Fourth Street Clinic

Fourth Street Clinic began as a single-nurse triage clinic in 1988, relying on hospitals for patient treatment. Almost 30 years later, the clinic operates with over 55 people on staff and with a network of over 150 community providers. Comprehensive health care is delivered to nearly 5,000 homeless men, women and children in Utah each year; in 2016, the clinic had over 28,000 total medical visits.

Fourth Street Clinic's medical care is incredibly extensive: primary, mental, dental and specialty care is all offered to our patients experiencing homelessness, with an on-site pharmacy dispensing over 70,000 prescriptions each year.

A person's declining health often begins the downward spiral into homelessness. Inability to pay or lack of insurance for health care pull an individual into unemployment, housing and other financial issues. While homeless, people experience illness and injury three to six times the rates of housed individuals—the average life expectancy for homeless persons is as low as 41 years old.

Listen to what some of our patients have to say about Fourth Street Clinic:

"Fourth Street Clinic helps me with my mental health. They are a really big help. I was giving up on the system, but Sean (a mental health professional at the clinic) saved my life. He doesn't even know it. I had given up, and no one was willing to help, but I felt his empathy for me. Once I felt that empathy, I realized I can do this," James said.

"Fourth Street Clinic has helped me a whole lot. I've been here many times for alcohol sickness, Alcoholics Anonymous, and I come in for therapy every once in a while," Nathan says. He is now living in low-income housing and is 18 months sober.

"I think Fourth Street Clinic provides excellent service; everyone treats me with dignity. I absolutely have benefitted from the dental clinic — I can smile again!" Kim, a dental patient, says. Her new smile gave her the confidence to land a full-time job and is now living in an apartment outside Salt Lake.

"One of the things Fourth Street Clinic has been great about has been to take care of my daughter's health. The clinic has been outstanding in getting us the medication she needed to help herself in her own situations," Maria said. Maria and her daughter became homeless when they fled from an abusive relationship. They are now living together and are breaking free from homelessness.

Giving individuals and families drudged by homelessness quality health care, they can finally focus on working to improve their life. Fourth Street Clinic makes breaking free from homelessness possible.

Choose Fourth Street Clinic for your nonprofit of choice during Love Utah Give Utah, and you'll be a part of the solution in ending homelessness in Utah.