Gov. Jon Huntsman shook hands of the young and old, the sick and vulnerable; all patients at the Mountainlands Community Health Center.

The visit from the governor on Friday came amid preparations to move the nonprofit clinic to a new location.

Mountainlands will be moving from its current location on Freedom Boulevard in Provo to the old county health department building at 589 S. State St. in Provo.

Mountainlands' mission in Utah County is to provide residents without access to health care the services they need to survive.

According to Lori Wright, development director of Mountainlands, it was the efforts of Utah County Commissioner Steve White that is making the move possible. Wright said that the commissioner worked hard, "making sure we have a home."

The new facility will increase the capacity of the center; however, it will require extensive remodeling.

The center will try to raise $1 million for the remodel. Wright said most of their donations come through business and institutions; however, the center welcomes all donations.

When completed, the new south Provo facility will feature 21 exam rooms and a pharmacy.

The governor's Friday afternoon visit revolved around a discussion with administrators and doctors about how the state could best help the individuals who use such clinics as Mountainlands. Among discussion topics was how to help the uninsured become insured, particularly the state's children.

Huntsman said getting everyone in the state insured is a "real challenge," but not one from which he will shy away. Working together, he said, was the key.

Huntsman cited Utah's Child Health Insurance Program as an example of moving forward. CHIP, according to Huntsman, currently has 55,000 enrolled, and with the help of expanded funding Huntsman hopes that number will increase to 72,000 by next year.

For those who use its services, Mountainlands provides everything from basic health care, to obstetrics, dental and mental health care. Patients of the center typically pay between $25 and $35 for all of the treatment they receive in their visit.

Services provided by the center are targeted toward the county's most vulnerable residents. This includes the uninsured and more specifically those with low incomes as it relates to their family size.

The center helps an ever increasing number of people, with more than 9,000 patients, and 32,000 visits annually. Last year Mountainlands physicians delivered 395 babies and provided 714 women with prenatal care; all numbers which have grown drastically since Mountainlands' inception in 1992.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.