Utah

Utah began the health system transformation process in 2011, with a clarion call from Governor Gary Herbert. He directed the Utah Department of Health (UDOH), to create a plan that would reduce Utah’s health care costs and provide a trained health workforce (new and existing) to meet the cost reduction challenge and develop measurable innovations that would lead to more patient inclusion in assuring the quality of their own health care.

In early 2013, Utah was awarded a State Innovation Models (SIM) Grant from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to begin the process of putting the previous policy discussions into action. The Utah Health Innovation Plan is a statewide roadmap to achieve health systems transformation. It requires changes in the behavior of providers, purchasers and consumers. It has taken nearly three years, countless hours of work and dedicated community input to develop key components as outlined in the plan. In order to achieve the vision of improved health care value (better health, better healthcare, and lower cost) the plan sets out four critical aims:

• AIM 1: To adapt to and perform well in a value-based purchasing environment (value = quality outcomes/cost)
• AIM 2: To facilitate end-of-life preferences for Utah citizens so they receive care with dignity, respect and efficiency
• AIM 3: To increase access to primary care and behavioral health
• AIM 4: To create community-clinical linkages and healthful environments