Paying tribute to caregivers at The Nebraska Medical Center is the central theme that runs through the new plaza outside of the Hixson-Lied Center. From the sculpture that focuses on the relationship between caregiver and patient, to the glass panels that capture the names of caregivers from past to present.the Tribute to Caregivers Plaza will be a peaceful place where people can reflect or visit with others.
The Tribute to Caregivers Plaza will be dedicated with a ceremony open to employees and the community at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 23. The plaza will be on the east side of the Hixson Lied Center, just south of Clarkson Tower. Mike Geis, director of the Office of Development for The Nebraska Medical Center, will serve as emcee for the event. Also speaking during the dedication are Glenn Fosdick, hospital president and CEO; Rita Van Fleet, chief nursing officer; and John Lajba, the artist commissioned to create the “Tribute to Caregivers” sculpture. An invitation-only recognition luncheon will be held earlier in the day.
The Tribute to Caregivers Plaza will consist of three separate projects: the sculpture, the glass panel display that includes the hospital’s core physicians, and a three-pole flag display made possible by the generosity of Fred and Sally Bekins.
Tribute to Caregivers sculpture
When you sit down with sculptor John Lajba, it doesn’t take long to understanding how he feels about those who provide care to patients. Being a professional artist is not about dollars and cents for Lajba, it’s about how he can best convey human nature. He says the pieces that are most important to him are the ones that honor human beings. The “Tribute to Caregivers” is one of those pieces.
“This was a great opportunity for me to do a piece about human life,” Lajba said. “I hope it allows people to better understand the relationship between the caregiver and patient. I think this is a very meaningful way to portray that relationship.”
Labja has been a professional artist since 1982. He has been commissioned for projects throughout the United States. His best known pieces locally are the “Road to Omaha” sculpture at Rosenblatt Stadium and the “World War II 50th Anniversary Heartland Memorial” at Heartland of America Park. Nationally, Lajba was commissioned for the Dale Earnhardt piece outside of Daytona Motor Speedway; a bust of Bob Hope for Bob Hope Village in Ft. Walton, Fla.; and a full-length bronze of aviation pioneer James “Jimmy” Doolittle for the Air Force Association in Arlington, Va.
The “Tribute to Caregivers” is a bronze sculpture that measure about 13 feet high and weighs about 1,500 pounds. It will be mounted on a five-foot pedestal. The sculpture is made of 22 separate sections. The piece depicts two clasped hands. One hand is that of a caregiver and the other hand is of a patient.
“When a patient is hospitalized, it is a very fragile time for them and their family. It can show just how vulnerable and fragile life can be,” Lajba said. “Patients and families are so dependent on caregivers for professional and emotional support. That is where the idea of the hands touching comes from. Touching is a way to communicate with the patient. It shows human dignity.”