Utah Spotlight

Health Care Access for the Uninsured in Magna, Utah

There are 400,000 uninsured people in Utah, including refugees from dozens of countries that have settled in Salt Lake County. These individuals have little or no access to primary medical care and frequently use the emergency room for non-emergency issues. Utah Partners for Health (UPFH) was established to address this growing problem, and it has been able to continue and expand its important work with a $25,690 grant from the Foundation.

The health care professionals and community leaders of UPFH focus specifically on meeting the needs of uninsured people in Magna, West Valley City and Kearns, Utah. Its model is unique because it coordinates the services of eleven clinics through one point of contact. Every dollar donated to UPFH leverages $5.10 in direct health services, which include acute, chronic and mental health care, as well as ancillary services such as radiology, echocardiograms and physical therapy. Medical referrals also facilitate services like dental, pharmaceutical and eye care. UPFH has minimal overhead and effectively utilizes volunteers, so the organization can serve over 6,000 people each year.