Health Across the Lifespan                                                                             

The Health Across the Lifespan spoke seeks to address health concerns of women and girls in all aspects from birth to death. Within the lifespan mental health, physical health, social/emotional health, and environmental health will be explored.  Specific working groups have been formed around target areas around where improvements need to be made. To learn more, listen to the spoke leaders discuss the work on this 15-minute podcast.

Spoke Leaders

Sub-Spoke Leaders

This Health Across the Lifespan spoke is divided into eight sub spokes, each with co-leaders who are experts in their field. These include the following:

• Access: Yoon Kim-Butterfield, MD (Medical Director, Utah Medicaid) & Donna Milavetz, MD (Medical Director, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah)
• Adolescent Health: Elizabeth Gerke, MPH (Utah Department of Health), Margit Lister, MD (Medical Director, Canyons Region, Intermountain Health) &  Jennifer Wilke, RD/N, CEDS-S, CSSD (Clinical Nutrition Manager, Outpatient Services, Intermountain Health)
• Mental Health/Wellbeing: Michaelann Gardner (Senior Impact Director, United Way of Utah County) & Megan Willes, PhD (Licensed Psychologist, Mental Health Integration, Intermountain Health)
• Older Adult/End of Life: Anne Asman, MS (Program Manager, Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Utah Health), Rob Ence, MHA (Director, Utah Commission on Aging) & DeeDee Richardson (Certified Dementia Practitioner)
• Perimenopause/Middle Age: Camille Moreno, DO, NCMP (Medical Director, Midlife Women’s Health and Menopausal Medicine Program, University of Utah) & Lisa Taylor-Swanson, PhD, MAcOM, Lac (Asst. Professor, Health Systems & Community-Based Care, College of Nursing, University of Utah)
• Prevention: Sheralee Petersen, PA-C (APP System Executive Clinical Director, Intermountain Health) & Brooke Drollinger, MD (Associate Medical Director Trauma Informed Care)
• Reproductive Health: Sarah Elliott, MPH (Associate Director, ASCENT Center for Reproductive Health); Jessica Sanders, PhD, MSPH (Family Planning Research Director, University of Utah); & Heather Sarin, MBA, MPH, PMP (Quality Improvement Director, Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Trauma Informed Care: Dani Howard, MHA (Clinical Operations Manager, Risk & Patient Safety Clinical Excellence, Intermountain Health) & William Cosgrove, MD (Retired Pediatrician)

Bold Vision & Goals

To make Utah a place where more girls and women can thrive, the Health Across the Lifespan spoke leaders and partners have crafted the vision and goals below. Spoke leadership and UWLP team members are currently working to collect baseline data that will assist in adding numbers to the changes we want to see by 2026 and 2030.

Vision: To improve the health and wellbeing of all Utah girls and women across the lifespan by taking a comprehensive approach.

Goals: 

1. Change Utahns’ agreement (understanding and perceptions) in the following areas: [Metric Dashboard]
   1. It’s likely I will be able to schedule and complete a preventive healthcare visit in the next 12 months. [Increase women’s agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
   2. I feel empowered to make informed decisions regarding reproductive health that fit my needs and/or the needs of my family. [Increase women’s agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
   3. I am knowledgeable about perimenopause for women. [Increase women’s agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
   4. I feel physically, mentally, and emotionally safe in healthcare settings. [Increase women’s agreement by 5% by 2026 and 10% by 2030]
   5. It is likely one of my healthcare providers will effectively screen me for intimate partner violence (and connect me with resources if needed) in the next year. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 25% by 2030]
2. Other bold goals will be added as each of eight subspokes work on goals for their areas of focus. These will be added in March of 2024.

Thriving Statement: Women thrive across their lifespan – pediatrics, reproductive years, mid-life, and older adult (60+) – when they understand and experience positive mental, physical, social/emotional, and environmental health.

Partners

Working Group Leaders

• Disordered Eating: Liz Joy, MD, MPH, FACSM (Chief Medical Officer, Lore Health)
• Early Childhood Mental Health: Rebecca Dutson (President and CEO, The Children’s Center Utah) & Laura Summers (Director of Industry Research, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, University of Utah)