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Nancy Rodriguez, left, the executive director for the New Mexico Alliance for School-Based Health Care, displays a memorial bill proclaiming February as School-Based Health Care Awareness Month, during the open house for the new Campus Clinic at �������-������� on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Drs. Sabrina Ezzell and Valory Wangler look on in the background.

Campus Clinic offers accessible care at UNM-�������

Categories: Students   Faculty   Staff   Community  

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Branch campus partners with ������� Community Health to offer medical and behavioral health services for students and employees

By Richard Reyes, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026

GALLUP, N.M. — An organization dedicated to providing accessible medical care to the greater �����о��� community recently opened a new school-based clinic at �����о���-�����о��� available to students, employees and their families.

������� Community Health, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, hosted an open house for the new clinic at UNM-������� on Feb. 11 to give people a chance to learn what the clinic has to offer and tour the space. Dr. Valory Wangler, the executive director of ������� Community Health, described the open house as a special day.

The clinic opened Jan. 20, and it is available once a week from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. every Tuesday. It is located within the Student Resource Center inside Gurley Hall, 705 Gurley Ave.

It takes a village

Wangler said it took a collaborative effort with UNM-������� and Middle College High School to get the clinic up and running.

UNM-������� Chancellor Dr. Sabrina Ezzell called the clinic an invaluable gift to the campus and said she was thrilled to partner with ������� Community Health on the initiative.

“I look forward to the growth of the clinic, making students aware of the services and letting them know that UNM-�����о��� truly cares about them as a student,” McMahon said. “We care more than just how they’re doing academically. We understand all of the areas that impact their success, and this is just one of our efforts to try to support them.”

Wangler also thanked the New Mexico Alliance for School-Based Health Care, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico, and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich for funding and supporting the clinic.

Nancy Rodriguez, the executive director for the Alliance, said it takes a village to open and run a school-based clinic, offering her organization’s resources to help the clinic be successful.

“We’re here for you, and we just can’t wait to see the amazing things you do for kids and families in this community,” she said.

Accessible care for young people

Medical services are available at the clinic during morning hours from 8 a.m. to noon. They include general and preventative medicine, acute care, sports physicals, and reproductive health care.

Behavioral health services are available during afternoon hours from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. They include assessment and treatment for various mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and screening and treatment for substance use disorder.

Pikaart added that making care more accessible for people at a younger age helps them find the help they need quickly and easily while making them feel more comfortable seeking care throughout their lives.

“You’re not alone”

Erica Marquez, a nurse practitioner who works at the clinic in the mornings, said the first few days have been slow as students become aware that the clinic exists and figure out where it’s located. She noted that the clinic is tucked away in a corner of the Student Resource Center, but being out of the way offers additional privacy for visitors.

“You’re not alone,” Livingston said to encourage students to reach out for mental health care. “The support is here. People who really enjoy doing the job are here, and we’re so open and willing to provide whatever we can to the person that needs it — to the kids that really can benefit from it to help them succeed in their goals in their life.”

To learn more about the clinic and to schedule an appointment, visit the .

Kris Pikaart, the director of behavioral health services and school-based clinics for ������� Community Health, speaks during an open house for the new Campus Clinic at �������-������� on Wednesday, Feb. 11.