Regents approve further exploration of Norfolk nursing division









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Sen. Mike Flood

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents on Friday gave unanimous approval for UNMC to explore the next phase toward establishing a nursing division in Norfolk.

In a report, the regents’ Academic Affairs Committee recommended UNMC address conditions before requesting approval to establish a new division.

The report follows a request by University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken for the regents to review and make recommendations from a feasibility study released in October of the proposed division. The study was conducted by the UNMC College of Nursing in Omaha and its two partners in the proposal, Northeast Community College and Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk.

The proposed Norfolk division was prompted by an inquiry last April from state Sen. Michael Flood of Norfolk to help address the growing demand for acute care in north/northeast Nebraska and the associated need to increase the number of nurses with bachelor’s and graduate degrees.

Flood commended the regents and university leaders for recognizing the need for nursing education in northeast Nebraska.

“Locating a division of the UNMC College of Nursing in Norfolk would save lives and help keep our smaller communities strong. Now the heavy lifting must be done back home,” Flood said. “We will be meeting soon to make plans on raising the money to build the facility without using state tax dollars. Given this project’s importance, I have every confidence that the money will be pledged to ensure the success of this project.”

A nursing division in Norfolk would be a great service to the residents of Nebraska and help meet important nursing staffing needs in a very populous part of the state, said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D.

“It also would contribute to the economic robustness of the region. We’re delighted to assist in this effort,” he said.

The new division would offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing. A new facility would be constructed to house the division as well as Northeast Community College’s two-year nursing program and would be funded with public and private sources. Currently UNMC has nursing divisions in four Nebraska cities: Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff.

Initially, the division would need to recruit 10 faculty and an assistant dean. Once the program reached student capacity, an additional five faculty would be needed for a total of 15 full-time faculty. Projected costs of a 35,000-square-foot-facility are $10.8 million. By the seventh year, ongoing expenses are projected at $3 million and the annual revenues are projected at $3 million.

In order for UNMC to move forward in establishing a division, recommendations in the regents’ report require three binding agreements to address funding and academic program support:

  • A written letter of intent approved and signed on or before May 1 by the Board of Regents, Northeast Community College, Faith Regional Health Services and the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce stating an intent by all parties to move forward toward establishment of a Northeast Division of the UNMC College of Nursing in Norfolk.
  • A memorandum of understanding for financial commitment signed by March 1, 2008 by Faith Regional Health Services and other stakeholders to fund construction of a $10.7 million facility and annual operations expenses of $350,000 and associated costs.
  • An academic affiliation agreement required by May 1, 2008 would specify enrollment, curricular and clinical arrangements with Northeast Community College and Faith Regional Health Services.

In addition, one or more of the following conditions could negate establishment of the division: planning of the division is not approved by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education; the Board of Regents determines that adequate funding is not available to support the division
program; any partners to the agreements do not fulfill long-term commitments for operations budget, curriculum, enrollment and clinical agreements; and enrollment and staffing are insufficient any time after four years of operations to maintain the size or quality of the program.

Officials say a Norfolk division is warranted for several reasons, including a growing regional demand for health services — especially acute care; favorable population demographics showing growth and a strong economy; and a significant workforce shortage in the region. A local program also help retain students/community members upon graduation.









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Bill Path, Ph.D.

“Our partnership with UNMC to create a new division will be of great benefit to all northeast Nebraskans,” said Bill Path, Ph.D., president of Northeast Community College. “The big winners will be all the area hospitals and other medical facilities facing workforce shortages in bachelor’s- or graduate-trained nurses. With great anticipation, we embark on this journey with UNMC and look forward to the day when we will open the doors of a new joint nursing facility on the campus of Northeast Community College and contribute to a brighter and healthier future for northeast Nebraska.”

Bob Driewer, chief executive officer, Faith Regional Health Services, thanked the Board of Regents for their vote of support. “This is a truly significant decision for all of the healthcare providers in the region, because it will have a lasting positive impact on healthcare delivery at the bedside for years to come in Northeast Nebraska. I know that every hospital and every patient will benefit from this decision because of this higher level of training that will be available to the nursing staff that practices in these institutions.”

A UNMC College of Nursing division in Norfolk would mark the first baccalaureate nursing and graduate degree program in northeast Nebraska. The division would be the only publicly-supported nursing college in the area offering the degrees, which would allow students to attain the degrees at an affordable cost.









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Bob Driewer

Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, said she’s been impressed throughout by the energy and depth of commitment of the Norfolk community to make the division a reality. “We are very pleased with the Board of Regents’ decision to allow us to proceed with a phased sequence of planning steps. Deliberate and thoughtful steps such as this meets UNMC’s mission of serving the people of Nebraska with premiere educational programs and with high quality faculty who not only teach but also conduct research and engage in innovative clinical practices. Clearly this is a state that values public-private partnerships and brings a ‘can-do’ attitude to situations,” she said.

Once fully operational, the nursing division could admit 48 students each year to its bachelor’s degree in nursing program, 10 to 20 in its master’s degree in nursing program and some doctoral students. UNMC officials say the first class of students graduating from the new division could boost the BSN workforce in the region by about 13 percent.









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Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc.

Flood said since news last fall of the proposed division, he has received calls from area residents, including nurses and high school students who want to stay in the area and pursue an advanced nursing degree, as well as elderly people who feel having more nurses in the area would result in better patient outcomes.

“UNMC has gone over and above for the community of Norfolk and all of northeast Nebraska by taking this project seriously from day one,” he said. “Thanks to partnerships with Northeast Community College and Faith Regional Health Services, we can truly call this project a collaborative effort for the benefit of our corner of the state.”