Fairview Care-East in Salt Lake City, UT

Pros

• Patients love Salt Lake Clinic.
• They praise Dr. Kara Chaudhary and her team for amazing care and a welcoming, safe environment.
• Instacare waits are short and the doctors are amazing.
• They appreciate the LGBTQ+-friendly atmosphere and supportive staff.
• Dr Sierra Pe?a is a wonderful physician who listens and provides support.
• The Salt Lake Clinic is clean, well run, and easy to navigate.
• The staff are friendly, caring, and professional.
• Phlebotomists Melissa and Jam were kind and attentive during blood draws.
• The imaging team, including Kiela and Dr Kimball, provided calm, reassuring care.

Cons

• Kathy cut the patient off several times and got upset at them for thinking it was a complicated process.
• The reviewer described the phone call as unprofessional.
• There were huge wait times and mostly automated operators.
• The patient was on hold for 30 minutes on the first attempt and 45 minutes on the next, with no human connection.
• There were no receptionists available, and inbound calls were mismanaged.
• An intake representative was rude and lacked empathy.
• Desk staff ignored patients.
• Billing upcharged them ten times the in-network cost without warning.
• Intermountain Healthcare was described as evil, unprofessional, and disgusting.
• Racism still happens at Intermountain Insta Care.

Review

Fairview Care-East is best suited for seniors who value robust medical access within a large, interconnected network and who can tolerate a degree of administrative irregularity. The community will appeal to families prioritizing strong clinical oversight, continuity with familiar physicians, and straightforward access to specialists through an urban Salt Lake City system. Those who expect consistently polished front-desk service and perfectly predictable scheduling may find the day-to-day experience more trying than anticipated, but for care that emphasizes medical expertise and integrated care management, this is a compelling option.

Alternatives deserve serious consideration for anyone who cannot tolerate long holds, unclear billing, or uneven administrative responsiveness. If front-desk courtesy, rapid appointment access, and transparent cost information are top priorities, looking at other clinics within the same metro area is prudent. In particular, networks with reputations for firmer customer-service standards, clearer pathways for scheduling, and more predictable communications may offer a smoother overall experience. For LGBTQ+-inclusive environments and consistently coordinated care, a few nearby providers have earned stronger reputations in those specific areas.

The strongest positives in the reported experiences center on clinical capability when contact with the right team exists. Several doctors are described as attentive, patient-centered, and responsive to questions about prescriptions and treatment plans. In imaging, phlebotomy, and certain specialty settings, staff can be professional, calming, and capable, contributing to meaningful, if episodic, positive encounters. Facilities with clean, well-maintained environments and efficient in-house teams also stand out, and the ability to access a broad set of services without traveling far remains a clear advantage for active seniors with complex needs.

However, the heavy thread running through the reviews is administrative friction. Persistent phone hold times, automated systems that feel impersonal, and front-desk inconsistency undermine the overall experience and can delay critical care. Billing complications and surprise charges appear in several accounts, sometimes following procedures that were not clearly explained at the outset. Scheduling can be slow or opaque, and patients report a pattern of missed communications between reception, care teams, and laboratories. These operational gaps can erode trust and make diligent care coordination more difficult to sustain over time.

Even when medical teams excel, the friction elsewhere can overshadow those strengths. The offset hinges on whether a family can establish reliable, direct lines of communication to the physician and a dedicated care liaison who can navigate scheduling, referrals, and costs. For households with the bandwidth to push for faster service and the resolve to verify every bill, the clinical upside can compensate for the administrative downsides. For those needing a low-effort, turnkey experience, the current pattern suggests a higher likelihood of frustration and rescheduled or canceled routines.

To make a prudent decision, prospective residents should assess Fairview Care-East with concrete, on-site benchmarks. Request a tour focused on the front desk workflow, call-center responsiveness, and the process for coordinating outside referrals. Insist on speaking with a care coordinator who can outline a clear pathway from primary care to specialist visits, imaging, and labs, including expected wait times. Confirm a transparent cost outline, ask for examples of prior billing questions resolved with no drama, and probe whether patient portals and direct lines to clinicians are actively used. These steps will reveal whether the clinical strengths can reliably outweigh the administrative weaknesses in daily life.

This area of Salt Lake City, Utah, offers a variety of amenities and services that may appeal to seniors looking for a convenient and vibrant community to call home. With multiple parks nearby such as Liberty Park and Reservoir Park, there are plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation and relaxation. Additionally, there are several restaurants offering diverse cuisine options within close proximity, as well as pharmacies, physicians' offices, cafes, places of worship, hospitals, and theaters all easily accessible. Public transportation options such as UTA FrontRunner North Temple Station and TRAX Central Pointe provide convenient travel possibilities for those without a vehicle. Overall, this area provides a mix of convenience and cultural attractions that may make it an attractive location for seniors looking to enjoy their retirement years in Salt Lake City.

Parks

• Liberty Park (0.2 miles)
• Reservoir Park (0.9 miles)
• Washington Square (1.1 miles)
• Sunnyside Park (1.3 miles)
• Bonneville Glen (1.4 miles)
• Popperton Park (1.5 miles)
• Pioneer Park (1.9 miles)

Restaurants

• Chipotle Mexican Grill (0.3 miles)
• Cafe Niche (0.3 miles)
• Greek Souvlaki (0.8 miles)
• Beer Bar (1.2 miles)
• Sushi Burrito (1.2 miles)
• Hub & Spoke Diner (1.3 miles)
• The Green Pig Pub (1.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.6 miles)
• Smith's Food & Drug (1.3 miles)
• Harmons (1.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.2 miles)
• Watson Pharmaceuticals (2.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.4 miles)

Physicians

• Ear Nose & Throat Center (0.7 miles)
• Barr Facial Plastic Surgery: Lucy J Barr MD PC (0.7 miles)
• Barr Facial Plastic Surgery (0.7 miles)
• Central City Community Health Center (0.7 miles)
• House Call Doctors (0.8 miles)
• Kroencke, Rachel Dr - Madsen Internal Medicine Clinic (1.5 miles)
• Avenues Sleep Clinic (1.5 miles)

Cafes

• Coffee Garden (0.7 miles)
• Salt Lake Coffee Break (0.7 miles)
• Java Jo's (1 miles)
• Publik Coffee Roasters (1 miles)
• Three Pines Coffee (1.4 miles)
• Publik Coffee Roasters (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks (1.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• Cathedral of the Madeleine (1.1 miles)
• Salt Lake Tabernacle (1.6 miles)
• Conference Center (1.7 miles)
• LDS Foothill Stake Center (2.7 miles)
• Worldwide Gospel Church (2.9 miles)
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (4 miles)

Hospitals

• George E Wahlen VA Hospital (1.3 miles)
• United States Government (1.4 miles)
• Intermountain Pharmacy - LDS Hospital (1.5 miles)
• Primary Children's Hospital (1.6 miles)
• Moran Patient Support (1.6 miles)
• University Of Utah ENT Clinic 9 (1.7 miles)
• University of Utah Hospital (1.7 miles)

Theaters

• Imax Theatre Clark Planetarium (2 miles)
• Megaplex 12 at The Gateway (2.1 miles)

Transportation

• UTA FrontRunner North Temple Station (2.3 miles)
• Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub Salt Lake Central (2.3 miles)
• TRAX Central Pointe (2.9 miles)
• TRAX Millcreek (4.4 miles)