It’s been a dinner gala, a sit-down luncheon and now a cocktail hour featuring one of Nebraska Medicine and UNMC’s own. This is the tenth year for FUSION, the premier fundraiser for the Nebraska Medicine Guild. In honor of the milestone, guild members wanted to bring the event home, to the very place it supports.
Not only will the event be held at UNMC’s Truhlsen Campus Events Center, it also will feature Lydia Kang, MD, associate professor in the UNMC Division of General Internal Medicine and an internal medicine physician with Nebraska Medicine, as the keynote speaker.
“We specifically sought an impactful individual from Nebraska Medicine and UNMC to be our guest speaker, and we were thrilled our very own Dr. Kang agreed to volunteer her time and talents,” said Shelly Rodgers, guild president. “She is an accomplished author across multiple genres, a well-respected physician and a gifted speaker.”
The audience will be a little different from most of Dr. Kang’s events.
“This event is truly special for me. Normally when I speak on a medical campus, it’s a bit more serious,” Dr. Kang said. “But as FUSION’s tagline says, this is both fun and philanthropy! I’m excited to participate in a wonderful event that will blend my passion for writing with my commitment to patient care, all while helping to support the Nebraska Medicine Guild.”
The event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10. Ali S. Khan, MD, MPH, dean of the UNMC College of Public Health, will be the featured guest. Drinks and appetizers will be served, and those attending will get to pick a copy of one of Dr. Kang’s books, along with gaining her insight on life as a physician and author.
“Writing books is often a mysterious endeavor to most readers,” Dr. Kang said. “I hope to illuminate everyone with some insider secrets about writing, as well as the surprising life lessons I’ve learned along the way.”
Funds raised by the event provide scholarships for the next generation of health care workers at UNMC and Clarkson College and fund grants that benefit Nebraska Medicine patients.
“A few examples of projects we regularly sponsor are the heart pillows given to cardiac patients, thumbies (thumbprint pendants) for parents who have experienced the loss of a child and the Nebraska Medicine Guild Closet, which provides for patients in need of clean clothing to wear at discharge,” Rodgers said. “Without FUSION, we would not be able to provide these critical resources across the system.”
Tickets are available through Friday, March 29. They can be purchased here.