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The center, which is operated by UNMC Physicians, the physician practice group for UNMC, is part of the Olson Center for Women’s Health. It occupies the entire fourth floor of the Durham Outpatient Center and was made possible through donations made by Dr. Leland and Dorothy Olson of Omaha.
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Peggy Pippitt operates one of the digital mammography machines in UNMC’s new Olson Center for Women’s Health. |
A UNMC medical school graduate, Dr. Leland Olson is a retired obstetrics and gynecology physician who practiced in Omaha for many years. Dorothy Olson is a graduate of the UNMC College of Nursing.
The 25,000-square-foot facility is double the size of UNMC’s previous OB/GYN clinic.
Most of the space was added by moving the pediatrics clinic to the first level of the Durham Outpatient Center. Additional space was gained by eliminating the hallway on the fourth floor and converting it into clinical space.
“The Olsons’ gift has been used for infrastructure — not bricks and mortar,” Dr. Smith said. “We felt it was more important to invest in what’s in the building and to support people and unique services rather than create a new building.”
The Olson Center will house specialists in primary care, OB/GYN, high-risk obstetrics, breast care, dermatology, pain management, physical therapy, infertility, midwifery, incontinence, mental health and menopause management.
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Andrea Bartunek performs an ultrasound on Nikeya Traynham at the new Olson Center for Women’s Health. |
“The Olson family has been a dedicated and loyal supporter of UNMC for many years,” said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “This new facility will provide comprehensive care for women in a single location. It will advance education of students, residents and patients and catalyze clinical research on women’s issues. We are extremely grateful for the outstanding generosity and foresightedness of the Olson family.”
More than 30 health professionals will work full-time in the Olson Center with more than 20 health professionals providing part-time assistance.
“To my knowledge, this is the first true inter-department clinic at UNMC,” Dr. Smith said. “Virtually all of the OB/GYN department is part of the Olson Center. In addition, the departments of internal medicine, surgery, dermatology, urology and psychiatry are also represented. It is a multi-department operation, and we’re very proud of that.”
Dr. Smith said the Olson Center will provide a number of amenities not typically available in other women’s centers. Women coming to the center will be greeted by a host when they come off the elevator. After checking in, they can receive a massage or browse through educational materials in the adjacent women’s resource center.
“You won’t have to worry about not hearing your name, as every guest will have a personal pager like the ones used in many restaurants,” said Sheila McFarland, manager of the Olson Center. “Every guest will be escorted to our new clinic rooms by a personal attendant, who will provide assistance until the doctor comes.
“Whether it’s your annual exam, a mole check with a dermatologist, blood work, a meeting with your diabetes educator, therapy for your knee after surgery, a mammogram, or nutrition planning for your pregnancy, all these services and more can be scheduled during one appointment at the new center.”
Through increased staffing and diligent training of all Olson Center employees, Dr. Smith said waiting times should be minimal.
“Our goal is to reduce waiting time and get people through the system,” he said. “If there is a wait, we’ll communicate to patients why. Emergencies do occur. Most of us choose other services on the basis of quality, convenience and service, why not health care? Attitude and service will separate the Olson Center from everyone else.”
The Olson Center for Women’s Health was established by a major gift from the Olsons in 1993.
Since 1986, the Olsons have made multiple gifts to the University of Nebraska Foundation worth millions of dollars.
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Location: 4400 Emile St., Omaha Size: 25,649-square-foot, entire 4th floor of the Durham Outpatient Center Center’s namesake & benefactors: Dr Leland and Mrs. Dorothy Olson Patient rooms: Other rooms: Equipment: Health care professionals: Resource center: Technology: The center also features: |
“Dr. Olson has always been a big picture guy. He’s very decisive and he doesn’t procrastinate. Before the Olson Center for Women’s Health was established, he recognized the benefit to women and the university that it would have. It was through the leadership of Dr. Olson and his wife, Dorothy, that the concept of a comprehensive women’s center evolved into the tremendous health center that has been created today. The benefits derived from the center will have a profound, endearing impact on Omaha and the state. The Olsons are motivated by talent and leadership, and they recognize these traits in Dr. McClure Smith, who was chairman of OB/GYN when the Olson Center was first established, and Dr. Carl Smith, who is the current OB/GYN chairman and was vice chairman when the Olson Center began.”
John Niemann, Ed.D., University of Nebraska Foundation, senior vice president
“We know that many places call themselves a women’s center. So when we set out to design the Olson Center’s new outpatient facility, we had one goal in mind — to make it truly a ‘center,’ with many different disciplines in one location, many different services available. So that was job one. We think we have a nice mix of specialties all in one place, all checked in by one receptionist area, all managed by one director, and all under one phone number. That kind of convenience and collaboration was a big goal. Job two was to instill a new sense of patient service, because we knew that just having several specialties in one location would not be enough. We knew we had excellent one-on-one patient care, but we wanted to also stress excellence in customer service, and so our development team took a fresh approach to that as well. Our goal is 100 percent patient satisfaction for access, scheduling, check-in, waiting area and patient flow. And we want to make our patients feel special, so we’re providing some unique things not found elsewhere — a waiting room attendant, chair massage, restaurant-style pagers in the waiting room, cordless phones to improve communication, escorts throughout the patient visit and a fully-staffed resource center.
“Thanks to the generosity of the Olson family, the work of the University of Nebraska Foundation, and the contributions from many people since 1998 to the planning of the center, we look forward to our new women’s center, which will hopefully redefine women’s healthcare in the region.”
Rick Blum, administrator, OB/GYN department
“I’m really excited about moving up to the new Olson Center for Women’s Health. Everything a patient needs for breast care will be there, including screening and diagnostic digital mammography, ultrasound and stereotactic biopsy. MRI will be readily available. Women’s bone health is also a high priority here and a DEXA machine to measure bone density will be right in the department. The ladies can drive to the university for their exam, leave their car with a valet, jump on the elevator and be right at the Olson Center in a matter of minutes. What could be better and more healthy than that?”
Cheryl Williams, M.D., associate professor of radiology, lead interpreting physician mammography
“Never before have I heard of a women’s clinic that has designed a new center around a woman’s wants and needs. For my health care, the Olson Center means a real and convenient answer. As an employee at the Olson Center, I feel privileged and excited to be a part of an institution which is committed to providing the best for all women. This truly brings not only something new to UNMC, but to other women in the region just like me.
“The Olson family’s commitment to education, community service, research, and the well-being of women and men is encouraging and inspiring. They are gracious people who I have come to respect and admire.”
Christin McDermott, print and media associate
“The Olson Center for Women’s Health is unique in that it is designed specifically for the busy lives that women lead. We wanted to create a place where women could have access to health care from top physicians, see specialists for any condition and get answers to their important questions. Our new center is built around a network of physicians, which enables referrals to a medical or surgical specialist easy and convenient. The new resource center is also a great place for our community to go for answers to questions they may have about their health.”
Cory Shaw, chief administrative officer, UNMC Physicians
“Having the ability to educate women through community conferences, development of written materials and online programs has repeatedly been a rewarding experience since the Women’s Health Resource Center opened in 1994. Daily we touch the lives of women, assisting them in finding the answers to their health questions and those of their families. The generosity of the Olson family has allowed us to implement programs which reach women throughout the Omaha region and across the nation. Women appreciate what we do and we are grateful to the Olsons for having the vision to see the need to help women and the compassion to make it a reality.”
Lana Molczyk, director, women’s health resource center