Get Healthy Utah News and Blog

Get Healthy Utah, together with the Utah League of Cities and Towns, is pleased to announce that three Healthy Utah Communities have earned their redesignation this fall: Ephraim, Layton, and North Salt Lake. Check out this video to learn more!

Ephraim

Redesignated in Fall 2025, Ephraim focused its efforts on expanding active living opportunities for residents and visitors. The city upgraded a rugged, rocky trail by removing large stones and filling in potholes, transforming it into a smooth, bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly route. Running alongside the local disc golf course, the improved trail now sees more frequent use and supports a more active community lifestyle.

Layton

Layton’s 2025 redesignation highlights the city’s deepening commitment to employee wellness, food security, and mental health. Through its “Wellable” Wellness Program, the city expanded opportunities for employees and their families to engage in physical activity and adopt healthier daily habits. Layton also bolstered support for the Open Doors Food Bank, helping ensure that local families facing hardship have access to emergency food resources. To strengthen mental well-being, the city introduced CredibleMind, a confidential resource platform offering tools to help employees navigate stress, sleep, relationships, and overall mental health.

North Salt Lake

North Salt Lake’s Fall 2025 redesignation reflects wide-ranging progress in active living, employee wellness, and mental health support. The city encouraged residents to explore local trails by organizing quarterly community walks and hikes, and it reinforced long-term commitments to walkability and active transportation by integrating these priorities into its general plan. City employees benefited from expanded wellness initiatives, which earned North Salt Lake PEHP recognition for three consecutive years. To promote mental health and safety, the city enhanced public awareness of safe medication disposal through its police department and increased mental health and suicide-prevention training for first responders.

Get Healthy Utah, together with the Utah League of Cities and Towns, is excited to recognize five new Healthy Utah Communities this fall: Bountiful, Cedar City, Cottonwood Heights, Midway, and Murray.

Bountiful

Bountiful is making health a priority with a growing trail network, a strong employee wellness program, and community efforts like a garden and food drive. The city also invests in mental health through first responder training and recreation programs. These programs help residents stay active, connected, and supported.

Cedar City

Cedar City offers plenty of ways to get moving with sports programs, fitness events, and safe infrastructure. Residents also benefit from farmers markets, summer meal programs, and ordinances that improve access to healthy food. On the mental health side, the city focuses on suicide prevention, first responder training, and events that strengthen community ties.

Cottonwood Heights

From swim lessons to pickleball, Cottonwood Heights gives residents of all ages fun ways to stay active. The city also supports healthy eating with gardening classes, seed exchanges, and educational programs, while addressing mental health through safe medication disposal and suicide prevention training.

Midway

Known for its scenic setting and recreation, Midway is expanding trails, bike lanes, and active transportation options like the River Road and Homestead Drive Trails. The city also promotes wellness and safety through thoughtful community design, public programs, and initiatives like its e-bike ordinance. Their work makes the city a healthier place for residents and visitors alike.

Murray

Murray encourages wellness with recreation programs, community sports, and well-kept trails. Access to healthy food comes through the Murray Children’s Pantry and a farmers market, while first responder training and the annual Health and Safety Fair connect residents with resources that support mental and physical health.

Get Healthy Utah held its Annual Event this September at the Viridian Event Center in West Jordan. This year’s theme was “Fueling Healthy Communities,” with a focus on access to healthy food. Leaders from various sectors attended to learn more about their common goal: to improve the health of Utah communities. 

Get Healthy Utah Highlights

Alysia Ducuara, Executive Director, presented on Get Healthy Utah’s successes during the 2024–25 fiscal year. This year, Get Healthy Utah unveiled a new mission statement: Making Utah a healthier place to live. To achieve that mission, Get Healthy Utah has now designated over sixty Healthy Utah Communities. Get Healthy Utah spearheaded active living demonstration projects in three communities, with the Active People, Healthy Utah partner group. Alysia wrapped up her presentation by addressing the theme of the conference, Fueling Healthy Communities. Healthy food access is about making sure that everyone can eat nutrient-dense food and has always been a key part of Get Healthy Utah’s mission. All sectors play a role in improving healthy food access.

Keynote: Fueling a Resilient Mind & Body, Catherine Van Tassell

Catherine Van Tassell, of GBS Benefits, spoke on “Fueling a Resilient Mind & Body: Nutrition & Mental Health for Everyday Wellbeing.” She discussed how nutrition and diet are inextricably linked to mental health. For businesses and other stakeholders (as well as individuals) interested in addressing mental health, nutrition should be top of mind. Nutritional psychiatrists, for example, counsel patients on how better eating may be another tool in helping to ease depression and anxiety and may lead to better mental health. Catherine closed with some practical tips about how to eat more whole, fresh foods.

Morning Breakout Sessions

Fueling Food Through Community Planning

Sara Patterson, Red Acre Farms; Morgan Hadden, Get Healthy Utah; Anne Dunaway, Marriott-Slaterville

This breakout session focused on how the way that communities are set up, zoned, and planned affects how residents have access to fresh, healthy food. Sara Patterson, of Red Acre Farm, talked about how she built a two-acre community-supported agriculture farm. Now, that farm provides healthy, whole foods for local families weekly throughout the year. Morgan Hadden, of Get Healthy Utah, talked about planning strategies to improve access to healthy food. One strategy that Get Healthy Utah is planning to pilot over the next year is a healthy food access walking audit, which provides on-the-ground insights about barriers to healthy food. Finally, Anne Dunaway talked about the work she has done as a small urban farmer to partner with her local government.

Fueling Healthy Aging

Nels Holmgren, DHHS; Darren Hotton, AARP Utah; Paul Leggett, Salt Lake County

With Utah’s aging population rapidly growing, we need to build communities that support everyone to live a healthy lifestyle. Nels Holmgren from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services talked about the new statewide aging plan known as the WISE initiative and includes four pillars of aging well. Darren Hotton of AARP Utah discussed their Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, a program that empowers communities to support the elderly. Paul Legget, Division Director of Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services, discussed how the largest county in Utah works with their partners to support healthy aging, highlighting the importance of senior nutrition.

Afternoon Breakout Sessions

Fueling Health Through Movement

McKell Christensen, URPA; Emily Fisher, Youth Sports Alliance; Caroline Weiler, Every Kid Outdoors

In the afternoon, this breakout session discussed how nutrition and healthy food access fuel physical activity and recreation. McKell Christensen of the Utah Recreation and Parks Association discussed their initiatives to encourage healthy snacking in youth sports and education about fueling play. Emily Fisher from the Youth Sports Alliance talked about how her organization is working to make sports accessible to all youth. Finally, Caroline Weiler shared about the Every Kid Outdoors Adventure Challenge, which connects families, communities, and schools with opportunities to get outside and active.

Fueling Communities Through Local Food

Mayor Julie Fullmer, Vineyard; Maria Schwarz, Salt Lake City; Cara Murray, USU Extension

The other breakout session in the afternoon focused on how cities and towns can improve access to local, healthy foods. Mayor Julie Fullmer from Vineyard talked about how her city has worked on several policy efforts to improve local food access, from community gardens and seed exchanges to attracting a new grocery store. Maria Schwarz discussed her work in the Salt Lake City Sustainability Department to develop, support, and sustain a thriving local food system, including their microgrant program. Finally, Cara Murray shared how USU Extension has been working in rural Utah communities to implement food access solutions.

Closing Keynote Panel: Fueling Change on a System Level

Caroline Hargraves, UDAF; Jeanette Padilla, Food Justice Coalition; Shannon Jones, University of Utah

Our closing keynote panel wrapped up the day by talking about the system-level changes and challenges that Utah faces. Caroline Hargraves from the Utah Department of Agriculture talked about how farmers and other agricultural workers are crucial in a healthy food system, and shared ways that her department is working to support healthy food access. Jeanette Padilla, founder of the Food Justice Coalition, shared a little of her personal experience with food insecurity, and talked about how policy changes can make healthy food inaccessible to those already struggling. Finally, Shannon Jones, from the University of Utah, discussed how system-level changes can improve outcomes for everyone.

Sponsors and Exhibitors

A big thank you to all our sponsors and exhibitors who made this Annual Event possible! We appreciate those who spoke and tabled at our event, providing healthy snacks and great resources. We're proud to partner with organizations who share our mission of making Utah a healthier place to live.

To view the presentation slide decks, other resources, and more, visit linktr.ee/gethealthyutah2025. 

From August 2023 to December 2024, West Valley City’s Healthy West Valley Committee took part in the Active People, Healthy Utah Demonstration Project. This project, funded jointly by Get Healthy Utah, the One Utah Health Collaborative, the Utah Department of Transportation, and the Wasatch Front Regional Council, connected three Utah communities with active living experts to promote physical activity and healthier lifestyles. In West Valley City, the committee focused on improving access to and awareness of the Jordan River Trail and Decker Lake loop on the east side of the city.

One of the key goals was to make the area more appealing for residents to get outside and be active. With this in mind, the committee installed picnic tables, pickleball courts, and improved the ADA accessibility of Decker Lake to make the area more welcoming and user-friendly. These small but impactful upgrades support residents of all ages and abilities in spending more time outdoors.

To raise awareness and engage the community, the committee launched the “West Valley City Birds and Bikes” summer campaign. Activities included a summer-long scavenger hunt, a sticker collection challenge, and family-friendly events that encouraged people to get active outdoors. 

During the demonstration project, West Valley City also received a $7,500 grant from Nature and Human Health – Utah. These funds will be used to install nature signs along the Decker Lake Trail. Designed in partnership with the Tracy Aviary, the signs will provide information about the migratory birds that visit Decker Lake and the local species that call it home. 

At the conclusion of the project, the Healthy West Valley Committee successfully improved the Decker Lake infrastructure to promote health and well-being through connection with nature and movement. Interested in learning more? You can read West Valley City’s final report HERE.