Park City clinic offers free health care to uninsured in Summit, Wasatch Counties
PARK CITY, Utah (KUTV) — The People's Health Clinic is a free community clinic that takes care of the uninsured in Summit and Wasatch counties.
"What we do is serve as a safety net for people who otherwise would not have access to health care," said Dr. Mairi Leining, CEO of People's Health Clinic.
Dr. Leining says many people probably don't realize there is a big wealth gap in the Park City area. But there are many people in the area who can't get typical care.
"The majority of our patients are members of the Latinx community," said Leining. "They're really the hardworking members of our community who are staffing all of the resorts."
The clinic started out as a mobile van in 1999 and now operates in an office space in the Round Valley area of Park City.
"My parents were uninsured, I was uninsured because I was born in Mexico," said Dalia Gonzalez, who was a patient with the clinic when she was a child.
"My parents would take me there if I needed a well-child visit or if I needed to be checked out maybe because I was sick or ill," she said.
Gonzalez now works as the clinic's director of operations and is one of several staff members who used to be a patient.
The People's Health Clinic has some paid staff, but many of its physicians are volunteers and even offer some sub-specialty care.
"Honestly it's an honor and we learn so much from the resilience of our patients," said Leining.
Leining says they have about 13,000 patient encounters each year.
The clinic is nonprofit and does not get federal funding. Dr. Leining says two-thirds of their funding comes from private donations and the rest from state-level grants. They also get donated equipment.
They also collaborate with University of Utah Health and Intermountain Healthcare, which donated their current space and provides them free lab services.
Mountain America Credit Union donated $500 to People's Health Clinic to help them with their mission.
If you want to donate or learn more, visit the People's Health Clinic website.
