The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ...

. Founded in 1869 and chartered as a private medical college in 1881, UNMC became part of the

University of Nebraska System The University of Nebraska system is the public university system in the U.S. state of Nebraska. Founded in 1869 with one campus in Lincoln, the system has four university campuses and operates a two-year technical agriculture college and a hi ...

in 1902. Rapidly expanding in the early 20th century, the university founded a hospital, dental college, pharmacy college, college of nursing, and college of medicine. It later added colleges of public health and allied health professions. One of Omaha's top employers, UNMC has an annual budget of $841.6 million for 2020 to 2021, and an economic impact of $4.8 billion.

History

A private medical college was founded in Omaha by the state legislature in 1869 and chartered in 1881 as the Omaha Medical College. It became part of the University of Nebraska system in 1902. A

university hospital A university hospital is an institution which combines the services of a hospital with the education of medical students and with medical research. These hospitals are typically affiliated with a medical school or university. The following i ...

opened in 1917. In 1968, the University of Nebraska united its health sciences, forming the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus. In 1991, a

technology transfer Technology transfer (TT), also called transfer of technology (TOT), is the process of transferring (disseminating) technology from the person or organization that owns or holds it to another person or organization, in an attempt to transform invent ...

office was created, known as UNeMed. In 1997, the UNMC hospital merged with the nearby Bishop Clarkson Hospital to become what was later renamed Nebraska Medicine.

Ebola epidemic response

During the 2014 Ebola epidemic, the federal government tapped Nebraska as one of three units prepared to accept highly infectious patients in the United States. Today, UNMC/Nebraska Medicine has the largest operational biocontainment unit in the nation. UNMC's academic, local, state, and federal partnerships have expanded with the initiation of the National Ebola Training and Education Center (NETEC). the Special Pathogens Research Network (SPRN) and the National Training, Simulation & Quarantine Center. These organizations and additional alliances are housed under the Global Center for Health Security. In 2016, UNMC was awarded a $19.8 million grant from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The four-year federal grant — which has renewable options for an additional 21 years — enables UNMC to teach federal health care personnel procedures in treating highly infectious diseases. The University of Nebraska Medical Center created the Global Center for Health Security in 2017. The goal of the creation of the center is to transform and centralize "

infectious disease An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable di ...

response and

biodefense Biodefense refers to measures to restore biosecurity to a group of organisms who are, or may be, subject to biological threats or infectious diseases. Biodefense is frequently discussed in the context of biowar or bioterrorism, and is generall ...

research." Among the reasons behind the move were concerns about outbreaks of viruses, infectious diseases, and an environment where a biological terrorist attack is a possibility. In 2016, a UNMC team of researchers was awarded a five-year research grant from the

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the lat ...

totaling nearly $20 million, through the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program and the NIH's National Institute of General Medical Studies. The grant will focus on developing early career researchers into independent scientists and increasing the infrastructure and other resources needed to support clinical/translational research (CTR) around the region. The grant will create the Great Plains IDeA-CTR Network, a collaboration involving nine institutions in four states: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Kansas

SARS-CoV-2 epidemic response

In 2020, UNMC and Nebraska Medicine were enlisted to support a federal operation that evacuated 57 Americans from Wuhan, China, during an

epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of patients among a given population within an area in a short period of time. Epidemics of infectious ...

of novel coronavirus, SARS CoV-2. The group were placed in quarantine at

Camp Ashland Camp Ashland, Nebraska is an Army National Guard facility located near Ashland, Nebraska, along the Platte River. The camp has been in use by the Nebraska National Guard for more than 100 years. The camp is currently home to the 209th Regimental ...

, a Nebraska National Guard facility near Omaha. Thirteen Americans were repatriated to University of Nebraska Medical Center on February 17, from the ''Diamond Princess'' off the coast of Japan. Ten had tested positive, and three others had been exposed. Three days later, eleven of these people tested positive. UNMC scientists, working with evidence gathered in the National Quarantine Center, in the new $119 million Dr. Edwin G. & Dorothy Balbach Davis Global Center on UNMC's Omaha campus, found the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads through airborne transmission. UNMC led the first clinical trial in the U.S. on the use of

remdesivir Remdesivir, sold under the brand name Veklury, Text was copied from this source which is © European Medicines Agency. Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged. is a broad-spectrum antiviral medication developed by the ...

to treat patients hospitalized with

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

. UNMC developed a series of guides to help meatpacking facilities, child development centers, court systems, K-12 education and higher education minimize the risk of COVID-19 and reduce disruptions to business operations. UNMC scientists developed a safe and effective method to decontaminate

N95 respirator An N95 filtering facepiece respirator, commonly abbreviated N95 respirator, is a particulate-filtering facepiece respirator that meets the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) N95 classification of air filtrati ...

s using ultraviolet light. The process, shared with hospital systems across the U.S., allowed multiple reuse of N95s when personal protective equipment was in short supply.

Academics and rankings

In 2022, UNMC's bachelor's in nursing program was ranked 15th of 681 nursing programs by ''U.S. News & World Report''. UNMC's primary care program was tied for 6th of 191 medical schools. Other programs that also received a national ranking include graduates practicing in rural health care (5th of 159); research (54th of 191); the College of Pharmacy (28th of 134); the College of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice program (40th of 330); the College of Public Health (56th of 177), and the College of Allied Health Professions' physical therapy program (34 of 239) and physician assistant program (15 of 170). UNMC was named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2019–2020 and 2020-2021 academic years by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. UNMC's commitment to research has resulted in the addition of the twin state-of-the-art Durham Research Towers and the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, opened in June 2017. External funding for research, education and public service totaled $228.5 million in fiscal year 2021. Federal research grants totaled $163.9 million in 2020-21. The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, a $370 million project, the largest project ever at the University of Nebraska, opened in 2017. The Buffett Cancer Center is a joint project with UNMC's primary clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine. and includes three areas dedicated to cancer: the Suzanne and Walter Scott Research Tower, the C.L. Werner Cancer Hospital, and a multidisciplinary outpatient treatment clinic. It is one of 69 centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. Colleges and institutes: * College of Medicine * College of Dentistry – The dental college is located in

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United ...

, on the East Campus of the

University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska, NU, or UNL) is a public land-grant research university in Lincoln, Nebraska. Chartered in 1869 by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the Morrill Act of 1862, the school was known as the Univers ...

. * College of Nursing * College of Pharmacy * College of Public Health * College of Allied Health Professions * Graduate studies program through the University of Nebraska Graduate College * Eppley Institute for Cancer Research and Allied Diseases * Munroe-Meyer Institute for Developmental Disabilities

Campus growth

Projects completed in recent years include:https://www.unmc.edu/publicrelations/media/growth.html/> * Dr. Edwin G. & Dorothy Balbach Davis Global Center. The $102 million facility houses UNMC's iEXCEL initiative, which includes advanced simulation clinical settings and virtual immersive reality technology. * Munroe-Meyer Institute for Developmental Disabilities moved from UNMC's main campus to a building near 69th and Pine Streets after an $86 million renovation. * Wigton Heritage Centeran, an $8 million, 10,000-square-foot welcome center that also memorializes UNMC's history, and the associated $18 million renovation of Wittson Hall. * College of Nursing – Lincoln Division. The $41.5 million facility houses the UNMC College of Nursing's Lincoln Division and University of Nebraska-Lincoln University Health Center in a combined structure of about 100,000 square feet. * The UNMC Center for Drug Discovery and Lozier Center for Pharmacy Sciences in 2016. The previous College of Pharmacy building was renamed the Joseph D. & Millie E. Williams Science Hall. * The Health Science Education Complex at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2015 The facility enabled UNMC to expand allied health programs for physician assistants, physical therapists, clinical laboratory scientists, radiographers and diagnostic medical sonographers. The building also allowed the UNMC College of Nursing to expand its master's programs for nurse practitioners and its bachelor's in nursing program on the Kearney campus. * The Center for Nursing Science in 2010 The building has enabled the College of Nursing to enroll more nursing students, and prepare more nurse faculty. * The Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute, which opened in June 2013. The institute is the home of the UNMC Department of Ophthalmology. * The Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health opened in 2011 to provide a home to the College of Public Health, added in 2007 to address a variety of issues facing Nebraska, including health promotion and disease prevention, environmental health and safety, health care delivery, and biosecurity and biopreparedness * The J. Paul and Eleanor McIntosh College of Nursing in 2010, UNMC opened its newest nursing division and building in Norfolk, Nebraska, thanks to an $11.9 million capital campaign a partnership between Northeast Community College in Norfolk and the UNMC College of Nursing * The Home Instead Center for Successful Aging in 2019 This two-level center increased clinical and translational research by establishing an appropriate environment for conducting clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and other geriatric-specific disorders. * The Durham Research Center II in 2009, the $76.5 million twin to the original Durham Research Center tower, both of which were almost exclusively funded with private sources * The Weigel Williamson Center for Visual Rehabilitation in 2008, the $1.2 million center provides visual rehabilitation for adults and children with low vision. * A renovated Bennett Hall in 2008, which moved all allied health professions education under one roof. The former School of Allied Health Professions became a college in 2015.

Notable alumni

* Jim Armitage, world-renowned authority in

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include en ...

* Casey Beran,

orthopedic surgeon Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

who was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2018 * Gretchen and Warren Berggren, physicians known for service as

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

advocates in 26 countries and as mentors to hundreds of people in public health * Nancy Fahrenwald, dean of

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M Unive ...

College of Nursing * Stephen Gilson, theorist and policy analyst known for work in disability, diversity, and health policy * Jeremy Hosein, physician and former

White House Fellow The White House Fellows program is a federal fellowship program established via Executive Order by President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964, based upon a suggestion from John W. Gardner, then the president of Carnegie Corp ...

Bob Kerrey Joseph Robert Kerrey (born August 27, 1943) is an American politician who served as the 35th Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 1989 to 2001. Before entering politics, he served in the Vie ...

, former Nebraska governor, former U.S. senator from Nebraska,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient for service in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

as a

Navy Seal The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting s ...

* Guinter Khan, physician and creator of

Minoxidil Minoxidil, sold under the brand name Rogaine among others, is a medication used for the treatment of high blood pressure and pattern hair loss. It is an antihypertensive vasodilator. It is available as a generic medication by prescription in or ...

, a hair growth stimulant * Lynne Kirk, chief

accreditation Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

officer,

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is the body responsible for accrediting all graduate medical training programs (i.e., internships, residencies, and fellowships, a.k.a. subspecialty programs) for physicians in the ...

James Linder James Linder (born 1954) is an American author, academic and businessperson, as well as an authority on university research commercialization. He serves as chief executive officer (CEO) of Nebraska Medicine, and most recently was president of the ...

, author, academic, business leader, and authority on university research commercialization *

Rod Markin Rodney Smith Markin (born 1956), is an American pathologist and authority in the field of laboratory automation. In 1993, he designed and created one of the world's first automated clinical laboratory specimen, device and analyzer management syste ...

, pioneer and leading authority in the field of

laboratory automation Laboratory automation is a multi-disciplinary strategy to research, develop, optimize and capitalize on technologies in the laboratory that enable new and improved processes. Laboratory automation professionals are academic, commercial and gover ...

who designed one of the world's first automated clinical laboratory specimen, device and analyzer management systems * John Nwangwu, public health doctor with expertise in

infectious diseases An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable di ...

and

epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evi ...

, and consultant at the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...

* Richard Allen Raymond, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety 2005–2009 * Steven M. Reppert,

neuroscientist A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist who has specialised knowledge in neuroscience, a branch of biology that deals with the physiology, biochemistry, psychology, anatomy and molecular biology of neurons, neural circuits, and glial ...

known for his contributions to the fields of

chronobiology Chronobiology is a field of biology that examines timing processes, including periodic (cyclic) phenomena in living organisms, such as their adaptation to solar- and lunar-related rhythms. These cycles are known as biological rhythms. Chronob ...

and

neuroethology Neuroethology is the evolutionary and comparative approach to the study of animal behavior and its underlying mechanistic control by the nervous system. It is an interdisciplinary science that combines both neuroscience (study of the nervous syste ...

Matthew Ricketts Matthew Oliver Ricketts (April 3, 1858 – January 3, 1917) was an American politician and physician. He was the first African-American member of the Nebraska Legislature, where he served two terms in the Nebraska House of Representatives (th ...

, first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

graduate of UNMC College of Medicine and first African-American member of the

Nebraska Legislature The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the sm ...

* Edward Rosenbaum, author of ''The Doctor,'' an autobiographical chronicle of his experience with

throat cancer Head and neck cancer develops from tissues in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), larynx (throat), salivary glands, nose, sinuses or the skin of the face. The most common types of head and neck cancers occur in the lip, mouth, and larynx. Symptoms ...

, which was the basis of the movie ''The Doctor'', starring

William Hurt William McChord Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he received various awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. H ...

as a physician modeled on Rosenbaum *

Nancy Snyderman Nancy Lynn Snyderman (born March 26, 1952) is an American physician, author, former broadcast journalist. She served as a medical correspondent for ABC News for 15 years, and she was the chief medical editor for NBC News from 2006 to 2015, freq ...

, physician, author, and former broadcast journalist who served as a medical correspondent for ABC News and as chief medical editor for NBC News * Michael Sorrell, authority on

liver disease Liver disease, or hepatic disease, is any of many diseases of the liver. If long-lasting it is termed chronic liver disease. Although the diseases differ in detail, liver diseases often have features in common. Signs and symptoms Some of the si ...

and

gastroenterology Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- “belly”, -énteron “intestine”, and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract ...

* Carol Swarts, physician and

radiation oncologist A radiation oncologist is a specialist physician who uses ionizing radiation (such as megavoltage X-rays or radionuclides) in the treatment of cancer. Radiation oncology is one of the three primary specialties, the other two being surgical and ...

known for medical outreach throughout the world * Cathy Todero, dean of

Creighton University Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...

School of Nursing *

Francis Townsend Francis Everett Townsend (; January 13, 1867 – September 1, 1960) was an American physician and political activist in California, In 1933 he devised an old-age pension scheme to help alleviate the Great Depression. Known as the " Townsend Pla ...

, physician best known for his revolving old-age pension proposal during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, which influenced the establishment of the Roosevelt administration's Social Security system *

Charles Vacanti Charles Alfred "Chuck" Vacanti (born 1950) is a researcher in tissue engineering and stem cells and the Vandam/Covino Professor of Anesthesiology, Emeritus, at Harvard Medical School. He is a former head of the Department of Anesthesiology at the ...

, researcher in

tissue engineering Tissue engineering is a biomedical engineering discipline that uses a combination of Cell (biology), cells, engineering, Materials science, materials methods, and suitable biochemistry, biochemical and physicochemical factors to restore, maintai ...

and

stem cells In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can differentiate into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type of ...

* Joseph D. Williams,

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

who served as chairman and chief executive of Warner-Lambert Pharmaceuticals * Gail Walling Yanney, physician active in Omaha community engagement and development *

Rob Zatechka Robert Brett Zatechka (born December 1, 1971) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He was born to Douglas and Jane Zatechka in 1971. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1995 ...

, former

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

who went to medical school after his NFL career ended

References

External links

* {{Coord, 41, 15, 21.71, N, 95, 58, 32.81, W, type:edu, display=title Education in Omaha, Nebraska University of Nebraska Medical Center Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Midtown Omaha, Nebraska Buildings and structures in Omaha, Nebraska Medical schools in Nebraska Healthcare in Nebraska Medical Center