ANNUAL REPORT
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
The Southwest Utah Public Health Department (SWUPHD) serves approximately 295,000 residents across Washington, Iron, Kane, Beaver, and Garfield counties. The department’s work is guided by the Southwest Utah Board of Health (BOH), which establishes public health policy for the district. The board includes ten members, with two representatives from each county — one elected county commissioner and one appointed community member. Members serve three-year terms without financial compensation. Learn more about the Board of Health here.
Services Overview
We are organized into four divisions, each offering programs and services designed to protect and promote community health. Explore division and program summaries below.
Programs Offered – Baby Your Baby, EPSDT (Well-Child Care), Health Screenings, Immunizations, International Travel Clinic, Maternal & Child Health Support, Medicaid Information, Mobile Clinics, Safe to Sleep Education (SIDS Prevention), Vital Records
Summary – 9,611 Birth & Death Certificates, 11,072 Immunizations, 1,076 International Travel Visits, 1,764 Screenings & Lab Tests
Programs Offered – Health Promotions (HP), including Car Seat Education & Certified Inspections, Chronic Disease Prevention, Community Training & Outreach, Injury Prevention, Tobacco & Vape Prevention, TOP Star Program (Childhood Obesity Prevention), and Women, Children & Infants (WIC), including Breastfeeding Support
Summary – 1,108 TOP Star, 478 HP Class Participants, 26 HP Coalitions, 61 HP Events, 280 Quit Service Referrals, 452 Vape Prevention Reach, 232 Certified Car Seat Installs, 12,259 Safe Routes Youth Education, 526 Breastfeeding Support Reach, 3,527 WIC Total Clients, 466 WIC High Risk Clients, 307 WIC Pregnant, 734 WIC Infants, 2,005 WIC Children, 7,054 WIC Nutrition Assessments, 14,108 WIC Nutrition Education
Programs Offered – Bioterrorism & Pandemic Preparedness/Planning, Disease Investigation, Preparedness Education, Free Emergency Resources, Healthcare Coalition, Hospital Surge Planning, Mass Flu Vaccination Events, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)
Summary – 210 MRC Volunteers, 263 MRC Hours, $11,987 MRC Hours Value, 193 Preparedness Trainings, 4,303 Preparedness Participants, 2,386 Disease Investigations
Programs Offered – Body Art Safety Regulation, Food Services (FS), Radon Poster Contest, Septic Systems, Swimming Pool Regulations, Tanning Facility Regulation, Tobacco Retailer Compliance, Water Laboratory for Certified Water Sampling Analysis (WS)
Summary – 2,644 Total Inspections, 1,969 FS Routine Inspections, 193 FS Preopening Inspections, 82 FS Follow Up Inspections, 306 FS Temporary Food Inspections, 94 FS Other Inspections, 11,468 Food Handler Cards Issued, 8,766 WS Total Analyzed, 6,730 WS Pools Analyzed, 1,931 WS Drinking Water Analyzed, 105 WS Other Analyzed, 410 Septic System Permits Issued
Service Area Coverage – 964 Public Pools & Spas (in district), 1,493 Food Establishments (in district)
HEALTH STATISTICS
SWUPHD tracks health indicators to monitor the well-being of residents across our five-county district. The tables below highlight health trends over the past year to help guide public health priorities. For more detailed information on communicable diseases reported in the district, visit our Disease Investigation page.
Births & Deaths by County
Comparison of birth and death certificates issued in our district.
County | Birth Certificates | Death Certificates |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 5,076 | 2,168 |
| Iron | 1,072 | 518 |
| Kane | 118 | 112 |
| Beaver | 45 | 4 |
| Garfield | 83 | 32 |
Leading Causes of Death
In 2025, heart disease was the leading cause of death in our district, followed by cancer and other chronic conditions.
Cause | Number of Cases |
|---|---|
| Diseases of heart | 513 |
| Malignant neoplasm (cancer) | 469 |
| Alzheimer’s disease | 168 |
| Unintentional injuries | 142 |
| Cerebrovascular (stroke) | 100 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 81 |
| Chronic lower respiratory disease | 81 |
| Nutritional deficiencies | 64 |
| Parkinson’s disease | 60 |
| Nephritis | 58 |
| Intentional self-harm (suicide) | 55 |
| Septicemia | 35 |
| Influenza and pneumonia | 33 |
| Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis | 31 |
| Renal disease | 26 |
FRIENDS OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Each year, our department recognizes members of the community who have demonstrated exceptional support and service to public health.
2025 Award Recipients:
- Mandy Gibbs, RDH, MSDH – Utah Tech University, Dental Hygienist Instructor
- Tiffany Johnson, RN – Iron County School District, School Nurse Supervisor
- Nick Reynolds – Garfield County, Southwest Utah Board of Health Member
- Ulli Scholz – Saint George Police Department, Volunteer in Public Safety (VIPS)