PROVO — Corey Peay's efforts to get back on his feet have been waylaid by a nagging cough.
"I couldn't stop coughing last night. It hurt," he said.
On Tuesday morning, Peay turned to Mountainlands East Bay Health Center for help.
The community health center, which provides primary medical care, dental services and access to treatment for mental health and substance use disorders exclusively to homeless people, opened its doors Sept. 1.
Peay, 33, said he has been looking for a job since he was released from jail. Until he finds work, he can't afford housing. For the time being, he's living on the streets.
Peay said his job seeking has been frustrated by prospective employers failing to show up at scheduled appointments. Instead of looking for work Tuesday, he decided he needed to see a health care provider about his cough.
"I think my health is a little more important right now," he said.
Todd Bailey, executive director of Mountainlands Community Health Center, which operates the clinic, said the number of patients is increasing as more people learn about the free services.
"Just about anything you find in your general practitioner's office we can do here," he said.
One difference in the standard of care is the length of patient appointments, which are about 45 minutes each, Bailey said. The thinking is most homeless people have little access to health care. When they're in the clinic, health care providers offer them a wide array of services such as immunizations, pelvic exams and lab services, he said.
Dental services are provided by Mountainlands and Share a Smile Foundation in shared clinic space.
The medical clinic is staffed by two physician assistants and a nurse practitioner. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Peay said he heard about the clinic through word of mouth, "bishops and people on the street."
He said he intends to tell others "there are doctors you can come and see without getting a bill."
Clarissa Peterson, a physician assistant who rotates among Mountainlands' health centers, said the staff is working hard to win over the clinic's patients who unfortunately "don't expect to be treated with dignity and respect."
Although the clinic is on the first floor of the Food and Care Coalition building, caregivers sometimes visit patients staying in transitional housing units upstairs. Once residents get to know the health care providers, they become more comfortable seeking more extensive services the clinic can provide, she said.
Peterson, who graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine's physician assistant program in 2009, said she trained and has worked in a number of community health settings.
Access to health care is a challenge across income levels, but far more difficult for people with low incomes and limited English proficiency, she said. Her own grandmother spoke only Spanish, which was often a barrier to her seeking medical help, Peterson said.
"In a lot of ways, I'm helping people like that," she said.
Homeless people may have even more challenges obtaining care because they lack housing, have no access to transportation, and have difficulty complying with treatment plans due to poor diets, lack of sleep and exposure to extreme temperatures.
Substance abuse and mental health disorders can further complicate matters.
Bailey said the clinic aims to serve 900 people a year, roughly half of the estimated 1,800 homeless people in Utah County.
The clinic was funded with an Affordable Care Act grant. The grant provides $600,000 each year for two years and is renewable if the clinic meets its service goals.
Bailey said the Association for Utah Community Health helped Mountainlands with the grant application. Another community health care provider, Ogden's Midtown Clinic, was awarded a like grant to open Hope Community Health Clinic at the Lantern House homeless shelter in Ogden.
Peterson said the overarching goal of the East Bay clinic is to provide homeless men and women the same high-quality, compassionate care that mainstream patients receive in other settings.
"I want to treat them the same as anyone else. I treat them as I would like to be treated," she said.
Email: marjorie@deseretnews.com