Omaha Mayor John W. Ewing Jr. visited UNMC Monday to help celebrate UNMC receiving the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement. Mayor Ewing delivered a proclamation that declared Feb. 23, 2026, “UNMC Community Engagement Day.”
“UNMC has worked hard – and this prestigious honor is evidence of it – to serve the people of Omaha and the people of Nebraska,” Mayor Ewing said. “This award is a bright light on a vitally important Nebraska institution and Omaha institution.
“What I love is the recognition for community engagement – which is a two-way street, a collaborative exchange. This is important in building trust and expertise. Providing excellent health care especially requires this trust, this bridge, and UNMC’s efforts are rightly being recognized.”
Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jane Meza, PhD, opened the event, and together with UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, and Nebraska Medicine CEO Michael Ash, MD, welcomed the mayor to the med center.
The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is one of the highest national honors recognizing an institution’s commitment to community engagement. UNMC, which first received the classification in 2015, is one of only 279 institutions across the country, and one of only seven comparable institutions, that currently hold it.
But the Carnegie classification is not just a collection of data, said Heidi Keeler, PhD, assistant vice chancellor and leader of the UNMC Office of Community Engagement. “It is about the quality of our relationships and how we foster these internally and externally.”
Dr. Davies called the classification a testament to the incredible dedication of UNMC and med center staff.
“This classification is not just an award,” Dr. Davies said. “It’s a meaningful recognition of these partnerships that make us stronger and help us be better. It’s also a reflection of how good we are at listening, showing up and working alongside communities.
“Much of the work Dr. Keeler and her team do is understanding the impact of our activities as well as the impact of our relationships with the communities we serve in Omaha and across Nebraska as we continue to meet the challenge of growing our health care workforce and the economy.
“We’re honored by our close partnership with the City of Omaha and are grateful to Mayor Ewing for this recognition of UNMC Community Engagement Day.”
Dr. Ash noted the deep ties and commitment UNMC and Nebraska Medicine have to the community, citing the Community Wellness Collaborative and other efforts.
“We’re incredibly proud of the role we play in the community,” he said.
Dr. Keeler said: “UNMC has always held community as essential to our mission. There are many passionate faculty, staff and students who want to make a difference. Independently, relationships between UNMC and its communities have blossomed. Collectively though, we can have even more impact.”
Members of the UNMC community who are interested in collaborating with the UNMC Office of Community Engagement can contact the office via email.