Introduction

With a history dating back to 1869, The Nebraska Medical Center is known for excellence, innovation and quality patient care. As the teaching hospital for the University of Nebraska’s health sciences programs, this 689 acute-care bed facility has an international reputation for providing solid organ and bone marrow transplantation services and is well known nationally and regionally for its oncology, neurology and cardiology programs.

The Nebraska Medical Center was created in 1997 by combining the operations of University Hospital, Bishop Clarkson Memorial Hospital, and their ambulatory care facilities. The Nebraska Medical Center is Nebraska’s largest health care facility – with more than 4,900 employees and more than 1,000 physicians on staff. Its physicians practice in all major specialties and sub-specialties attracting patients from across the region and from around the world. As the primary teaching hospital for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, The Nebraska Medical Center hosts more than 350 medical and surgical residents and assists in the training and education of more than 1,000 students.

In fiscal year 2007, The Nebraska Medical Center treated more than 26,000 inpatients and had more than 445,000 encounters in outpatient settings including diagnostic testing, radiology and specialty clinics. The medical center has treated patients from all 50 states and the District of Columbia and 43 foreign countries.

Primary Products and Services

The hospital has a very strong presence and reputation in the major service lines of oncology, solid organ transplantation, cardiology, neurology and trauma. The hospital also provides clinical services in general surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, gastroenterology, rheumatology, diabetes, obstetrics/newborns, emergency medicine, OB/GYN oncology, otolaryngology, endocrine, burn, dermatology, HIV, oral surgery, primary care, pharmacy, pathology and infectious disease/bioterrorism.

The Nebraska Medical Center was named one of America’s best hospitals in U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 publication for Cancer and Neurology & Neurosurgery.

The Nebraska Medical Center's stroke program, heart failure program and acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) program have all received the "Gold Seal of Approval" certification from The Joint Commission, making these services the first and only nationally certified programs of their kind in the state of Nebraska. The Nebraska Medical Center is also the only hospital in the state that qualifies for the Level 4 (highest) designation per the standards of the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.

Major Facilities

The Nebraska Medical Center’s main campus, located in midtown Omaha, is anchored by Clarkson Tower, University Tower, Lied Transplant Center and the Hixson-Lied Center. Adjacent to this campus is the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the hospital’s academic partner. Additional Omaha facilities include Clarkson West Medical Center, nine outpatient clinics and Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital. Approximately 300 rotational clinics in six different states bear The Nebraska Medical Center banner. The hospital provides a communication network to facilitate the education of, and sharing of expertise with, small rural facilities.

The Lied Transplant Center embodies our commitment to transplant and cancer patients. The 13-story building houses a 24-hour clinic, research labs and suites for patients and families. The Lied Transplant Center is operated more like a hotel than a hospital. The patient care model, cooperative care helps the patient make the transition from hospital to home. The caregiver learns how to administer medications and watch for signs of trouble.

The Eppley Cancer Center teams University of Nebraska Medical Center researchers with patient care physicians for the best possible treatment of cancer. The Eppley Cancer Center (through the Peggy D. Cowdery Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center) treats patients from around the world.

In 2005, the Hixson-Lied Center for Clinical Excellence was opened with a formal dedication and public tours. The new facility covers 165,000 square feet over four floors. The building houses emergency, radiology, cardiology, surgery and the newborn intensive care unit. Consolidating services into one building will lead to more efficient care, greater excellence and innovation in medicine.

Also in 2005, CDC Director Julie Gerberding, M.D. joined physicians at The Nebraska Medical Center for the opening of our Biocontainment Unit. The Biocontainment Unit at The Nebraska Medical Center is currently the only center accessible to civilians in the United States equipped to safely care for anyone exposed to a contagious and dangerous disease such as avian flu. Early isolation of an infected patient is essential - buying time for public health officials and providing the chance to either stop an outbreak - or rapidly contain one. The Unit’s location, on the same campus as Nebraska’s Bio-Safety Level-3 laboratory, allows for timely diagnosis and immediate treatment of patients.

In 2006, The Nebraska Medical Center announced plans to develop a new 100 bed hospital in the southeastern community of Bellevue. With the rapid growth of this area just outside Omaha’s city limits there is a demand for a full service inpatient facility with emergency care, obstetrics, inpatient and outpatient surgery, intensive care, cardiac catheterization, pharmacy, radiology and lab testing. Plans will allow future expansion for another 100 beds as the need arises.

In 2008, The Nebraska Medical Center opened a new Diabetes Center, the only one of its kind in the state and in the region dedicated to offering comprehensive care for patients with diabetes. A “One Stop Shop” for diabetes, the Diabetes Center combines the best of clinical care, education and research while drawing upon a full-range of top-rated specialists and cutting edge technology to provide unsurpassed treatment and care. The Nebraska Medical Center also opened an outpatient cancer center in West Omaha. The center offers a multidisciplinary, full service approach to cancer treatment with diagnostic imaging, radiation oncology and chemotherapy services.

Renewed Commitment to Quality

The Nebraska Medical Center is committed to focusing on quality improvement. In 2002, the medical center expanded its existing quality and performance improvement systems to include Six Sigma processes. The hospital partnered with GE to foster a cultural change within the organization that would transform it into one that was “quality-minded” in all aspects of its operations. Operating with quality at the constant forefront of its organizational mind is not only the right thing to do; the external environment also drives it. Assessment of quality by both patients and payors is on the rise. Adoption of programs like Six Sigma, Balanced Scorecard, Crew Resource Management, the Supply Chain initiative, and participation in programs such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s 100K Lives campaign, demonstrate the hospital’s commitment to seek out best practice models and apply them to The Nebraska Medical Center operations.