The award embodies the legacy and spirit of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon
Salt Lake City—July 1 holds special significance for public health in Utah; it commemorates the anniversary of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon’s birth and the third anniversary of the merger of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The Cannon Health building, one of two flagship administration buildings for DHHS, is named after Dr. Cannon.
Dr. Martha “Mattie” Hughes Cannon blazed trails for women as a frontier doctor, suffragist, public health reformer, and the 1st female senator in the country, beating her husband in the race for the state Senate. She revolutionized public health and sanitation in Utah and continued her work to promote women’s rights, including testifying before Congress in favor of a national suffrage amendment. Dr. Cannon founded the first State Board of Health, which later became the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, and established a nursing college and school for the deaf and blind in Utah all while raising her three children.
Dr. Cannon’s legacy is at the heart of the DHHS Martha Hughes Cannon Lifetime Achievement Award, presented today to Marie Nagata, program manager for the Utah Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, the Comprehensive Cancer Program, and the Health Resource Line. She also oversees the Check Your Health and Baby Your Baby programs.
“The Utah Department of Health and Human Services has some of the best and brightest minds and hearts who serve the state of Utah with wisdom, understanding, and compassion,” said Tracy Gruber, DHHS executive director. “This lifetime achievement award recognizes an employee who has shown excellence or made significant contributions over a career and embodies the characteristics and legacy of Dr. Cannon—someone who pushes boundaries, shows courage in the face of significant challenges, and who stands up for those who are marginalized and misunderstood.”
In her more than 30-year career at DHHS, Nagata has increased the number of women who received free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screenings from 6,000 in state fiscal year 2017 to 11,000 women in state fiscal year 2025—the highest number of clients ever screened through the program. She was also instrumental in helping Utahns find accurate information during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading a team of staff who helped answer questions on the department’s COVID-19 online chat and Health Resource Line.
“When you call the Utah Department of Health and Human Services main phone line, it’s most likely Marie and her team answering your call. Every year they field thousands of questions on every health topic imaginable, help people enroll in programs and services, and track down answers to hard questions,” said Heather Borski, assistant deputy director over Community Health & Well-Being at DHHS, who presented the award to Nagata at a ceremony at the Utah State Capitol.
Other award nominees included:
- Kathy Fife, regional director for the Office of Recovery Services (ORS) child support program. Fife has worked for ORS for more than 31 years.
- Casey Christopherson, Western Region director for the Division of Child and Family Services. Christopherson has helped to protect children and families for more than 30 years.
- Melissa Stevens Dimond, deputy director for the Division of Population Health. Through more than two decades of distinguished service, Diamond has made substantial, lasting contributions to public health systems at the state and local levels.
“Dr. Cannon’s vision and voice built the foundation for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services,” said Gruber. “She was a vocal advocate for healthy communities and today we’re carrying her torch with ambitions to advocate for, support, and serve all individuals and communities in Utah with effective policy and a seamless system of services and programs. We believe that all Utahns deserve to live safe and healthy lives.”
To learn more about the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, visit dhhs.utah.gov.
Anyone with questions about health information or programs and services DHHS offers can call the Health Resource Line at 1-888-222-2542. Staff are available to answer your call Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.