Community Care
The People’s Health Clinic marks a decade of service.
Illustration: Thomas Cobb
Locals and visitors alike are often dumbfounded that Park City would need a clinic to treat the uninsured. Isn’t this a ski resort town? they ask. One of the wealthiest areas in the state?
That’s all true, of course, but the town’s vaunted quality of life also depends on the contributions of hundreds, even thousands, of landscapers, musicians, restaurant workers, housekeepers, artists, and seasonal laborers. They and their families often work multiple jobs to make ends meet, none of which may offer health insurance. When they get sick or hurt, they need a place to provide their health care needs.
That was the impetus 10 years ago behind the People’s Health Clinic (PHC), which was founded to provide medical care to anyone without health insurance in Summit or Wasatch Counties. PHC started as a mobile van that offered care in area parking lots; as demand grew, various rental spaces throughout Park City served as bases for the clinic’s operations. Now, the People’s Health Clinic has found a permanent home alongside the Summit County Health Department at Quinn’s Junction, thanks in large part to generous community contributions.
In its brief history, the clinic has served an increasing number of community members. During its first year of operation, 706 patients were treated in the PHC mobile van. By 2010, the clinic was up to 7,094 patient visits. And as the need has grown, volunteer efforts have increased to meet them: last year more than 6,200 hours of labor were donated by doctors, nurses, midwives, phlebotomists, translators, fundraisers, and clerical staff. They stitch up wounds, offer prenatal education to expectant mothers, refer cancer patients to specialists, monitor blood pressures, and set broken bones. Nann Worel, PHC’s executive director, says, “As the People’s Health Clinic enters its second decade of service, we are constantly amazed by the generosity of our supporters.”
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