PARK CITY — Heals on wheels is coming here.
That's what you might call the new People's Health Center, a 35-foot van that will travel Summit and Wasatch counties delivering primary care to uninsured families who live and work in the areas.
At first blush, a free clinic might seem superfluous in a place where it would be easy to conclude people are more worried about the next brie shipment than where their inoculations are coming from.
But that's just the la-de-da facade of Utah's toniest community. There is another face behind the mask of luxury.
"I call it the hidden face of poverty in Park City," said Pamela Atkinson, vice president of mission services for Intermountain Health Care and board member of the People's Health Center, which will begin operating Monday, April 17, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., in the parking lot at City Park near the recreation building, 1354 Park Ave.
It's the paradox in paradise: the back-of-the-line workers, the cooks and dishwashers and housekeepers in resort support who struggle to make ends meet in a playground for the rich and famous.
"People kidded me when I took this job: 'What are you going to do, go up there and treat wealthy skiers from Europe when they bump a knee?' " said Rick Van De Graaf, executive director of the health center and its only paid employee. "Like a lot of people, I had no idea of the need until I got here."
As Park City has expanded its status as one of the world's premier destination resort towns, it has attracted a flood of service workers, largely Hispanic, trying to make do in a new culture and new economy.
They comprise roughly 20 percent of the Park City population, said Father Bob Bussen, People's Health Center board chairman, who's gotten to know many of them at St. Mary's Catholic Church.
"I'd say we have about 1,500 to 1,700 Hispanics here, and we have lots of needs among them," Bussen said.
"Often it's prenatal care or adults with an illness they wait to treat until it becomes catastrophic. Local doctors have been wonderful in doing pro bono work, and the schools have done a marvelous job, but the problems have become overwhelming among the new population."
The clinic will address some major obstacles in delivering health care to them,
"Take someone coming into a clinic who's handed a clipboard in an unfamiliar language. They become easily intimidated and walk out," Bussen said.
That's where "promotores" come in. Trained from their work with Holy Cross Ministries in Salt Lake City, these patient go-betweens provide language and paperwork assistance and encouragement.
"They do a tremendous job of putting patients at ease," Bussen said.
The clinic offers immunizations, minor-injury care, well-baby and adolescent checkups, prenatal care, general adult health care and health education.
It will be staffed by 40 doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants volunteering their services under the direction of John Hanrahan, who practiced medicine in Park City the past eight years.
The van, which costs around $250,000 new, is a demo purchased for $175,000.
"It's only got 12,000 miles on it, the interior's never been used and it's loaded," said Bussen, sounding like the proud driver of a fine pre-owned car.
The clinic has well-equipped exam rooms, handicap accessibility, two computers for record keeping, a video system for training and educational material, a sophisticated intercom and an exterior digital message board to update patient information.
A clinic open house will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in the parking lot of the Eccles Center, 1750 Kearns Blvd. Initially it will be open on Mondays only but will expand hours and days as demand dictates.
The van was purchased entirely through private donations, the heftiest chunks $100,000 from the George and Delores Eccles Foundation and $30,000 from the IHC Foundation.
The clinic has no affiliation with IHC, Atkinson stressed.
"This is by and for the people of Park City, Summit and Wasatch counties," Atkinson said. "It truly is a people's clinic.