Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/01/2022 --Intermountain Healthcare is making significant contributions to the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) and Utah League of Cities and Towns (ULCT), to help enhance community health by focusing on the social determinants of health throughout Utah.
The social determinants of health are non-medical factors that influence the health of a family and community, such as housing instability, transportation issues, and food insecurity.
Intermountain is contributing a total of $1 million – $500,000 each to WFRC and ULCT.
"From the use of efficient, clean transit to access to green spaces, health is greatly impacted by our built environment. We can positively impact health outcomes through the mindful development of public assets that support health," said Mikelle Moore, Intermountain senior vice president and chief community health officer. "We are proud to support the work the Wasatch Front Regional Council and the Utah League of Cities and Towns are doing in building a healthy future for both our rural and urban communities."
WFRC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Wasatch Front, as well as an Association of Governments (AOG) composed of elected officials from Box Elder, Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Tooele, and Weber counties.
Its mission is to build consensus and enhance quality of life by developing and implementing visions and plans for a well-functioning multi-modal transportation system, livable communities, a strong economy, and a healthy environment.
WFRC's Wasatch Choice Vision is a shared vision–a locally driven plan that creates local solutions with regional significance. It includes development along the Wasatch Front to address the social determinants of health.
The use of these funds will help advance the plan's shared goal of "livable and healthy communities." Wasatch Choice growth centers are ideal places to focus resources and explore improved usage of public assets. Additional use of these funds may include pairing it with other funding sources and WFRC programs, including but not limited to the Transportation and Land Use Connection Program (TLC).
"I extend sincere thanks and gratitude to Intermountain Healthcare for their generous donation to WFRC and ULCT," said Jeff Silvestrini, Mayor of the City of Millcreek. "As chair of WFRC and first vice-president of ULCT, I know how much good this funding will do to enhance planning, reduce congestion, improve air quality, increase our residents' access to work and educational opportunities, and to address real problems of housing affordability. It's community champions like Intermountain Healthcare who help make our communities and state a great place to call home."
The Utah League of Cities and Towns is an inter-local government cooperative working to represent the interests of Utah cities, both urban and rural, and providing resources and training to municipal leaders.
ULCT will partner with WFRC and others to help communities strategically evaluate community assets, offer technical assistance, and promote education/training programs for local leaders as they address the social determinants of health.
"Local leaders in Utah's cities and towns continually work to address the changing needs in our communities," said South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey, Utah League of Cities and Towns President and Chair of the WFRC Regional Growth Committee. "This generous grant from Intermountain Healthcare will benefit all communities in helping local leaders assess our needs, further engage our residents, and plan for healthy, vibrant communities."
Intermountain will contribute two annual installments of $250,000 beginning in 2022. The donated funds will support public assets development, staff time, and evaluation costs.
About Intermountain Healthcare
Located in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada, Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 25 hospitals, 225 clinics, the Intermountain Medical Group with some 2,700 employed physicians and advanced care practitioners, a health plans division called SelectHealth, Homecare, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs.