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UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., discusses a possible UNMC nursing division in Norfolk as Bill Path, Ph.D., president of Northeast Community College, left, and Ron Stauffer look on. Stauffer is the general chairman of a capital campaign aimed at raising funds for a facility to house a potential nursing division in Norfolk. |
Funds will go toward a proposed 34,973-square-foot facility in Norfolk to house Northeast Community College’s basic nurse aide, licensed practical nursing and associate degree nursing programs, along with UNMC College of Nursing bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral nursing programs.
Officials in the region and at UNMC said such a division is needed to serve northeast and northern Nebraska, which are experiencing a shortage of nurses.
Those in attendance Tuesday heard UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., describe how the fundraising campaign will assist the medical center in carrying out its mission of serving the health care needs of all Nebraskans.
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“I’m pleased to say we have the total support of the Board of Regents and the president of the university, who really promoted the relationship and the partnership with Northeast Community College, and Faith Regional Health Services, and the whole northeast Nebraska region. We’re delighted to be a partner in this effort.”
Already more than $3 million of the $12.9 million goal has been raised during a silent phase of the campaign.
Additional campaign costs include site development, infrastructure and financing for the project. The land, valued at $500,000, has been donated by Northeast Community College (NCC). The tentative opening date would be 2010.
Early last year, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents unanimously approved UNMC’s request to explore establishing a nursing division in Norfolk.
Supporters say a program in Norfolk would mean retaining students and community members in the area, strengthening the economy, but most importantly, saving and improving lives.
On Tuesday, NCC President Bill Path, Ph.D., talked about the work it will take to get to the next phase, which is to seek approval from the Board of Regents for an academic affiliation agreement and a joint operating agreement.
“A project of this size and magnitude requires a lot of people coming together, the blending of a lot of resources,” Dr. Path said. “We’ve said from the very beginning that in order to raise money for a state-of-the-art facility and to equip it with state-of-the-art equipment, we’re going to need a mingling of resources in a way that’s never been seen in northeast Nebraska.”
The fundraising kickoff is simply the first leg of a multi-region campaign, Dr. Path said.
“We felt it was imperative to raise money first with residents in and around the Norfolk region,” he said. “Before we can go with any credibility to outlying communities and to other parts of the state, we had to first be able to answer the question, ‘Are your Norfolk residents supporting this financially?'”
Ron Stauffer, who is serving as general campaign chairman, said Tuesday’s kick off lets northeast Nebraska know their help is needed.
“Now it’s time to go out to the people and hit the masses,” he said. “The appeal to the people is the fact that this will provide their children and other people in the area the opportunity to get a degree right here in Norfolk.”
Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Medicine, called Tuesday’s event a historic day for the partnership.
“There have been important milestones all the way along this partnership and today was one such milestone,” Dr. Tilden said. “We’re very committed to delivering baccalaureate and higher education here in this region to keep nurses here in the north and northeast.”
Mike Hammond, interim CEO of Faith Regional Health Services, said a UNMC division of nursing would help reduce shortage of nurses in the area.
“We’re extremely pleased to see this project get underway,” Hammond said, noting the nursing shortage. “The sooner the project gets started, the sooner those positions can be filled.”
Other participants in the campaign kick off included Bob Bartee, UNMC’s vice chancellor for external affairs, Paula Pflueger and Clark Froehlich, both central region campaign co-chairs, and Lisa Walters of Faith Regional Health Services.
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Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, discusses a possible nursing division in Norfolk on Tuesday. |
NCC would graduate up to 50 associate degree in nursing students each year. The UNMC nursing division would graduate up to 48 students with bachelor’s degree students. UNMC bachelor’s degree nursing students would fulfill their general education requirements by taking Northeast Community College classes.
As the team embarked on the fundraising campaign, Dr. Path said he has been very surprised at the level of interest in and outside the community.
“This has not been in any way, shape or form a hard-sell to get people to donate their time, their talents or their money,” Dr. Path said. “I can honestly tell you, that I scarcely can recall an occasion where somebody has declined an opportunity to come on board. People are volunteering their time on this project like never before.”
For more information about the campaign, visit www.healthy-lives.org or contact Courtney Klein-Faust at (402) 844-7056.
What others are saying
“As a native son of northeast Nebraska, I was really proud and very pleased to see the commitment by the citizens and particularly for the leadership who stepped forward to make this exciting program a reality.”— Bob Bartee, UNMC vice chancellor for external affairs
“Here was an opportunity to really announce that the campaign is underway and we’d like everybody to be a part of it. We do have significant gifts already pledged but we need many more.”— Paula Pflueger, central region co-chairwoman of the capital campaign
“The economic impact is really huge. The whole area is losing population and it’s going to give us the ability to attract a good employer who’s going to be here for a long term and also will provide jobs to those who will stay in the area.”— Clark Froehlich, central region co-chairman of the capital campaign
“We’re geographically isolated from the metropolitan cities in Nebraska. We have a real connection here with rural Nebraska. There are a lot of people who want to continue their education that are just unable to because of the geographical distance and the inconvenience of traveling that far. You can’t believe already with just the press that we have received, how much interest has been created by people saying, ‘This gives me the opportunity to continue my education.’ We truly appreciate all the support we’ve received from UNMC and (state Sen. Mike) Flood.”— Larry Poessnecker, Northeast Community College Board of Governors
“The nursing division would be very beneficial to northeast Nebraska. There’s a shortage of nursing and perhaps if we train people from our area, we’ll be able to retain them in our hospitals.”— Herb Albers of Wisner, an honorary co-chairman for the capital campaign
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