UNMC for the record

Horses of Honor® Omaha unveiled Friday
Artwork sponsored by UNMC and Nebraska Medicine was among the Horses of Honor® unveiled last week at Midtown Crossing’s Turner Park.

Horses of Honor® Omaha is a public art exhibition that honors the Omaha Police Department’s fallen heroes. According to the website, “The project mirrors the Horses of Honor® inaugural program held in Chicago and includes life-size horse statues that are artistically and individually designed by Omaha area artists.”

UNMC leaders were on hand for the unveiling. The horse sponsored by the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center honors Officer Kirk Tynes, who died in 2010 after a brief battle with stomach cancer.

After being displayed in Turner Park for a year, the horse will become part of the Healing Arts Project at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

Dr. Ernest speaks about newly available CPR device

Eric Ernest, M.D., far left, an assistant professor in the department of emergency medicine at UNMC and the state of Nebraska EMS medical director, speaks about the LUCAS Chest Compression System. He is joined by, from left, Deputy Sheriff Greg Kotschwar, Otoe County Sheriff’s Office; Andrew Snodgrass, assistant chief of EMS operations/paramedic manager of Nebraska City Fire Rescue; and Jonathan Stelling, M.D., ER physician at St. Mary’s Hospital in Nebraska City.

Eric Ernest, M.D., an assistant professor in the department of emergency medicine at UNMC and the state of Nebraska EMS medical director, spoke at a press conference on May 18 in Lincoln about the LUCAS Chest Compression System, a CPR device now available throughout the state thanks to a grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

“With the deployment of this new device in the state, we are seeing some great results with 16 lives already saved,” Dr. Ernest said. “We are able to do better, more consistent CPR for longer periods of time in the prehospital environment which is directly tied to improved outcomes. I am excited to see how we as a state progress and move the needle in regards to cardiac care and outcomes from cardiac arrest.”

Wall Street Journal notes Nebraska nurses’ contributions

In a recent Wall Street Journal article titled “How to Make Hospitals Less Deadly,” Nebraska nurses Barbara Braden, Ph.D., and Nancy Bergstrom, Ph.D., were mentioned for their creation of the Braden Scale to prevent and detect bedsores. Dr. Bergstrom is an emerita professor in the UNMC College of Nursing. Dr. Braden is dean emerita, University College and Graduate School, Creighton University.

“This was truly pioneering work on bed sores done by Drs. Bergstrom and Braden,” said Juliann Sebastian, Ph.D., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing. “It’s nice to see them being recognized in a prestigious publication such as the Wall Street Journal. That speaks volumes for the quality and importance of their research.”

MMI receives more support for Go, Baby Go! program

From left to right on first row: MMI pediatric physical therapists Liz Konopasek, Lynne Capoun, Tricia Saxton and Ann Kruger; from left to right on second row: Brian Orton, Shane Hennessey and Katie Underwood of Olsson Associates, MMI Interim Director of Physical Therapy Sandy Willett and Betsy Becker, assistant professor of physical therapy at UNMC’s College of Allied Health Professions.

The Munroe-Meyer Institute’s Department of Physical Therapy received a $2,000 grant this week from Olsson Associates, a local engineering firm. The funds will support the Go Baby Go! Nebraska partnership.

Go Baby Go! Nebraska is a local/regional effort, based on a national program, to provide modified ride-on cars for kids with disabilities.

MMI is partnering with Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Students of University of Nebraska American Physical Therapy Association (SUN-APTA), and the engineering student group from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln/University of Nebraska at Omaha to build capacity for supporting this program.

The inaugural build will be Aug. 10, and MMI and its partners will give away six or seven cars at that time to kids in the community.

Drawing on med center experience to chart nursing’s future
The experiences of nurses who worked at the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit to care for patients with Ebola is a focus of the May issue of “Charting Nursing’s Future,” a publication of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The newsletter, in a section titled “Lessons from the Ebola Outbreak,” quotes Shelly Schwedhelm, executive director, emergency preparedness and infection prevention at Nebraska Medicine, as the article explores preparation and other factors at the med center and at Emory University Hospital. To read the complete article, click here.

PT student Hansen receives poster award at National Student Research Forum

Haley Hansen

Haley Hansen, second-year physical therapy student, won first place for “Best Poster Presentation in Public Health” at the 57th Annual National Student Research Forum held at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She’d previously won first place at the Midwest Student Biomedical Research Forum (MSBRF), co-hosted by UNMC and Creighton. Her poster is titled, “Minimal Detectable Change in Dual Task Cost in Older Adults with and without Cognitive Impairment.” She received a College of Medicine Summer Research Scholarship last summer and worked on this project under the mentorship of Dawn Venema, Ph.D., and Joseph Siu, Ph.D.

Tanya Custer installed as president of Nebraska Society of Radiologic Technologists
Tanya Custer, assistant professor of radiation science technology education, was installed as president of the Nebraska Society of Radiologic Technologists at the organization’s recent 85th annual conference in Gering, Neb. RSTE instructor Christina Gregg has served on the NSRT board for the past year (2015-2016) as vice president, and was re-elected to the position for the upcoming year.

Dr. Mott receives Class of 1962 Basic Science Outstanding Teacher Award
Justin Mott, M.D., Ph.D., biochemistry and molecular biology, received the College of Medicine Class of 1962 Basic Science Outstanding Teacher Award. The award, which was created in 1987 on the 25th anniversary of the graduating class, is given to a faculty member who contributes greatly to the education of aspiring medical students. It is intended that this honor will inspire and foster continued excellence in classroom teaching. In 2007, the College of Medicine supplemented this award to recognize exemplary teaching by a basic scientist.

EVS associate Craig Lainson cleans up at tournament
Craig Lainson, an environmental services associate who works in the 4230 Building, was a member of the first place team in the All-University Golf Tournament held this week at Awarii Dunes Golf Course in Axtell, Neb. Lainson’s team recorded a score of 11-under par. His team included golfers from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.