Thirty-eight days into her new role, UNMC’s new nursing dean said she has heard directly from Nebraskans about the critical role UNMC plays within the state.
It’s a message Dean Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, heard from alums and community partners during her recent travels to west central Nebraska with UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, and other UNMC leaders.
“I’ve learned the people of Nebraska truly are depending on us here at UNMC to provide the workforce that they need,” Dr. Sharp-McHenry said. “They are convinced we are able to do that and are very supportive. … We’re really excited in the college of nursing to think about ways in which we can better bolster the workforce in rural Nebraska.”
As the state’s only public academic health science center, UNMC trains more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Still, workforce shortages in health professions exist statewide and nationally.
Dr. Gold agreed, saying the recent trip to North Platte, Kearney and Cozad “reaffirms how critical the med center is to the current and future development of the statewide health professions workforce and to the economic stability of both rural and urban communities.”
During Thursday’s all-campus forum, Dr. Sharp-McHenry also shared priority areas for the UNMC College of Nursing, including:
- Better utilizing nurse practitioner roles. To that end, college of nursing faculty provide advanced practice clinical services at the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition Health and Wellness Clinic, which recently opened in South Omaha. The dean hopes to expand this work to communities across the state.
- Expanding the research enterprise. Backed by several funded R01s, Dr. Sharp-McHenry said, the college will explore ways to further expand its research funding, noting the successful leadership of Michele Balas, PhD.
- Expanding enrollment and diversifying programs to address workforce needs. “It was one of the recurring themes as I listened to our constituents across the state. They want nurses, and they want them faster,” she said. “We have to think about how we can produce that workforce, while we still retain quality and rigor within our curriculum.”
Dr. Gold said UNMC hopes to address the workforce shortage, in part, with phase two of the UNK-UNMC Rural Health Education Building on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus. Construction of the planned $95 million facility will grow enrollment of UNMC programs on the Kearney campus from 165 learners to more than 600, he said, by expanding the presence of its allied health and nursing programs and by launching new programs that will train physicians, pharmacists and public health professionals.
Members of the medical center community can view the forum.
Also during the forum, Jane Meza, PhD, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, global engagement and strategic planning, highlighted the updated UNePlan software, which UNMC developed years ago to track and monitor progress of its strategic plan. Units have been asked to update their initiatives in the new platform, which rolled out in July. To view the UNePlan platform, employees can log in via the Quick Link on the UNMC Intranet and use the “Sign in as SSO” option.
Dr. Meza said UNMC’s plan includes a renewed focus on mentoring and advising. In addition, the med center has established working groups to discuss generative AI – think ChatGPT – and its impact across education, research, clinical services and community engagement. More information will be forthcoming, she said.
In other matters, Dr. Gold said:
- UNMC, over the next several months, will provide educational and mentoring resources to the research community – including research scientists, principal investigators, support staff, grad students and postdocs. The focus stems from a May 2022 change in the National Institutes of Health policy, designed to strengthen anti-harassment reporting requirements for NIH-supported institutions.
- Gerry Kugel, DMD, PhD, will begin serving as dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry on Sept. 18. He will join UNMC after having served as associate dean for research and professor of comprehensive care at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston.
- The Aug. 7 water main break near 42nd and Farnam streets has prompted conversations with Metropolitan Utilities District on how such issues might be addressed long-term, since it is the third water main break near campus in the past year.
- A new coffee vendor will fill the vacancy on the fourth floor of Wittson Hall. No timeline was given for occupancy. He also mentioned plans for an awning to be installed over the UNMC Ice Rink that would allow the space to be better used year-round.
- COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations will be made available – and strongly encouraged – to the campus community this fall. There has been a significant uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations across the U.S., he said, as well as an uptick in the virus as monitored in wastewater surveillance systems, including in Nebraska.
- The groundbreaking for the UNMC Health Science Education Complex on the UNK campus is scheduled for Sept. 5.
- Campus safety is a shared responsibility, and he urged the community to contact public safety if they see something suspicious or questionable.
- Faculty, staff and students are invited to join him at the #WeAreUNMC BBQ on Aug. 23.
During the question-and-answer period, one participant said handicap door buttons are not working properly on campus. As a result, the facilities team will assess the situation, while reminding individuals they can call in work orders to the help desk or enter a work order directly into ARCHIBUS.
Several network/IT infrastructure questions that were submitted will be shared with IT, as they continually evaluate programs to address health care trends and needs, and, beginning Monday, Aug. 14, construction will affect foot and vehicle traffic near Wittson and Poynter Halls.
In closing, Dr. Gold thanked the med center community for “all that you do in making the med center such a special place” and encouraged acts of kindness, which helps define the campus culture.