House calls return: Local NP brings healthcare to Wasatch Back seniors

PARK CITY, Utah—A local nurse practitioner with extensive experience in geriatrics has launched a new mobile healthcare service aimed at allowing seniors in the Wasatch Back to age in place while receiving quality medical care.

Kaitlyn Pelletier, an adult geriatric nurse practitioner, recently established Wasatch NP House Calls to address what she sees as a critical gap in healthcare options for older residents in Park City, Heber, Midway, Francis, Oakley and others.

“It’s really a thing of our reality in this area that patients ‘age in place,’ as we call it. They age in their home. They want to stay in their home,” Pelletier said. “Most of my patients don’t want to go to the living facility. As we get older, that brings up important needs to address, and sometimes complications.”

Pelletier noted that the Wasatch Back has limited senior living options, with just one facility currently operating in Heber/Midway and another under construction. Francis, Oakley, and other communities have no facilities at all, leaving aging residents with few options beyond remaining in their homes.

According to Pelletier, transportation to medical appointments presents a significant challenge for many seniors.

“A lot of these patients don’t drive anymore, or at least they do in their small towns, but they’re certainly not driving to Salt Lake City, and so their family has to coordinate their visits,” she explained.

The Louisiana native and Louisiana State University graduate moved to Utah after being hired by University of Utah Hospital. She spent her entire nursing career with the U of U and Huntsman Cancer Institute before pursuing advanced education at Boise State University to become a nurse practitioner focused on adults and geriatrics.

At Huntsman, Pelletier identified another healthcare gap and created the geriatric oncology clinic, which she still operates.

“I said, ‘You know what? I just see a gap in cancer care where our patients have an oncologist and they have a primary care provider, but they don’t have a bridge between those two specialties,'” she said.

This experience gives her a unique perspective in her new venture. “Cancer is a disease of older age,” Pelletier said. “My understanding how each different cancer is treated and those side effects from their cancer treatment is invaluable knowledge that most of our cancer patients love for their provider to be well versed on.”

Pelletier emphasized that in-home care doesn’t mean abandoning other medical providers. Patients can maintain relationships with specialists while adding her services.

“Someone says, ‘I really love my general practitioner, and I really want them to still see me once a year, twice a year, and be involved in my care. But I think I could benefit from someone coming into my home to see me once a month and check in more regularly and help me with my meds.’ I’m just another part of their team who helps connect all the dots,” she said.

The service accepts most major private insurance plans as well as Medicare and Medicaid, typically requiring only a copay from patients. Services include medication management, chronic condition management, symptom management, and coordination with specialists.

Pelletier sees her business as part of a broader trend returning to an earlier model of healthcare delivery.

“House calls were in the 30s, 40s and 50s, and then went away, and everything went hospital and clinic based, now house calls are actually coming back,” she said.

This approach often results in more frequent monitoring—typically monthly visits—which can prevent emergency room visits and hospitalizations, she added.

In addition to her oncology expertise, Pelletier specializes in palliative and hospice care.

“People hear those words and think, ‘Oh, no, you just want me to end my life, and you’re not going to do anything to make me better.’ It’s the total opposite. We do everything to make them better, even if it’s just making them feel better,” she said.

Wasatch NP House Calls is now accepting patients and looking forward to meeting it’s Wasatch Back neighbors. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit the company’s website or reach Pelletier directly at 801-252-5209