It’s known as an iEXCEL Wall, and it gets medical students excited in addition to helping them to learn.
For rural areas, it helps to level the playing field so that medical campuses like Northeast Community College can keep up with the latest advances in health care technology.
On Wednesday, University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey Gold visited Norfolk and the downtown and met community leaders.
His final stop was Northeast Community College’s McIntosh College of Nursing, which features an iWall that links the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s five nursing campuses so the latest technology can be shared during lessons and projects — simultaneously.
Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, who helped to arrange for Dr. Gold’s visit, said there are few nursing colleges in Nebraska that have access to this type of technology.
“As we know, this is the future of medicine and the future of our area,” Flood said.
Dr. Gold, Nicole Carritt, UNMC’s director of rural initiatives, and Bob Bartee, UNMC’s vice chancellor of external relations, met with Norfolk community leaders and other Northeast Nebraska stakeholders about common priorities, such as health education, health workforce shortages and economic development, that UNMC and Norfolk city, business and community leaders can work together to address.
They also will meet with leaders of Northeast Community College to discuss collaborative efforts between UNMC and Northeast, including a new radiology partnership that will begin in fall 2022.
“This is a big day for Norfolk,” Flood said. “We have been talking about different ways to grow our communities, especially here in Northeast Nebraska.”
Gold said he is not aware of any other medical system in the United States or the world where the entire educational system is linked through high bandwidth capability so that students, faculty and staff can work together in real time.
They can view real patient images and work on problems at the same time, study together, learn together and hopefully practice together, he said.
Gold, who also is a surgeon and medical educator, said he is always impressed when he comes to Northeast Nebraska with the cohesiveness of the region. One of the things he always asks is what he can do for the community.
“The answer is always the same three things,” Gold said. “It’s workforce, workforce and workforce. And if you’re not listening, it’s more workforce.”
Gold said UNMC already has established strong partnerships with Northeast Nebraska and in rural areas through scholarships, Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) and the Northeast Nursing College.
So what does it take to get someone to live in Norfolk or a community that doesn’t have as many offerings as a metro area?
Gold said it takes creating great jobs, working with fabulous people and offering a great place for people to raise their families. Then it depends on things like what people can do for entertainment, such as the arts, music and athletics, he said.
Among the more than 15 people taking part in at least part of the tour were Dr. Marysz Rames, president of Wayne State College, and Connie Rupp, chief nursing officer at Faith Regional Health Services.
Dr. Leah Barrett, president of Northeast Community College\!q ,expressed appreciation for all those who attended and discussed the importance of the region and serving it.
