SON Faculty Team Receives UVA Collaborative Excellence in Public Service Award

A University of Virginia School of Nursing faculty team recently received the University’s Collaborative Excellence in Public Service Award, honoring outstanding community-engaged scholarship that contributes to the wellbeing of communities and to the advancement of public service.

The award recognizes Randy Jones, Amy Boitnott, and Malinda Whitlow for their leadership of the UVA Mobile Care Clinic, a collaborative initiative that brings primary care directly into Charlottesville area communities through sustained, place-based partnership.

In its award letter, the Public Service Award Selection Committee, composed of university faculty, staff, and community members, praised the Mobile Care Clinic as “collaborative public service at its very best,” citing the strength of the partnership among the School of Nursing, UVA Population Health, UVA Health, and trusted community organizations working together to address persistent barriers to care.

Evaluators highlighted the clinic’s long-term, community-centered approach and emphasis on a partnership-driven model of care. As written in the award letter by Louis Nelson, Vice Provost for Academic Outreach:

“Evaluators were particularly struck by the Mobile Care Clinic’s enduring, longitudinal impact. More than episodic outreach, the clinic demonstrates a sustained commitment to continuity of care, community partnership, and responsiveness to locally defined needs—building trust while improving health outcomes. The committee also emphasized the vital role of students, who engage as active participants in a living classroom that integrates clinical excellence, systems thinking, and compassionate public service as core to ethical practice.”

The School of Nursing congratulates Randy Jones, Amy Boitnott, and Malinda Whitlow, and the entire UVA Mobile Care Clinic team on this well-earned recognition. Their work reflects the School’s longstanding commitment to partnership, service, and patient-centered care, and the impact that is possible when faculty, students, and communities work together over time.