 "Photo: Courtesy")
University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken announced his "Building a Healthier Nebraska" initiative to the Nebraska Legislature Jan. 18.
This proposal requests $91 million from Nebraska's cash reserve fund for projects in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney. An additional $300 million will come from private donors, patient revenues and other sources, according to a UNL press release on Jan. 18.
Milliken said education and job creation are high priorities for Nebraska and will help the state become stronger and more competitive.
On Thursday, Gov. Dave Heineman said the legislature in Nebraska cannot afford to pay the amount Milliken is requesting, according to a report in the Lincoln Journal Star .
Heineman said the cash reserve needs to be rebuilt before using the money for one-time funding projects.
Milliken proposed four components to the initiative, two of which would affect students in Lincoln.
The first project is building a new University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing.
This would replace the current building in Lincoln, according to Juliann Sebastian, dean of UNMC's College of Nursing.
"We've been turning away qualified applicants to the Lincoln division," she said in a phone interview. "With the shortage of nurses in Nebraska and a continued estimated shortage, we want to do our part and expand our space to accept more applicants."
The Lincoln division of UNMC's College of Nursing has a total enrollment of about 250 students. With the new building, Sebastian said they expect to increase the total enrollment by 64 students during the next few years.
The new building would also provide space for a more vibrant research program with more research faculty and new technology, Sebastian said.
"We see ourselves as having a research culture where students can learn as that science is developing," she said. "As tech has expanded, we need very highly educated nurses whether it's for diagnostics, therapeutic services or health education."
The second project proposed is to plan and design a new Veterinary Diagnostic Center (VDC) at UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The current VDC is a 35-year-old building and is in good condition, said David Hardin, director of the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences.
"We've simply outgrown the building," Hardin said in a phone interview. "We don't have any space left."
Hardin listed three reasons for a new building. One relates to safety and another to the risk of cross contamination due to a poor ventilation system.
"The third is simply the ability to expand and add new services to better serve the needs of the state," Hardin said.
The VDC provides diagnostic services, running lab tests on samples sent in from practicing veterinarians and from state agencies. In the summer, the lab does testing for the West Nile virus, he said.
Livestock is also tested at the lab, Hardin said.
The third project is looking for financial support for a cancer research tower at UNMC. With this tower UNMC would be able to become one of only 40 institutions in the U.S. to earn a Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute, according to the press release.
The tower would host 98 labs and allow UNMC to add more faculty, receive more grant funding and have all of its researchers in one location.
The final project would be a 30,000-square-foot addition to the Bruner Hall of Science at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. This addition would provide space for health sciences education programs and expand the Kearney-based UNMC nursing division, as stated in the press release.
Three senators introduced the bills centering on Milliken's initiative: Sens. Tony Fulton of Lincoln, John Nelson of Omaha, Galen Hadley of Kearney and Tom Hansen of North Platte.
franniesprouls@dailynebraskan.com
Project: New University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing facility
Location: Lincoln
Asking price: $17 million
Purpose: To expand education opportunities in nursing and respond to the state's nursing shortage
Project: Cancer research tower at University of Nebraska Medical Center
Location: Omaha
Asking price: $50 million toward $110 million total cost
Purpose: To position UNMC to become one of 40 institutions to earn a Comprehensive Cancer designation from the National Cancer Institute
Project: Addition to Bruner Hall of Science
Location: University of Nebraska at Kearney
Asking Price: $19 million
Purpose: To provide space for health sciences education programs and expand UNMC College of Nursing Kearney division
Project: Plan and design new Veterinary Diagnostic Center at Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Location: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Asking Price: $5 million
Reason: To expand with new safety and ventilation systems and add new services to better help the state
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