Provo Health Hub Offers Quality Care to Utah County
Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMU) celebrated the completion of Building 3, the new home of the RMU Health Clinics and advanced academic and research facilities, today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Rocky Mountain University is expanding our offerings through enhanced academic programs and community health services,” said RMU President Cameron K. Martin in a speech to more than a hundred gathered for the event. “Through the RMU Health Clinics, we aim to improve healthcare access for those in need while providing exceptional learning opportunities for our students.”
In 2023, RMU received a $3 million grant from the Utah County Commission as part of the America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The grant money helped to fund the construction of the RMU Health Clinics, consisting of various specialty clinics dedicated to supporting low-income families and training the next generation of medical professionals.
“Today, we are seeing the fruition of this public-private partnership that will further elevate people’s quality of life,” Utah County Commissioner Brandon Gordon said. “This partnership creates nimbleness and needed healthcare expertise by widening access to community members while helping fill the shortage of healthcare providers in our area. Seeing people, organizations, and communities coming together to solve problems is what I love about Utah County.”
The RMU Health Clinics feature six community clinics, five on campus : the RMU Eye Institute, the RMU Center for Communication Disorders (CCD), the RMU Counseling Clinic, RMU Physical and Occupational Therapy Clinic, and the RMU Electrophysiology Clinic. The RMU Community Rehabilitation Center (CRC), will continue to operate its pro-bono physical therapy clinic at 587 S. State Street in Provo.
“The RMU Health Clinics are intended to serve as a health hub for Utah County residents,” said Farley Sowards, Senior Director of the RMU Health Clinics. “Thanks to grants and donors, we have built our clinics with advanced equipment and employ a wide range of health experts. The RMU Health Clinics accept many insurances and can offer free or low-cost services to those who qualify.”
These clinics serve as a valuable resource to the community and to RMU students. Students enrolled in various graduate healthcare programs are able to apply what they learn in the classroom in the clinics under the tutelage and mentorship of faculty.
Along with first-class academic spaces and state-of-the-art health clinics, Building 3 also houses the biosafety level 2 wet lab in partnership with the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine and the RMU Office of Research. Combined, these academic, clinical, and research resources further enhance RMU’s ability to deliver high-quality healthcare and support the diverse needs of the community.
“Students come to RMU for a high-quality education,” said Lori Sisk, RMU Vice President of Student Affairs. “RMU graduate students will be able to apply the evidence-based practices they learn in class in the clinic setting while providing affordable, essential services to the community.”
Debbie Lauret, the Community & Economic Development Program Manager at Mountainland Association of Governments, thanked RMU for the amount of patients annually cared for through their partnership. That’s included nearly 3,000 people in the last two and a half years, many of whom were referred to RMU by Mountainlands.
“That’s so important,” Lauret said. “The fact that you provide pro bono services that people can get, they need, and they want solves problems for people. It helps them improve their lives. We are so excited. I can’t think of more noble things to do.”
The clinics are fully operational. For more information about healthcare services, visit healthclinics.rm.edu or call 801.375.5125.
