DHHS News

Health Department to Implement Limited Medicaid Expansion

(Salt Lake City, UT) – At the direction of Gov. Gary R. Herbert and legislative leadership, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) will amend its Medicaid State Plan to extend...
Last updated: February 3, 2017

‘Stop the Opidemic’ Utahns Share Stories of Loss, Recovery from Opioid Addiction

(Salt Lake City, Utah) – Opioid abuse is a Utah epidemic. Six Utahns die every week from opioid overdoses. Today, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) announced the launch of...
Last updated: January 25, 2017

Air Quality Recess Guidance for Schools Now Available: Guidance helps principals know when to keep kids inside on bad air days

(Salt Lake City, UT) – With the first major inversion forecast to hit the Wasatch Front this week, parents may be wondering if it’s safe for their children to play...
Last updated: January 17, 2017

Utah Adolescents with Potential Eating Disorders more likely to be Suicidal, Suffer from Bullying and Violence

(Salt Lake City, UT) – In 2011 and 2013, 4% of female students and 1.4% of male students in grades 9-12 in Utah public schools met a threshold for underweight...
Last updated: January 11, 2017

New Plan Unveiled to Help Stop Suicides in Utah

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Suicide prevention experts from the Utah Department of Health (UDOH), Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), and Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition unveiled...
Last updated: January 10, 2017

Utah Pharmacists Can Now Dispense Naloxone without a Prescription

(Salt Lake, UT) – Today, the executive director of the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) signed a statewide standing order allowing pharmacists to dispense naloxone, without a prior prescription, to...
Last updated: December 8, 2016

Media contacts

For media inquiries, contact our on-call Public Information Officers (PIO) at:

Joe Dougherty, director of communications

News releases and media statements

Spanish news releases and media statements

We strive to provide all news releases and media statements in Spanish. Our language access team can provide translation services by contacting them at languageaccess.utah.gov.  

Our graphic and writing standards

Our agency name is the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Use DHHS if an acronym is needed. 

  • DHHS graphic standards—This guide outlines how to use our logo, colors, fonts, and imagery in printed and electronic media. 
  • DHHS logos 
  • DHHS writing style guide—This guide creates clear and consistent language and tone across all written products, both internal and external to our agency.

Media guides and safe messaging

How we talk about suicide, mental health, and traumatic events matters. When we follow safe messaging guidelines, we contribute to a hopeful narrative about triumph over adversity. We communicate that support is available. Safe messaging promotes resiliency, encourages help-seeking, publicizes prevention successes, and encourages actions to help prevent suicide. 

When writing about suicide, mental health, or traumatic events follow safe messaging guidelines. Here are some of our favorite resources.