UHS graduate receives McClannahan scholarship

Published 5:00 pm Monday, September 19, 2022

Family Health Associates in partnership with the Umatilla Hospital District recently announced the recipient of the VJ McClannahan Scholarship. The $2,500 award is presented to a graduate of Umatilla High School who is seeking a career in the medical field.

Neida Espain Aceves, a 2022 UHS graduate, was selected to receive the scholarship. She plans to pursue a career in pediatric nursing.

According to a press release from Family Health Associates, Velma Jean “VJ” McClannahan was a longtime Umatilla resident and an immense supporter of the hospital district and community. She worked at the hospital in Umatilla and after it closed, she remained an advocate for the district.

VJ, who died in May 2020, and her husband William M. “Mac” McClannahan, who died in January 2016, donated the land to the hospital district where the current clinic is located. Without the McClannahan’s support, the Umatilla Hospital District would not be where it is today, the press release said.