UCSF honors McEvoy for leadership in school-based health clinic

Colleen McEvoy, C-PNP, seated, is joined by the UCSF film crew who captured her story for presentation at the 2025 UCSF Alumni Practitioner Award. Standing back, left to right, are director Lawrence Rickford, camera operator Francis Bautista, and interviewer Brandy Ford. The team traveled to Bishop to spotlight McEvoy’s role in founding the Bronco Clinic. Photo by Barbara Laughon/Northern Inyo Healthcare

The Alumni Association of UC San Francisco will honor Colleen McEvoy, the driving force behind Bishop Union High School’s school-based health clinic, with its prestigious 2025 UCSF Alumni Practitioner Award.

This honor, presented annually, recognizes UCSF alumni whose work exemplifies “boundless clinical empathy, understanding, and caring within health care,” according to John R. McCoy, executive director of UCSF Alumni Relations. McEvoy will receive the award during the 2025 Alumni Weekend in San Francisco, scheduled for April 25-26.

McEvoy joined Northern Inyo Healthcare District’s Pediatrics Clinic as a certified pediatric nurse practitioner in 2015. Her early career in Bay Area school-based health clinics showed her the power of on-campus healthcare in reducing absences and improving student well-being and academic success. That experience and her passion for working with adolescents led her to develop an idea that helped bridge the gap between healthcare and education in Bishop.

McEvoy suggested a partnership between Northern Inyo Healthcare District and Bishop Union High School, creating the Bronco Clinic, which now provides quality, on-campus healthcare to students. Nestled in the basement of BUHS’ main building, the school-based health center ensures students stay healthy, engaged, and ready to learn while receiving care in a familiar and comfortable environment.

Launching the clinic was not without its challenges. “It took a few months to build trust and establish clear communication between the two district boards while addressing the many questions that came up, but we made it,” McEvoy said. “The services we provide to students are invaluable, and just as important are the strong community partnerships that have developed through this effort.”

Corrine Quintana, Vice Principal of Bishop Union High School, praised McEvoy’s impact on student health and wellness. “Colleen has been a champion in our small community to ensure all students have access to quality healthcare,” Quintana says. “Through her dedication, the Bronco Clinic has provided hundreds of students with a wide range of services focused on promoting their overall health and wellbeing. Her kind and open nature helps teens feel comfortable sharing their concerns honestly, resulting in the best possible outcomes.”

The Bronco Clinic is the only school-based health clinic in Inyo and Mono counties. California currently has nearly 250 school-based health centers, a number that continues to grow. Research shows these centers positively influence attendance, dropout rates, disciplinary issues, and overall academic outcomes.

McEvoy diligently ensures the Bronco Clinic is a trusted resource that empowers students to navigate their health confidently. She and Dr. Stacey Brown, a long-time family medicine provider with NIHD, offer on-campus care two days a week, supported by complementary services within the school system.

Dr. Brown hails McEvoy for her role in establishing the Bronco Clinic. “Colleen has pulled off a truly remarkable feat: a school-based clinic in a geographically isolated, remote, rural American West community,” Dr. Brown says. “Perseverance with multiple hospital boards, school boards, and community leaders over many years has propelled her concept from utterly impossible through improbable and arrived at truly essential – something that teachers, parents, and students cannot imagine living without.”

With more than 20 years in patient care, McEvoy has worked in school-based health, pediatric primary care, and specialized fields such as hematology, oncology, and palliative care. She further honed her expertise by completing a minor in adolescent medicine and is currently pursuing certification as a Pediatric Primary Care Behavioral Health Specialist. Additionally, she collaborates with families on nutrition and weight management, underscoring her holistic approach to healthcare.

“Colleen embodies the spirit of compassionate care and clinical excellence that we strive to achieve,” said NIHD Acting CEO Allison Partridge. “Her dedication not only elevates the standard of healthcare in our community but also serves as an inspiring example for all of us at Northern Inyo Healthcare District. We congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.”

McEvoy and her husband, Tony, have embraced life in Bishop, drawn to its natural beauty and community spirit.

“I love nature and mountains,” she said. “After I finished my nurse practitioner program, I spent a lot of time hiking, backpacking, and going to Yosemite. I started asking myself why I was still living in the city. Tony and I found jobs here, so we moved. I actually love living in a small town with a strong sense of community.”

Looking ahead, McEvoy hopes to see school-based health clinics expand into other rural communities. Acknowledging the challenge of getting providers to move to small towns, she notes that once they visit, they often find rural America a bit of a hidden gem.

“At NIHD, we have a really skilled group of physicians and practitioners working here, all of whom enjoy the Eastern Sierra and its lifestyle,” she says. “Many of our team come from highly trained programs. We work together and support one another to provide quality patient care. Are there some challenges to practicing in rural areas? Yes, there are, but if you work with a team, it really is very satisfying.”

For McEvoy, her greatest joy comes from the relationships she builds. “Watching these children grow, seeing them thrive, and knowing I’ve played a small role in their journey — that’s what makes this work so meaningful,” she smiles.