WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — It’s not a brand new concept, but it is one that’s taking off in West Valley City. VAMOS Health Medical Group, where patients pay a membership fee to get basic medical healthcare without having to go to the emergency room.
Vamos Chief Operating Officer, Sydney Bright, says the clinic opened after careful study in May 2024. “We looked at the market here in Salt Lake, we looked at the healthcare access, and we really believed through our research that this is what our community needed.”
According to Sydney, word of their services spread quickly. Now the clinic has nearly 900 members. And every patient interacts with staff and medical professionals who speak both English and Spanish. Something desperately needed since its estimated that 80% of VAMOS' clients are Spanish-speakers.
Staff like physician's assistant Ashley Jensen, who says the clinic gives people options they need, “People can pay a set amount, and they have access to healthcare when they need it. We provide primary care, so we don’t have specialists, but we have access to help them get into specialists, we can refer them and help them get in, but we are focused on providing primary care here.”
Officials with the clinic say that oftentimes their clients are strangers in a strange land and are hesitant to seek medical help for a variety of reasons. “Especially if someone is newer to our community here in Salt Lake," explained Sydney Bright. "Our community health navigators help with everything. Like if you don’t know where to go to neuter your dog or need affordable dentistry, or you’ve been a victim of domestic violence, they’re here to help along every step of that journey.”
Another VAMOS clinic just opened in Ogden, two days a week. Officials say they hope to get up to six days a week, like the West Valley clinic. You can find more information on the clinics here.
For Ashley Jensen, she feels grateful to provide the services they do, “I think it’s really rewarding because it’s a unique population, a unique model that has the potential to provide a lot better service than other insurance services.”
