UNMC received unanimous Omaha Planning Board approval Wednesday for the Med Center’s request from the city of Omaha to invest in infrastructure changes around a new medical simulation training facility with a unique focus on 3D and Virtual Immersive Reality (VIR).
The Global Center for Advanced Interprofessional Learning will house and support the activities of UNMC’s Interprofessional Experiential Center for Enduring Learning (iEXCEL℠). The facility is the centerpiece of an initiative that will create up to 325 well-paying jobs and is estimated to generate $137.7 million annually in economic impact for the city and state economies.
The Planning Board voted 6-0 to forward the request to the Omaha City Council. The request from the city is for $5.162 million in in redevelopment bond proceeds and $5.5 million in capital improvement program funds.
“We are grateful to the Planning Board members for their support of this initiative, as well as to Mayor Jean Stothert and her staff for their leadership in sponsoring this request,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. “The iEXCEL initiative is a unique opportunity for UNMC, the city of Omaha and Nebraska to be a world leader in ‘real-life virtual reality scenarios and 3-D content creation,’ to improve the performance of health care professionals and others. Educating health care in this environment will improve patient care outcomes, which is the ultimate goal.”
Dr. Gold added that the project will spur partnerships that create new spinoff businesses with the private sector and bring to Omaha new companies that will have a positive economic impact on the city.
The approved 134,000-square-foot, multi-level structure is planned for the southeast corner of 42nd and Emile Streets on a site that is currently a surface parking lot. A nearby metal building, formerly the UNMC General Supply warehouse, also will be razed to make way for the project.
The $102 million Global Center also includes construction of 56,000 square feet of structured parking (about 120 stalls) below the building for a total area of 190,000 square feet.
Pam Boyers, Ph.D., UNMC associate vice chancellor for interprofessional education and experiential learning, said that already four major companies with national and international ties are planning to collaborate with iEXCEL. At least one of those companies is opening an office in Omaha.
“This project will catapult Omaha as a ‘first-to-market’ world leader in health care education and research and shape the development of new 3-D courseware,” said Dr. Boyers, who presented to the Planning Board on Wednesday. “The technical jobs created through this industry, include computer programmers, 3D animators, clinical simulation technicians and 3D graphic artists, with annual salaries ranging from $60,000 to $120,000.”
In 2015, the Nebraska Legislature and Gov. Pete Ricketts approved $25 million toward design and construction of the iEXCEL Global Center project. They subsequently approved $2 million annually for operations and maintenance of the new facility. Additional funding support for iEXCEL will come from other private and public sources.