Plaza to pay tribute to caregivers









picture disc.


The drawing is a view of the Tribute to Caregivers Plaza looking to the west.

It’s like the icing on the cake…whipped cream on a banana split. The Tribute to Caregivers Plaza will be the final piece to the recently completed Hixson Lied Center project.

The plaza area will be dedicated Tuesday, May 23. An invitation-only recognition luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Storz Pavilion. Glenn Fosdick, president and CEO; Bruce Lauritzen, chairman of the Board of Directors; and retired physician William Carter, M.D., will speak during the luncheon.

Following the luncheon, an event will be held for medical center staff and the community. During the event the Tribute to Caregivers sculpture will be unveiled. The sculpture is the creation of Omaha artist John Lajba. Among his most famous works are the Road to Omaha sculpture that sits outside Rosenblatt Stadium and the Dale Earnhardt statue located outside the gates of the Daytona Speedway.

Mike Geis, executive director of the Office of Development at The Nebraska Medical Center, will emcee the event. Speaking during the celebration will be Fosdick; Rita VanFleet, chief nursing officer; and Lajba. Refreshments will be served following the dedication.

The Tribute to Caregivers Plaza, located just east of the Hixson Lied Center, will offer three separate tributes. Each area: glass panels, flagpoles and the Tribute to Caregivers sculpture; will be featured in UNMC Today over the next two weeks.

Glass panel display
The glass panel display consists of three lighted panels that measure approximately 7 feet high by 2 feet wide and will recognize the hospital’s core physicians. The display will be located between the Hixson Lied Center and the Tribute to Caregivers sculpture.

The first panel will feature the names of 65 of the original medical staff members. These physicians practiced at the hospitals between 1869 and 1917. The second panel features the names of 270 core physicians who practiced medicine at Clarkson Hospital and University Hospital between 1917 and 1969. The final panel spotlights individuals and families who have contributed to make this project possible.

The flagpole project will be highlighted later this week.