CHI Health, together with Creighton University and its various community partners, announced plans this past summer to build and open a new medical complex close to campus.
The new complex will be built around the standing McDonalds on 24th and Cuming streets.
When finished, it will cover 90,000 square feet or 12 acres of land, and it will infuse $35 million dollars into the northeast Omaha community.
Although the facility will include an emergency center, it will also include specialty and outpatient services, according to the original press release. The outpatient department will have 30 physicians and 24 residents available to see patients daily.
Specialty departments that are currently at Creighton University Medical Center, such as Creighton’s Family Medical Residency Program, a psychiatry department, a cardiology
department, OB/GYN services and 24 hour pharmacy will be housed at the new facility, according to the press release.
“The complex will feature care designed for people who need to see a doctor, but don’t need a hospital,” Kevin Nokels, president of Creighton University Medical Center and project director, said in the press release.
The emergency, outpatient and specialty departments will include jobs for 200 staff members.
The new facility will give the community greater access to health care and is designed to be a place where “healthcare, education and community will come together,” according to the press release.
“The current CUMC building is aging significantly and was built to provide inpatient care,” said Dr. Donald Frey, the senior vice provost for clinical affairs.
“To continue to keep it open would require significant and expansive renovation. It is not focused on community-based care, our greatest educational and delivery need, and would be difficult to transition to such a model.”
The community-based goal of the new facility will be met with the inclusion of more services than just an emergency department.
“With regard to the community, the facility will focus on meeting our community needs. It won’t just be a place to come when you are sick,” Frey said. “Rather, it will embrace prevention and wellness as a fundamental part of care.”
In addition, the press release states that the new building will have space for community meetings.
Along with community and health care goals, the facility hopes to help educate future healthcare employees.
“With regard to education, future health professionals will now train in an ambulatory facility that will more closely resemble their ultimate practice locations,” Frey said.
This facility will benefit medical, pharmacy and nursing students of Creighton University, as they will receive some of their training at the new facility. It will also benefit undergraduate students.
“Our goal is to fully utilize this newcomplex for as many learners as possible,” Frey said. “We are hopeful that shadowing experiences, opportunities for interactions with patients and families, etc. will be options for undergraduates at this facility.”
The two goals of this new facility to benefit both the community and future health care professionals are intertwined.
“Creighton University and Alegent Creighton Health have been engaged in a very ambitious process to create a new medical complex that will provide opportunities for expanded clinical, research and training capabilities for educating tomorrow’s healthcare professionals,” said the Rev. Timothy R. Lannon, S.J., president of Creighton.
“Additionally, this creates the best model for continuing our commitment to all the communities we serve.”
According to Frey, it is important that this facility expands beyond current health care to consider the future of health care.
“Creighton University is the academic partner of Catholic Health Initiatives,” he
said. “One of the stated goals of the all CHI facilities, especially this one immediately adjacent to campus, is to provide clinical training to our students. The more that health professionals—and especially health professionals in training—can interface with the community, the more effectively they will be trained for the future.”
New technology will be used to both train health professionals and to benefit patients. There will be a possibility for virtual visits with physicians if a certain specialist is out of the office.
In addition, student-patient interaction will be monitored and coached outside of the exam room, according to Dr. Rick Rolston, president and chief executive officer of CHI Health.
According to Frey, the future of the current Alegent Creighton facility is unknown. Construction of the new facility will start in the spring and the facility will open in late 2016.
An artist’s rendering shows the planned new medical facility on 24th and Cuming.