Josh Henningsen, a candidate for the District 8 seat in the Nebraska Legislature, toured UNMC last week.
Henningsen visited the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit and the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN).
He called his meeting with BHECN outreach and program development coordinator Nick Brotzel an important part of his visit to campus.
“I’m pretty familiar with BHECN from my experience working for the Health and Human Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee of the Legislature,” said Henningsen, who served as legal counsel for the committees.
“I decided to run for office to try to give every kid in Nebraska the opportunity to be successful, and improving access to behavioral health services is a big part of that,” he said.
He also discussed UNMC’s cancer research with Tony Hollingsworth, Ph.D., the associate director of basic research at the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases.
Henningsen said he considers UNMC to be a positive force in the district, the city of Omaha and the state.
“UNMC is a critical part of our future, and making Nebraska and Omaha the best they can be requires investing in UNMC,” he said. “Having UNMC in the district itself — with everything it contributes to the community and the economy, I think if it’s good for UNMC, it’s good for District 8.”