Letter of intent to establish Norfolk nursing division signed

In a symbolic ceremony in Norfolk on Monday, officials signed a letter of intent that fulfills one of three requirements toward establishing a nursing college in Norfolk. The letter was signed by officials from Northeast Community College and Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk, and the University of Nebraska and UNMC.

Among those participating in the ceremony were Nebraska Sen. Mike Flood, Norfolk Mayor Gordon Adams, M.D.; Madison County Commissioners Chairman Jerry McCallum; Northeast Community College President Bill Path, Ph.D.; University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken; Faith Regional Health Services Chief Executive Officer Robert Driewer; UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D.; and College of Nursing Dean Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc.

Officials say the proposed UNMC College of Nursing Northern Division in Norfolk, which would offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing, could reduce the significant nursing workforce shortage in the region, which has a growing demand for health services, especially in acute care. Evidence that supports bring a division to Norfolk include favorable population demographics, which show growth and a strong economy. A local program also would mean retaining students/community members upon graduation.

Sen. Mike Flood

“UNMC has gone over and above for the community of Norfolk and all of northeast Nebraska by taking this project seriously from day one,” said Flood of Norfolk, who first introduced the concept to the university. “Thanks to partnerships with Northeast Community College and Faith Regional Health Services, we can truly call this project a collaborative effort for the benefit of our corner of the state.”

In January, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents adopted a resolution that required three binding agreements before the board could give its approval to the establishment of a division — the letter of intent, a joint operating agreement and an academic affiliation agreement. The Letter of Intent also has been approved by Northeast’s Board of Governors and Faith Regional’s Board of Directors.

In March, the regents approved the letter of intent that satisfies the first of three conditions for the proposed nursing division. The letter spells out guidelines for the partnership, including governance and authority, financial commitments, curricula, clinical training, student quotas and research and clinical practice. Two requirements remain — a joint operating agreement and an academic affiliation agreement — both expected to be completed in 2008.

“The new Norfolk division of the College of Nursing will serve all of northeast Nebraska, providing an educated health care workforce for the region and creating new educational opportunities,” Milliken said. “This is a great example of how partnerships between the public and private sectors can benefit Nebraskans.”

Dr. Maurer said the proposed division would further improve health in the state.

“Our mission at UNMC is to improve the health of Nebraska and this venture is a commitment to our state,” he said. “Often we refer to our campus as a 500-mile wide campus. This proposed division exemplifies this culture. We’re proud to help meet the nursing workforce need in northeast Nebraska.”

A proposed new facility, which would be funded with public and private sources, would be constructed to house Northeast Community College’s licensed practical nursing and associate degree nursing program and UNMC’s programs. Initially, the division would need to recruit 10 faculty and an assistant dean. Once the program reached its capacity of students, an additional five faculty would be needed for a total of 15 full-time faculty. Projected costs of a 35,000-square-foot-facility are $10.8 million.

Bill Path, Ph.D.

“I have visited many communities in our 20-county service area this spring,” Dr. Path said. “The overwhelming response to this initiative is extremely positive. Area residents are aware of their health care needs and are beginning to understand how we can address that need through this visionary partnership.”

“As a hospital, our focus is to continually provide the highest level of care to our patients,” said Robert Driewer, CEO of Faith Regional Health Services. “With the addition of this new nursing division in Norfolk, we will be able to encourage our nurses to seek that higher level of training which will ultimately benefit our patients and their outcomes.”

Bob Driewer

A UNMC College of Nursing division in Norfolk would mark the first baccalaureate nursing and graduate degree program in northeast Nebraska. The division would be the only publicly-supported nursing college in the area offering the degrees, which would allow students to attain the degrees at an affordable cost.

The division would be led by Dr. Tilden.

“The UNMC College of Nursing is very committed to bringing its education programs to all of the state and we’re so pleased to have an opportunity to consider having a program in northeast Nebraska,” Dr. Tilden said. “We know northeast Nebraska has one of the lowest per capita ratios of nurses to citizens. Our educational programs help Nebraska nurses make an amazing difference in communities across the state in terms of quality of patient care.”

Some Norfolk area students are looking forward to an opportunity to access higher nursing degrees close to home.

Maricela Zarate is enrolled in the licensed practical nursing program at Northeast Community College. Zarate, who speaks Spanish, wants to pursue her dream of a bachelor’s degree.

Zarate, who has three children, said she knows a lot of students who want to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, but family and work obligations make it difficult.

Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc.

“You don’t want to travel when you have a family,” she said. “You want to spend as much time with the family as you can.”

Rhonda Lammers will graduate in May with an associate degree in nursing from Northeast Community College in Norfolk, and plans to work on a medical-surgical hospital unit. She has aspirations of earning a master’s degree in nursing and is taking pre-requisite courses at Northeast in hopes of enrolling in UNMC’s College of Nursing bachelor’s of science in nursing(BSN) degree program in 2008 — a distance education program. The UNMC BSN program would require her to be in Omaha one day a week.

“It’s a three-hour drive one-way to Omaha to attend classes in Omaha,” said Lammers, who is married with four children. “A local division of the UNMC College of Nursing would be great. I like online coursework, but prefer the student-instructor interaction of a classroom.”

Lammers said she knows many other students who are interested in earning a BSN. “I have no doubt that classes will be at capacity for years to come should a division be placed in Norfolk.”

The proposed Norfolk division was prompted by an inquiry in April 2006 from Sen. Flood to help address the growing demand for acute care in north and northeast Nebraska, and the associated need to increase the number of nurses with bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Last October, Milliken asked the regents to review and make recommendations of a feasibility study for the proposed division. The study was presented to the regents last November.

Once fully operational, the nursing division could admit 48 students each year to its bachelor’s degree in nursing program, 10 to 20 in its master’s degree in nursing program, and some doctoral students. UNMC officials say the first class of students graduating from the new division could boost the workforce in the region by about 13 percent.

Currently, UNMC has divisions in four Nebraska cities: Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff.