The University of Nebraska Medical Center and Columbus Community Hospital have signed a master affiliation agreement that will provide enhanced education and training opportunities for UNMC health professions students. It will allow the institutions to work collaboratively when building the health care workforce in the Columbus area and the surrounding region.
This latest agreement further enhances UNMC’s statewide impact as it works to build the future workforce and deliver health care and health care education throughout Nebraska. It is continuing in its commitment to expand the state’s rural health workforce in critical areas, said Nicole Carritt, UNMC director of rural initiatives and assistant vice chancellor for health workforce education relations.
“Columbus Community Hospital has been a great partner,” Carritt said. “It has gone above and beyond to ensure students have a great learning experience while on their rotations. We are interested in using this agreement as a springboard to even more collaborations. We hope to expand educational programs on the UNMC-Kearney campus and increase the number of health professions students interested in living and providing health care in the state’s rural areas.”
Under the new and enhanced agreement, students from programs including allied health, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health will have the opportunity to participate in clinical training opportunities at Columbus Community Hospital.
“Over the years, we have had a great collaborative relationship with UNMC,” said Michael T. Hansen, FACHE, president/CEO of Columbus Community Hospital. “We thoroughly enjoy the many students we host every year during their rural rotations here at CCH. By signing the Master Affiliation agreements for both clinical and non-clinical students, we streamline the process and ensure that our mutual interests are perfectly aligned.”
“We continue to see severe health care workforce shortages across many disciplines — from physicians and nurses to medical lab technicians, pharmacists and many others” said Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, chancellor of UNMC. “Strong educational experiences in our communities, such as the ones provided at Columbus Community Hospital, are integral in growing the state’s rural health workforce. We are excited at the possibilities this new agreement opens up.”
“As UNMC works to improve the health of people across Nebraska, partnership and innovation is in the best interest of the student, community and state,” Carritt said. “With the agreement, we are building on an already impactful partnership, and we thank the leaders and clinicians of Columbus Community Hospital for this continued collaboration.”