Staff members of 17 Nebraska state senators toured UNMC in early November.
The annual visit by the legislative staffers included a meeting with UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD.
Staffers toured the Davis Global Center, including iEXCEL, the McGoogan Health Sciences Library, the Wigton Heritage Center and the new Munroe-Meyer Institute building at 6902 Pine St. They also met with UNMC leaders to discuss the High School Alliance program, Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN), the Global Center for Health Security and UNMC’s rural outreach efforts.
Brian Murray, a member of the staff of Sen. Wendy DeBoer, who represents District 10, said the tour is helpful for senators.
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| Chris Kratochvil, MD, speaks to legislative staffers about the Davis Global Center |
"Staff are resources providing a knowledge base and awareness of things that are going on," he said. "The things we see here, I can go back and tell my boss about them — and then we may come back for a second tour with her.
"On all the university system tours, I'm always fascinated by what's going on, but the Davis Global Center, the different research, the global leadership that this system has and the fact that it's housed here in Nebraska — and that as a Legislature, we're a part of it — is just amazing."
Murray added, "I also will say that in the library, where there were the different exhibits of the history of UNMC, it was great to see typically under-represented groups very intentionally represented, to show the history of it and make sure all members of society understand that there are places for them in the medical field, and that here in Nebraska in the medical field, that's been historically true."
Matthew Gregory, a member of the staff of Sen. Tom Brandt, who represents District 32, had a chance to step into iEXCEL's five-sided laser cave, which provided a 3D, virtual image of standing inside a blood vessel as red and white blood cells streamed past.
"It's a really diverse and immersive experience into what UNMC is doing," he said of the visit. "The updates they've made, where they are going — it is important for Nebraska, both on the investment level as well as workforce development and, of course, medicine."