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Legislative candidate Patty Pansing Brooks, center, speaks with Patti Carstens, program manager in the clinical skills center, and Bob Bartee, UNMC vice chancellor for external affairs, during a tour of UNMC’s clinical simulation lab Monday. |
Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, a candidate for the Nebraska Legislature, toured UNMC Monday and met with medical center leaders. Below is a short profile of Pansing Brooks.
- Name: Patty Pansing Brooks
- Hometown: Lincoln
- Legislative district: 28 (Lincoln)
What stood out about UNMC during your tour?
I loved my tour! While I have seen many parts of the excellent work going on at UNMC while serving on the Chancellor’s Board of Counselors, I learned about cutting-edge technology being integrated in to many areas of the curriculum — the amazing exam rooms, the medical mannequins that can simulate everything from childbirth to internal trauma, the newly built operating room. UNMC is also doing a remarkable job in the area of telehealth. It’s clear telehealth will be integral to Nebraska’s future, providing quick, specialized access to medical diagnosis and treatment to Nebraskans across the state who live far from any specialists or are too sick to travel. The focus of UNMC on teaching preventative care is also important to health care costs for our future. UNMC is a major asset to our state.
What do you want UNMC employees to know about you?
My grandfather was one of Nebraska’s early surgeons. He studied surgery in Europe in the 1920s, after receiving his medical degree at Rush Medical School in Chicago. My brother-in-law is the past chief of pulmonary medicine at Emory University. I currently serve on the Partnership for Healthy Lincoln Board, focusing on lowering childhood obesity and improving the overall health of our city. Our law firm has worked on medical patent licensing, the creation of ambulatory surgical centers, medical practice representation and has represented both the Nebraska Community Blood Bank and the Lancaster County Medical Society for years.
My mother lived with us for the last 10 years of her life, dying at age 92. She had many health care issues. I was privileged to act as her health advocate, working with excellent health care professionals, many of whom had received training from UNMC. Through my time advocating for mom, I experienced firsthand a portion of the changing face of the field of medicine, particularly as it relates to our aging population. I believe that with the basic health care knowledge I gained from my mom’s care, my involvement with the health care community, and the contacts I have in the medical profession, I can be an effective advocate in the legislative arena for the medical community.