Get Healthy Utah News and Blog

The Healthy Utah Community designation is valid for three years. To qualify for redesignation, communities must complete the following: 

• Submit a new letter of commitment
• Continue to hold health coalition meetings
• Demonstrate progress on their 3-year health plan, and
• Submit an updated 3-year health plan.

This spring, all eleven cities and towns eligible to be redesignated as Healthy Utah Communities applied and qualified! Get Healthy Utah, in partnership with the Utah League of Cities and Towns, is pleased to announce the following redesignated communities: Annabella, Herriman, Magna, Marriott-Slaterville, Millcreek, North Logan, Park City, Sandy, South Salt Lake, St. George, and Vineyard.

This is our largest cohort of Healthy Utah Community redesignees, and we are so pleased to recognize their efforts to improve community health!

Annabella

Annabella added new fitness opportunities to their local Community Center. They made significant enhancements to the exercise room, purchasing a new state-of-the-art Smith machine and free weights. Since the installation of the new equipment, youth participation in the exercise room has tripled. Based on community feedback, they also added a volleyball net to the facility, which has resulted in frequent volleyball practices. Furthermore, The Town Council is actively pursuing the installation of a brand-new playground to replace the existing one, and the Trails Committee is working to provide comprehensive information about the scenic trails surrounding Annabella.

Herriman

Herriman made sure its community programs are keeping up with its rapidly growing population. The city increased the amount of programming available for the aging population and is currently working to retrofit their old city hall building into a community center. Herriman City is also actively working to expand both its primitive and urban trail systems. The city recently completed a new active transportation corridor of 3.25 miles that connects Herriman to Riverton, and is working to build three new primitive trails that include a portion of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

Magna

Magna worked through its Magna United Communities that Care Coalition to provide a variety of health services to its community members. The coalition provided funding for over 5,000 weekend food packs for school food pantries, and provided breakfast over Christmas break for an elementary school with low food access. The coalition also organizes two drug take-back events a year and advertises the medication disposal box located at the local police station. In addition, Magna added an additional mile to their canal trail and plans to add an additional mile this upcoming year that will connect it to another, existing trail that spans multiple cities.

Marriott-Slaterville

Marriott-Slaterville has made sure that it continues to offer opportunities for physical activity, healthy eating, and mental health. Over the past year, the city added 1.5 new miles to its local trail system and partnered with the Weber Communities that Care Coalition to offer QPR Suicide Prevention classes in their community. The city also hosts a “Seed and Greet” event during the springtime to distribute garden seeds and teach gardening skills to any interested resident.

Millcreek

Millcreek continued to work hard to ensure that every resident has access to healthy food and mental health resources. The city partnered with Wasteless Solutions to launch a garden share program that distributes excess produce from residents’ gardens to organizations and food pantries that address hunger in the community. Millcreek also partnered with Housing Connect to host resource fairs that provide refugees and low-income residents with resources for education, health, and safety. This ensures that a strong foundation is in place for improved mental wellbeing.

North Logan

North Logan focused on improving opportunities to be physically active. The city completed a robust Active Transportation Plan and from the plan, completed over two miles of new trails. In addition, the city hosted QPR suicide prevention classes at the local library for any interested residents.

Park City

Park City worked hard to provide even greater access to physical activity, healthy food, and mental health resources. Park City’s Recreation Department enhanced its sliding fee scale scholarship program to increase access to its community sports leagues for adults and children. The department also hosted a Spring Gardening 101 class that promoted healthy eating and basic gardening skills.

The Trails & Open Space department addressed connectivity gaps between key community destinations with the Transit to Trails program, and the city was recognized nationally with the Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community award. They also implemented an annual bike-back-to-school event that distributes helmets, bells, and bicycle safety information to local elementary school students. 

To promote mental health, Park City trained its first responders on mental health crisis intervention and updated their prescription drop off box to one with a larger capacity and sensors to keep the content secure. These steps were taken in addition to providing mental health safety classes to 4th and 10th grade students.

Sandy City

Sandy worked on various strategies to elevate health and wellbeing in the community. Sandy launched the Healthy Sandy Champion program, which shines a spotlight on businesses and individuals who go above and beyond to promote good health, safety, and wellness in the city. The city also adopted a new active transportation plan and is working hard to address pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, as well as adding new trail segments. The city is proud to offer many fun opportunities to get physically active, such as community sports programs (including a scholarship option) and local events such as 5k runs and Yoga in the Park.

South Salt Lake

Since first receiving the Healthy Utah Community designation, the City of South Salt Lake continued to work hard to ensure that every resident has access to mental health, physical activity, and healthy eating resources. The city supported mental health by providing Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) trainings to the South Salt Lake community. Over the course of three years, 20 trainings were provided to 192 individuals, and city staff trained to provide Spanish-speaking sessions. South Salt Lake also supported physical health by completing a bike/walking trail that runs along the S-Line to the Jordan River and created safe biking/walking pathways that connect key recreation locations in the City. To support healthy eating, South Salt Lake started the Fitts Park Community Garden which boasts a total of 38 garden plots.

St. George

The City of St. George keeps health a high priority for its community and qualified for redesignation by implementing a range of initiatives through its Live Well and Healthy Dixie coalitions. The city implemented new wayfinding signage to help residents navigate their extensive trail network, prioritized sending city staff to pedestrian safety trainings, and conducted walkability and crosswalk audits throughout the community. St. George also partnered with Buffalo Wild Wings to offer youth sports participation waivers to low-income families.

The city also offered its residents health-focused programming including six-week-long community fitness challenges that saw over 600 registrants and a 73% completion rate. To keep wellness fun, the city also hosts an International Yoga Day event and conducts awareness campaigns to connect community members with local volunteer opportunities.

Vineyard

To earn its redesignation, Vineyard City worked hard to improve access to healthy food The city expanded its community garden to accommodate more residents and added a seed exchange program and community vegetable stand. Vineyard also secured its first grocery store.

To improve access to physical activity, Vineyard promoted Safe Routes to Schools by increasing the number of crosswalks throughout the city, and also added a nature walk and enhanced landscaping in its parks.

To support mental health, Vineyard developed mental health packages for its Resource Officers and received an award through One Kind Act a Day for its work to spread kindness throughout local schools and businesses.

Get Healthy Utah, in conjunction with the Utah League of Cities and Towns, is pleased to announce the newest Healthy Utah Community designees. Six cities and towns qualified this spring: Mapleton, Orem, Saratoga Springs, Smithfield, South Jordan, and West Point. 

Mapleton

Mapleton offers its residents many community events and amenities that support healthy living.

There is 6.1-mile trail system through the community, and the city developed a masterplan to further expand the trail system over the next five years. To encourage residents to get outside and use it, the city hosts an annual "Chalk the Walk" event where residents gather at the trail to decorate its path with colorful chalk creations.

To support access to healthy food, Mapleton hosts a farmer's market every Monday during the summer and hosted a food drive to support their local food pantry. Senior lunches and a senior gym are also available for residents to use at their Senior Gym Center.

To promote general wellness and good mental health, the city hosts a "Burn Bright" event each holiday season. Community members can right down their bad habits and put them in a box. That box is added to the old community Christmas tree, then burned as a community bonfire. Following, residents are encouraged to record their New Year's resolutions on goal plaques. 

Orem

Orem City is busy doing many things to support health in their community! To support physical activity, the city offers  free and low-cost community sports programs for adults and children, addressed active transportation connectivity gaps between key destinations, and adopted an ordinance that requires all new subdivisions to provide sidewalks and lights.

To support access to healthy food, Orem established a farmer’s market that accepts SNAP benefits, actively promotes enrollment in SNAP, WIC, and other food access programs for those in need, and implemented a new worksite wellness strategy around healthy eating among city employees.

Orem City also prioritizes mental health by training first responders on mental health crises and suicide prevention, hosting senior lunch gatherings, and beautifying several social gathering spaces including its local parks.

Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Springs is proud to offer its residents many opportunities to live a healthy lifestyle. Recently, the city added an important trail segment that connects the northern and central trail systems in the community, and each year they host a "Get to the River" campaign that encourages residents to recreate along the Jordan River and its scenic pathways.

To promote food access, the Westlake High School manages a food pantry for families in need, and the city's ordinances allow for backyard animal husbandry.

Mental health is also important to Saratoga Springs. Their Communities that Care coalition hosts a social media campaign every May to destigmatize and raise awareness for mental health challenges, and the Saratoga Springs Police and Fire Departments host annual trainings on mental health crises and suicide prevention to help keep community members safe.

Smithfield

Smithfield works hard to make sure every resident has access to fun ways to stay healthy! The city offers many adult and youth sports programs and even offers a youth scholarship to make sure no child is turned away if they can't meet the costs. They also have a joint-use agreement between the Cache County School District and their local community recreation center, making sure youth have access to sports facilities.

To support access to food and good nutrition, Smithfield runs a food pantry out of one of their city buildings and provides cooking, nutrition, and gardening classes at their library and recreation center.

To promote social connection and good mental health, Smithfield provides a senior citizen luncheon every week and partnered with Blomquist Hale to offer mental and physical wellness workshops to city employees. 

South Jordan

South Jordan offers several fun and exciting ways to stay physically active! Every year, they offer the SoJo Race Series, a year-round series of kids runs, 5ks, and 10ks. They also host a Winter Fitness Challenge where residents can set and meet exercise goals during the cold winter months and report back to receive prizes.

To promote healthy food access, South Jordan has a weekly farmer's market during the summer, passed ordinances that make it easy for local residents to operate their own produce stand sell home-grown fruits and vegetables, and partnered with the Salt Lake County Aging Services to offer weekday lunches for seniors in the community.

South Jordan also makes strong efforts to support mental health and safety. They offer onsite and remote wellness classes to their employees, handout free gunlocks to community members, and set up local medication disposal boxes.

West Point

West Point plans ahead to make sure its residents have opportunities to be physically active! The city contributed financially to the building of a new Jr. High School, guaranteeing use of the gym, exercise equipment and office space during non-school hours for various community recreation activities. They also joined surrounding communities to create the North Davis Active Transportation Implementation Plan in a regional effort to make bicycling, walking and other forms of active transportation safer and easier for Northern Davis County residents.

To support access to healthy food, West Point chose one person from each of its departments to serve on the Healthy West Point Team whose purpose is to promote healthy eating and raise awareness among employees about its benefits. Their city codes also allow for backyard farm animals and bee hives, providing increased access to fresh eggs, dairy, meat products, and honey.

West Point has also made strides to support social connection and mental wellbeing. The city hosts a monthly senior lunch for older community members and is increasing awareness of mental health resources with signage, social media posts, newsletter items and emails to residents.

Get Healthy Utah partnered with the Utah Worksite Wellness Council and Utah Community Builders to host the second annual Utah Business of Health Event! The event took place on February 7th, 2024 at the Zions Bank Technology Center in Midvale. Event sponsors included GBS Benefits and Nivati.

The purpose of the event was to bring together business leaders from across the state to discuss the importance of promoting good health among employees, particularly mental health. Over 80 individuals attended, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the quality of speakers!

Keynote Speaker: Nikki Walker, Director of Community Engagement and DE&I at Domo

Nikki gave a moving address about the importance of supporting employees through mental health crises. As a high-level professional, she shared her own experience dealing with depression and anxiety, and her need to request professional leave while overcoming thoughts of suicide. She highlighted key resources provided by her employers that made her recovery and reintegration into her workplace a success, and challenged attendees to increase their own awareness of and empathy towards employees who may face similar mental health challenges.

Panel Discussion

Moderator: Stephanie Larsen, Health Equity (Get Healthy Utah Board Member)

Panelists: Catherine Van Tassell, GBS Benefits; Danielle Valdez, Huntsman Mental Health Institute; Sentari Minor, evolvedMD

Catherine Van Tassell, Danielle Valdez, and Sentari Minor addressed questions from moderator Stephanie Larsen on ways to create a workplace environment that supports mental health. Catherine Van Tassell shared the science behind resilient mental health and emphasized the role that exercise, healthy eating, and adequate sleep can play in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Danielle Valdez shared the importance of engaging company leadership in efforts to support mental health and advocated for effective campaigns that increase employee’s awareness of mental health resources. Sentari Minor highlighted workplace policies that help to prevent burnout and excess stress among employees, including paid self-care time and compassionate, wellbeing-focused interviews with managers. Following the discussion, the panelists took questions from the audience.

Roundtable Discussion

Attendees concluded the event with roundtable discussions, discussing what was learned during the event and sharing mental health needs and strategies found at their own companies. Participants spent the time networking and answering the following questions:

• What is your organization currently doing to prioritize mental health in the workplace?
• What would your organization like to do to prioritize mental health in the workplace?
• What resources and support are needed to prioritize mental health in the workplace?

Conclusion

Participants left feeling motivated to promote employee mental health and were equipped with the resources and strategies to make a difference. We are grateful to everyone who attended and for the amazing partners, sponsors, and speakers who make this event possible!

Want to Improve Mental Health in Your Workplace? Try These Strategies:

• Talk about mental health! Bring it up with leadership, ask how your employees are doing personally and professionally, or start a campaign at your organization highlighting the resources you offer.
• Encourage at least one self-care practice every day!
• Offer new training to leadership and employees! Mental health first aid, QPR, and more.
• Revisit your work culture. Do employees have psychological safety?
• Implement policies and strategies to improve wellbeing. These can include flexible work schedules, time and resources to access care, standing desks and walking pads, and starting a community engagement program.
• Be a good human. Practice compassion and be an active listener!

Chet Loftis

R. Chet Loftis is the Managing Director of PEHP Health & Benefits, a public sector health plan that covers over 170,000 members. He is also the new Board Chair for Get Healthy Utah.

Good things don’t happen by chance. They require passionate and capable people who envision what could be, help others see the same, and work through the obstacles, complexities, and challenges to produce something of value.  

Get Healthy Utah is a thing of value—a gift, truly.   For the last 10 years, it has sought to unite the community around improving the health and wellbeing of all Utahns. As far as causes go, it may be hard to find a better or more important one, especially given the direction of current demographic trends.  

None of this would be possible without Greg Bell, who founded Get Healthy Utah and has served as Chair from its inception. Greg is a giant in our community. Someone that so many of us look up to and seek to emulate. Get Healthy Utah represents Greg’s commitment to make a positive, lasting impact on our community. A commitment that has taken shape and form as others have joined the cause with their energy and insights.

We live in a great place of good people and natural beauty. It is an honor to be part of a collective effort to improve the health and wellbeing of all Utahns. To feel pride in what has been done and to look forward to the opportunities ahead. Good things don’t happen by chance.