United States Sen. Deb Fischer and her staff toured the Health Science Education Complex at the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus earlier this month.
Sen. Fischer was joined by UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen; Juliann Sebastian, Ph.D., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing; Mary Ann Mertz, Ed.D.; interim assistant dean for the College of Nursing, Kearney Division; Gross Anatomy Lab Director Ryan Splittgerber, Ph.D., and UNMC-NU Foundation Director of Development Sarah Gloden Carlson.
Drs. Mertz and Splittgerber directed the tour, which included the entire facility, with extended stops at the state-of-the art anatomy laboratory and to use the Anatomage Table to demonstrate the potential for technology education in basic and clinical sciences.
“Sen. Fischer was interested in how UNMC and UNK came together for this collaboration and how this facility is going to influence rural health care in Nebraska,” Dr. Splittgerber said.
The group discussed the many possibilities for collaboration the complex provides. Chancellor Kristensen shared his vision for the future of UNK’s campus and the growing demand for health care education on the undergraduate campus. Dr. Sebastian discussed the potential the facility will give the College of Nursing, especially concerning the intraprofessional collaborations with the College of Allied Health Professions. Dr. Splittgerber shared information on the extent of the existing collaborations between UNMC and UNK.
“The senator was extremely interested in the learning environment, asking many questions and showing real interest in the capacity of the technology to engage students in active learning,” Dr. Sebastian said. “It was an honor to be able to show her this new facility, which will have such an impact on health care in Nebraska.”