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 The University of New Mexico-Gallup on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Drs. Sabrina Ezzell and Valory Wangler look on in the background.
Campus Clinic offers accessible care at ñ
Categories: Students Faculty Staff Community
Branch campus partners with Gallup 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 Gallup community recently opened a new school-based clinic at The University of New Mexico-Gallup available to students, employees and their families.
Gallup Community Health, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, hosted an open house for the new clinic at ñ 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 Gallup Community Health, described the open house as a special day.
“The Campus Clinic here at UNM is our first sort of satellite facility — our first school-based clinic — and it’s something we feel really passionate about,” she said. “Among our core values are that health care is a fundamental human right and that our community can’t be its best unless everyone has the opportunity to be healthy.”
The Campus Clinic provides on-site primary and preventative medical care and behavioral health services to all college and high school students at ñ as well as faculty, staff and family members. Care is confidential.
The examination room is seen at the new Campus Clinic at The University of New Mexico-Gallup on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
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 ñ and Middle College High School to get the clinic up and running.
ñ Chancellor Dr. Sabrina Ezzell called the clinic an invaluable gift to the campus and said she was thrilled to partner with Gallup Community Health on the initiative.
“They really care about the health of Gallup, and I just appreciate that so much,” she said. “They are really looking out for the health of our whole community, but it’s so nice for our students, staff and faculty to have access to health care right here.”
ñ Student Affairs Director Jayme McMahon described the clinic as incredible, saying she’s excited because it meets one of the most significant areas of need on campus, which is student health and wellness.
Dr. Valory Wangler, left, executive director for Gallup Community Health, speaks during the open house for the new Campus Clinic while Chancellor Dr. Sabrina Ezzell reacts at The University of New Mexico-Gallup on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
“I look forward to the growth of the clinic, making students aware of the services and letting them know that ñ 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.
Kris Pikaart, the director of behavioral health services and school-based clinics for Gallup Community Health, talked about the significance of having a clinic at the college to serve young people.
“Imagine being able to catch a 15-year-old who’s just starting to experiment with substances and if that treatment could start when they’re 15 instead of when they’re 25 or 35,” she said. “What a difference that makes in a person’s life, but also the amazing ripple effect in a community.”
Gallup Mayor Marc DePauli and his wife Kristy DePauli speak with Kris Pikaart, the director of behavioral health services and school-based clinics for Gallup Community Health, during the open house for the new Campus Clinic at The University of New Mexico-Gallup on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
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.
Marquez said the clinic has received a lot of sick visits so far, and it has already helped at least one student get in touch with the clinic’s counselor after they had trouble finding mental health services for months.
Michelle Livingston is the licensed mental health counselor who works at the clinic in the afternoons. She said she hopes to see the clinic thrive and expand because of how essential mental health care is for young people.
Several brochures and resources can be found at the new Campus Clinic at The University of New Mexico-Gallup as seen in this Feb. 11 photo.
“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 Gallup Community Health, speaks during an open house for the new Campus Clinic at The University of New Mexico-Gallup on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
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The University of New Mexico - Gallup
705 Gurley Ave.
Gallup, NM 87301
(505) 863-7500
