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Nonprofit started with four volunteers, now at staff of 26

ParkRecord

Though the dream of free, quality health care is unlikely to ever become reality on a national scale in the U.S., it’s already so for uninsured residents of Summit and Wasatch Counties. 

Over the past 25 years, the People’s Health Clinic has brought the best in health care to individuals who make up the backbone of the Wasatch Back. All it takes is proof of uninsured status and proof of residency to be seen by their team of highly trained medical personnel.

“We don’t actually look at what people’s income levels are,” said Mairi Leining, the clinic’s chief executive officer. “That being said, I mean, wealthy people don’t go to a free clinic, so 98% of our patients live below the federal poverty level.”

This has been the case since its founding in 1999, created in response to a problem that still exists today.

John Hanrahan, a doctor and one of the nonprofit’s founders, said a local family doctor was seeing a lot of Latino patients who didn’t have health care.

“So he went to Father Bob Bussen at St. Mary’s Catholic Church to say, ‘Hey, I’ve seen a lot of your parishioners who don’t have health insurance. Is there something that can be done about that to help them?’” Hanrahan said.

They decided to see if access to free health care would be received by the community and held a health fair at Park City High School to check blood pressure and glucose.

“We had about 700 people show up, which was a massive number for that sort of event,” Hanrahan said. “So that kind of convinced everybody that, yeah, there really was a real need and a big need, and we should move ahead.”

First, they bought a mobile trailer, which had one exam room and one entry room where they could draw blood.

Dalia Gonzalez, at the time a 9-year-old undocumented Park City resident, remembered stepping onto that trailer in its early days. Though her younger siblings were born in the United States after her parents moved from Mexico when she was an infant and had access to health care growing up, she didn’t have that same luxury.

“At the time, we were undocumented, so therefore my parents didn’t have any health insurance. And my parents would take me for my pediatric checkups, and if I was sick, they would take me to the People’s Health Clinic, and I would get my care there,” Gonzalez said.

The People’s Health Clinic was just one of the resources resulting from a generous Park City community, said Gonzalez, who remembered also receiving the opportunity to ski, thanks to a local nonprofit. 

“For me it was always like, ‘Wow, I live in such a giving community. I want one day to be able to give back,’” she said.

In high school, Gonzalez began volunteering at the clinic and pursued a path in the medical field. After graduating from the University of Utah, she got a job with Planned Parenthood in Park City.

“The service that they provided in Park City was access to birth control, access to women’s health care. And unfortunately, Planned Parenthood had to leave the Park City community because I remember that the lease went too high,” she said. “That’s when People’s Health Clinic took the plan of, ‘OK, if our partner can’t stay, we need to do something to be able to provide this service.’”

Gonzalez has come full circle, now working as the operations director at the People’s Health Clinic, supporting the medical staff behind the scenes, ensuring they’re fully staffed with the right equipment they need each day. 

Since Gonzalez’ and many others’ experience with the clinic 25 years ago, plenty has changed.

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KPCW –

The People’s Health Clinic has received $1 million from the Yield Giving fund – one of 360 nonprofits that responded to an open call for applications.

Billionaire philanthropist Mackenzie Scott announced Tuesday that she is handing out $640 million, more than twice the amount she had initially pledged to give away this year. According to her Yield Giving website, the “open call” asked for applications from nonprofits that are community-led with missions “to advance the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meager or modest means.” Only nonprofits with annual budgets between $1 million and $5 million were eligible to apply.

The People’s Health Clinic was one of 82 organizations that received $1 million; 279 others were awarded $2 million.

CEO Mairi Leining is grateful for the funding that will be used to extend the clinic’s evening hours starting this summer.

“Our patient population has just extremely demanding jobs with restrictive work hours,” Leining said. “And based on a patient survey we conducted last summer, what they really want to be able to do is come in and see us after work in the evening.”

So why People’s Health Clinic? Leining says the staff from Yield Giving were very complimentary with their feedback.

“They liked our innovative programming, including how we’ve approached the care of patients with diabetes,” she said. “How we’ve addressed latent tuberculosis in town, something that the health department hasn’t had funding for. The fact that we’ve started a food pharmacy in collaboration with other nonprofit partners in town. And they also commented on how well we take care of our staff.”

The clinic is open Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Leining would like to add the extended hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays as well.

She is often surprised by the number of people who don’t know Park City has a free health clinic which she believes is part of the critical infrastructure to make Park City run.

“I want to make sure that our community understands we take care of people who support the tourism industry,” she said. “Park City is famous for tourism and we talk about sustainability and tourism. But for tourism to be sustainable, we have to have the staff to support this industry. And the staff are largely in employment situations where they’re not receiving benefits and without us, they would not have health care.”

While the gift is a significant step forward, Leining knows there is still much work to be done. The uninsured population in the Park City area, she says, continues to grow and underscores the ongoing need for sustainable funding to expand the clinic’s services.

The Associated Press reports Mackenzie Scott has given away $16.5 billion from the fortune she came into after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

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Dear People’s –

Today, I’m thrilled to share an extraordinary chapter in our 25-year journey at the People’s Health Clinic, one that speaks volumes about the power of community, resilience, and unwavering commitment to a cause.

The People’s Health Clinic has been selected to receive a $1 million gift from MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving. This remarkable support acknowledges not only the impact of our work but also the growing healthcare needs of our underserved community members, particularly those who are living in poverty. 

Out of 6,353 applications from throughout the United States and its territories, the People’s Health Clinic was chosen after a rigorous selection process involving multiple levels of review and feedback. This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our team and the vital role we play in providing comprehensive healthcare to the uninsured residents of Summit and Wasatch Counties.

We are more than just a clinic; we are a safety net for our patients. With award-winning programs focusing on critical areas such as diabetes, hypertension, women’s health, and mental health, we’ve been able to make a tangible difference in the lives of over 3,000 individuals through 13,110 patient encounters in 2023 alone.

The impact of this generous gift will be felt immediately as we work to expand our services to better meet the complex healthcare needs of our patients. One of our first steps will be to hire additional clinical staff members and increase our available evening hours, ensuring that our patients, who often have demanding work schedules, can access care.

While this gift is a significant step forward, we know there is still much work to be done. The uninsured population in the Park City area continues to grow, underscoring the ongoing need for sustainable funding to expand our services and reach even more individuals at risk.

Your support is essential in helping us make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. Together, we can build a healthier and more equitable community for everyone. We are truly grateful to have you by our side as we continue this journey toward better health and well-being for all.

With much appreciation,
Mairi Leining, MD, MPH, FACP
Chief Executive Officer
The People’s Health Clinic

People’s Health Clinic Women’s Health Medical Director Dr. Tania Bodnar discusses the Women’s Health program and what it offers.

Listen to full interview – KPCW News Hour.

KPCW

Undocumented children in Utah now qualify for medical benefits under a new state-funded health insurance plan.

Utah will start covering some children for medical benefits regardless of immigration status. People’s Health Clinic Patient Access Director Patty Garcia said open enrollment began Jan. 1 for the new Children’s Health Insurance Program.

“The state of Utah is enrolling 2,000 undocumented children under the age of 19, with working parents, to a state CHIP Medicaid program,” she said. “And so to qualify, they have to be under the age of 19, living in Utah for 180 days and not having any health insurance or can get any traditional Medicaid or CHIP.”

The plan also has income requirements and people can go to the clinic or their local Department of Workforce Services office to apply.

Community health worker Joana Saucedo said the plan covers a variety of offerings. “It has not only well-child exams, but even hospital and emergency care visits. So that’s something that I think would be really helpful for some of our patients that definitely can’t afford to just go to the emergency room, and sometimes they avoid that. And that really takes a toll on their health.” 

State CHIP also includes dental care, mental health services, vaccines and prescriptions. The People’s Health Clinic hopes to enroll 66 kids and will focus its efforts on children who have the most pressing medical needs. 

Saucedo said they want to ensure participants feel safe and emphasized that information will not be shared with immigration officers.

“When we think back to COVID, we see how people of color have been affected the most,” she said. “And when we think about children, they’re the ones that can be impacted the most as well, especially with their developmental growth. It’s great that this is a program for them that they’re able to get the benefits that they need in order to develop properly.”

According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the cost of Utah’s program is capped at $4.5 million a year. Utah state Rep. Jim Dunnigan, a Republican who initially opposed the plan but relented after compromises were made that included a cap on enrollment said, “These are kids, and we have a heart.”

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