State Sen. Tony Fulton toured UNMC and met with medical center leaders on Monday. Below we learn more about Sen. Fulton.
- Name: Tony Fulton
- Hometown: Lincoln
- Legislative district: District 29 (Lincoln)
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Paul Paulman, M.D., shows State Sen. Tony Fulton on of the simulators in the Sorrell Center’s Clinical Skills Laboratory during the senator’s tour of UNMC on Monday. |
Generally, I was impressed with the new and impending facilities on campus as well as the general tenor about future development. UNMC has become a regional and national leader in a relatively short period of time, and Nebraskans should be proud to fuel such forward-looking ingenuity at UNMC.
Particularly, I was fascinated by the level of technical complexity in the human-like “mannequins” used in teaching and training future health professionals. Some years ago during my own engineering curriculum, we studied robotics and the dynamics of human kinesiology. During my tour, I was able to see how far this field has advanced since the time of my own studies. Students at UNMC are fortunate to utilize high-dollar, state of the art equipment.
What are the biggest health care issues that face the state and how do you see UNMC helping the state confront these issues?
Nebraskans should know that Chancellor Maurer was recently selected as one of only fifteen who will sit on the National Health Care Workforce Commission, which answers directly to Congress. This is a prestigious responsibility and indicates how UNMC is shaping the future of healthcare and health care policy.
As a state, Nebraska is understaffed in virtually all disciplines of health care, and this trend will continue without forward thinking. I have worked diligently with the med center to build additional college of nursing divisions (one in Norfolk, one in Lincoln) as we are sorely short of nursing professionals in Nebraska. We must address such shortfalls. UNMC plays an essential role in the recruitment and training of Nebraska’s future health professionals.