The University of Nebraska took a significant step forward this week to launch the most ambitious public-private partnership in its history.
On Thursday, the NU Board of Regents approved the program statement outlining initial plans for Project Health, a new $2.19 billion health care facility at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine that will serve as a clinical learning center to train the next generation of health care providers, conduct research and offer clinical trials.
By approving the program statement, the board authorized spending $50 million in existing philanthropic funds on non-construction design work, essentially launching the project into the design phase. In addition to serving as an ultramodern clinical learning and research environment, Project Health would be the primary in-patient clinical hospital for Nebraska Medicine. More than 550 beds would be in the facility, although not all would be open on Day One.
Project Health would be built on the med center’s main campus on a vacant, 7.5-acre site formerly occupied by JP Lord Elementary School and the Munroe-Meyer Institute, which relocated to Omaha’s Aksarben area in June 2021.
Project Health is the first phase of Project NExT, a joint effort between UNMC and its primary clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine. The project would be the largest in university history, exceeding the $370 million Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center that opened in June 2017.
“Project Health is a highly ambitious effort which will significantly help rural and urban Nebraska communities maintain a growth trajectory for health professions workforce, highly relevant clinical research and care for generations to come,” said NU President Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. “This first phase is an exciting step forward and we are excited and grateful to work with our many public and private partners to continue to bring our vision to reality.”
The public-private partnership project will enable UNMC to further its mission, said UNMC’s Interim Chancellor Dele Davies, MD. “To meet both the needs of rural and urban areas of our state, UNMC must grow professional learner enrollment by 20 to 25%,” Dr. Davies said. “This will be possible only with significant improvement of our physical environment.”
Beyond bolstering UNMC’s inpatient clinical education facilities, the project also includes critical space for teaching and research, Dr. Davies said.
“I am delighted by the regents’ unanimous support of the project,” said James Linder, MD, CEO and board chair of Nebraska Medicine. “The new facility will enable Nebraska Medicine to fulfill our mission as the primary teaching hospital for UNMC and Clarkson College. This will strengthen our ability to educate and train more health science students and deliver the highest quality care to all Nebraskans.”
Campus leaders said the project is expected to increase research opportunities, which further strengthen Nebraska’s rankings and competitiveness as it seeks readmission to the Association of American Universities. It also would replace current facilities that fall short of today’s standards for medical education.
In other business, the regents:
- Approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Omaha for the design and construction of the Midtown Medical Center Bikeway Connection. The bikeway would run along Emile Street and Jones Street, between Saddle Creek Road and 39th Street, and along 39thStreet from Jones Street to Marcy Street and through the UNMC campus. The $15 million project also includes construction of pedestrian overpasses over Leavenworth Street and Saddle Creek Road. The city will administer the project, which will be paid for through federal and community funds and a local match from UNMC.
- Recognized recipients of the 2024 President’s Excellence Awards, which included UNMC’s Jonathan Vennerstrom, PhD (Outstanding Research and Creativity Award), Benson Edagwa, PhD (Innovation, Development and Engagement Award) and Physical Therapy Program (University-wide Departmental Teaching Award).