Plans for UNMC’s new medical simulation training facility have taken another step forward.
On Friday, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents received the intermediate design review report and then approved the design for the Global Center for Advanced Interprofessional Learning, which will house the activities of UNMC’s iEXCEL℠ (Interprofessional Experiential Center for Enduring Learning).
The $102 million facility is the centerpiece of an initiative that will create up to 325 well-paying jobs and is estimated to generate as much as $137.7 million annually in economic impact for the city and state economies.
“This new facility will transform the way all health professionals learn new skills and acquire new knowledge,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. “UNMC is a leader in the transformation of health sciences education. Our programs in ‘real-life virtual reality scenarios’ and 3-D content creation truly define our global leadership. We will see the benefits of this state-of-the-art center as it continues to improve the performance of health care professionals, both in Omaha, throughout Nebraska and far beyond. This will translate into more effective and more efficient health care.”
While based at UNMC’s Omaha campus, the center will benefit the entire state, including UNMC campuses in Lincoln, Kearney, Scottsbluff and Norfolk, as well as UNMC’s primary clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, and its regional health partners. It also will serve as a resource to Nebraska’s state colleges and the military, while bolstering continuing education and statewide education and training for all of Nebraska’s health care practitioners.
Groundbreaking is expected early next year with completion in summer 2018. The 183,742-gross-square foot facility will be built on the southeast corner of 42nd and Emile Street. It will be connected to adjacent facilities — the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education to the north and the Lauritzen Outpatient Center to the east — via skywalks.
“This center will position UNMC, our local communities and the state of Nebraska as the site for cutting-edge health care education,” said Pam Boyers, Ph.D., UNMC associate vice chancellor for interprofessional education and experiential learning.
In September, the Omaha City Council approved a request for $5.2 million in redevelopment bond proceeds and $5.5 million in capital improvement program funds.
In 2015, the Nebraska Legislature and Gov. Pete Ricketts approved $25 million toward design and construction of the iEXCEL Global Center project. They subsequently approved additional funds annually for operations and maintenance of the new facility. Additional capital funding support for iEXCEL will come from other private and public sources.