The operation and maintenance department, part of UNMC Facilities Management & Planning, has reorganized the campus into three zones — research, patient care and education.
The purpose of going to zone maintenance is twofold, said Randy Portrey, director of facilities management and maintenance. By creating three unique facilities teams, each will be better equipped to address the individual maintenance and facilities management needs of each of the three facets of UNMC’s mission. Also, the reorganization streamlines the operation and better allocates resources and experience, so efficiency will increase.
The process for requesting assistance has not changed. How facilities manages the request has. The shift is designed to make facilities more efficient and responsive to customers. Regardless of the zone they’re in, anyone with a maintence issue or request can call 9-4050 with their name, building and room number. Facilities will send the appropriate person to address the problem.
See new zone map here.
“Once we decided to go to zone maintenance, we dissolved most of the existing shops and redistributed all the years of technical/supervisory experience and expertise — 904 total years of service to UNMC — to each zone to meet the demands of our customers, facilities and business models,” Portrey said. “We officially went to zones on Oct. 18.”
There will be designated managers of each zone: Dan Murrell is research zone manager; John Larson is patient care zone manager; and Marvin Olson is education zone manager.
Each manager brings a wealth of experience to their position. Murrell has worked as a capital project manager, facility manager and commissioning manager at the University of Illinois, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Larson has worked at UNMC since 1972. Olson served 28 years at Douglas County Public Properties as their assistant director.
Portrey said the transition is an ongoing process. There also will be a new computerized maintenance management software system implemented in the near future.
“We recognize we can’t get there overnight,” he said. “I would be remiss in moving forward without thanking those who have come before us and did the heavy lifting over the past 25-plus years. We will continue to build on that foundation and to develop a facilities organization fit for a world-class health care, research and education institution.”
Call the help desk at 559-4050 for service requests, Portrey said. For questions on the new system, call 559-2548.