Lookin at U – Nicole Carritt

Each Thursday, we randomly feature a medical center employee. Today, we meet:

• Name: Nicole Carritt
• Hometown: Logan, Iowa
• No. of years at UNMC: One year

Tell us a bit about what you do here at UNMC.

I serve as the deputy director and program manager for the Nebraska Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program. In that role, I have the opportunity to collaborate with both academic and community partners across the state, including five AHEC centers that collectively provide services to all 93 counties in Nebraska, to recruit and train health care professionals to serve in rural and underserved urban areas. Through the AHEC Program, we provide a link between health profession training programs and Nebraska’s rural and urban underserved areas by exposing students to health careers, enhancing community-based and clinical training opportunities for health profession students, and addressing issues related to health care through continuing education for primary care providers.

“Teamwork” is one of UNMC’s iTEACH values. Tell us of a time you’ve witnessed this value at UNMC.

One of the things I appreciate most about working at UNMC is the team effort that’s necessary every day to meet our mission. Earlier this summer, the AHEC Program hosted two events, one for students from across the state in the summer of their eighth-grade year and one for several undergraduate students in the RHOP and KHOP programs. For both events, multiple outside partners as well as faculty and staff from departments and programs across UNMC and Nebraska Medicine worked collaboratively to provide students the opportunity to see and experience a variety of health careers. From touring the SIM-NE trucks and iEXCEL to seeing the hyperbaric oxygen chamber and a pathology presentation to shadowing, coordinating these events required an enormous amount of teamwork to ensure the students had an impactful experience.

What is your favorite summer activity?

I enjoy doing anything outside during the summer. Playing slow pitch softball, golfing and camping are some of my favorites.

List three things people may not know about you.

• My husband, Cody, and I went to the same daycare as toddlers, were high school sweethearts, and now have been married for 12 years and have three children: an 11-year-old son named Kai, 7-year-old daughter named Teagan and the most recent addition is our 5-month-old son, Myles. The majority of my free time is spent chasing them to their various activities, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
• I grew up on a family farm and love to go back and help whenever I can. I hope to have a small organic farm one day.
• I enjoy following, learning about, and being involved in advocacy efforts related to health and social justice issues.