RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – For many families in Northern Nevada, barriers such as cost, language differences and lack of insurance can make even routine medical care difficult to access.
A partnership led by the University of Nevada, Reno Orvis School of Nursing is helping change that by bringing free, bilingual health services directly into the community while preparing the next generation of nurse practitioners to serve Nevada’s most vulnerable populations.
At the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows’ Pennington Clubhouse on Foster Drive, families can receive free medical care in a familiar and convenient setting.
The clinic is led by Nurse Practitioner Vania Carter-Strauss, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, lecturer at the Orvis School of Nursing and director of Latinx Nursing Advocacy and Advancement. She provides care through a faculty practice role that enables clinician educators to continue working with patients as part of their academic responsibilities.
Working alongside her is family nurse practitioner student, Marlyn Arce-Gomez. Together, the bilingual providers deliver preventive services and address immediate primary care needs in both English and Spanish, helping remove language barriers that often prevent families from seeking care.
The clinic focuses on bridging gaps in care, reconnecting patients with primary care providers and supporting continuity of care through trauma-informed care for victims and survivors of crime.
Although the nursing arm of the clinic launched in February 2026, it has already served nearly a dozen patients and their families. The clinic is currently open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Patients do not need insurance, identification or a Social Security number to receive care. Services include general health checkups, diabetes screening, pregnancy testing, prescription and medication reconciliation, as well as referrals to additional resources.
The work is carried out in collaboration with the Community Behavioral Health Collaborative through the School of Public Health, as part of its VOCA-funded Resilient Nevada Initiative, led by Jennifer Calloway Ross, Ph.D. The Collaborative has been providing free mental health services within the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows and other local non-profits since 2022 through embedding learners and clinical supervisors in these familiar and comfortable locations to meet clients where they are.
Bright Futures Wellness Center(Boys and Girls Club Truckee Meadows)
For more information on the Brighter Futures Wellness Clinic, please visit bgctm.org/services/bright-futures-wellness-center/
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