NExT: A Nebraska Transformational Project

Overview

NExT is a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity for the State of Nebraska to catapult itself into national and international prominence. We describe herein a true transformational project with deep roots in both national defense strategy and 21st century health innovation. NExT will firmly place Nebraska in the forefront of leadership in using public/private partnerships to shape a state’s future in the emerging “knowledge-based” economy. NExT would take shape over the next decade with funding being provided by a series of critical public/private partnerships. Such partnerships would be similar to the model used by the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Nebraska Medicine (NM) that made the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center so successful. The project will be based on the northwest corner of the current UNMC/NM campus at an estimated core construction cost of up to $2.6 billion over a seven-to eight-year period.

Public funding for NExT will be dedicated to building the educational, training, research (basic, applied and clinical), all hazard disaster response space and infrastructure for NExT. Private and philanthropic investment in NExT will be dedicated to clinical space and infrastructure. Funding from public and private sources for these purposes will permit UNMC/NM to leverage this support to recruit, retain, educate, and train new high-skilled, high-demand, high-wage workers. UNMC/NM will be able to recruit researchers, educators, learners, and new patients at the regional, national and international level.

NExT Has Two Major Components:

1. A state-of the art academic medical center facility that:
• Serves the needs of Nebraska.
• Transforms the quality and practice of health education, training, research and care.
• Fosters interprofessional teamwork that includes health professional teaching, cutting-
  edge research and extraordinary patient care, all within one location.
• Creates a unique model that will revolutionize health professionals’ education.
• Provides capacity for training more health professional students.
• Involvesotherprovidersandhealthinstitutionsthroughoutthestateaspartnersin
  training, research and care through the development of technological innovation.
2. A federal all-hazard disaster response military and civilian partnership that:
• Provides training in the management of highly infectious and other emerging threats, as well as critical care, for federal, civilian and military personnel.
• Provides treatment for United States (U.S.) military and civilian personnel injured by biologic, radiologic, chemical exposure or trauma in the U.S. or at duty stations around the world.
• Provides care to patients injured in major national disaster or catastrophic environmental accident.
• Enhances the interoperability and standby readiness of federal medical surge capability and capacity.

Return on Federal and State’s Investments

UNMC/NM have a strong history of investing funds in transformative projects and leveraging those funds to produce high-wage, high-skill, high-demand (H-3) jobs; research funding; patient care funding; and medical tourism to bolster the local and state economy. These new dollars have, in turn, generated economic growth and new tax revenues for state and local governments. Such projects include the Fred
& Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the iEXCEL Davis Global Health Center, and the biomedical research funds from the Health Care Cash Fund. Based on a preliminary estimate of this $2.6 billion public-private investment, this initiative, according to a Tripp Umbach study, will:

• Increase the total annual economic impact of UNMC/NM by $1.9 billion over the period 2018 through 2030. (This is an increase from $4.4 billion in 2018 to $6.3 billion in 2030.)
• Generate employment directly and indirectly for 41,655 Nebraska workers over the next decade. This includes nearly 33,000 construction-related jobs and 8,700 permanent jobs.
• Generate an estimated $211.8 million in state tax revenue over the 10-year period. This would be in addition to local government tax revenue.
• Add $1.3 billion annually to the state economy when the project is fully operational in 2030, generating $38.2 million in annual state tax revenue.

UNMC/NMs’ Growth as Trusted Federal Partner

UNMC/NM has a long history of strong partnerships with the federal government especially in the areas of biopreparedness and emerging infectious diseases. UNMC/NM is the site of one of the world’s premier clinical biocontainment units, a fact that came into focus in 2014, when the Med Center was one of four sites nationwide to treat American citizens infected with Ebola. Since then, UNMC/NM has continued to grow as a partner with the federal government in this area, earning several-multi-million dollar contracts and awards. UNMC/NM has assembled a critical mass of world-recognized expertise and capabilities in medical readiness. UNMC/NM stands poised and ready to take the partnership commitment to a new level with NExT. UNMC/NM has forged strong partnerships in such areas as:

• UNMC/NM is a co-leader of the National Ebola and Training and Education Center.
• UNMC/NM is the home of the HHS Training Simulation and Quarantine Center.
• Nebraska’s demonstrated ability to assemble public-private partnerships that are cost-effective for federal partners (VA Clinic, iEXCEL/HHS National Training, Simulation, Quarantine Center, Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center).
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Service designated UNMC/NM as one of two pilot programs in the nation to design an improved public-private Regional Disaster Health Response System that can be replicated by other states to address disasters.
• UNMC/NM has increased its role in providing National Disaster Medical System training in highly infectious and other emerging threats for federal civilian employees.
• The Air Force established a Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills (C-STARS) program at UNMC/NM.
• The Department of Defense’s (DoD) only authorized University Affiliated Research Center at the University of Nebraska that delivers all hazards training for defense agencies, National Guard units, and state and local emergency management.
• UNMC/NM enjoys key research and training partnerships with the Offutt Air Force Base and STRATCOM.

Current Activity at the Federal Level

• Nebraska’s congressional delegation is reviewing legislative options for Nebraska’s world- recognized expertise and capabilities in biomedical readiness to meet national needs.
• Nebraska congressional delegation is reviewing legislative options to encourage public/private options to support this kind of initiative.
• Language in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act specifically calls for an evaluation of public-private options and establishing an all hazard disaster response pilot program.
• Continuing discussions are occurring among UNMC/NM, congressional, and federal officials on this initiative that addresses the national needs.

Current Activity at the State and Local Levels

• UNMC/NM is meeting with stakeholders, including state and local officials, to explain the purpose and significant impact of this project.
• Nebraska State Senators are working with various stakeholders to explore possible state funding mechanisms to support NExT.