Construction on track at new health clinic at Quinn's

(Park Record) Like many communities, the Park City area is seeing more people without health insurance as the town grows in a down economy. Keeping them healthy is the mission of the People's Health Clinic, which is slated to move in November from Kearns Boulevard into a bigger facility at Quinn's Junction.

The building that will house People's Health alongside the Summit County Health Department is nearly complete.

Waiting times for an appointment have increased as the patient load at People's Health nearly doubled last year, said Parkite Charlie Wintzer, a member of the clinic's board of directors.

The clinic had about 4,800 patient visits in 2008.

"Our philosophy is that our community is only as healthy as the sickest person in the community," said Wintzer. "Any kid that we see probably goes to one of the Park City schools, and any adults we treat work in Park City in food service or property management."

Meanwhile, the health department has also outgrown its offices at the Sheldon Richins Building. In exchange for leasing land at Quinn's Junction for new offices for the department for $1 per year, Intermountain Healthcare asked Summit County to return the favor to People's Health.

"Basically, we both serve uninsured people, so it really makes sense that we work as a team," Wintzer said about the public-private partnership. "There are other models of that in the state and in other states."

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