University seeks funds to expand research, nursing facilities
In October, the state Economic Forecasting Advisory Board predicted tax revenues would continue to grow into 2013, improving the state’s general fund by nearly $113 million.
In response to the anticipated growth, three bills were introduced to the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee Feb. 2 that would appropriate one-time general fund transfers to the University of Nebraska to expand its facilities.
LB1089, introduced by Omaha Sen. John Nelson, would appropriate $50 million for the construction of a new cancer research facility at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).
Nelson called the proposal a “dynamic opportunity” to invest in Nebraska with a public and private partnership that would create 1,200 new jobs and nearly $100 million in salaries and benefits. Furthermore, he said, it creates important opportunities for collaboration that would benefit cancer patients in need of new and innovative treatments.
LB1055, introduced by Kearney Sen. Galen Hadley, would appropriate $19 million for the construction of a new facility for the Kearney Division of UNMC’s College of Nursing and the School of Allied Health Professions.
Hadley said 74 Nebraska counties have fewer nurses than the national standards. Students who are educated in rural Nebraska are much more likely to stay in rural areas after college, he said, so collaborating with UNMC to create a Kearney Division would help address the nursing shortage in rural areas throughout the state.
LB1065, introduced by Lincoln Sen. Tony Fulton, would appropriate $17 million for the construction of a new facility for the Lincoln Division of UNMC’s College of Nursing.
Fulton said the state faces a nursing shortage of nearly 4,000 nurses by the year 2020. Despite that, Fulton said, UNMC turns away 60 percent of its nursing applicants due to a lack of space and sufficient resources.
“If [the Legislature] neglects to fund this, we need to have a good reason for not doing so,” Fulton said.
Proponents of the bills agreed that the state’s nursing shortage and increasing aging population must be addressed by expanding these facilities to bring more health care workers into the state and to keep younger generations in rural areas.
J.B. Milliken, president of the University of Nebraska, testified in support of the bills, saying health care issues will arise if the state “falls short” of providing these professions. Raising private funds for nursing facilities is difficult, he said, so without the state’s commitment for funding they would be difficult to accomplish.
“We became aware of nursing shortages over recent years and have not been able to address that in past years because of the state’s budget shortfall,” Milliken said. “[These bills] provide a tremendous opportunity to meet some critically important needs in the state.”
Kenneth Cowan, professor at UNMC Eppley Cancer Center in Omaha, testified in support of LB1089, saying a new cancer research tower would bring world-class scientists to Nebraska. This could potentially make UNMC Eppley one of only 40 NCI Designated Cancer Centers in the nation and would increase research funding, he said.
Jeff Shelton, CEO of Harlan County Health System in Alma, testified in support of LB1055, saying students from rural areas who are educated in urban areas are 70 percent less likely to return to rural communities to work. The ability to fill vacated positions in rural health care facilities is becoming nearly impossible because rural communities are losing highly skilled young adults, he said.
Nicole deWit, UNMC nursing student in Lincoln, testified in support of LB1065, saying conditions are crowded at the university’s current nursing facility in Lincoln. These conditions create an environment that students want to “escape” and will go off campus to work, she said, so their quality of education is affected.
“I want to advocate for future nursing students so they do not encounter the same issues,” she said.
The committee took no immediate action on the bills.
