Congratulations to this year’s UNMC College of Medicine graduates. It was a pleasure to shake your hands after you donned your hoods and received your diplomas. We are so proud of your accomplishments, and we look forward to the contributions that each of you will bring to the practice of medicine.
It also was wonderful to see Bob Bartee receive this year’s J.G. Elliott Award at commencement. This award is given to “an individual who has made significant contributions to medicine and health programs for Nebraska.” Through his decades of service to UNMC leading UNMC’s government relations activities, Bob’s receipt of this recognition is well deserved. Congratulations again on a highly impactful career.
With the excitement and accomplishments reflected with the graduation events, we must unfortunately not lose sight of the challenges that remain before us. Although still being refined, it looks as though the state budget will leave the university, and UNMC in particular, needing to make some significant budget cuts over the next two years. Unfortunately, our clinical partners, like most of their counterparts nationally, also are facing major financial challenges. So we cannot look to them to increase support of our academic mission. Leaders of each department, as well as the college overall, are looking for means to react to financial realities with as little impact on students, faculty and staff as possible. More information and details will be forthcoming between now and the end of the academic year.
We are only a month away from the beginning of summer. I hope each of you finds time to get away from work, relax, take advantage of warmer weather and enjoy some time with friends and family. You will be more effective in your work when properly rested and less stressed. Do it not only for yourself, but for all of us.