Today marks the official merge to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the release of the new department’s website.
The Utah Department of Health and the Department of Human Services have been working since March 2021—since the passage of HB 365—to effectively and efficiently combine the two departments.
Since March 2021, the departments engaged with stakeholders, streamlined how the new department will organize, and took public comment on how the department should be formed.
“Thousands of our employees, partners, and members of the public participated in meetings, provided input, and actively worked alongside us to gather, evaluate, inform, and align the elements of our departments to best serve the people of Utah,” said Tracy Gruber, Executive Director of DHHS. “This consolidation process has allowed us to not only identify challenges and barriers to accessing care for those most in need, but also opportunities to unify services, reduce redundancies, improve equity, and offer more efficient services.”
Here is the official organizational chart of the department.
“The current health and human services model and accompanying policies have led to a fragmented system of services creating unnecessary barriers and challenges to accessing care for those most in need,” the DHHS website said. “These systemic challenges contribute to inequities in health outcomes and determinants of health. A consolidated department will reduce these challenges and improve outcomes for all Utahns, particularly those within communities where disparities are greatest.”