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Show Access to Health Care Access to health care is a vital issue for the 22% of Utah's population living in rural and frontier areas of the state. Some parts of Utah are among the least populated areas in the United States, and hence residents may face unique difficulties in accessing health care. A method to study rural and frontier access issues has been the isochrone model1. An isochrone is defined as "a geographic area that is within a specific time or distance from a health care delivery site.2" An "outlier area" is a geographic region outside the isochrone's boundaries3. The State Department of Health's Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health Systems uses isochrones with distances that can be traveled within 30 to 40 minutes at the legal speed limit. Table 111, compiled in 1993, includes population and health resource information by regional health care delivery site/isochrone. This is followed by Utah's isochrone map. Table 111. Rural Population and Health Resource Information by Regional Health Care Delivery Site/ Isochrone, April 1993* Regional Health Care Population Estimated Number and Mix Number Number of Long- No. of Miles to Delivery of Major Isochrone of Practitioners** of Term Care Nearest Facility Site/isochrone Town Population Hospitals Facilities*** Outside of Isochrone Beaver/Milford 3,713 4,760 2 MD's, 2 PAs 1 2 46 Mi. to Panguitch Blanding/Monti cello 4,968 4,460 3 MD's, 1 NP 1 1 53 mi. to Moab Brigham City 15,644 35,000 12MDs 1 2 25 mi. to Logan Cedar City 13,433 20,270 lOMDs, 1PA 1 3 53 mi. to St. George Delta/Fillmore 4,954 10,890 4 MDs, 1PA 2 3 56 mi. to Nephi Gunnison 1,298 8,380 5MDs 1 2 28 mi. to Mt. Pleasant Heber City 4,782 51,000 5 MDs, 1 PA 1 1 48 mi. to Salt Lake City Kanab 3,289 4,320 3 MDs, 1 PA 1 1 83 mi. to St. George Logan 32,762 70,580 33 MDs 1 4 25 mi. to Brigham City Moab 4,000 6,580 2 MDs, 1 PA 1 1 53 mi. to Monticello Monument Valley 0 1,550 1 CNM, 1 FP, 1 1 1 30 mi. to Kayenta, GP, 1 PA Az Mt. Pleasant 7,723 10,200 4 MDs 1 1 28 mi. to Gunnison Nephi 3,515 5,230 4 MDs, 1 PA, 1 1 2 40 mi. to Provo NP Park City 4,468 25,000 6 MDs, 1 NP 0 0 19 mi. to Heber City Panguitch 1,444 3,470 3 MDs, 1 PA, 1 1 1 46 mi. to Beaver NP Price 8,172 27,200 13 MDs, 3 PAs 4 74 mi. to Provo Richfield 5,593 13,160 5 MDs, 1 PA 2 25 mi. to Gunnison Roosevelt 3,915 15,820 9 MDs, 2 PAs 2 30 mi. to Vernal St. George 28,502 45,430 25 MDs 7 53 mi. to Cedar City Tooele 13,887 23,410 9 MDs, 1 PA 2 34 mi. to Salt Lake City Tremonton 4,264 33,100 4 MDs 1 1 15 mi. to Brigham City Vernal 6,694 17,990 HMDs 1 3 30 mi. to Roosevelt *These population figures do not account for people going to urban areas for health care, or tourists. ??Includes only primary care practitioners. ***Includes home health care. Table 111. Source: 1993: Utah Department of Health, Division of Health Care Resources, Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health Systems (1993). Utah's Vision for Rural Health Care: A Framework for Action. Prepared for the task force on Rural Health Policy Development. April 1993. Salt Lake City. p.48. Measured by Distance to Health Care Facility. 1. Task Force on Rural Health Policy Development (1993). Utah's Vision for Rural Health Care: A framework for Action. Salt Lake City: Author. 2. Ibid, p.45 3. Ibid, p.45 140 |