The Douglas County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution last Tuesday to prepare an interlocal agreement for board approval to contribute an undetermined amount of inheritance tax revenue to UNMC’s iEXCEL project.
In presenting before the commissioners, UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., outlined four key areas in which iEXCEL (Interprofessional Experiential Center for Enduring Learning) could provide training opportunities for Douglas County.
The training areas would be in public health, community health, long-term care/rehabilitation, and corrections.
Dr. Gold called iEXCEL “a remarkable public-private partnership.”
In a number of different studies, Dr. Gold said, “Advanced simulation has enhanced outcomes and lowered costs.”
He said iEXCEL “is an economic development project that will increase quality of care.” It is estimated that iEXCEL will add 325 well-paying jobs to the Omaha economy.
In his closing comments, Dr. Gold thanked the commissioners for their support.
“I hope this is the beginning of an ongoing dialogue between the county and UNMC,” he said. “We’re committed to an ongoing relationship.”
Pam Boyers, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor for iEXCEL, said she was confident that iEXCEL “could help improve the health of the community and reduce disparities” by providing state-of-the-art education for county health employees.
Dr. Boyers said UNMC/Nebraska Medicine consider patient safety to be a top priority. She said the medical center strives to recruit the best and brightest students in Nebraska and is committed to being one of the best places in the country for training.
The availability of a “state-of-the-art” training center, where they can safely practice using simulation, has great appeal to both new and practicing health care professionals, Dr. Boyers said.
These are all things that could benefit Douglas County, she said.
In 2012, the Douglas County board pledged to commit $5 million over a 10-year period for the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.