Administration

The University of Nebraska Medical Center is the only public academic
health science center in Nebraska. In collaboration with The Nebraska Medical Center, which is comprised of University Hospital and Clarkson Hospital, UNMC is poised to become a world-class center.

UNMC is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in patient care, research and education. UNMC is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Today, more than 3,000 students attend UNMC. Nearly half of Nebraska’s physicians, dental professionals, pharmacists, bachelor-prepared nurses and allied health professionals have graduated from UNMC.

Through basic, clinical and translational research, UNMC investigators have pioneered many breakthroughs.

• Peripheral stem cell transplantation has become the world standard for treatment of certain cancers. In July 2003, UNMC marked the 3,000th bone marrow transplant and the 20th anniversary of the start of UNMC's stem cell transplant program.
   
• UNMC’s solid organ transplant program serves as a national model for patient care, education and research. In 2000, 229 liver, kidney, small bowel and pancreas transplants were performed. About 60 percent of the patients were from outside Nebraska.
   
• In 2000, UNMC became the eighth medical center in the United States to use robotic surgical equipment which reduces surgical trauma, reduces hospital stays, and speeds up rehabilitation and recovery.
   
• In 1996, the work of a UNMC researcher resulted in the discovery of what is now the world’s top-selling glaucoma drug, Xalatan, a drug which benefits millions of people worldwide.

Nebraska’s first medical college opened in 1880. Reorganized and renamed the Omaha Medical College the following year, the school became affiliated with the University of Nebraska in 1902.

Until 1914, medical students took basic science classes in Lincoln for two years and performed clinical work in Omaha for the remaining two years. Dental instruction was added in 1903, in cooperation with the Lincoln Dental College, a private school. By 1919, the school became the College of Dentistry. The School of Pharmacy became part of the professional curriculum in Lincoln in 1908.

In 1909, the Legislature purchased the present UNMC campus site for $20,000. Four years later, the first building on campus, which was designed to house the entire medical college, opened for business.

By 1917, University Hospital was built on the Omaha campus to help the college expand its clinical curriculum. The School of Nursing also was established that year, making clinical hospital work a major part of its program.

The training of allied health professionals began in the early 1930s with classes in medical technology and radiologic technology. By 1943, the Graduate College offered master’s and doctoral degrees. By the end of World War II, the UNMC had established programs in all health-care disciplines.

Since the restructuring of the University of Nebraska in 1968, the Board of Regents has consolidated all the university’s major health-care programs under UNMC. In 1972, the College of Pharmacy moved to Omaha to become part of UNMC. In 1979, the College of Dentistry joined the UNMC administration, while maintaining its primary facilities and programs on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the Legislature approved plans to upgrade the UNMC campus. Several buildings were constructed. Major projects since 1993 include:

• The 10-level Durham Research Center, which was dedicated in November 2003, entirely funded by private donations.
• An employee parking garage and campus utility plant.
• A six-level Outpatient Care Center (renamed the Durham Outpatient Center in 1999), which opened in 1993 and expanded UNMC’s outpatient care capacity and training opportunities.
• A major addition to the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases.
• A newly constructed Student Life Center.
• Two additions to the Munroe-Meyer Institute.
• A patient/visitor parking garage.

The Lied Transplant Center, which opened in 1999, serves as a national model for solid organ and cancer transplant programs, by linking patient care, education and research. The center was the first to use the innovative concept of cooperative care for transplantation in which a family member or friend takes on the role of care partner to provide the patient’s basic care needs during recovery.

On Oct. 1, 1997, UNMC’s University Hospital and Clarkson Regional Health System merged their hospitals and affiliated clinics to form the Nebraska Health System, whose name was changed to The Nebraska Medical Center in July 2003. The hospital is the primary teaching facility for UNMC.

Six UNMC colleges or programs were listed in the U.S. News & World Report's ranking of "America's Best Graduate Schools 2008."

• The College of Medicine's primary care program, ranked 10th out of 145 schools surveyed.
• The College of Medicine's rural health medicine program, tied for sixth out of 145 schools surveyed.
• The College of Nursing's master's degree program, ranked 32nd out of 396 programs surveyed.
• The School of Allied Health Professions' physician assistant program, tying for 14th out of 106 programs surveyed.
• The College of Pharmacy tied for 27th out of 88 schools surveyed.
• The School of Allied Health Professions’ physical therapy program tied for 31st out of 194 programs surveyed.

In addition, UNMC was ranked among the top 10 "Best Places to Work for Postdocs" by The Scientist magazine in 2004.

UNMC’s College of Medicine offers the doctor of medicine degree and graduate medical education in 17 specialties and 13 subspecialties, including family medicine. UNMC is a leader among U.S. medical schools n graduating seniors choosing primary-care residencies.

The College of Dentistry is a regional resource for a doctorate of dental surgery degree. For five of the last six years, the college’s freshman class has ranked first among the 55 U.S. dental schools for incoming grade-point average. The college offers postgraduate programs in seven dental specialties and has the state’s only bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.

The College of Nursing offers the only doctoral nursing program in the state. It has four divisions, all of which offer the baccalaureate program. Master’s degrees are available in nine specialty areas. The college also operates two nurse-managed health-care centers and offers a variety of degrees through distance technology, including the Internet.

The College of Pharmacy was one of the first colleges in the nation to offer the doctorate of pharmacy degree. The college is reducing distance barriers in rural areas by making available a computerized health information network that links rural pharmacies with UNMC’s computerized drug and health information system.

The School of Allied Health Professions offers 10 allied health professional programs, which are among the nation’s fastest growing. Professions include medical technology, physical therapy, radiography, medical nutrition, medical sonography, physician assistant, nuclear medicine, perfusion science, radiation therapy and cytotechnology.

Each year, the Munroe-Meyer Institute provides diagnosis and treatment for more than 10,000 people with developmental disabilities and children with special health needs. The Human Genetics program is the only comprehensive laboratory and clinical genetic site in the region offering complete genetic services. Areas of specialization include fetal health, genetic counseling, clinical diagnosis, chromosome analysis and amniocentesis.

Basic and clinical cancer research and educational programs, including cancer prevention and outreach, are coordinated through the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. The Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases is the basic research component. The center has received designation as a National Cancer Institute Clinical Cancer Center, recognizing its excellence in basic and clinical research. The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center is one of the founding members of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of 17 leading cancer centers in the United States.

The Office of Technology Development, along with UneMed Corp. – UNMC’s technology transfer subsidiary – serves as an intermediary between UNMC and industry through research collaborations, joint ventures, new company startups and other industrial relationships. The efforts of these two units have resulted in six startup companies and 25 licenses since 1992.