UT · 29 Counties
Utah Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Utah's 61 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Utah?
Utah has 61 active hospitals across 29 counties, including 13 Critical Access Hospitals and 18 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Utah?
Utah's 61 hospitals collectively operate 7,192 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Utah have no hospital?
6 of Utah's 29 counties (21%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Utah?
Of Utah's 61 hospitals, 28 are not-for-profit, 2 are for-profit, and 31 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Utah?
The median operating margin for Utah's hospitals is 3.1% as of FY2025. 6 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Utah have negative operating margins?
6 of Utah's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Utah?
The average occupancy rate across Utah's hospitals is 46.3% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Utah?
Utah receives 12 active HRSA grants totaling $17.5M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($11.2M), Flex Program ($3.4M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.5M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($1.5M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Utah?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Utah, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $11.2M across 9 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Utah?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Utah, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $3.4M across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Utah?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Utah, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.5M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Utah?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Utah, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $1.5M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Utah?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Utah are: Ihc Health Services Inc ($7.8M); Ut State Dept Of Health And Human Services ($6.4M); University Of Utah ($2.0M); Utah State University ($793K); Southern Utah University ($600K). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Utah receive?
Utah receives $195.7M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $978.7M over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Utah?
Utah Department of Health and Human Services is the designated lead agency managing Utah's $195.7M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Utah?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Utah's $195.7M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Utah's counties?
Across Utah's 29 counties, the average diabetes rate is 9.7%, obesity rate is 33.1%, and uninsured rate is 10.2%. There are 5.4 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Utah's communities?
Utah has 1 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.32 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Utah?
Utah has 193 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 63 in primary care, 55 in dental health, and 75 in mental health. An estimated 1,322,822 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Utah have?
Utah has 1,918 primary care physicians (56.1/100k population), 3,633 nurse practitioners, 2,030 physician assistants, and 2,468 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $10,798 with a 12.2% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Utah at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Utah's average county-level rates: diabetes 10.7%, obesity 31.7%, depression 26.4%, frequent mental distress 17.2%, smoking 10.1%, and high blood pressure 31.8%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Utah?
Utah has 59 FQHC sites operated by 13 grantee organizations. 28 sites (47.5%) are in rural areas and 31 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Utah?
Utah has 22 HRSA medically underserved designations: 16 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 6 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 51 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Utah prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Utah?
Federal data on Utah's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 61 hospitals in Utah.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Utah Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Utah's 61 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.