Tri-County Health Department warns of funding cliff, highlights overdose and suicide rates in annual report

Kirk Bench, director of the Tri-County Health Department, presented the department's 2024 annual report to the Duchesne County Commission on March 24, describing funding sources, program outcomes and local health challenges.

Bench said the department is formed by an interlocal agreement among three counties and that much of its revenue comes from federal grants passed through the state, state grants and fees for services such as septic permits and vaccinations. He told commissioners that the department has not been rehiring as positions become vacant and is at the lowest staff level since he took the job in 2021 because of anticipated federal funding changes.

Bench warned of a larger fiscal cliff in 2026–27 when many COVID-response funding streams will conclude, though he said many federal contracts are on staggered five-year cycles and the department does not expect a single simultaneous cliff. He asked commissioners to consider the county's role in advocating for federal funds to reach local agencies.

Bench highlighted service volumes and public-health concerns from 2024: the department served about 3,500 WIC clients, carried out more than 500 inspections across food and personal-care businesses and septic systems, and ran public health promotion activities. He said the department recorded one of the highest local rates in the state for drug overdoses in 2022 and reported relatively high suicide rates for 2021–2023, concentrated among men in late teens/early 20s and men in their 40s.

Bench said the department continues prevention programming, including a tobacco‑prevention scholarship administered through a local nonprofit partner, QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide-prevention training offered to businesses and organizations, Narcan training and a syringe-exchange program to reduce accidental overdose deaths.

Commissioners asked for more data, including local utilization of the nationwide 988 suicide-prevention crisis line. Bench said he could request utilization data and that further local analysis could help compare regional outcomes. Commissioners and staff discussed opportunities for education programs in schools and community “unplugged” initiatives to reduce screen time and teen distraction.

Ending

Bench asked the commission to remain engaged with the department as federal funding evolves and offered to report back as new federal or state funding decisions become clearer.