UNMC and the University of Nebraska at Kearney will celebrate the opening of the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex in Kearney, the largest rural healthcare teaching facility in the country. The $115 million complex expands UNMC’s academic footprint in Kearney and includes the new three-story, 110,000-square-foot Health Science Education Center II, which opened in January, along with the original Health Science Education Center I that opened in 2015.
Designed to strengthen Nebraska’s healthcare workforce, the complex enables UNMC to bring medicine, pharmacy and public health programs to Kearney for the first time, while expanding programs in allied health and nursing. At the request of the lead donor, the William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation, the complex was named in honor of UNK Chancellor Emeritus Doug Kristensen.
The grand opening celebration will be held today (May 14) at 1:30 p.m. at the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Science Education Complex on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus.
Remarks will be made by the following individuals:
- NU President Jeffrey P. Gold, MD
- UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD
- Ellie Miller, PhD, assistant professor, UNMC College of Allied Health Professions
- Allie Daro, UNMC Student Regent
- UNK Chancellor Emeritus Doug Kristensen, JD
- UNK Chancellor Neal Schnoor, PhD
- Brian Hastings, president and CEO of the University of Nebraska Foundation
- NU Regent Chair Paul Kenney
- Carey and Brian Hamilton, campaign committee chairs for UNK
Following the ceremony, self-guided tours will be available at Health Science Education Center I and Health Science Education Center II.
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