WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Access to health care isn’t always easy in areas like West Valley, but organizations continue working to close those gaps.
“We love to get out into the communities where maybe access to care isn’t as accessible or as easy,” Jim Tett, manager of clinical operations for Optum Mobile Clinic, said.
On the west side of Salt Lake County, those barriers can be significant. Cost, transportation, and language barriers are some of the biggest challenges that can make it harder for people to get the care they need.
New data from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute shows the uninsured rate in northwest valley communities — West Valley City, Kearns, Magna, Taylorsville, and the west side of Salt Lake City is 17.3 percent, nearly double the county and state averages.
The data also shows fewer people are getting preventative care. Some neighborhoods within the northwest valley are seeing shorter life expectancy and higher rates of obesity and food insecurity.
That’s why some organizations are working to meet people where they are. “We want to make sure we’re not forgetting those members,” Tett said.
The mobile clinic travels to areas like West Valley, Kearns, and Taylorsville once a month. The clinic offers preventative services like bone density scans, eye exams, and blood sugar checks.
For many, access isn’t just about distance; it’s also about feeling understood.
“As a Pacific Islander, the main challenges were the language barrier,” Edward Moli, English team lead for Vamos Health, said.
Vamos Health is a bilingual medical clinic in West Valley City. Moli says having providers who speak the same language can make a big difference. “Having people who speak and talk their language, they feel more comfortable and feel like they understand who they are and where they come from,” he said.
"Last summer, the University of Utah launched construction for its’ West Valley 800,000-square-foot hospital. It’s expected to open in 2028.
The University of Utah Eccles Health Campus and Eccles Hospital in West Valley will be the first big, full-service medical institution of its kind on the west side."
