University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D.,
has appointed Ward Chambers, M.D., to serve as executive director of community
and multicultural affairs. In this capacity, Dr. Chambers will be a part
of the chancellors unit and will centralize all campus programs that relate
to community and multicultural affairs.
The position is newly-created. The chancellor feels very passionately
about these issues and has dedicated resources to support these activities,
Dr. Chambers said. “We’re making a real effort.
He said his first priority is to identify and bring together UNMC staff
working in community affairs and multicultural affairs. He will seek advice
from multicultural leaders throughout the state about recruiting members
of underserved populations into the health-care professions.
“We have an obligation to do the right thing for the community and Nebraska.
We will be successful if we can recruit and educate students from diverse
backgrounds and keep them in our community, Dr. Chambers said. We serve
all Nebraskans and that also means providing access to services for those
who are underserved, as well as recruit staff and health-care providers
who reflect the cultural diversity of our community.
In an effort to improve the health of the community, UNMC and NHS are
partners in expanding and tailoring health services to the specific needs
of Omaha communities. In 1996, the North Omaha Community Care Council was
created by members of the north Omaha community and UNMC to address health
issues in the community. The council includes business and governmental
leaders, neighborhood association volunteers, health care professionals
and representatives from religious organizations.
The partnerships goal is to identify specific health needs of the community,
improve access to health care by breaking down cultural, language, transportation
and financial barriers and coordinate health education and health promotion,
as well as provide health screening services. In 1997, the South Omaha
Community Care Council was formed with parallel goals in mind.
Dr. Chambers said UNMC is building on its relationship with the Omaha
Public Schools to establish an infrastructure that can provide support
and mentoring for students who have an interest in the health fields.
We are trying to develop a more diverse student body and are also in
the process of forming a liaison with student services and multicultural
affairs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Dr. Chambers said. We
want to foster a relationship with undergraduate students to provide mentoring
services and ultimately we hope to recruit them into our graduate programs.
Right now, we don’t have the number of diverse students in our programs
that we would like to have.
He said UNMC also is doing a fair amount of work on gender equity issues.
He said 45 to 48 percent of the makeup of medical school classes have been
women.
Dr. Chambers received a bachelors degree in 1967 in electrical engineering
from the University of Missouri and a masters degree in 1970 in electrical
engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He graduated from
the UNMC College of Medicine in 1973 with a medical degree and from 1973
to 1977, he did residency training.
From 1967 to 1969, he worked as an electrical engineer, and from 1977
to 1980, he was in private practice as a cardiologist. Since 1980, he has
held a variety of positions, including UNMC vice chairman in the internal
medicine department, associate dean for outreach and planning and president
of University Medical Associates, UNMCs physician group practice. He continues
to practice cardiology.
Dr. Maurer said Dr. Chambers is the ideal person to unify campus efforts
in each of these areas.
He has ties in the community and throughout the state, Dr. Maurer
said. Hes also done a lot personally in the area of multicultural affairs.
He took on a foster child and helped him focus on achieving his goal of
earning a college degree.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has
established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research
and treatment and solid organ transplantation. More than $34 million in
research grants and contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists annually.
In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more
health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.