The challenges facing UNMC make the med center’s shared mission as important as it’s ever been – and collaboration essential, Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, told UNMC faculty in his annual faculty address.
Dr. Davies acknowledged the past year has brought real pressures on UNMC. But he cited UNMC’s continuing progress in the face of those challenges – an expanding presence around Nebraska and an expanding campus in Omaha, along with advances in discovery, engagement and patient care.
In his April 15 address titled “Moving Boldly Forward Together,” Dr. Davies said UNMC’s mission statement is its anchor during challenging times, and the med center’s ITEACH values provide the framework for the institution to move forward together.
Dr. Davies directly cited the joint UNMC and Nebraska Medicine mission: “To lead the world in transforming lives to create a healthy future for all individuals and communities through premier educational programs, innovative research and extraordinary patient care.”
Dr. Davies said that mission is about UNMC’s students, the citizens of Nebraska that benefit from UNMC research and the patients that expect extraordinary care every day – not just in Omaha and Nebraska but around the world.
“That is what we have to remind ourselves every day when we’re going through challenges: How do we move forward together?” Dr. Davies said. “We have to remember our values.”
Together, UNMC and Nebraska Medicine have a vast impact on Nebraska’s health and economy, Dr. Davies said, as they are responsible for employing 57,000 people, directly or indirectly, and contributing $7.7 billion to the state’s economy.
That influence on the health workforce is expanding, with UNMC’s enrollment growing for 25 consecutive years and UNMC currently employing 734 residents and house officers.
Now, the Health Science Education Center II in Kearney is opening – becoming the largest academic health center in rural America, Dr. Davies said.
“This is a facility that is second to none, right in the middle of the state,” he said. “This is going to transform how we provide health care workforce for the rural parts of our state.”
Other progress that Dr. Davies highlighted for UNMC:
- Strong research funding despite uncertainty in federal funding. That includes a new $500 million federal defense contract for the University of Nebraska’s National Strategic Research Institute that taps into UNMC researchers.
- Establishment of the new UNMC Office of Industry Engagement to serve as a front door for industry, along with the hiring of Agnes Lenagh, PhD, as UNMC’s director of strategic partnerships.
- Development of the EDGE District, opening of the Catalyst building with dozens of tenants and continued construction of the CORE Building.
- Advancements in cancer care with a project to establish new proton therapy treatment at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.
- Real-time research within the Innovation Design Unit to design the future of care and learning.
- Project Health, which will establish not just a new space but a stronger future for education, patient care and discovery.
Dr. Davies offered three priorities that are boldly moving the med center forward together.
- Harnessing AI with purpose in clinical operations, research, education and professional settings.
- Improving process and job satisfaction through the new UNMC Better Processes Initiative.
- Strengthening UNMC’s collaboration across campuses, partners and the state, which includes joint accreditation with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“Our best work still lies in front of us,” Dr. Davies said, “and we’ll reach it the same way we got here – by working hard, working smart and working together.”