Nebraska
Flatwater Explains: What is Nebraska Medicine — and how is it different from UNMC? – Flatwater Free Press
The University of Nebraska’s plan to fully acquire Nebraska Medicine, announced in January, and the ensuing opposition among some Omaha doctors kicked off a wave of headlines.
Through it all, Flatwater readers asked a simple question: What is Nebraska Medicine and how is it different from the University of Nebraska Medical Center?
The origins
What is now called Nebraska Medicine was formed in 1997 when Bishop Clarkson Memorial Hospital and University Hospital merged and created the Nebraska Health System. In 2003, its name changed to the Nebraska Medical Center.
In 2016, Nebraska Medicine was officially established as a nonprofit with shared 50-50 ownership between the University of Nebraska and Clarkson Regional Health Services. The agreement also unified three previously separate organizations — the Nebraska Medical Center, Bellevue Medical Center and UNMC Physicians — under the Nebraska Medicine name and logo.
Nebraska Medicine currently operates two hospitals, Nebraska Medical Center and Bellevue Medical Center, both in the Omaha metro area. Combined, the hospitals have more than 800 licensed beds. Nebraska Medicine has more than 9,000 employees, including more than 1,400 physicians.
Though their names are often used interchangeably, Nebraska Medicine and UNMC are two distinct organizations. Nebraska Medicine operates the hospital and handles the majority of patient care. UNMC is the NU System’s medical university.
UNMC and Nebraska Medicine are “tied at the hip” and work closely together in a “vital” partnership, said Dr. H. Dele Davies, interim chancellor of UNMC. Many physicians are employed by both organizations.
“As people go in and out of … our facilities, they can’t actually tell where UNMC begins and where Nebraska Medicine ends. And so, yes, we’re going to continue to work together,” Davies said.
Nebraska Medicine is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization governed by a separate board of directors appointed by the university’s Board of Regents and Clarkson Regional.
Though sometimes confused for each other, Clarkson Regional Health Services is a separate entity from Clarkson College, a private college with undergraduate and graduate nursing programs also located in Omaha. Clarkson College works in partnership with both Nebraska Medicine and UNMC.
What’s happening now?
In 2024, Clarkson Regional Health Services approached the university, wanting to sell its share and exit Nebraska Medicine. That started more than a year of confidential negotiations.
The university’s Board of Regents unanimously approved an agreement in January 2026 to buy out Clarkson Regional’s half of Nebraska Medicine for $500 million, and to purchase some of Clarkson’s real estate for an additional $300 million.
As part of that deal, Clarkson Regional has said it will make a $200 million donation to UNMC’s Project Health, a $2.19 billion health care center slated for the Omaha campus.
Though it will be under the university’s full ownership, Nebraska Medicine will continue to be a separate 501(c)(3), said Paul Kenney, chairman of the university’s Board of Regents. The partnership between UNMC and Nebraska Medicine will be the same as always, he said.
Nebraska Medicine will also continue to have a separate board of directors appointed by the University of Nebraska, Davies said. Its finances will also continue to be managed separately, and the status of employees of one or both organizations won’t change.
UNMC and Nebraska Medicine will continue to work together as they have before the deal. The day-to-day operations will continue, and patients will see no changes to their care, Davies said.
GRETNA, Neb. (WOWT) – A new recreation area opened Thursday in Gretna, honoring a notable Nebraska Native American while reducing flooding risks.
The Sergeant Mad Bear Recreation Area, located just off 168th and Giles, was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The park is named after Sergeant Mad Bear, a Pawnee warrior who lived in the area during the 1860s. He was wounded in battle and became the first Native American in the country to receive the Medal of Honor.
“This lake that we’re here for is named after one of our soldiers. And a revered soldier,” said Pat Leading Fox, head chief of the Pawnee Nation Chiefs Council.
Honoring Pawnee heritage
Leading Fox said he was honored to see Mad Bear’s name live on at the site.
“He’s a Pawnee member. He’s a member of the band that I represent, Skidi Band, S-K-I-D-I. And to stand here, you know, where he could possibly have, you know, walked, you know, really is touching,” Leading Fox said.
For Leading Fox, the park represents more than a place to relax.
“This is our homeland here so you I always say home, we’re home,” he said.
Dual purpose: recreation and flood control
The park also serves as a flood reservoir, one of many managed by the Papio Missouri River NRD.
“This is part of a larger plan to control flows downstream. It works in conjunction with the levees and with the other reservoirs,” said Ian Ghanavati of the Papio Missouri River NRD.
The reservoir is currently empty but designed to fill with rainwater.
“Where the rock is, where you can kind of see the edge of the earth, that’s where the shoreline will come up to. We just need some rain to fill it,” Ghanavati said.
Community amenity
The empty reservoir has not deterred park visitors, who are already using the area’s other amenities.
Jen Boswell, a park visitor, said she uses the walking trail regularly.
“They just put in the trail from our street down to the path here. So yeah, I try to come down and walk at least three times around,” Boswell said.
Boswell said she is looking forward to using the park more as it develops.
“Walk, play, ride our bikes, scooters around here, fish. I think you could even put maybe like a kayak in here once it’s ready. So it’s going to be a great addition to the area for sure,” she said.
Sergeant Mad Bear is the second reservoir to open in the Papio NRD, following the Forest City Reservoir which opened last fall.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
(WOWT) – On this day in 1972, the eastern cottonwood was named the official Nebraska state tree.
It replaced the original choice, the American elm.
The cottonwood is often associated with Nebraska’s pioneer era. Several famous landmarks were cottonwood trees. Their shoots were often collected by settlers.
Today, the cottonwood grows throughout the state, with the largest being in Wheeler County.
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MORE LOCAL HISTORY
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On July 4, 2026, our country will celebrate its 250th birthday. Every day leading up to it, First Alert 6 will take a look at the people and events that shaped our area.
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Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – The Nebraska Extension hosted a workshop Wednesday morning for ag producers, focusing on how to use drought monitoring and forecasting tools, assess drought impacts and risks, explore management strategies, and identify available resources.
Organizers say the goal is to help producers make more informed, timely decisions as changing weather patterns continue to affect soil moisture, crop conditions, and long-term planning.
The session also highlighted practical tools farmers can use to track drought development and adjust operations before conditions worsen.
“The really warm temperatures and strong wind just sucked the moisture out of the soil, out of the vegetation and this has been going on since at least October and were not going to come out of it over the night, it’s going to take a while to rebuild those moisture supplies even if we get average moisture it will be enough for vegetation but it won’t helped us recover what we’ve already lost,” said Deborah Bathke, Nebraska state climatologist.
Officials add that continued education and early planning are key to helping producers stay resilient through increasingly variable growing seasons.
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Copyright 2026 KNOP. All rights reserved.
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