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From Aurora, Grand Island and Kearney, to Hastings, Columbus and Blair, leaders gave Nebraskans a taste of UNMC’s vitality and momentum.
“We enjoy doing it,” Dr. Maurer said about the seventh annual trip, which took place June 8 and 9. “It’s an opportunity to see what’s happening and how medical centers are doing. We see the transformation of health care across the state. We see buildings going up. Things are really booming.”
The purpose of the trip is to:
- Thank communities for their support of UNMC;
- Talk about medical center developments; and
- Learn about community health needs.
“We feel very obligated to serving Nebraska,” Dr. Maurer said. “About 85 percent of our students come from Nebraska. We have found that if you want to get and keep health care practitioners, the students need to come from a rural community.”
Members of the leadership team who accompanied Dr. Maurer were:
- John Gollan, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the College of Medicine;
- Courtney Fletcher, Pharm.D., dean of the College of Pharmacy;
- Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the College of Nursing;
- John Reinhardt, D.D.S., dean of the College of Dentistry;
- Keith Mueller, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Public Health;
- Kyle Meyer, Ph.D., associate dean of the School of Allied Health Professions;
- Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Eppley Cancer Center;
- Mike Leibowitz, Ph.D., director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute; and
- Renee Fry, J.D., director of public relations.
The group met with community members at receptions hosted by local businesses, colleges and hospitals. Business, government and community leaders, state senators, representatives of Nebraska congressmen and members of the Board of Regents were among those who gathered to meet the UNMC leaders.
Hastings an educational hotspot
Dr. Maurer told a crowd in Hastings — a prime teaching location for UNMC — he was grateful for the community support of medical center students and residents who work and study in the town.
“The students love coming here and learning,” he said.
Aurora executive grateful for collaboration
Diane Keller, CEO of Memorial Community Health, Inc., in Aurora told the leaders that she appreciated the collaboration UNMC has with local students.
“The educational relationships are important to get student back to rural areas,” Keller said.
Grand Island good to medical student
Third-year medical student Caleb Schroeder — who is in the midst of a two-month pediatric rotation at Grand Island’s St. Francis Medical Center — attended a luncheon reception with UNMC leaders in that city.
Building interest in the health sciences at a young age is a key to attracting students such as Schroeder, said John Gollan, M.D., dean of the UNMC College of Medicine.
Once they are students, Dr. Gollan said it’s important to expose them to the advantages of rural practice.
“(Schroeder) told me he gets meal tickets, has a bed in the hospital and access to the fitness room,” Dr. Gollan said. “I think they’re kind of spoiling him.”
Schroeder, a native of Blue Hill, said he plans to practice in a rural area.
Dr. Fletcher praises St. Francis pharmacist
Before the group of about 40 in Grand Island, Dr. Fletcher cited the dedication of Angela Obermiller, a pharmacist who heads the oncology clinic pharmacy at St. Francis Medical Center.
In the last year, she trained and supervised 11 pharmacy students (15 percent of pharmacy students at UNMC.
“We’re in great shape with an institution like St. Francis,” Dr. Fletcher said.
Greater Nebraska needs lead to added PT students
Dr. Meyer told audiences that feedback he received last year during a visit to rural cities helped the School of Allied Health Professions decide to increase its enrollment of physical therapists by 25 percent.
Hastings hospital considers collaboration with cancer center
In Hastings, officials at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital talked to Dr. Cowan about collaborations with the Eppley Cancer Center.
One item Mary Lanning officials are interested in is the Breast Cancer Collaborative Registry — a breast cancer patient database that may yield clues to help researchers and clinicians better understand the disease, Dr. Cowan said.
Educational excellence highlighted
Several times during the trip, UNMC deans talked about academic excellence and how it helps attract the best and brightest to the medical center.
In the last 11 of 16 years, students who entered the UNMC College of Dentistry had the top grade-point-average among dental schools in the United States.
“The only school that’s beat us in those other years is Harvard,” Dr. Reinhardt said.
Columbus doctor lauds College of Medicine for outreach
Columbus family medicine physician, Ron Klutman, M.D., said he admires the UNMC College of Medicine for its dedication to the underserved.
“They’ve done a lot for this community,” Dr. Klutman said.
Dr. Tilden addresses nurse shortage
Dr. Tilden’s talk included issues about the nursing shortage and a model public-private partnership that helps address a shortage in northeast Nebraska — the UNMC College of Nursing Northern Division in Norfolk. The college and Northeast Community College’s nursing program will both be housed in a new facility that will open next year.
She called the partnership a model of articulation between a community college and an undergraduate institution.
“Each traditionally has different models of education, different requirements … they have been isolated from each other,” Dr. Tilden said. “We’ve forged a model in northeast Nebraska — a model that I hope will be useful in other parts of Nebraska.”
UNMC named added credibility to Norfolk fundraising
Ron Stauffer of Norfolk — general campaign chairman for the capital fundraising campaign to build the facility in Norfolk — heard UNMC leaders speak during the tour.
UNMC’s name was invaluable in the effort to raise money for the Norfolk facility.
“The partnerships UNMC’s developed are exciting,” Stauffer said. “It’s because of the reputation of UNMC that they were able to raise funds. People contributed because they knew UNMC was involved.”
Dr. Mueller discusses universal health care in Columbus
A discussion about universal health care was of great interest to audiences in Columbus.
Dr. Mueller, a rural health policy expert, has provided his expertise to Congress on how a potential universal coverage plan would affect rural areas.
He also talked about the College of Public Health, now in its third year, and how the college will play an increasing role in training and administration in the state as a universal health care plan rolls out.
Dr. Leibowitz lauds communities for support
Dr. Leibowitz thanked communities for their support of Munroe-Meyer behavioral health clinics that are integrated into family practice settings.
The integrated model is important in overcoming the stigma associated with seeking mental health care services, particularly in rural areas where there is less anonymity, he said.