The UNMC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s EMBRACE program is building momentum in its first year with new funding from The Clarkson Institute and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
A $1 million award from The Clarkson Institute supports the EMBRACE program, while additional $210,000 from DHHS is dedicated to EMBRACE STORK, the program’s mobile obstetric simulation and ultrasound education initiative for rural Nebraska.
Broad support across institution and state
Dr. Rana said the program’s first-year growth reflects broad support from across the institution and the state.
“I am deeply appreciative of the support EMBRACE has received from Nebraska Medicine and UNMC leadership (especially Drs. Ash and Davies), and from colleagues across departments who have given their time and expertise to build this program from the ground up. We engaged with variety of stakeholders across the institution and state to build this robust program,” Dr. Rana said. “I am equally grateful to The Clarkson Institute and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services for investing in this vision. Their support allows us to bring high-quality obstetric care and education to communities that have gone without it for too long, and this is only the beginning of what we can accomplish together for mothers and babies in Nebraska. We are collaborating with the College of Public Health for program evaluation to show the impact of our program.”
In its first year, EMBRACE has grown to 12 participating sites including Critical Access Hospitals, stretching from one end of Nebraska to the other, as it continues to work to add partners.
The nursing and ultrasound education components are delivered through EMBRACE STORK — Simulation Training in Obstetrics for Rural Knowledge — the mobile program supported by the DHHS funding.
STORK brings high-fidelity obstetrical simulation and hands-on ultrasound simulation directly to rural hospitals at no cost to the facility, with a curriculum tailored to each site. A STORK education day was held Oct. 8 at the extension center in North Platte, with additional site visits and training days scheduled across Nebraska through 2027. STORK Day brought hands-on obstetric training directly to the rural clinicians who care for Nebraska’s mothers and babies. The day included high fidelity ultrasound simulation stations, Labor & Delivery nursing drills, and a joint team simulation, with continuing education credits available for participants.the
“This is the first of its kind ultrasound and high fidelity OB simulation done by the Nebraska Medicine and UNMC teams. We had great turn around with 18 nurses and 11 ultrasound techs from seven different hospitals,” Dr. Rana said.
UNMC Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, praised the EMBRACE program.
“This work is at the heart of UNMC’s mission to transform lives,” Dr. Davies said. “We are thankful for the support this program has received, and we look forward to its positive impact across the state. I want to thank Dr. Rana and her team for their passion and hard work to improve the well-being of women across Nebraska.”
“The EMBRACE program is a shining example of the type of statewide impact Nebraska Medicine and UNMC can have when we combine the expertise, caring, and innovation across Nebraska,” said Nebraska Medicine CEO Michael Ash, MD. “Dr. Rana’s passion for the health of mothers and babies is evident in all she does, and the EMBRACE program is just one example.”
Briley Patterson, EMBRACE program manager, said the new funding will help expand the program’s reach and strengthen its efforts to improve outcomes for Nebraska’s pregnant and postpartum women.
“We want each mother and each baby to receive the best possible care whether they’re in Omaha or Monowi,” Patterson said.
“As EMBRACE enters its second year, the program will continue to build partnerships and expand access to maternal health resources and specialized care for women and families across Nebraska,” said Neil Hamill, MD, EMBRACE medical director.
“We will continue to work closely with our EMBRACE partners and other organizations, such as the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative, to complement other efforts across the state to build a healthy state for all our mothers and babies,” Dr. Rana said.
