The University of New Mexico (UNM) has taken a step to rename and transform its Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) ASAP Acute Care Clinic.
UNM will soon turn the facility into Olga M. Eaton, M.D., ASAP Acute Care Clinic, UNM News reported.
On January 13, 2026, family, friends,and colleagues of former SHAC Director Dr. Olga M. Eaton gathered for a dedication ceremony to officially mark the major development.
Olga’s husband, Dr. R. Philip “Phil” Eaton, helped lead the effort to rename the clinic after his late wife, who served as UNM SHAC director for 14 years. The new name will appear at the clinic’s entrance. It will also feature a handcrafted tin memory box celebrating her compassionate and supportive nature.
SHAC Executive Director Dr. Stephanie McIver envisioned the memory box after meeting with Phil and UNM Foundation staff. Santa Fe master tin artisan Fred Ray Lopez created it, in collaboration with Facilities Coordinator Nicholas Ross and local craftsman Zecharia Starks.
The box contains meaningful items honoring the clinic’s new namesake, including her 1999 Regents’ Award, a biography, a poem, flower, and a subtle nod to curanderismo, a collection symbolizing Olga’s commitment to students, staff, family and all who knew her.
McIver expressed support for the project. She highlighted that the clinic needs an upgrade to meet modern standards for medical and treatment room space.
“The redesign of the new clinic will improve patient flow for students, workflow for staff, be modernized, increase privacy and is aesthetically appealing,” she said.
Additionally, she said that the memory box will help educate every UNM student utilizing these medical services about the significant contributions of Olga to SHAC and to the field of medicine.
The clinic will begin renovation and installation this spring. UNM aims to open the Olga M. Eaton, M.D., ASAP Acute Care Clinic to students in 2027.
These new changes will allow students and visitors to the soon-to-be redeveloped facility to sincerely recognize Olga’s impact on SHAC, UNM, and the individuals she encountered throughout her life.
Olga’s Legacy Through Her Husband’s Perspective
For 90-year-old Phil, Olga’s presence guided him through every step of his endeavor and reintroduced him to the art of curanderismo. “Olga and I used to go to the Albuquerque Botanic Garden quite a bit,” he said. “Olga led me to the El Jardín de la Curandera Healers Garden there shortly after her passing.”
Phil said that the principles of curanderismo should guide student care, emphasizing touch, listening, and genuine care. He said these are the qualities Olga embodied, even without the formal curandera title.
“Olga would make anyone she was talking to feel like they were the only person in the room,” Phil said. “She greeted every student with a warm touch, eye contact and a knack for really listening to what they had to say.”
Phil described Olga as “the train driver” of SHAC, the steady presence who listened and ensured students always felt supported.
“SHAC is the mother and father for the students and one of the ways we as a university can ensure that students don’t drop out,” Phil said. “Olga was able to give students the value of really being heard, and she really felt it was a privilege to be able to help someone.”
Since Olga’s passing, Phil has composed poems, a practice he finds therapeutic. One poem, No. 115, Heritage, an Awesome Reality, is featured in the memory box. It reflects on learning from ancient experience: “Healing with extracts of herbs, fruit, corn and faith. Generation after generation passing on the legacy of remedies.”
At 90, Phil embraces life with gratitude, cherishing the more than 60 years he shared with Olga and treasuring the joys this milestone has brought him. “I can’t believe it took 90 years for me to find out the most important thing of my life,” he said. “Don’t feel sorry for me — I love to look back. That way you don’t forget anything.”