In July 2019, Park City Community Foundation’s Women’s Giving Fund granted People’s Health Clinic $35,000 to increase healthcare access and education to women and children in Summit County. In early February 2020, the Women’s Giving Fund grants committee met with People’s Health Clinic staff, Executive Director Beth Armstrong, Medical Director John Hanrahan, and Clinic Coordinator and Women and Children’s Educator Dalia Gonzalez to learn about their progress since receiving the grant.
The mission of People’s Health Clinic is to provide healthcare to the uninsured in Summit and Wasatch Counties. With the Women’s Giving Fund grant, they have been able to expand services for women and children including gynecological exams, prenatal visits, birth control/birth spacing education, well-child visits, and specialized children’s clinics, including flu shots, vision, and dental care.
The grants committee was impressed to learn about how People’s Health Clinic partners with other local nonprofits to provide wraparound services and education. For example, they had a pregnant patient who was nearing her due date but couldn’t afford to buy diapers, so their referral coordinator worked with the Christian Center’s food pantry to put together a supply kit for the patient at her next prenatal appointment.
As part of their maternal health care, they provide counseling on many different types of birth control including longer lasting three-month shots and IUDs—which last years—to allow women to space births according to their wishes. They also work with Planned Parenthood’s Teen Council to educate teens about different birth control options.
In addition to general well-child visits, People’s Health Clinic has found a need for more specialized care, including vision and dental. To meet this need, they’ve partnered with The Hope Alliance to provide vision clinics at People’s Health Clinic as well as at McPolin elementary during the extended day program. Through this process, they connected with a child who didn’t pass the annual school eye exam and didn’t have insurance. He hadn’t been able to see the chalk board all year until he had his eyes tested at the vision clinic and received a free pair of glasses.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are infused into People’s Health Clinic’s work every day. Since 80% of their patients speak Spanish, it’s important that most of their staff is bilingual to build trust. To that end, all their communications are in Spanish and English, from signs in the waiting room to social media and advertising on the Spanish KPCW radio program, Cada Domingo.
When asked about the most important needs of the community, People’s Health Clinic staff said it all comes back to equity in healthcare. We need our workforce to be healthy in order to keep our community thriving.
Women’s Giving Fund is a community of over 1,300 philanthropic women who care deeply for women and children in Summit County—now and forever. The Women’s Giving Fund was launched in 2015 with 1,000 women each giving a $1,000 gift to become lifetime members. This endowment fund has now grown to over $1.6 million. Each year, the Women’s Giving Fund grants committee selects three finalist organizations for the whole membership to vote on, and the winning nonprofit is announced at the Women’s Giving Fund grants celebration in July.
To support organizations uplifting women and children in Summit County, join the Women’s Giving Fund with a one-time gift of $1,000 or just $84 each month. Already a member? Become a Wonder Woman by supporting the endowment with a gift of any size.