UNMC recently announced the establishment of the Peter C. Hinrichs Chair of Pathology Informatics in the UNMC Department of Pathology and Microbiology.
The announcement was made at the retirement celebration for Steven Hinrichs, MD, who served as chair of the department for 14 years.
The endowed chair is named in honor of Dr. Hinrichs’ late father, the Rev. Peter Hinrichs of Dickinson, North Dakota. The Rev. Hinrichs served Lutheran congregations in Redfield, South Dakota, and Dickinson and was involved in numerous other organizations, serving as a member of the North Dakota Board of Higher Education from 1969 to 1975. During his tenure, the medical school at the University of North Dakota was expanded to a four-year program. The Rev. Hinrichs died in 1994.
Dr. Hinrichs, who grew up in Dickinson and earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of North Dakota, said the endowed chair recognizes his father’s contributions to higher education in North Dakota.
“My father was extremely dedicated to the people of North Dakota, and his vision was to continually provide educational opportunities for its citizens,” Dr. Hinrichs said. “I would not have been able to become chair of the department without my educational experiences in North Dakota.”
The chair was created with generous support from Dr. Hinrichs through the University of Nebraska Foundation. At the request of the donor, the total commitment amount will remain confidential.
The chair will provide support for the department’s pathology informatics program, which collects and reports laboratory data to improve patient care and respond to public health needs. The topic is of great interest to Dr. Hinrichs, who became a professor emeritus when he retired in July.
Dr. Hinrichs was recruited to UNMC in 1991 and was a key player in numerous important initiatives at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine, including the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory and the institution’s response to the Ebola virus and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Dr. Hinrichs’ leadership as department chair exemplified dedication, vision, professionalism and genuine care,” said Joseph Khoury, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Pathology and Microbiology. “Care for the department, care for the institution, care for the community and care for our nation; simply put, care to make a difference.”
The gift was made as part of Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future, a historic effort to engage at least 150,000 benefactors to give $3 billion to support the University of Nebraska.