People's Health Clinic pulled in $915,000 at its annual Walk & Wine fundraiser on Aug. 9 at Stein Eriksen Lodge, marking what the clinic called the largest single-event fundraising total in its 27-year history.

The money arrives at a critical moment.

The clinic, Park City's only free healthcare provider for uninsured residents, expects a 20% to 25% jump in patients this year, including a growing number of children, as healthcare costs climb and employer-sponsored coverage shrinks across the resort workforce.

"The people at risk of falling through the cracks of our healthcare system are our neighbors. Your housekeeper. Your landscaper. The construction workers who built your homes," CEO Dr. Mairi Leining said at the event, according to the Park Record. "Our patients make this town run and for 27 years, we have been their medical home."

Leining, who holds an MD and MPH and also sees patients at the Round Valley clinic, said the organization must scale up to remain the Wasatch Back's sole safety net. The clinic is open five days a week and charges nothing for care delivered across 17 specialties by staff and nearly 40 volunteer providers.

Demand already climbing

The growth Leining described is already visible in the clinic's own numbers. Since 2023, patient encounters have jumped 64%, rising from 13,110 to 21,448, according to the clinic's website. Individual patients served grew 40% over the same period, from 3,018 to 4,208. Two-thirds of those patients earn less than the federal poverty level of $31,200 for a family of four.

Director of operations Dalia Gonzalez illustrated the stakes with the story of a local mother named Debbie who received prenatal care at the clinic, was denied pregnancy Medicaid despite submitting documentation and delivered her baby without insurance. The clinic's pediatricians are now caring for the newborn.

Gonzalez has her own history with the clinic. She grew up in Utah without health insurance and received care through People's Health Clinic as a child, back when it operated out of a mobile trailer.

From a van to 17 specialties

Founded in 1999 after a one-day community health fair drew more than 700 people, the clinic ran out of a single van before moving into its permanent home at 650 Round Valley Drive in 2009, in partnership with Summit County and Intermountain Health. It now has roughly 100 medical providers and staff volunteers, and its clinical outcomes meet or exceed national averages across several key quality measures, according to the clinic.

The organization holds a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator and the Gold Standard from the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. Eight of every ten donated dollars go directly to patient care.

Residents who need care or want to support the clinic can visit peopleshealthclinic.org or call (435) 333-1850 to schedule an appointment. The clinic is open Monday through Wednesday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.