Ed Rejda, who has led the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s information
technology program since 1981, will retire effective March 31.
Rejda, 59, began work at UNMC in 1970 as director of the Medical Computer
Research Center. In 1971, he was appointed director of the Omaha Computing
Facility, which provided computing services to both UNMC and the University
of Nebraska at Omaha. He was named director of UNMC campus computing services
in 1981.
Five years later, he was given added responsibility for voice services
when he was named director of computing services/telecommunications. In
1994, he added responsibility for Biomedical Communications and was named
executive director of information technology services, his current position.
“Ed Rejda has left his mark on UNMC,” said Chancellor Harold M. Maurer,
M.D. “He has helped position UNMC at the forefront on technology, which
has enhanced our research, education and patient care endeavors.”
Yvette Holly, who presently serves as director of computing services/telecommunications,
has been named interim executive director, Dr. Maurer said. Holly has worked
in UNMC’s computing services department since 1981. A national search will
be held to find a permanent director, Dr. Maurer said, and a search team
will be named soon.
When Rejda first came to UNMC, the institution had less than 10 computers
campus-wide. Today, the UNMC campus has nearly 6,000 computers.
Rejda, who plans to do some information technology consulting, volunteer
work and traveling, said he had been thinking about retiring for some time.
With the successful conclusion of a mutually satisfactory agreement defining
UNMC’s ITS department responsibilities to support Nebraska Health System’s
information technology activities, Rejda said that time is now.
Rejda received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Creighton University.
Before coming to UNMC, he worked eight years in computer services, including
five for Northern Natural Gas Company.
In addition to the agreement and provision of IT support to NHS, several
other milestones achieved recently in ITS, under Rejda’s direction, are:
Implementation of multi-media instructional technology in three large
classrooms.
Acquisition and support of 22 portable multimedia instructional carts
for use by faculty in all UNMC classrooms.
Establishment of a small grant peer-review program in which UNMC faculty
compete for funds to apply technology to curriculum offerings.
Development of a support service called a Service Level Agreement in
which ITS provides additional specific and measurable computer support
to UNMC departments and programs. In the past two years, ITS has signed
agreements with six departments covering approximately 1,500 computer workstations.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has
established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research
and treatment and solid organ transplantation. More than $34 million in
research grants and contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists annually.
In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more
health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.