One of Salt Lake Valley’s Community Health Centers is losing its building this year. Staff say it’s because of increasing gentrification and real-estate pressures in Salt Lake City.
The Central City Community Health Clinic is located in a low-slung office building at 400 South and 400 East near downtown Salt Lake City. But not for much longer. The clinic opened 30 years ago and has served Salt Lake’s working poor for much of that time. It’s losing its lease this October.
Dexter Pearce is the executive director of Community Health Centers Inc., the organization that manages the clinic. He says with Salt Lake’s strong real-estate market, their landlord decided not to extend their lease.
Pearce, who didn’t want to be recorded, says the Central Clinic provides primary care for about 8,600 patients per year, and about half are uninsured.
While they’re losing their downtown location, Pearce says there is a plan to reassigning staff to their five other Community Health Centers in the Salt Lake Valley and at nearby LDS Hospital. He told KUER that he does not expect a break in services.
In late 2018 the Central City clinic’s services will be incorporated into the new Salt Lake County Health Department’s building which is currently under construction near the clinic’s current location.
Dexter Pearce says with the shared facility in the future, he hopes to combine services resulting in better care for their clients.