Wu Xu, PhD
Director, Center for Health Data and Informatics
Utah Department of Health
The Governor's Statement:
The backbone of any great public health department is data. Great data facilitates great decision-making, which leads to well-informed policy decisions that work to improve and protect the health of our residents.
The Utah Department of Health is recognized nationally as a leader in health data. The engine that drives these systems, and Utah’s overall public health data efforts, is Dr. Wu Xu.
Dr. Xu is an exceptional leader whose contributions to public health data have directly improved the lives of Utah residents.
Utah’s data systems, like the “Indicator Based Information System,” the “Utah Statewide Immunization Information System,” and the “All Payer Claims Database,” are envied nationwide. These systems have directly led to policies, procedures, and even statutes, that contribute to the well-being of Utahns on a daily basis.
Dr. Xu is also widely respected among her many colleagues outside the state health department, in both the public and private sectors.
Her willingness to collaborate has lead to the development of important tools like the Utah Health Improvement Plan – a data-centered approach used by local health departments and private health plans to improve the health of their constituents.
Dr. Xu’s attention to privacy and security regulations has also lead to the creation of important agreements that have allowed the state to share data with outside research organizations.
It’s my honor to present Dr. Wu Xu with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the category of Outstanding Public Service. And in addition, I also want to be one of the first to wish Dr. Xu a happy retirement later this summer! Although her career in public service is coming to an end, clearly her legacy will continue to live on.
Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed is a graduate student in his second year, pursuing a doctorate in sociology at USU. He recently helped survey Utahns to see if environmental concerns affect the decision to have children.
Utah State University President’s Office recently held receptions for this year’s round of inaugural lectures. Three recently promoted faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences presented thoughtful reflections on their research and the even...
