to reduce the risk of spread by getting boosted today.

08/11/2022

Children from the ages of 6 months through 4 years old are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This expands eligibility for vaccination to nearly 20 million additional children and means that all Americans ages 6 months and older are now eligible for vaccination. In Utah, as of August 3, there are 10,130 children in this age group who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

07/19/2022

The COVID Community Partnership (CCP) project at the Office of Health Equity has released its Phase 4 interim report, which outlines progress of Phase 4 from August 2021 through March 2022. This project continues to address COVID-19 related health outcomes among Utah's under-resourced communities through mobilization of community health workers within community-based organization and local health department settings. Phase 4 aims to build CHW capacity and facilitate partnerships between CBOs and LHDs. Click the link to view the report.https://healthequity.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/CCP-Phase-4-Interim-Report-7.19.22.pdf

07/14/2022

Between June 8 and July 6, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Utah increased from 174 to 259, or by 48.8%. While this remains low compared to when hospitalizations peaked at 853 in January, it is important to be aware of the significant amount of resources hospitals are still dedicating to treat patients. Please note: COVID-19 data on coronavirus.utah.gov is now being updated weekly every Thursday.