Group: Social Services - Department of Health

Agency: Health

Line Item: Disease Control and Prevention

Function

The mission of the Division of Disease Control and Prevention is to promote health and reduce the leading causes of death, disease, and disability in Utah. The Division of Disease Control and Prevention works with and for other state, local and private entities to:

1. Identify and epidemiologically characterize communicable diseases, human health effects of environmental health hazards, occupational risks of public health concern, injuries, chronic diseases, and risk factors for chronic diseases.
2. Develop and coordinate public health reporting systems, control measures and prevention activities.
3. Conduct environmental sanitation policy.
4. Provide comprehensive public health laboratory testing and technical consultation.
5. Operate a statewide medical examiner system.

Statutory Authority

The Division of Disease Control and Prevention is governed by the Utah Health Code in Title 26 of the Utah Code.

• UCA 26-4 establishes the Medical Examiner Act, which outlines procedures taken when dealing with various deaths in the State and which deaths are to be examined by the Medical Examiner.
• UCA 26-5 defines chronic diseases and requires the Health Department to establish programs to prevent, delay, and detect the onset of such.
• UCA 26-6 and 26-6b give guidelines to control and treat various communicable diseases.
• UCA 26-7 directs the Department to identify the major risk factors contributing to injury, sickness, death, and disability in Utah and establish programs to prevent those outcomes.
• UCA 26-10-8 requires the Department of Health to award contracts to non-governmental entities funded by tobacco settlement and/or cigarette tax funds via a competitive request for proposal process at least every five years.
• UCA 26-15 outlines the Health Department's efforts, in conjunction with those of local health departments, in relation to general sanitation, including those dealing with the Indoor Clean Air Act.
• UCA 26-15a outlines the Department's efforts, in conjunction with those of local health departments, in relation to food safety.
• UCA 26-21a requires the Department to create a program to reduce breast cancer mortality.
• UCA 26-23b outlines the procedures to be taken during a public health emergency.
• UCA 26-51 directs the Department to establish scientific standards for methamphetamine decontamination.

Intent Language

All General Funds appropriated to the Department of Health - Disease Control and Prevention line item are contingent upon expenditures from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1, 111th United States Congress) not exceeding amounts appropriated from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in all appropriation bills passed for FY 2011. If expenditures in the Disease Control and Prevention line item from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act exceed amounts appropriated to the Disease Control and Prevention line item from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in FY 2011, the Division of Finance shall reduce the General Fund allocations to the Disease Control and Prevention line item by one dollar for every one dollar in Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act expenditures that exceed Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act appropriations.

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code the Legislature intends that appropriations provided for Epidemiology and Laboratory Services in Item 96 of Chapter 396 Laws of Utah 2009, Volume 2 not lapse at the close of Fiscal Year 2010. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to $250,000 for laboratory equipment, computer equipment and/or software and building improvements.

Funding Detail

Program: Director's Office

Function

The Division of Disease Control and Prevention provides administration of public health, public health laboratory, and environmental health programs. These programs include Chemical and Environmental Services, Forensic Toxicology, Laboratory Improvement, Microbiology, Health Promotion, Office of the Medical Examiner, and Epidemiology. The Division Director is also the State Epidemiologist with overall responsibility for epidemiologic surveillance, investigation and response.

Funding Detail

Program: Communicable Disease Control

Function

This program has been combined with the Epidemiology Program effective FY 2011.

Funding Detail

Program: Microbiology

Function

The Bureau of Microbiology provides laboratory testing and consultation services for local health departments; hospitals, clinics, labs, and physicians throughout Utah; the Utah Department of Agriculture; State Mosquito Abatement; the Department of Environmental Quality; the Division of Family Health and Preparedness Services; and the State Medical Examiner. The areas of support include: newborn screening, HIV, sexually-transmitted diseases, agents of bioterrorism surveillance, arbovirus surveillance, virology, rabies testing, bacteriology, mycology, mycobacteriology, parasitology, as well as outbreak control (food and waterborne), and communicable disease outbreak support, i.e. - influenza, tuberculosis, and food borne diseases. The Bureau works in close support with the Bureau of Epidemiology to provide test data for disease surveillance and statistics across the entire State.

The Bureau also works closely with State partners such as health care workers, local public health, fire, law enforcement, military, and Indian tribes to provide training on safe handling and shipping of specimens for testing, interpreting microbiology results, and emergency preparedness functions that the microbiology laboratory provides. The Bureau provides specimen collection, packaging and shipping materials to the local health districts to be used for testing at the State laboratory.

Performance

Funding Detail

Program: Epidemiology

Function

The Bureau of Epidemiology is responsible for: (1) the detection, investigation, and control of communicable and infectious diseases, (2) surveillance and investigation of health effects associated with environmental hazards, (3) coordinating a statewide environmental sanitation program including 15 sanitation rules, (4) supporting treatment of HIV, AIDS, sexually transmitted disease, and tuberculosis, (5) managing a statewide immunization program and immunization registry, and (6) managing a program to reduce deaths and other harm from prescription opiates used for chronic, noncancerous pain.

The Bureau operates nine programs: the Communicable Disease Prevention Program, the Treatment and Care Services Program, the Communicable Disease Investigation and Response Program, the Environmental Epidemiology Program, the Environmental Sanitation Program, the Immunization Program, Prescription Pain Medication Management Program, the Communicable Disease Analysis and Reporting Program, and the Utah Statewide Immunization Information System (USIIS). The programs have adopted the U.S. Healthy People 2010 Goals and Objectives, and activities are established to meet Health Department goals of protecting the public health, improving quality of life, preventing disease and premature death, and promoting healthy lifestyles for the residents of the State.

The Bureau also is responsible for developing and operating surveillance systems to detect bioterrorism and for assuring epidemiological preparedness to respond to an incident of bioterrorism or the similar threat of pandemic disease. Funding sources include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), and the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

Communicable Disease Prevention Program

• Goals: Provide education and training programs which emphasize reduction and prevention of the following communicable diseases: HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and hepatitis C virus. Support individuals in making behavior changes that will reduce their risk of acquiring or transmitting these communicable diseases.
• Target Population: Individuals at high risk of contracting HIV (men who have sex with men, youth, women, injecting drug users, and ethnic populations), persons ages 15-24 (group most likely to have sexually transmitted diseases), youth detention centers, homeless youth, and youth in substance abuse treatment centers.
• Services Provided: Confidential or anonymous pre- and post-test counseling, testing and referral services to individuals at publicly-funded sites (local health departments and community-based organizations). The Program also provides education, case management, data management, treatment, partner notification, and epidemiological studies, analysis, and research.
• Partners: Local health departments, Indian tribal governments, federal government, as well as communicating with STD Control Programs in other states.

Treatment and Care Services Program

• Goals: (1) reduce the incidence of Tuberculosis (TB) in Utah through prompt identification and treatment of active TB cases and (2) a more effective and cost-effective system for the delivery of essential services to individuals and families with HIV disease
• Target Populations: individuals infected with HIV and/or TB who are not covered or are underinsured by private health insurance and do not qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, or other State or local programs
• Services Provided:
  1. HIV Services - AIDS-related medications, durable medical equipment, ambulatory care, dental services, mental health counseling, emergency funding, transportation, case management, and the Health Insurance Continuation Program. The Health Insurance Continuation Program pays all or part of a person's health insurance premium if the person has HIV disease and is eligible through COBRA for their health benefits. A premium payment program assists individuals with HIV disease who are not eligible for other insurance coverage, to obtain insurance through the Utah Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool, by providing monthly premium payments. On a case-by-case basis the program may provide the following services: health aide, personal care, and routine diagnostic tests administered in the home.
  2. TB services - medications, medical expertise, and public health nursing (all provided at no charge)
  3. Refugees - this program also administers the federally-funded Refugee Health Program, which provides health screening and follow-up to newly arriving refugees in the State. Health screenings are conducted to protect Utah's resident population from exposure to communicable diseases and related problems.

Communicable Disease Investigation and Response Program (CDIRP)

The Communicable Disease Investigation and Response Program (CDIRP) conducts communicable disease surveillance and management. The responsibilities of the CDIRP include assisting with the identification, investigation, and management of communicable diseases and outbreaks. Epidemiological investigations are conducted in conjunction with local health departments to identify risk factors and implement appropriate control measures and prevention strategies. The program also responds rapidly to suspect and confirmed cases of diseases of public health significance, aiding local health departments, healthcare workers, and the public in implementing control and prevention measures. In addition, the program provides consultation regarding communicable diseases to healthcare professionals, healthcare facilities, and a variety of local, State, and federal agencies, and acts as a liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for disease investigations in Utah.

Communicable Disease Analysis and Reporting Program

The Communicable Disease Analysis and Reporting Program conducts regular analyses of surveillance data as well as generating and evaluating daily reports. These reports incorporate statistical methods to interpret disease trends over time to identify clusters of disease that may indicate an outbreak. The program also develops surveillance reports that provide communicable disease trend data to the public, healthcare professionals, and local, State, and federal partners on a regular basis and as requested.

The program is responsible for maintaining Utah's National Electronic Database Surveillance System for Surveillance (UT-NEDSS) and providing support to local health departments in using this system to store and manage communicable disease data. The program is also responsible for building, implementing, and maintaining the UT-NEDSS in Utah as part of a national effort to improve mechanisms for disease reporting, public health surveillance, and disease control practices. NEDSS provides a web-based system for storing and managing communicable disease data, as well as a mechanism for allowing case management functions to be monitored and evaluated by local and State Health Department staff simultaneously. The program also is responsible for Utah's participation in the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System managed by the CDC.

Environmental Epidemiology Program

The Environmental Epidemiology Program addresses environmental hazards and diseases in Utah. The mission of the program is to develop and support programs to assess, and work with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and federal agencies to prevent or reduce the potential for acute and chronic morbidity and mortality associated with environmental and occupational factors, including exposure to toxic substances, reproductive hazards, unsafe work environments, and agents responsible for debilitating diseases. The program conducts epidemiological investigations, cooperates with local, State, and federal agencies in problems related to hazardous substance exposure, and researches environmental and occupational health problems.

Environmental Sanitation Program

The Environmental Sanitation Program's goal is to reduce illness, premature death, and disability due to the effects of secondhand smoke, contaminated food, and poor sanitation at public swimming pools, public lodging, schools, and many other public places. With the focus to decrease illness, premature death, and disability due to contaminated food served to the public, this program provides consultation to food and restaurant inspectors. This program also seeks to establish and maintain a consistent approach statewide to environmental health regulation across the 12 local health departments in Utah through implementing rules and consultation and training aimed at a standardized approach to enforcement.

Immunization Program

The Immunization Program promotes vaccinations as part of comprehensive health care across the life span: infants, children, adolescents, and adults. It provides services through technical assistance to local health departments (LHD), community health centers (CHC), managed care organizations, schools (public and private) and early childhood programs (licensed day cares, head start, etc), as well as other providers. The program contracts with LHDs and CHCs to support infrastructure for outreach activities to at-risk and eligible populations. Special emphasis is placed on efforts to improve the immunization coverage of preschool-age children, especially those less than two years of age via the Every Child by Two public/private partnership, local coalitions, and the Immunize It's Up Two You media campaign. Additionally, the program monitors required school entry vaccination levels of all school children kindergarten through grade 12 in collaboration with the Utah State Office of Education.

The Immunization Program also performs the following functions:

• Monitor the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Assist in preparing for and addressing disease outbreaks.
• Maintain the Immunization Hotline.
• Support the operation of the Utah Statewide Immunization Information System.
• Provide educational information and technical assistance to all of Utah through grant-awarded Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds.
• Manage the Utah Vaccines for Children Program.

The federally-funded Vaccines for Children Program (VFC) provides vaccines at no cost to eligible children ages 0-18 years that are uninsured, covered by Medicaid, under-insured, or American Indian. The vaccine is provided to over 350 enrolled public and private medical providers statewide. This program provides technical assistance for vaccine management and accountability including: doses administered, quality assurance, assessment, storage and handling, and audits. The VFC distribution system is used, through a memorandum of agreement with CHIP, to provide vaccine to children enrolled in CHIP which provides a substantial cost savings to the CHIP program and provides the same services related to vaccine management and accountability. The federal government also maintains the Vaccine Adverse Event Reports System, which provides for a reporting system for adverse events following receipt of any U.S. licensed vaccine.

Prescription Pain Medication Management Program

The Prescription Pain Medication Management Program's mission is to reduce deaths and other harm from prescription opiates. The Prescription Pain Medication Management Program is being led by the Utah Department of Health in collaboration with the Utah Attorney General, the Labor Commission, and the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensure.

Utah State Immunization Information System

Utah State Immunization Information System is the immunization registry for Utah. This program collects and maintains current immunization records on children in Utah which health care providers use to keep their patients up to date on their immunizations. The Health Department uses this data to monitor the overall immunization rates in Utah.

Performance

Funding Detail

Effective FY 2010 the immunization and Utah State Immunization Information System programs have their expenditures recoded in the Epidemiology Program. Prior to FY 2010, these expenditures are part of the Maternal and Child Health program within the Family Health and Preparedness line item.

Program: Chemical and Environmental Services

Function

The Bureau of Chemical and Environmental Services provides testing of water, soil, and air to monitor the environment to assure compliance with health and safety standards, and to respond to emergencies such as chemical spills and contaminated drinking water. The tests, requested primarily by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Natural Resources, assist those departments in assessing the safety of the environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency certifies the State laboratory as the principal place for water testing.

The laboratory program also tests for chemical agents in clinical samples in response to chemical terrorism incidents as a result of federal funding from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the Public Health Preparedness Program. The laboratory also is able to analyze for heavy metals and cyanide in samples to determine exposure of these chemicals to humans.

The Bureau's Chemical Preparedness Program is funded by the CDC's Bioterrorism Program.

Funding Detail

Program: Forensic Toxicology

Function

The Bureau of Forensic Toxicology provides drug and alcohol analysis for law enforcement agencies to determine driving under the influence violations, including automobile homicides, sexual assaults, and other crimes. In addition, the Bureau provides testing for drug, alcohol, and other poisons in autopsy specimens to assist the Office of the Medical Examiner in determining the cause of death.

Funding Detail

Program: Laboratory Improvement

Function

The Bureau of Laboratory Improvement sets and enforces standards for those laboratories that perform tests that impact public health. The Bureau provides two types of laboratory classification certification, clinical and environmental. The Clinical Lab Certification is under the authority and direction of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Environmental Lab Certification is under the authority of the Utah Code and the United States Environmental Protection Agency and works closely with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to maintain adequate certified laboratory capacity. Additionally, the Bureau provides quality assurance assistance, safety training, and technical services within the Utah Public Health Laboratory.

Funding Detail

Program: Health Promotion

Function

The Bureau of Health Promotion works to reduce premature death and disability due to heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, tobacco, injuries and violence, and lack of prenatal care. The Bureau's mission is to foster a culture of health in Utah, by promoting environments in which the healthy choice is the easy choice. The Bureau's programs coordinate around common functions such as public health surveillance and information management, local health departments and other partner relations, consumer education, outreach, and research. Comprehensive population-based interventions are provided at school, work, community and health care settings, and include primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies.

Cancer Control Program

The mission of the Utah Cancer Control Program is to reduce cancer incidence and mortality in Utah through collaborative efforts that provide services and programs directed toward comprehensive cancer prevention and control through the following:

1. Implementation of the strategies of the 2006-2011 Utah Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan and initiate priority strategies annually along with the members, work groups, and committees of the Utah Cancer Action Network (UCAN).
2. Maintain UCAN, a group of over 100 people from over 50 organizations including hospitals, private clinics, government and community agencies, non-profit organizations and other groups who are working together to reduce cancer incidence and mortality for all Utahns.
3. Implement breast and cervical cancer media campaigns.
4. Provide breast and cervical cancer screening for Utah women who meet income eligibility and age guidelines.
5. Sponsor and co-sponsor meetings for health care providers, practitioners, and professionals.
6. Work closely with local health departments and other community providers statewide.
7. Conduct a colorectal cancer awareness program and screening for individuals between 50 and 64, low-income, at average risk for colon cancer, and referred by a primary care provider.

Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program

The goal of the Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program is to decrease premature death and disability due to heart disease and stroke through the following:

1. Develop and Coordinate State Partnerships: The Alliance for Cardiovascular Health in Utah (with over 100 partners) has been organized to strengthen health systems for the secondary and tertiary prevention of heart disease and stroke by advocating principles that are designed to promote, influence and assist the public in developing skills and making decisions for healthier choices.
2. Assist communities, worksites, and health care sites to develop polices, environmental supports and practices to promote heart health and prevent heart disease and stroke, such as worksite wellness programs focused on self-care for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Encourage emergency medical services transport policies for stroke and heart attack.
3. Increase the knowledge and awareness base of Utahns about the importance of knowing what your blood pressure is and the link between high blood pressure and increased risk for heart disease and stroke.
4. Maintain a surveillance and evaluation program to monitor heart health and risk status of Utahns, and evaluate effectiveness of program interventions and strategies.
5. Provide training and technical assistance to enhance knowledge, skills and resources of community partners to affect and sustain policy and environmental changes.

Diabetes Prevention and Control Program

The Diabetes Prevention and Control Program's mission is to work in partnerships to improve the quality of life of all Utahns at risk for, or affected by, diabetes. It is funded solely through federal money.

The program strives to:

• Inform Utahns of the seriousness, symptoms, and risk factors of diabetes.
• Help Utahns with diabetes learn to control their diabetes and prevent complications.
• Increase awareness of methods to prevent type 2 diabetes in Utahns with impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance.
• Decrease or delay complications due to unmanaged diabetes.
• Improve insurance coverage for Utahns with diabetes.
• Assure access to high quality diabetes education programs.
• Promote improved quality of medical care in local communities.

Healthy Utah Program

Healthy Utah is a worksite based employee health promotion and prevention program available to State and other public employees and spouses covered by the Public Employees Health Program. Healthy Utah's mission is providing resources, incentives, skills, and empowering people to achieve healthy lifestyles. Healthy Utah works in State agencies and with other public entities (local governments) to create healthy work environments that support healthy lifestyle behaviors. Healthy Utah offers physical assessments, personal health sessions, weight management and stress prevention classes. Seminars on a variety of health topics and group health promotion programs are also available free of charge. Healthy Utah also provides technical assistance to worksites interested in establishing wellness councils and integrating employee health promotion and prevention into daily business activities. Healthy Utah strives to increase employee productivity, decrease employee absenteeism, and reduce the rapid escalation of health care costs.

Arthritis Program

The mission of the Utah Arthritis Program is to improve the quality of life for people affected by arthritis. The Program received renewed and increased funding until 2012 and is fully funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Administration on Aging.

The Utah Arthritis Program (UAP) is focused on:

1. Increasing community awareness
2. Measuring arthritis trends
3. Supporting policy and decision making to address arthritis
4. Increasing access and use of evidence based interventions designed for people with arthritis

Evidence Based Interventions: The UAP has been working with partners to develop infrastructure and offer evidence based interventions to people with arthritis. Currently there are three categories of CDC-approved evidence based interventions:

1. Media Campaigns: Physical Activity the Arthritis Pain Reliever & Beunos Dias Artritis: The Spanish Media Campaign
2. Class Room Based Interventions: Arthritis Foundation Self Help Program, Chronic Disease Self Management Program & Active Living Every Day
3. Physical Activity Interventions: Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program & Enhanced Fitness

All reports are available on the UAP website at http://health.utah.gov/arthritis/.

Asthma Program

The Utah Asthma Program was developed in 2002 and is fully funded by the CDC to address asthma from a public health perspective. The program works to identify the extent of the asthma problem, implement a statewide plan to reduce the burden of asthma, and partners with other agencies to increase awareness and use of asthma self-management and asthma care resources.

Violence and Injury Prevention Program (VIPP)

To accomplish its mission, the Violence and Injury Prevention Program (VIPP) collaborates with many partners, including other Health Department programs, State and local agencies, local health departments, private businesses, non-profit community based organizations, health care providers, and others.

The VIPP conducts and/or provides significant support to the following projects and activities: Teen Motor Vehicle Safety, Motor Vehicle Seat Belt Campaign, Child Safety Seat Campaign, Child Booster Seat Campaign, Domestic Violence Fatality Review, Child Fatality Review Committee, Utah Violent Death Reporting System, Falls Prevention Among Older Adults, Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Project, Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance Project, Traumatic Brain Injury Fund and Contracts, Safe Kids Utah, and others. The VIPP contracts with all local health departments, providing funding and technical support for local injury prevention programs that address: teen motor vehicle safety, seat belt, booster seat, child car seat use, bicycle safety, and pedestrian safety. VIPP also contracts with rape prevention non-profit, community-based organizations to provide primary prevention rape and sexual assault activities in their communities.

Additional information, reports, and data are available at http://health.utah.gov/vipp/.

Baby Your Baby Program (BYB)

The Baby Your Baby Program strives to improve the health of families in Utah through outreach programs, telephone hotlines, and education services. The Baby Your Baby Program (BYB) provides a vehicle through which the Health Department can target audiences throughout the State with important health messages. The outreach program establishes public-private partnerships to promote healthy lifestyles, reduce health risks, and increase access to health care. This is accomplished through public service announcements and other television programs, radio and printed materials which address Department goals dealing with early prenatal care, folic acid, vaccine-preventable infections, injury, dental disease, obesity, and other important health issues.

The Check Your Health Program, under the BYB umbrella, encourages all Utahns to eat healthy and be active. The Baby Your Baby Program provides answering service to a number of other programs including the Children's Health Insurance Program, the Cancer Control Program and the Immunization Program, among others.

Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP)

The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) provides technical expertise and coordination at State and community levels to prevent and reduce tobacco use in Utah. The goals of the TPCP are to promote quitting among young people and adults, prevent initiation of tobacco use among young people, eliminate nonsmokers' exposure to secondhand smoke, and identify and eliminate disparities in tobacco use among populations groups.

Statewide and Community-based Services to Help Tobacco Users Quit

Quitting tobacco at any age provides health benefits and increases life expectancy. To help Utah tobacco users quit, the TPCP offers the following quit services:

• The Utah Tobacco Quit Line, (888) 567-TRUTH and Utah QuitNet (www.utahquitnet.com)
• Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation services for pregnant women and for the cessation medications Zyban and Chantix.
• Local health departments' tobacco-quitting programs for pregnant women.
• Local school and community-based teen cessation programs and community based adult cessation programs.

"The TRUTH" Public Awareness Campaign

The TRUTH media campaign is multi-pronged, targeting prevention and quitting among mainstream and high-risk youth, adults, pregnant women, ethnic groups, and rural populations through a mix of media including radio, TV, and outdoor advertising. Most Utah residents are directly or indirectly impacted by the campaign. The TPCP evaluates the reach and impact of the media campaign with annual surveys of 1,200 randomly selected Utah teens, adult smokers, and non-smokers. Some campaign components include:

• "Dear Me" quit smoking TV campaign to promote the Utah Tobacco Quit Line and QuitNet services.
• "Target" youth ads.
• Advertisements addressing pregnant women and secondhand smoke.

Prevention Partnerships with Local Health Departments, Schools, and Communities

Evidence-based school programs promote strong "no tobacco use" attitudes among students, increase students' knowledge of the dangers of tobacco, and teach students skills to resist peer influences. School programs are most effective when they are part of comprehensive school tobacco policies that include enforcement of rules against tobacco use, tobacco prevention education for students in all grades, access to cessation services, and involvement of families and communities in tobacco prevention. TPCP prevention services include:

• Collaboration with select school districts to strengthen and better enforce school tobacco policies.
• Evidence based anti-tobacco curricula for students.
• The Truth from Youth Anti-Tobacco Advertising Contest for fourth and fifth grades, and Real Noise Contest for Middle and High schools.
• Anti-tobacco activities and presentations in schools and communities across Utah.
• Working with Utah's statewide youth anti-tobacco movement, One Good Reason, to ensure that youth play an important role in developing and spreading anti-tobacco messages.

Efforts to Reduce Exposure to Secondhand Smoke:

• Secondhand smoke (SHS) kills over 50,000 Americans annually by causing fatal diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Children exposed to SHS suffer from low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, pneumonia, ear infections, and bronchitis. To reduce Utahns' exposure to SHS, the TPCP and its partners work to enforce the provisions of the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act (UICAA), and encourage voluntary smoke-free policies in homes, worksites not covered by the UICAA, and outdoor venues.

Youth Access to Tobacco

Utah law prohibits tobacco sales to minors under the age of 19. Local health departments collaborate with retailers and law enforcement to ensure compliance with youth access laws through retailer education, retailer recognition, and compliance checks.

Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Program (PANO)

The Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Program's (PANO) mission is to make the healthy choice the easy choice in Utah. The PANO Program engages partners from schools, communities, healthcare, worksites, government and the media to implement strategies in Utah's Ten-year Nutrition & Physical Activity State Plan (2010 - 2020). The Program provides support to all 12 local health departments for physical activity and nutrition-related initiatives. Program staff monitor and report trends in obesity and related behavioral risk factors including physical activity, consumption of fruits and vegetables, consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and high calorie foods, television viewing and breastfeeding. The Program is responsible for implementing the Gold Medal Schools Program which provides incentives, resources and training to help elementary schools create healthy environments where students and staff are given opportunities to be active, eat healthfully and stay tobacco free.

Intent Language

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code, the Legislature intends that up to $500,000 of Item 97 of Chapter 396, Laws of Utah 2009, Volume 2 for the alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention reduction, cessation, and control programs not lapse at the close of Fiscal Year 2010. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to unexpended funds in contracts issued for Fiscal Year 2010 for the purposes outlined in those contracts.

Funding Detail

Program: Office of the Medical Examiner

Function

The Office of the Medical Examiner (OME) is responsible for the investigation and certification of sudden and unexpected deaths that occur within the borders of the State. The specific circumstances surrounding any given death which place it under the jurisdiction of the OME are specified in UCA 26-4-7, such as:

• Sudden death while in apparent good health.
• Under suspicious or unusual circumstances.
• Resulting from poisoning or overdose of drugs.
• The OME also approves permits to render a corpse unavailable for examination (i.e. - cremation).

The OME pays for roundtrip transportation of bodies under its jurisdiction. A contracted transportation service is used along the Wasatch Front; funeral homes provide all other transportation.

Funding Detail