Office of Primary Care and Rural Health

PCRH: Present and Past

The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (PCRH) has been in existence since 1991, and is the major health resource for Utah's rural and underserved communities. Ashley Moretz served as the PCRH director until 2023. In the video above, he describes the work that PCRH performs to support the health systems and workforce of Utah.

PCRH coordinates federal, state, and local efforts aimed at improving the health of Utah's rural and medically underserved residents. PCRH works with Utah’s urban and rural communities, agencies, and organizations to recruit healthcare professionals, identify sources of funding, and to implement other projects related to decreasing disparity and increasing access to primary healthcare services.

PCRH is located within the Utah Department of Health and Human Services in Clinical Services. PCRH encompasses the State Office of Rural Health, Primary Care Office, FLEX, SHIP, State Dental Director, and state loan repayment programs all in one office. This team collaborates to provide cross-training, conserve resources, and bolster awareness for all the programs that this organization offers to the rural and underserved communities of Utah.