01/31/2013

Building a Healthier Nebraska legislative initiative

WHEREAS, as the State of Nebraska’s only public university, the University of Nebraska has both the opportunity and the obligation to address challenges that have an impact on the health and quality of life of our citizens; and

WHEREAS, the goals of the University of Nebraska include playing a critical role in building a talented, competitive workforce in Nebraska and leveraging our research, teaching and outreach to promote economic growth; and

WHEREAS, the goals of the University of Nebraska also including pursuing excellence and regional, national and international competitiveness in research, focusing on areas of strategic importance and opportunity; and

WHEREAS, the University of Nebraska has developed a legislative initiative titled “Building a Healthier Nebraska” that seeks to advance those goals by increasing the health care workforce, expanding the scope and quality of the University’s cancer research and treatment facilities, creating new jobs and strengthening the agricultural economy; and

WHEREAS, the Building a Healthier Nebraska initiative includes four components: the construction of a new UNMC College of Nursing facility in Lincoln; the construction of a new addition to house UNMC College of Nursing and School of Allied Health programs in Kearney; the construction of a new cancer research tower and treatment facilities in Omaha; and the planning and design of a new Veterinary Diagnostic Center in Lincoln; and

WHEREAS, the initiative has been introduced in the Nebraska Legislature as LB 1055, LB 1065, LB 1066 and LB 1089; and

WHEREAS, the initiative would help address the State’s alarming shortage of nurses and allied health professionals, expand cancer research and treatment to serve more Nebraskans, add more than 1,200 jobs to the state economy and ensure the continuance of the State’s only accredited Veterinary Diagnostic Center; and

WHEREAS, the State of Nebraska is in a strong financial position to invest in this initiative;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska extends its thanks to Senators Hadley, Fulton, Nelson and Hansen for introducing the Building a Healthier Nebraska initiative, and urges the Legislature to adopt the bills that represent its four components.