A legendary Omaha businessman, an accomplished surgeon who has worked to improve health care delivery systems, and a longtime rural health advocate from Broken Bow will be honored at UNMC’s commencement Saturday, May 6 in Omaha.
In all, 596 students will be awarded certificates or degrees during UNMC commencement ceremonies in Kearney, Lincoln, Scottsbluff and Omaha.
The late Harlan Noddle will be awarded the UNMC Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award, posthumously. Noddle served as chairman of the board of Noddle Companies, one of the Midwest’s largest developers of community shopping centers and office buildings. Noddle Development Company, which he began in 1971, has developed or purchased more than 85 shopping centers and five office buildings in 16 states. Combined, the projects cover more than 8.5 million square feet.
Throughout his lifetime, Noddle was a strong advocate for the University of Nebraska, particularly UNMC. He served as chairman of the University of Nebraska Foundation Board of Directors and as chairman of the Board of Directors for UNMC’s hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center. Noddle was an active community leader, as well. He served on the Midlands Board of the National Conference for Community & Justice and was a member of the Executive Committee for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. He also served on the boards of the Omaha Symphony and the Omaha Airport Authority, among others.
The UNMC Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award is given to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated outstanding support for the University of Nebraska Medical Center by way of personal service, private contributions or other meritorious advocacy for the campus mission. The chancellor, in consultation with other UNMC leaders, selects the recipient.
John Kenagy, M.D., is being honored with the Honorary Doctor of Science degree, in recognition of his excellence as a physician, health care executive and scholar.
A native of Lincoln, Dr. Kenagy graduated with distinction in 1971 from the UNMC College of Medicine. Dr. Kenagy then trained in general and vascular surgery at the University of Washington and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, with board certification in General and Vascular Surgery.
His frustration with current health care methods was fueled by an injury, he suffered a broken neck in a fall from a tree. He discovered that his recovery depended on the effort of individuals working in a broken system. Searching for organizational answers beyond “try harder,” he earned a management degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School and was then appointed a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Business School from 1998 to 2002.
His research and teaching focused on innovative companies who excelled when others failed to adapt and change. He founded Kenagy and Associates, LLC, to bring these capabilities to health care – using Adaptive Design to better and more effectively meet the needs of patients in an increasingly complex, rapidly changing world.
Dr. Kenagy’s contributions have been widely recognized. In addition to Harvard, his academic appointments include clinical associate professor of surgery at the University of Washington, and adjunct professor of pharmacy and therapeutics at the University of Pittsburgh. Forbes Magazine featured him as “the man who would save health care,” and his article, “Service Quality in Health Care,” was named the Best Health Care Management Article of the Year. He has testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee and has had numerous speaking and consulting engagements throughout the United States and Canada.
Broken Bow physician Loren Jacobsen, M.D., is being honored with the J.G. “Jack” Elliott Award for improving health care services in rural Nebraska.
Dr. Jacobsen’s contributions to the education of students interested in the field of health care have made a significant impact on UNMC and on the health care of Nebraskans. He was one of the first physicians in Nebraska to accept UNMC medical students on rotations, and he mentored more than 90 students personally. His persistence in recruiting fellow health care professionals to greater Nebraska – and the subsequent founding of clinics and satellites – has significantly increased the availability of medical care in the Sandhills.
Dr. Jacobsen graduated from the UNMC College of Medicine in 1967, and he completed his internship and surgical training in the Panama Canal Zone. In 1971, Dr. Jacobsen returned to his home rural county. For the past 3 1/2 decades, he has actively practiced medicine and general surgery. He successfully recruited three additional family practice physicians and a physician assistant, all of whom now serve satellite clinics in Sargent, Dunning and Ansley.
The J.G. Elliott Award is given annually in memory of Elliott, a former Scottsbluff resident who served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents for 20 years until his death in 1974.