Public Relations

Leadership

Chancellor - Harold M. Maurer 

Founded

1881

UNMC, initially known as Omaha Medical College, was established in 1881 as the first medical college in Nebraska.

Identity

Public

The College became affiliated with the University of Nebraska in 1902. In 1968, the University of Nebraska brought all of the health sciences under one umbrella, creating the University of Nebraska Medical Center with a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, College of Dentistry and School of Allied Health Professions.

Colleges

7

College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, College of Dentistry, School of Allied Health Professions,  College of Public Health, and Graduate College.

Campuses

4

In addition to the main campus in Omaha, the UNMC College of Nursing has campuses located in Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff and the College of Dentistry is located in Lincoln.

System

University of
Nebraska

The University of Nebraska Medical Center is one of four campuses of the University of Nebraska -- The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK).

Impact

2008 Student Enrollment - 3,194

Four UNMC colleges or programs were listed in the U.S. News & World Report's ranking of America's Best Graduate Schools 2008 including the College of Medicine's primary care and rural health programs, which were both ranked in the top 10.

UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.

Nearly half of Nebraska's physicians, dental professionals, pharmacists, bachelor-prepared nurses and allied health professionals have graduated from UNMC.

UNMC's 2008-2009 Revenue Budget
(in millions) 

UNMC's 2008-2009 Expense Budget
(in millions) 

Research
2007 Total Research Funding..............$82 million

Employees
Total UNMC staff and faculty..................4,581

Economic Impact on Nebraska
UNMC and its hospital partner,
The Nebraska Medical Center..................$1.5 billion

Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country's leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology.  UNMC's physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center.

Campus Growth

Click here to see more on Campus Growth. 

During the past 10 years, UNMC’s Campus has been transformed into a world-class academic health science center:

• The Lied Transplant Center, which opened in 1999, is a facility that brings together basic research with an innovative model of care, called cooperative care. Post transplant (whether that is stem cell or solid organ), patients and a caregiver live together in hotel-like suites and the caregiver helps provide day-to-day care under the guidance of physicians and nurses.
   
• UNMC's Eppley Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center in a five-state region.
   
• The 20-level, $77 million Durham Research Center, which was funded almost entirely by private support, opened in 2003. The Durham Research Center houses UNMC's top researchers, who are conducting studies on cancer, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, neurosciences, stem cell transplantation, innovative biomedical technologies and nano medicine.
   
• Construction is nearing completion on the second research tower. The 10-level facility, presently called the Durham Research Center  II, will be nearly identical to its sister tower, which opened in 2003. It will contain 252,179 gross square feet with 98 state-of-the-art laboratories. The two research towers will be connected with a covered passageway.
   
• A recent addition to campus is the Weigel Williamson Center for Visual Rehabilitation a $1.2 million center that is the region's only not-for-profit comprehensive center for visual rehabilitation of adults and children. The state-of-the-art center is equipped with a low-vision adapted kitchen, bath area, conference room, classroom and play area, providing a homelike environment that allows patients to learn to do everyday tasks
   
• To further academic and research excellence, UNMC opened the new 134,184 square foot education center, the Michael F. Sorrell Health Science Education Center, this summer. The Sorrell Center is one of the most technologically advanced health science education centers in the nation.  The technologically sophisticated building -- the first true home for the College of Medicine -- features clinical skills laboratories that resemble hospital and exam rooms, large amphitheaters with theater-sized screens, flexible space that can be tailored to teaching needs and interactive study rooms, amidst dozens of private study spaces.
   
• In January 2007, UNMC added a College of Public Health to its academic enterprise. This college is addressing a variety of issues facing Nebraska, including health promotion and disease prevention, environmental health and safety, health care delivery and biosecurity and biopreparedness.
   

• On the horizon are additional construction projects:

  • The Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health,
  • The Home Instead Center for Successful Aging and 
  • The Center for College of Nursing Sciences building.
  • College of Nursing in Lincoln
  • College of Nursing in Norfolk
  • College of Dentistry Renovation

• In 2007, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved a land swap between UNMC and Omaha Public Power District. As a result, UNMC took possession of approximately 10 acres of property and buildings on the southwest edge of the UNMC campus near the intersection of Emile Street and Saddle Creek Road. The area will provide UNMC with the space needed to construct a new cancer research tower as well as additional parking