UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., presented his campus address at the annual Faculty Senate Awards ceremony last Thursday.
Outlining accomplishments
Accomplishments for the year that Dr. Gold mentioned Thursday include:
- School of Allied Health Professions transitioning into a college in July;
- Two new deans for the colleges of dentistry and public health;
- Multiple program expansion in nursing, allied health, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and on the international front;
- Information management governance — students, faculty and leadership working together to address all aspects of information management;
- Continued research growth — now more than $100 million;
- Leading educational innovation with the University of Nebraska’s first Massive Open Online Course that reached 10,000 students in 178 countries, and the biocontainment courses through iTunes University that reached more than 55 million users;
- Nebraska Science Festival, now in its third year, touched more than 12,000 people with 30 different activities last year alone;
- Mobile technology — UNMC’s campus app is another helpful tool for students;
- Statewide behavioral health screening — more than 2,200 Nebraska children have been screened as part of a pilot project funded by the state legislature;
- Economic Impact — UNMC/Nebraska Medicine generates $99.1 million in tax revenue each year;
- U.S. News and World Report Rankings 2016 — fourth in primary care education and 1st in Nebraska hospitals;
- Legislative and budget updates — several key legislative bills are pending; and
- Construction update — all new construction is on schedule and budget.
“The single most important thing I can say after one year is ‘thank you’ for carrying our mission forward,” he said. “The faculty makes it all happen. I’m proud to say that I stand beside some of the greatest people I’ve ever met.”
A Points of Pride booklet that outlined the many achievements of the campus was distributed. It’s incomplete, Dr. Gold said, because there is so much left to do.
He listed his own points of pride as he recapped his first year as chancellor. His first point was teamwork. “The campus-wide teamwork and planning demonstrated here is remarkable. You know how to make a strategic plan come to life.
“With 29,868 direct and indirect employees at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine all pulling in the same direction, merging structure, culture and strategy, we will always find a way to win. We think outside the box,” he said.
“Now, with a unified mission statement and branding, we are truly coming together. We will lead the world,” Dr. Gold said.
UNMC and Nebraska Medicine’s response to the Ebola crisis and care for three patients earned the medical center a seat at the global table, he said.
Before Dr. Gold provided an update on several initiatives he was interrupted by himself in the powerpoint. The interactive video provided a humorous demonstration of what technology can provide for in the future. Two of the projects he highlighted were:
- Nebraska Advanced Biomedical Technology Institute for Discovery (NABID) will position UNMC as a leader in biotechnology research and development; and
- iEXCEL℠ Global Center for Advanced Interprofessional Learning that will use the next-generation technology to provide advanced simulation and virtual immersive reality.
Dr. Gold closed his presentation with his favorite quote from Theodore Roosevelt:
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure … than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
“That’s what our new unified mission is all about,” he said.
“Our mission is to lead the world in transforming lives to create a healthy future for all individuals and communities through premier educational programs, innovative research and extraordinary patient care.
“Our mission is to dare to do mighty things.”